Recently one of my kids asked me, “Dad, do we think we are better than other people?” This came from something I had said to them. I had to stop and think for a minute. Once I collected my thoughts I said, “We aren’t better than people, but we are more obedient than other people, and therefore more blessed.”

Let me explain.

The phrase “better than other people” is a little vague. Christians are not better than others in this sense. We all are sinners, we all need the grace, forgiveness, and mercy of God. The apostle Paul tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” in Romans 3:23. At our base nature, this makes us like everyone else.

While from a human nature sense, we are not better than others. However, Christians are more obedient to God than others. We are by God’s Spirit, more obedient to Him. Christians believe that God is the giver of life and salvation. That since God is the supreme one, He is to be ultimately followed. John 14:15 tells us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Christians are not perfect, but striving to follow Jesus and do what God says and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

This leads to blessings. The Bible is full of places that say, if you obey you will be blessed; and if you disobey, you will be cursed. Moses gave an entire list of these in Deuteronomy 28. The apostle Paul talks about this in Galatians 6:7-9. He says in part, “whatever one sows, that will he reap.” 

Is it the case that people who don’t follow God don’t do good things? No. But the Christian often does more good things that are God’s good things. By this I mean that God created the world to work in such a way that if you follow Him, you will receive more blessings. So, Christians who are ultimately striving to follow God, end up receiving more blessings because they are playing by the rules set forth by the one who created the world.

Because of this, it can often look like Christians are “better than others.” The reality is, we are not better according to our human nature. But we are more blessed because of our Holy Spirit filled lives following God, who created the universe and its natural blessings and curses.

Are you following God? Have you surrendered your life to Him for salvation? Do you see the blessings in your life if you are a Christian? Do you see the blessings in Christians’ lives if you are not one?

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.