Richard Roberts
I believe God is an “if-then” God. If we do our part, then God does His part. When Jesus died on the Cross to save us, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). There was nothing else that needed to be done… on His part. However, God doesn’t just stretch out His hand and say, “Poof! Now you’re saved.” Salvation comes by faith. If we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then we receive His salvation.
Also, in 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, If my people … shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Clearly, we have a part to play in whether or not we receive the blessings of God.
“Is this some magic formula?” you ask. “If I do this, then I can make God do that?” No. I’m talking about God’s Word. And, according to Jeremiah 1:12 NASB, God watches over His Word to perform it. When we do what the Bible says, God is reminded of His promise to watch over His word and perform it in our lives.
When I pray, I love to remind God of what He said in His Word. I may say, “God, do You remember that You said if I’d bring my tithes into the storehouse, You would open the windows of heaven and pour me out a blessing so great there would not be room enough to receive it?” I can just imagine God smiling and saying, “Yes, I remember. And I keep My promises.” We often find our windows of blessing shut because we don’t do what the Bible says. But God says if we obey His commands and believe His promises, then He will fulfill His Word.