God's Favor is Not for Those Who Deserve It

It really is amazing how often we still think that God owes us something--anything.

If we read our Bibles enough, or if we go to church.

If we start paying back debts, or if we write all those apology letters we had assured that we were going to do, then we think that God is going to bless us.

When we think that way, we are putting confidence in our flesh, and we are falling back under law:

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)

and also

"For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:3-4)

The flesh, living under law, all speak of self-effort. Abram and Sarai wanted to have a child, but instead of trusting in God's favor, they relied on their own effort:

"For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." (Romans 7:5)

and also

"But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise." (Galatians 4:23)

God wants to favor us, to rely on His grace:

"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all," (Romans 4:16)

Let's stop striving for God's favor in our lives.

He has given us His Son, and in Jesus we are blessed indeed:

"3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1: 3-6)