Inner Command, Outer Obedience

Neville's Inner Vision

Here, Paul does not petition God from afar; he states that the believer's interior state, the I AM, is the source of action. 'We have confidence in the Lord touching you' means I see your consciousness illuminated by divine assurance, and therefore your outer conduct will align with the command you have already embraced inwardly. When you imagine that you already inherently do the things commanded, you release the pressure of striving and allow the inner law to move your feet. Obedience is not a dry rule to perform, but the natural disclosure of a present, conscious alignment with that which commands you. The 'you' who does and will do is the same 'I' who is present in you now, the you that accepts the authority of the Lord in your heart. So the verse invites you to rest in the discovery that your state of consciousness, not external enforcement, determines conduct. By assuming the desired act as already present in your mind, you cultivate a certainty that your life will reproduce that inner command.