God does NOT reward good behaviour! — Why?

One of the most common misunderstandings of Christianity is the idea that God blesses people for good behaviour.

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus completely overturned that idea: He heals 10 lepers, but only one comes back to say thanks. Because the other 9 simply assumed they deserved it.

Without thinking about it, that is our automatic opinion about anything that goes well: If a good thing happens, it must be because I deserve it.

But, it’s not just Jesus who teaches this. There’s a really common misunderstanding… …that — yes — the New Testament is about God’s grace, but the Old Testament is about reward for doing good and punishment for doing bad. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Even Moses — the greatest prophet of the Old Testament — warns the people Israel, as they’re about to enter the Promised land, not to think that we earn anything from God.

The book of Deuteronomy is 3 locker-room speeches Moses gives to God’s people just before entering Canaan.

And having reminded Israel of God’s goodness to them and their rebellion, and then God’s Law that describes perfect love.

And, in case they misunderstand how to use God’s Law, Moses now gives them and us three things:

1) All good things come from God alone: thank Him (v. 10)
2) No good things come because you deserve them: don’t boast (vv. 11-17)
3) God will freely give you good things you don’t deserve (v. 18)

The first thing Moses says is this:

1) All good things come from God alone: thank Him

Look at v. 10:

¹⁰ And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

God promised to give Israel the land of Canaan. God promised to give them money, security, and success. And all God asked in return is for them to thank Him.

1) All good things come from God alone: thank Him

This is the meaning of the first commandment: You shall have no other gods.

Luther explains this so clearly in the Large Catechism:

A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart… the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust is right, then your god is also true. On the other hand, if your trust is false and wrong, then you do not have the true God.

But, there are so many other things all the time that you and I trust to get good things, as though God himself can’t give them to us:

The biggest one is money and property. The most common false god on earth. People who have feel secure and fearless, as if they were “sitting in the midst of paradise”. While those who lack wealth often doubt and despair.

And there are so many other things we trust in for good things:
— education
— wisdom
— power
— prestige and reputation
— family

And when people don’t have these earthly things… …we still don’t turn to the real God …but instead turn to other invisible things for good stuff:
— they pray to Saints
— they appeal to dead ancestors
— they turn to false pagan gods like Allah or the Guru
— or even make deals with the devil himself.

But, none of these things is the reason God is good. And none of these things is the source of God’s goodness.

How do you feel when the savings account shrinks? Or when the job application gets rejected? Where do you run for security?

1) All good things come from God alone: so, don’t trust in other things: thank Him

But, the reason why we turn to all these false gods is because of the ultimate false god of them all: yourself.

That’s Moses’ second point:

2) No good things come because you deserve them: don’t boast

Please look at vv. 11-17:

¹¹ “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, ¹² lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. ¹⁷ Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’

This is Moses’ warning: —when good things do happen: we don’t thank God: we congratulate ourselves!

What does this look like for you?
—thinking God has heard your prayers because you’re so wordy
—thinking God owes you something because you go to church
—thinking you must deserve things you want.

1,500 years after Moses gives this warning, Jesus will heal 10 lepers. And the reason why 9 of them don’t turn back to say thanks is because they think: “Well, I’ve suffered so much — don’t I deserve these good things now?”

That’s such a common idea we have isn’t it? That I’ve somehow earned good things because I’ve suffered in some way.

When the project goes well, or the promotion comes in isn’t your first thought, ‘I worked so hard, I earned this’?

When the bank balance is healthy, when the mortgage is paid off, when there’s enough cushion for a holiday we say, ‘My work, saving and prudence have paid off’

When your children succeed, you feel proud. When you get top grades, you congratulate yourself. When you get a healthy report from the doctor, you ascribe that to your own efforts and discipline.

But, Moses warns us that this is forgetting the Lord: He gave you your genetics, your opportunities, your context every skill, every chance, every breath was his gift, his timing, his wisdom.

2) No good things come because you deserve them: don’t boast

But Moses doesn’t tell Israel this because he wants to guilt them out.

Because the fact that all good things come from God alone is actually great news.

That’s Moses’ third point:

3) God will freely give you good things you don’t deserve

Please look at v. 18:

¹⁸ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

All good things come from God… …and He gives good things purely because of His free promises.

He promised to give the land of Canaan and all its goodness to Israel… …and God fulfilled that promise.

And He’s given you so many promises:

Promises about who you are right now:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1)

And who you will be in eternity:

when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

Promises that give you purpose now:

my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

And purpose in eternity:

his servants will worship him… and they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:3, 5)

And promises that secure your future in this life:

my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

And the next life:

an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4)

These and so many more promises God has made to you. And Moses emphasis again and again in Deuteronomy …is that God is giving Israel His land …simply because of His kindness and his promises.

Your life, your context, your gifts, your opportunities, your identity, your purpose, your future… …all of these are free gifts of God you don’t deserve.

You don’t need to be paralysed by fear of “not doing enough.” God gives freely.

If you remember your flaws, don’t worry that “I don’t deserve anything good.” Nobody does: God gives freely.

When we live without wealth or health, it’s not because we’re being punished, or haven’t done enough, or don’t deserve good things… …God has good purposes in your circumstances… …know that in all situations: God gives freely.

God does NOT reward good behaviour!

One of the most common misunderstandings of Christianity is the idea that God blesses people for good behaviour.

The 9 lepers who didn’t thank Jesus made this mistake. And Moses knows that the whole nation of Israel, for generations, would be constantly tempted to make this mistake.

But, why does God not reward good behaviour?

Well, because:

1) All good things come from God alone

The true source of good is not money, property or wealth or education, wisdom or reputation. So, thank Him, don’t look to these things.

And behind all these false gods is the ultimate false god: yourself, But…

2) No good things come because you deserve them: don’t boast

So, be assured of this:

3) God will freely give you good things you don’t deserve

That is the Gospel: the good news of grace. God gives freely, according to his promises. He’s promised you an identity, a purpose and a future. And you can trust Him… Because in Jesus all God’s promises are guaranteed. As Paul says to the church in Corinth:

all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)