Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

God wants Christians to continually grow and mature in their knowledge of Him, and in their efforts to become more like Christ, throughout their lives, rather than remaining spiritual "infants".

However, for us as Christians (regardless of our stage of spiritual maturity), why would we prefer NOT to be dependent on God? He loves us and wants to help us, in addition to being omnipotent and omniscient. Would we rather take on the strong forces arrayed against us (the world, our flesh, and the devil, and all the earthly agents through which they work) relying only on our own strength, knowledge, or ability?

In my opinion, Christians who would prefer to "go it alone" (and who think that they can be successful in doing so) have not yet developed or acquired (whether because of inexperience or deliberate refusal) a proper perspective on these issues. Jesus even specifically told the apostles in John 15:5, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." 

Relying continually on God is not a sign of weakness on the part of believers. It is a recognition of reality, and the use of a resource that God Himself has put at our disposal in order to accomplish His will and purposes, which should be the overriding objective of every Christian.

April 19 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Agnes Stuart Supporter

We ARE totally dependent on Him, and He wants us to be aware of that. We depend on Him for the next breath we take, for the sun to rise tomorrow, for Him to keep the world as we know it, in existence. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ (Acts 17:28)

That doesn't mean He wants us to sit back and wait for Him to put everything we need on a plate and hand it to us. It means He wants us to stop rebelling against our dependence on Him, stop thinking we can be in charge of our own lives and live the way we want without interference from the One who created us for His glory. It means He wants us to place our bodies on His altar and allow Jesus to live through us just as Paul says in Galations 2:20, 'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'

April 20 2016 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Bud Zack Supporter

Personally, one of my favorite OT verses is...

Prov 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.6 
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

I believe this makes clear that we should be dependent on Him. A case could also be made that dependency on God starts with our fear (awesome respect and reverence) of God. King David passed this verse below to his son Solomon. The wisest man in the world also gave this same verse as the most important position a child of God should have...

Ecc 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

The problem of "dependency" is only based in man's belief that it is a weakness. With God, however, it is actually a strength. Adam and Eve had a great time depending on God. Life only became a problem after they were convinced they didn't need to be...

April 24 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Andy Mangus Supporter I am a Christian since October 1979 & devoted truth seeker.

Emphatically! YES! He wants us to be dependent upon Him! And this question can be answered in such brevity and extensive number of examples from God's Word. His revelation of our relationship dependency begins with various scriptures that reveals His creation of angels and His heaven realm before He created Earth. Now, fast forward to His creation of the Earth, moon and stars, etc... **Point #1**--Every planet, moon, star, asteroid, etc., is in existence because of Him and totally dependent upon Him for their continued existence. **Point #2** God made the Earth especially and specifically for Man and with this comes our dependency upon Him. For Adam to have even existed was dependent upon God having created him fully man, physically complete and pure. Adam was dependent upon God for He provided for all his needs, etc. "God saw that man was alone (lonely) and so he put Adam to sleep and took a rib from his side and made him a helpmate and her name would be Eve." Once again, man was dependent upon God for everything. 

Ultimately, man's total dependency upon God is our unquestioned need of a savior! Because our sins, beginning in the Garden of Eden, totally separates us from God, we needed a "way of salvation, so that man could be again as one with God. Remember that Adam walked and talked with God in the Garden and He took care of Adam's needs and then....Sin came about. 

At the very core and reason for God wanting us to be dependent upon Him is THE very real and eternal truth that God is Love. GOD IS L-O-V-E. HE FIRST LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WE MAY HAVE A HOME IN HEAVEN FOR ETERNITY. 

Love is a relationship of dependency. "We exist because God first loved us before the foundation of the world."
--Andy--

May 26 2016 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report