I started writing this comment in response to John’s article, but I thought it might be good for a post in itself.
Hi John,
While I agree with your sentiments here, I have to say that it is not as simplistic as all that. Yes, God loves all of us…whether we believe or not. But God abides with His children, who are born of His Spirit. And such abode brings favour.
Certainly, it doesn’t necessarily mean financial favour or worldly success, but it also doesn’t mean that God won’t bless us in those ways either. You can consider the story of the Obed-edom as recorded in 2 Samuel 6:11 as an example. As Christians, our greatest blessing is our assurance of salvation…and that will come with tribulations and persecutions in this world, when we stand for the truth.
The Bible also teaches us that we are a royal Priesthood, a peculiar people, a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9), set apart for God as instruments of righteousness and chosen by Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). Jesus even said that we didn’t choose Him, but He chose us (John 15:16), and that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them (John 6:44). This is a hard teaching to accept in the world, which is why it is also recorded that after He said that, many of His disciples stopped following Him.
However, God is still good and just, all the time, to the righteous and the unrighteous, even though it may not appear so to all. We must also be good to all without prejudice. However, the saying that “charity begins at home” is true. Paul teaches us that our love and compassion must first be shown to the household of the Believers (Gal 6:10).
Just because some abuse the concept of favour doesn’t make it untrue, in the same way many have abused God’s grace…yet it can not be denied! It is a free gift to all that are willing to accept it.
God bless you, Ufuoma.
Read John Pavlovitz’s post: The Destructive Lie of “God’s Favor”
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Categories: Issues of Life, Response Post, The Latest, True Religion
Grace and Truth 
John was right in his post concerning the dangers of ‘God’s favor’ theology that encourages us think of ourselves more highly than we ought. At the same time, while God loves his entire creation, his true children are those who have repented of sin and believed in the Son. God has unconditionally elected a remnant people for himself and his glory, has given his elect people to his Son and they unfailingly come. that doesn’t make the elect ‘special’, but it does mean that God has a special intimate love for his elect. That’s what ‘foreknowledge’ means. Yes we are a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, but we are cautioned not to somehow ‘feel’ special because we are not. It’s the difference between thentheologymof themcross and themtheology of glory.
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When we recognize that we didn’t earn our salvation, and that it is a gift of God, we have no cause to feel special.
Thanks for your contribution.
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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Cheers!
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And you! 🙂
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Words are powerful and potent. They carry within them the power to bless or to curse, to offer life or despair (read: eventual death). We’re truly in the end times when a Christian Pastor can call “God’s favor” a destructive lie. It makes no difference that he’s preaching against a perceived doctrine & the understanding of it. If that’s the case then he should say so and title his article accordingly.
“The best definition of the word favor is “demonstrated delight.” The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.” When we favor someone, we want to be with him or her. We delight in him….
God seeks out those who love Him and love His commands so that He can bless, guide, and protect them (Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 3:5–6). This does not mean that everyone who is prosperous or healthy has found favor with God (Jeremiah 12:1; Psalm 37:7; 73:16). Nor does it mean that those whom the Lord favors will never suffer difficulties. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship (2 Corinthians 6:4; Acts 14:22; 20:23; 1 Peter 2:19). Ex: Noah (Genesis 6:8), Moses (Exodus 32:11; 33:13), Daniel (Daniel 10:19), and Mary (Luke 1:28) were favored of the Lord, but they also struggled with difficulties like anyone else.
Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
“The Lord invites us to seek His favor (Psalm 119:58, 135; 2 Kings 13:4; Jeremiah 26:19; Zephaniah 2:3). When we seek His favor, we humble our hearts before Him (2 Kings 22:19); seek Him for Himself, not just for the blessings He gives (Jeremiah 29:13); and arrange our lives around loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). We seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
Finding favor with the Lord keeps our lives and thoughts pure because we desire to please Him more than we desire to please ourselves. Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” When the same can be said of us, we know we have found favor with God. His delight in us will be demonstrated.”
[quotes: gotquestions. org I’ve slightly edited/rearranged)
God’s favor is real and true. Something we should all strive to be in. The Lord’s favor is not just physical, but spiritual: wisdom, revelation, knowledge, understanding, peace, joy etc. [these things do not mean there wont be difficulties, persecutions, tribulations sufferings etc. Which is why Paul could say we must give thanks IN (not for) all things.
Who would want to be without the favor of God.
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I don’t know, my friend! Thanks for your contribution. You’ve settled the case 🙂
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Thank you so much!
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I do believe the complaint made concerning God’s favor was being made against the misuse of it, not against God’s blessing his children. There is quite a bit of abuse going on these days, aptly described in the original article. There’s a bit of a straw man being erected here, I think.
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If you read my post, you will see that I acknowledged the complaint of the misuse of God’s favour as genuine. And if you read his post, you will also know that he was actually not only talking about how it’s misused, but teaching that there is no such thing – hence my disagreement.
If you disagree with me on doctrine fine, but the only one erecting straw men arguments here is you.
Have a good night.
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I sure will, and I did red his post and am also aware of all the abuses. 🙂
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Actually, I reread his article and I think that perhaps I was trying to give Mr. Pavlovitz too much credit. If he is saying that God doesn’t have a special love for his elect he is certainly in error. I’m certainly not a fan of his, since he believes homosexuality is not a sin.
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