Does God Ever Withdraw His Favor?

This belief is rooted in the Old Testament, where a relationship with God was conditionally based upon behavior.

The Hebrew words translated as ‘favor’ are ‘ratson’ and ‘ratsah.’ The word ‘ratson’ is translated as favor, goodwill, acceptance, desire, pleasure. It most often represents God giving His blessings (Deuteronomy 33:16; Isaiah 49:8, 58:5, 61:2). It is also used for what a person bestows upon another (Genesis 33:10; Proverbs 11:27, 14:35).

The Hebrew word ‘ratsah’ means to be pleased with, accept favorably, be delighted, to satisfy. It is often translated as pleased and delighted to reflect deep pleasure (Isaiah 42:11; Psalm 44:3; Proverbs 3:12). ‘Ratsah’ is also used in the sense of "to pay for" or "to satisfy a debt" (Leviticus 26:34; Isaiah 40:2).

In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated as “favor.” The first is ‘charis’ as in the word ‘charismatic,’ and means grace in a person, being gracious, and unlimited favor given to another in kindness (Luke 1:30, 2:52; Acts 2:47, 7:10,46, 24:27, 25:3,9). A person is saved by “charis” (Ephesians 2:5).

The other Greek word is ‘charitoo,’ and means to freely bestow upon; to make acceptable or cause one to find ‘charis’ (Luke 1:28; Ephesians 1:6).

The English word “favor” means to find approval for something deserved or worked for by supporting something/someone or helping another as an act of kindness. The New Testament Greek words for “grace/favor” is a free gift and cannot be worked for or ever rescinded. No matter how hard a person tries, they can never receive God’s eternal favor based upon their works.

Discipline?

The idea that God will withdraw His favor when a Born-Again Christian sins is based on a works-based karma theology and not the Bible. A person may ‘feel’ God has withdrawn from them, but feelings are unreliable - only the Bible is reliable. God does not change, and the written Word says His promises and favor remain forever (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; James 1:17).

It is an unavoidable fact that God “disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV). When a blood-bought child of God falls into sin, or cataclysmic events happen in their life, it can feel like God is a million miles away and removed His favor.

A Born-Again Christian can never lose God’s favor. However, He will discipline His children. Many believe that at the very least, this means He will withdraw His favor or even punish, scold, or spank with the rod of correction such as sickness, financial troubles, or getting passed over for a promotion.

The root word in discipline is “disciple.” A disciple is a student. When God “corrects,” it is to redirect one's path by making course corrections as they travel on the road of salvation. Sometimes it can even be a complete paradigm shift.

The Bible says that the Born-Again Christian is not to:

“make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” (Hebrews 12:7-11 NIV)

The words “discipline” and “chastening” are Greek words 'paideia' and ‘paideuo.’ Their primary meaning is tutoring, educating, training, or nurturing. The fundamental context of the Hebrews passages listed above is that God is a GOOD and LOVING Father who educates and trains His children by nurturing them in love. The Bible admonishes earthly fathers not to provoke their “children to wrath but bring them up” (nourish them) in the nurture” (Gk: paideia) “and admonition” (mild reproof) of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). God does not use corporal punishment as a way to discipline His Bride or remove His grace/favor. That would be saying He will leave and forsake us, which he promised never to do (Hebrews 3:5).

These passages in Hebrews teach that God’s way of disciplining is by not supernaturally intervening on a person’s behalf when they step over into darkness by walking in pride and refusing to learn or rejecting His training. The person initiates their discipline by opening up windows of opportunity for the enemy to gain strongholds. God is ready and waiting to supernaturally pull them out of the darkness the instant they repent.

Suffering?

Tragic events, the effects of sickness and disease, and the death of loved ones will often bring times of feeling terrible loneliness that cuts to the very core of one's being. Doubts come, flooding the heart and mind like a raging storm causing a person to question their beliefs and God's goodness.

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4 NIV)

Jesus was sinless, yet He was not free from problems and hardships. He “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). While taking upon Himself the sins of the world as He was dying on the Cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:47; Mark 15:34 ESV) Jesus was NEVER out of favor with God the Father, and the Born-Again Christian will never be out of His favor. They are God’s child and His heir, and a co-heir with Jesus and will “share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17 NIV).