The religion of today and for years past is expressed in the title of this article: “Sit still, God will do it for you.” Truth is, God will not do it for you! God loves you and he has done for all of us what we could not do for ourselves; and this is evidenced in the words of the “golden text:” “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Did you notice the two words, “should not?” Many people have so firmly planted in their belief system, once saved, always saved, that they read this verse as though it reads “shall not perish.” I remember a story told by a beloved old preacher who was preaching when a woman who stood up, and read this verse, but she read the words “shall not perish” as she did so. He asked her to read the verse a second time, she did so, but once more read into the verse the same words; so he had her read it a third time and when she read the same words, he stopped her and asked her look at the words. She looked at the word of the text and just set down without another word. Many folks are just like this dear lady, they read into the text what they believe.
The Greek word used in the text is “me” and Strong says it is, “A primary particle of qualified negation. It is not an absolute negation as so many believe. Had the Holy Spirit desired to express an absolute negation, as “shall not,” he would have used the Greek “ou,” which Strong says, “expresses an absolute denial.” The translators got it right, but many readers get it wrong! But, the point being made in this article is that God has done for us what we could not, and here we would use the Greek “ou,” an absolute denial, do for ourselves; we could not and we cannot give that which brings about salvation, as that required the blood of the sinless “only begotten Son of God.” However, this being true, it does not change the truth, God does not do for us what he requires of us.
The Greek language has what is called the “middle voice,” which English does not have. When the Greek middle voice verb form is used, the subject of the verb is seen as acting upon itself or for its own benefit. Here is a case in point, Ananias came to Saul and said: “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 16:22). In the middle voice, it is like Ananias is saying to Saul, “arise, and get yourself baptized.” This would also be for Saul’s own benefit, as getting himself baptized would be unto the remission of his sins (Acts 2:38), or here, “wash away thy sins.” God will not forgive one’s sins without the required action on the part of the person in need of forgiveness. My friends, don’t sit around and wait for God to do it for you, he will not!
God requires that we put off the “old man” and put on the “new man” as Paul wrote: “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:9-10). This is like taking off and an old coat and putting on a new one. It is a requirement and God will not do it for us! Notice some of the sins which Paul identifies with the “old man:” anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness (verses 5-8). God will not remove these sins from us, as we must stop committing the sins ourselves and for ourselves. Yes, it is true, God will forgive us, he will remove the “wages of sins” from us (Rom. 6:23) once we obey the gospel of Christ! However, he will not stop us from sinning! This we must do it ourselves and for ourselves!
Here is a question, why is so offensive to so many, for someone to write that one must obey in order to have his sins forgiven? When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “not my will, but thine, be done.” Now read these words: “though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). Are we better than the Son? What if Jesus had just sat and looked at the cross waiting for God to die for him? What about our means of salvation?
Friends, don’t sit and wait for God to do it for you! God is waiting on you; he is eagerly waiting to forgive you when you stop sinning, but he will not stop you from sinning! He will not repent for you! Think of it this way, if God would stop you from sinning, who would continue to sin? No, don’t sit and wait, get up and do it yourself and for yourself!
— Frank R. Williams