Bishop Twinomujuni teaches

Beloved,

Let me share something with you.

The Luganda phrase, “Katonda mbeela n’embilo k’otadde”, is a common statement that many use in reference to God, but it doesn’t communicate truth.

It shares the same school of thought with the English ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ That view has neither a biblical nor a theological backing.

However, it implies truth, which, alas, it again distorts. That truth is that ‘ God blesses our efforts.’

Theologically, we talk of God’s sovereignty versus man’s responsibility. Yes, God is all knowing, powerful and mighty, but man has a responsibility to fulfill, which God will not fulfill on his behalf, because He created him with potential and rationality to perform.

For instance, there are laws of nature and scripture which, if not followed or obeyed, can lead to terrible consequences.

Doing what we are supposed to do is simply fulfilling our obligations, but God’s actions are not conditioned to ours. He acts in accordance with his will, and his will is free.

Nothing happens outside God’s will: the will to make it happen, or to allow it to happen. There are things that happen because God actually does them, and those He doesn’t do, but allows to happen.

For instance, God cannot commit sin or evil, but He can allow sin or evil to happen or to be done (even though he has power to restrain or stop it). When He allows sin or evil, it is still in His will that that be the case, and there is always a purpose. We see this in His allowing Satan to torment Job.

Also, I hear some say something like, ‘Make sure you involve God in whatever you do.’ What do we mean by ‘involving’ Him? In matters of his world? We can believe in him, call upon him, trust him, pray to him, seek him, cry to him…but it is not biblical that we can use Him, or pull Him into action.

The closest to this concept is what we read in Rev. 3:20, where Jesus talks about his standing on the door and knocking. That whoever opens for him, he will dine with him.

Opening here is not permitting him, but accepting him. It is up to us to accept him and get his blessings, or to reject him and miss the blessings.

Let us walk circumspectly over things of God and ask His Spirit to help us worship Him both in spirit and in truth.

Nonetheless, because of His immeasurable mercy and grace, He is forgiving and doesn’t usually take us as our sins deserve…a character of Him that we should not take for granted.

Blessings!