There is nothing good we receive from God by right as mere men. Why, because we are sinners by nature, meaning we are by nature:
- Children of wrath (Eph. 2:3)
- Enemies of God (Rom. 5:10)
- Fallen short of His glory (Rom. 3:23)
Everything I will say next must come from a prior understanding of the above.
Next, let me quickly say that God’s blessings are not restricted for the saved and righteous alone but all men as He deems fit. This is what Jesus was saying when He talked about rains, sunshine, growth coming on both the just and the unjust. It is not something that springs up because of the nature or works of men, but because of the nature and work of God – Matt. 5:44-45, 6:28-32.
However, there are the blessings set aside only for the children of the House. Those outside cannot have it, not because they really cannot but because their position limits them. For example, the prayers of the righteous are always before the Lord an acceptable incense but that of the unrighteous is an abomination (EXCEPT for mercy) – 1 Pet. 3:12 and Prov. 15:8
Read: Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?
Blessing or a Gift?
If I were to speak directly and lay it bare as asked, I can simply agree with the question and say that it is true; the Blessing of God is ONLY a gift and not a right. However, the truth, if truly looked into will reveal that the Blessing of God is both a gift and a right. There are some things, for example, that if a person does them, he can demand possession of them by order of right based on the stature he or she has reached. There are also things that a person will do that the reward for those things will be a “blessing” that he or she would not have received otherwise.
The books of the Law is filled with a good number of references to prove that sometimes, blessings come to reward obedience or certain actions. God counting Himself unfaithful to not bless if such is done. Deut. 28 and Mal. 3:10 are great examples of numerous others in the Old Testament. Luke 6:38 and Hebrews 6:10 are also two other New Testament examples of some blessings coming as a reward either for obedience or for sacrifice done.
However though and in all, more often than not, blessing(s) from God is more a gift from God than a reward. The first blessing ever bestowed on man in Gen. 1:28 was a gift from a Creator to His most loved creature. It was not man’s right nor a reward because man had not even started to live, talk more of working for God to earn the right to a reward.
Also, the greatest of all blessings which is the measure of both the love of God and the height of all blessings – Eternal life (Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel) – was not given to man as a reward, or as a right (If you read my opening lines, you’d remember why), but as a gift. Ref. – Col. 1:12-14, John 3:16, John 1:9-14, Gen. 12:3, Gal. 3:13-14, Rom. 6:23, Rom. 5:17, 1John 5:11-12 and so on.
For by grace are we saved… – Eph. 2:8
So, what is my answer? Is the blessing of God a right or a gift? It is a gift, but with some other factors in a place, it can become a right to some.
James Osayande George lives by the mandate to reveal the liberating truth of God’s word in simplicity and accuracy through a cutting edge teaching ministry.
Having been saved at the young age of thirteen (13) years old through a Divine encounter, he has since dedicated himself to know and serve the Lord with his life.
Best known for his calm voice, James George has ministered in full-time ministry since 2014 within which period he served as one-time resident pastor of Glad Tidings Life Triumphant Church, Kaduna State, Nigeria under his spiritual father and mentor, Pastor Moses Enabulele.
A student of the prestigious Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Training Center, Nigeria, James George is the author and co-author of numerous published and unpublished manuscripts and poems for blogs and magazines, as well as books including Walking through the Word Devotional (a classic all year round devotional book). Your Journey and God is his first published book. He runs a blog at www.thischariot.wordpress.com
He is the pioneer of G. M. M. Network, a body of believers dedicated to church growth, spiritual development, youth, and women empowerment, as well as outreach to the less privileged. He currently resides in and does his ministry from Lagos State, Nigeria
