Post by Cindy on Feb 5, 2016 10:39:52 GMT -5
The saying, "God helps those who help themselves", is quoted so much by so many that often people believe that it's from the bible. The problem is that it's not only not from the bible, but it states the exact opposite of what the bible tells us. God tells us that we cannot do anything good without His help, that when we do things on our own, in our own strength, or using our own knowledge, all we do is mess up and make things worse. Instead we are told, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
Through the entire Bible, God tells us over and over again, that He helps those who have come to realize that they're really helpless on their own. We most certainly couldn't do anything to save ourselves - that's why Jesus came. We're told: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) Even after we're saved, we still can't do anything on our own. We must admit that we need to remain in Christ for Him to help us and enable us to bear fruit for Him. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4) The next verse really nails it down even more: ““I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Notice that doesn't say that apart from Him we can only do the easy things, but we need Him for the really hard things. No, we can't do anything without His help. It isn't the strong that God helps, it's those who know they're weak and that they need Him. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29) When we realize that, we can then say: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Think about all the testimonies you've heard or read. How many of them bragged about what the person did as opposed to what God did through them? None! Only those who haven't been saved, and don't realize that they need to be say things like "God helps those who help themselves". Those who have been saved know that, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Psalm 18:32)
Through the entire Bible, God tells us over and over again, that He helps those who have come to realize that they're really helpless on their own. We most certainly couldn't do anything to save ourselves - that's why Jesus came. We're told: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) Even after we're saved, we still can't do anything on our own. We must admit that we need to remain in Christ for Him to help us and enable us to bear fruit for Him. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4) The next verse really nails it down even more: ““I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Notice that doesn't say that apart from Him we can only do the easy things, but we need Him for the really hard things. No, we can't do anything without His help. It isn't the strong that God helps, it's those who know they're weak and that they need Him. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29) When we realize that, we can then say: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Think about all the testimonies you've heard or read. How many of them bragged about what the person did as opposed to what God did through them? None! Only those who haven't been saved, and don't realize that they need to be say things like "God helps those who help themselves". Those who have been saved know that, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Psalm 18:32)
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