I have heard this argument quite often over the past few years and have
decided that it is contrary to what Jesus has told us. I am of the opinion
that those making this argument are doing one of two things:
1. Using it to justify their not having another's back when they are quite
capable of doing so.
2. Providing a cop out for those who despite their ability to do so, choose
to not obey the commandments of Christ.
Have you heard this one?
"God is not interested in our doing His commandments, He is most
interested in having a relationship with Him."
There are several scriptural arguments against this heresy.
1. In the beginning, Adam fell out of relationship with God because he did
not do God's commandment.
2. Without the successful obedience of Christ in doing God's commandment,
we would not have salvation.
3. Revelation specifically tells us to do His commandments that we may have
the right to the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city.
So there we have it. From the Alpha to the Omega, God tells us that we cannot
have a relationship with Him if we do not do His commandments.
Jesus tells us the following in Matthew 25.
Matthew 25 (KJV)
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked,
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger,
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of
these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.
Note that these who are found to be acursed are those who did not do
His commandments.
So, why is it so important to God that we do His commandments?
When we do God's commandments, our actions enable God to provide for
the needs of the poor and needy. When we refuse to do God's commandments,
we by our actions, show God to be unable to provide for the poor and
needy.
We consistently hear the "trust God" motto, but the fact remains that God
uses people to provide for the needs of others.
God used ravens to feed Elijah the prophet by the brook. Where did the ravens
get the bread? From the people who baked the bread and gave it to the ravens.
God may have used the ravens, however, He was also using people.
After the brook dried up, God did not miraculously add water to the brook.
He instead sent Elijah to the widow who then gave Elijah the last cake she
had. It was not until the widow provided Elijah his need, that God worked
a miracle to provide for the needs of the widow, her son and Elijah.
Way to often people are expecting the prophet to come and work a miracle
without having to first provide for the needs of the prophet. They want God
to work the miracle first before they give their last cake to the prophet.
In the end, they end up numbered amongst the goats who are the accursed
because they failed to do God's commandments.
Jesus said: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto
God the things that are God's." The argument that we are not to count
on people is in violation of this commandment. The argument that we
can never expect people to do their part in God's plan in our life is contrary
to this commandment.
When people show that they can be trusted to be faithful, we do not
have a right to take from them the testimony of their faithfulness and
give it unto God. God may have enabled that person to be faithful, but
that person also had to actively be faithful. By being faithful, the faithful
person shows others that God is faithful as well.
A person that shows them-self unfaithful does not necessarily mean that
you were wrong to have a measure of trust or reliance on that person.
It is illogical for God to say: "It is not good that man should be alone."
And then declare to the man that he cannot trust the woman to be a
faithful help mate. It is contrary to the truth that it is not good that man
should be alone.
If a person's need for food, water, clothing and shelter goes unmet, to
that person God is not able to provide. God's provision can come in many
ways. A job which most people prefer. Assistance from the church or
assistance from Government welfare programs. Either way, God has
provided. It is not wrong for a person to count or rely on any one of
these methods for God's provision as God has elected to use these
methods for helping the poor and needy.
I think that far to often, a person is judged as trusting in man when all they are
truly doing is what they are able to do, trying to survive a very harsh and
difficult situation.
Scott A. Tovey
Sometimes I think when we encounter those that don't have our backs and let us down it is only allowed so that we can grow in our faith and trust toward God. Lessons for both myself and the one that I think let me down...
Makes me stop and question myself to consider if I am trustworthy and someone others can count on 
in that the other person has really blessed me to have me considering myself and what I do..then knowing that they did actually do good to me I can still 
and hope good for them too..
The Lord has all our backs and trusting that really does take the worry out of it..
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