Satan used delusion in the Garden of Eden to make Adam and Eve believe it was owed to them to eat of the forbidden fruit. Satan used delusion when he tempted Jesus unsuccessfully. Today he continues to use delusion through the misuse of the promises in the Word of God to make Christians think they are owed something while on this earth.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine studying for his doctorate in Theology and we were discussing his chagrin for the Prosperity Gospel when he turned to me and said, “The day we act like God owes us something, is the day we are turning our backs on grace.”
I couldn’t help but think about the simplicity of what God teaches us in His Word. We are saved by His undeserved grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We become the King’s servants, and are not to act like His spoiled brats (2 Corinthians 6:4). We are to live a life of humility regarding others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3). We are to exude thankfulness in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We are to enter our Lord’s presence without fear, but with confidence blended with awe (Hebrews 4:16). We are to lay our petitions down at His feet with assurance of being heard, but never with a tone of demand (1 John 5:14). We are to accept His will, despite the fact it may defer from ours, and we are to do it with total acceptance and are to praise Him for the strength He supplies (Ephesians 1:9-10). All of this with a total recognition that He is LORD, not us, and that His ways are much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Does the Lord perform miracles, healings, and bestow unbelievable blessings on us? Yes, He most certainly does, but only in light of what Jesus accomplished for us and for the glory of His name. Our focus is not to be on our needs, nor is it to be on our prosperity, but our focus is to be on our service to the Lord. Proverbs 3:6 reminds us that we owe the Lord acknowledgement in all our ways and in the process He shall direct our paths in serving Him. Our home is in Heaven and that is where our treasures are to be according to Matthew 6:19-20.
The following verses are the cement that holds this article together:
Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. (Romans 9:14-16 NLT)
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)
These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)
“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10 NLT)
And the Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)
Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. (John 15:20 NLT)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matthew 16:24-25 NLT)
Job said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord !” (Job 1:21 NLT)
So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? (Hebrews 2:3 NLT)
In summary, it all comes down to attitude. I humbly serve a good good father who loves to bestow lavish gifts upon me and protect me. But once I step over the line and think I am owed this, I am no longer dependent upon his grace and mercy–> I begin to walk in the danger zone!
Annointing 