Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — )
PROGRAM D-8291
It’s amazing how many sayings are believed to have come from the Bible, when actually they do not. Some are harmless, like the customs that have grown up surrounding the birth of Jesus. For example, we don’t know if there was an innkeeper, much less what he said. We have no idea how many wise men came to visit Jesus and, when they did, he was not in a manger but in a home, probably close to two years old. These are inaccuracies, but they do not do injustice to Scriptural truth.
The five things I want to point out are often accepted as truth, but they are actually opposed to Scripture. Here’s the first one:
God helps those who help themselves.
You won’t find that in the Bible! Instead, Romans 5:8 says just the opposite: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” There was and is nothing we can do to take care of our sin problem. Jesus paid it all—while we were still sinners and could do nothing to help ourselves!
This readily accepted saying—God helps those who help themselves—seems to imply that we can force God to help us if and when we do something to show him that we are helping ourselves. In other words, we can place God in our debt—force him to help us because, after all, we are helping ourselves. Furthermore, if we don’t do something to help ourselves, God will not help us.
There is so much in Scripture that is contrary to this belief. It’s true that God does not honor or approve of laziness. The parable of the talents teaches us to be diligent in the stewardship of what God has given us—talents, money, and skills. But our work for God, our obedience to him, must come from a heart of love and gratitude, not as a way to force God’s hand, as it were. Additionally, when you start to believe that God helps those who help themselves, then you can easily start to take credit for your accomplishments.
So, when you hear someone say, “God helps those who help themselves,” remind yourself that God helps those who are totally helpless because of his great love and amazing grace, not from any obligation imposed on him because we “helped ourselves.”