Do You Have “FAVOR” With God & Does It Matter? (Part 3)

We have been looking into what the “Favor” of God means as well as the importance of how you grow in Favor with God. From my experience, this subject is rarely talked about because so many pastors and teachers are afraid of being labeled a “Works” person. The subject of God’s grace is so hammered into most Christians that people are often blind to the obvious truth that what we do matters. If you haven’t read the first two article in this series, please read those first before continuing with this one.

The incorrect belief about grace and works clouds the ability of many to reason out the scripture with common sense. In Romans, Paul challenged young believers to be renewed in their thinking because their pagan upbringing clouded their reasoning and judgement. By challenging believers to get “renewed” or “rewired” they could think more clearly and reason out the scripture as they were intended to be understood. The Jews in days of Jesus thought much like the religious people of our day who learn scripture but never really apply them.

How many people have we all met that went to church their entire life but one day they stopped running from God in their minds and hearts and finally surrendered. All of a sudden, the scriptures started making sense when before they didn’t.

Below are the first two verses of scripture that I started with in part 1 when discussing favor. The first, in Psalms 90, requests the favor of God, which implies that favor is not automatically given.  It then states that favor enables “Works” of labors to be established. The second verse in Proverbs 12 says a good man “Obtains” favor from God, which implies people of bad actions or intentions do not receive it. Our “Success” is linked to our standing or favor with God.

Psalm 90:17                                                                                                                                                                                       

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! 

Proverbs 12:2:                                                                                                                                                                         

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns. … So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

I would like to look at a number of key verses that reveal just how we gain favor with God and how we can lose it as well. When we look at any concept in scripture we need to hold a few key ideas in mind lest we become discouraged in the process. All too often believers merely let their pastor do their thinking for them and just accept whatever is taught, whether it makes sense them or not. Scripture yields its wealth to those who pursue God by reading and studying. There are no true shortcuts to gaining wisdom and understanding.

First, scripture reveals that the disposition of our hearts matters a lot. When our hearts are proud and unteachable God resists us even when we are trying to do spiritual things, like studying scripture.  All too often people study the scripture to gain an advantage over other people rather than to change their own lives. Scripture states that “Humility” is number one in gaining an audience with the Lord.

Micah 6:8                                                                                                                                                                                  

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

In the same way, the New Testament basically says the same thing…..that humility is highly valued by God and, when we move in it, we gain favor and advance in both faith and the natural.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Secondly, scripture is the revelation of God to man and by its very nature is “Spiritual Truth” and therefore must be pursued and investigated with spiritual guidance. In the Old Testament, God helped people unpack truth when they approached scripture with humility and the “Fear of The Lord“, which is the willingness to submit what they discovered to honor God.  Having a healthy respect for the greatness of God enables us to approach God in a manner that frees Him to bless.

Proverbs 22:4                                                                                                                                                                        

The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.

In the New Testament these traits were highly valued in the early believers and made the early church great in the eyes of the Lord. Again, humility and the fear of the Lord released increase from the Lord and caused many to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and witness miraculous happening regularly.

Acts 9:31                                                                                                                                                                                   

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

Thirdly, “Being Teachable”  is crucial when it comes to gaining favor. One might ask how do we know if we are teachable and I would submit to you that one can discover how teachable one is by how dependent they are on the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would “Guide” us but, from my experience, few believers give the Holy Spirit the time of day, except in emergencies. The Holy Spirit is meant to “Help” us and “Teach” us in our daily lives.  If we don’t seek his counsel and help, many times He stays silent.

John 14:16.                                                                                                                                                                                  

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 

John 14:26                                                                                                                                                                                        

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 

These three character qualities are crucial to gaining the favor of God. Ask yourself if you are working at developing these qualities or just assumed they would be given to you since you are a child of God?  These characteristics are just a few of the things that gain favor with God. In the next article, I will try to elaborate further on this topic so we will have a more complete understanding of how we gain favor with God.

Let me leave you with this important truth. God planted Adam in the garden to “Cultivate” the potential of the land. The land had all the potential to be wonderful “IF” Adam labored to work the land. In the same way, we have to work at developing and maintaining Humility. We need to learn about the character and greatness of God to grow in the Fear of the Lord and we need to constantly work at developing a submissive spirit with the Holy Spirit.

Questions:

1) Have you taken for granted that you have favor with God? (1 John 1:9)

2) Are you working on your humility to understand how to develop it? (Phil 2:3)

May God grant us favor to be the children he is proud of!

Pastor Dale