Does God help those who help themselves?
“God helps those who help themselves.” How many times have we heard this statement spoken as if it were a Biblical truth? In fact, according to the George Barna Research Group, 68 per cent of professing born-again Christians and 75 per cent of Americans in general believe this statement. In a questionnaire this writer circulated to a church congregation, an overwhelming majority of the respondents actually believed that this statement was in the Bible. As a young boy, this writer can remember on numerous occasions the pastor making this statement from the pulpit.
The problem is, not only is “God helps those who help themselves” not in the Bible, it's not even Biblical!* The Scriptures teach us that we are helpless to do anything to help ourselves, and God and God alone is our help. Note what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:6
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
The word translated “helpless” is the Greek word asthenes. It is used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the helplessness of a person who was so sick that he had to be carried into the streets to receive healing (Acts 5:15). The writer of Hebrews uses the word in Hebrews 7 to describe the setting aside of the Old Covenant because of its helplessness and uselessness to accomplish God's saving purpose.
The Biblical truth is, God helps those who cannot help themselves. In a previous article, we have discussed the fact that those who are without Christ are dead in their trespasses and sins (see The Living Dead Among Us). It is obvious that, if the Biblical perspective is that those without sin are dead, then it is impossible for a dead person to do anything at all to help himself. A corpse will remain a corpse unless it is defibrillated into life—but no corpse ever defibrillated itself!
The popularity of this pseudo-verse is indicative of the fact that we do not like to admit to the idea that we are totally and absolutely helpless, hopeless, and unable to do anything in and of ourselves to set our fallen souls right. The theological term for this is Total Depravity. Because of the fall, our natural human nature is so bent toward sin and evil that unless God intervened, none of us would turn to Him on our own. The truth is, we can take no credit for any part of our salvation. It is all the work of Sovereign God. He chose us before the foundation of the world.
It is much more palatable for some Christians to believe that they had some part in their salvation. This is what Brad Wheeler of 9Marks refers to as sola bootstrapsis. In truth, saving faith originates not from our decision to believe, but in God's choosing. Notice what Jesus said in John 6:
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37)
and
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44)
It couldn't be clearer. Paul even tells us in 2 Timothy 2:25 that repentance itself originates with God: “with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth...”
The story is told of a young boy who made a public profession of Christian faith, and afterward one of the leaders of the church asked him, “Son, how do you feel?”
“Oh, I feel great!” the boy replied. “I did my part and God did His part!”
“What's that, again, Son?” the elder asked.
“I said, I did my part and God did His part!”
“Now, hold on there, Son. Just what do you mean, you did your part and God did His part?”
With a grin, the lad replied, “Yessir. I did my part and God did His part. I did all the sinnin', and God did all the savin'!”
God helps those who cannot help themselves. We must realize we are helpless, hopeless, powerless, and spiritually dead—we are in no position to do anything for ourselves.
Now, to be fair, the statement “God helps those who help themselves” is sometimes uttered in a context other than that having to do with salvation. It has to do more with our willingness to do what we can instead of expecting the Lord to do it all for us. For example, one might pray to God to find a job. But, if he doesn't get involved actively in seeking work, it is unlikely a potential employer is going to come knocking on his door. This is, perhaps, what many people mean when they quote the phrase. What they mean is something like, “When we do what we can, God will do what we can't.” But this too misses the point. Even the things we are able to do, we do in the power, guidance, and will of a Sovereign God.
Does God help those who help themselves? No. God is the helper for those who recognize their utter dependence upon Him. He is, as Isaiah says, “a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat.” (Is. 25:4)
Let us be sure and careful to give all the glory, honor, and praise to Him in whom we live and move and have our being.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible.
*Actually, the origin of the phrase dates to a 6th Century B.C. Greek fable of a tradesman whose wagon got stuck in the mud. Rather than attempt to liberate his wagon, the tradesman cried out to the god Zeus for help. Zeus appeared to the tradesman and said, “Put your shoulder to the wheel. The gods help those who help themselves.” It is somewhat interesting that a polytheistic story has found its way into Christian parlance.
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