Popular Erroneous Sayings

 “God helps those who help themselves.”

How often have you heard that maxim? Scores of times in your life, I bet. You might have used it yourself, and think it comes from the Bible.

But it does not.

Benjamin Franklin – who made no claim to be a Christian – wrote the fallacious text in his 1773 “Poor Richard” almanac. And the adage has been passed on as a Biblical truth ever since.

Scripture, however, tells it differently. It tells us God helps those who CANNOT help themselves. For example:

“Those who trust in themselves are fools.” (Proverbs 28:26)

“Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. (Psalm 54:4)

“For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has no helper.” (Psalm 72:12)

“For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat . . .” (Isaiah 25:4)

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

So, yes. Franklin was wrong.

There is another popular adage circulating among those who sit in pews and occupy pulpits, but that also has no basis in Scripture: “We are all God’s children.”

No, we are not.

We are all God’s creation – yes. But we are not all His children. For example, Scripture tells us:

“[Jesus] came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13)

“But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:9)

Jesus, speaking to the religious leaders: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father . . ..” (John 8:44)

“The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. . . By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:8,10)

In other words, God tells us we are NOT all His children. We are either His through our faithful obedience to Jesus, or we are a child of the devil.

Scripture offers no third option.

The good news to that bad news is that no one needs to remain outside of God’s family. The Holy Spirit promises everyone: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved . . . For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9,13)

Have you called on the name of the Lord Jesus to be saved from a lifestyle of sin and an eternity away from His presence? Are you a child of God through your faithful obedience to Christ? He will help you when you realize you cannot help yourself.

And so, I urge you, please test every philosophy, idea, and popular saying against God’s inerrant word. It’s too easy to be deceived by Satan’s subtilties.