There Is Favour to Win or Lose

“A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.” (Pr 12:2 AV)

 I know that I have mentioned this false doctrine in the past.  Normally in passing and not as the main subject of the devotion.  There is this idea in our contemporary Christian culture that the LORD accepts you as you are.  The idea is we can live in any way we please and the LORD accepts us unconditionally.  So much so we can continue to live as we please without any fear of the LORD passing judgment or being separated from His all-accepting love.  There is no favor to obtain because we are always in favor with the LORD.  That is the idea.  However, if that were so, the above verse would not make any sense.  To obtain hear means to secure, to draw out, or the get.  And the word for favour here means, pleasure, delight, goodwill, and acceptance.  Did you catch that?  Acceptance.  The Bible just told us that a good man will procure acceptance from the LORD whereas a wicked person will be condemned.  The LORD does not accept a person just the way they are.  This is Bible.  This is truth.  To teach otherwise is to promote a falsehood that will lead to the destruction of many.

Listen to what Paul had to say on this matter.  “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” (2Co 5:9 KJV)  Paul specifically states he labors so as to be accepted bu God.  Does that mean God cares if we serve Him?  Does the LORD really appreciate it when one person is faithful?  Is the LORD bothered by children who do not serve?  Paul certainly suggests that this is the case.  How about the words of Christ himself?  “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (Lu 9:26 AV)  It appears how we hold the person of Jesus Christ and the word of God is the way He holds us.  If we disrespect Him or do a disservice to the written word of God, then He is ashamed of us.  Hear what Peter says in the book of Acts.  “But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Ac 10:35 AV)  Lastly, listen to that great missionary, Paul as he speaks again.  “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2Ti 2:4 AV)  If we can please Him, then we can also displease Him.  Space prohibits an exhaustive list of verses that proves God has feelings towards us based on our behavior.  To do otherwise, God would cease to be God.

It may make us feel better to assume the LORD accepts us just the way we are.  It may soothe a guilty conscience.  It may give us a brief moment of happiness to think we can do as we please and be as we wish without ever putting into jeopardy God’s feeling towards us.  But this is not so.  I am my father’s son.  He will always love me no matter what I do.  That does not mean that he is always pleased with what I do or accepts what I do.  My father has had to stand strong against a few of my siblings as we aged through our teenage years.  There were a couple of times when their relationship was severed.  It didn’t change his love for them.  But it sure changed the relationship.  He may have stilled loved his children, but that doesn’t mean he accepted them.  We are arrogant or carnal if we think the LORD is obligated to accept our behavior without comment or criticism.  Solomon tells his son it would be good to obtain favor of the LORD.  He tells him it would be good to do that which is pleasing in His sight.  This is good and biblically sound advice.