Can You Make a Deal with God?
Can you make a deal with God? This blog explains why the answer is no and explores the dangers of bargaining with God, the nature of self-righteousness, and how we should approach God with our needs. Discover a deeper understanding of God's grace and why faith, not deals, is the foundation of our relationship with Him.
Straight to the Answer
We don’t normally answer the topic right out of the gate, but we’re going to take a different approach with this one. Can you make a deal with God? No, you cannot.
To fully explain that answer, we’ll address:
Why you can’t make a deal with God.
Why you don’t want to make a deal with God.
How to approach God with our needs and desires.
Why You Can’t Make a Deal With God
"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." Isaiah 59:2
There is an unavoidable barrier between us and God. Dwelling within absolute and unblemished standards, God is the benchmark of righteousness. However, humanity is inherently sinful, and as Isaiah 59:2 explains, our sin nature creates a barrier between us and God that hinders interaction.
Throughout Scripture, we see key differences in our character versus God’s, which explains why we can’t obtain His standards of righteousness.
Consistency
God: His righteousness is eternal and unchanging. It isn’t subject to the shifting standards of human morality but remains steadfast throughout all generations. (Psalm 111:3)
Humanity: Unlike God, we’re prone to wavering in our commitment to righteousness. Our sinful nature and worldly influences can lead us astray, causing us to deviate from God's standards. (James 1:8)
Knowledge
God: God's Word (the Bible) reflects His righteousness. His commandments and precepts are righteous and trustworthy and guide His people. (Psalm 119:137-138)
Humanity: Human understanding is limited and flawed compared to God's infinite wisdom and knowledge. We often struggle to comprehend the full extent of God's righteousness and may act in ways contrary to it due to our limited perspective. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Salvation
Humanity: Instead of relying on God's righteousness, we rely on our efforts, achievements, or moral standards to justify ourselves before God, which ultimately falls short of His perfect standard. (Romans 10:3)
God: His righteousness is manifested in our salvation through Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, believers are declared righteous before God and receive the gift of salvation. (Romans 3:21-22)
Even if we are aware of our separation from righteousness, if we’re honest, we’re still vulnerable to attempting to bargain our way into God’s favor. Let’s examine what happens when we approach God to bargain.
The Dangers of Self-Righteousness
In elementary school, I had a classmate who read Matthew 20:16, which states, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” From sharing presentations to being picked for kickball, his life mission was to be last in line for everything. He repeatedly became irritated if he couldn’t be last. Once, he even started a physical altercation when another classmate began messing with him by getting behind him in the lunch line.
Now, I want to show my classmate some grace because he was just a kid who failed to have the verse properly explained to him. But his behavior marks a vulnerability that we all struggle with: We all want to manipulate God to show us favor. My classmate’s intentions weren’t self-sacrifice as Christ intended in that verse but an attempt to gain heavenly prosperity.
The proposal of a divine deal manifests itself from the belief that we can somehow justify ourselves before God based on our merits and actions. Instead of acknowledging our dependence on God’s mercy, we attempt to negotiate the terms of God’s favoritism with the presumption that we have something to offer in exchange. These attempts are rooted in pride and ultimately represent our self-righteousness beliefs.
To give this some legs, let’s examine a popular mindset in secular culture: “I’m a good person; therefore, I will go to Heaven when I die.”
People who subscribe to moralistic deism believe that the path to Heaven is laid out by practicing kindness, living generously, and fighting injustice. It’s difficult to assume this person is anything other than virtuous and, by all moral perspectives, is likely a “good person.” Seems like a deal too good for God to pass on, right? Be good in life and get an eternal reward.
Let’s put this deal to God’s test.
In Exodus 20, God gave humanity The Ten Commandments to lay the foundation for moral and ethical conduct as practical guidance for living to His standards. By abiding by these laws, God established His covenant relationship and expectations for His people.
In this blog, Pastor J.D. Greear lists several commandments and questions the specifics of how we’ve abided or broken these laws. He also points out that upon further inspection, when we consider Jesus’ application, which says our thoughts are just as important as our actions, we’re unlikely to fare well. Personally, I failed this exam with flying colors.
But what if we somehow said, “I upheld 6/10, so that must count for something?” However, is 60% really the barometer of success you want to uphold? If you’re faithful to your spouse 60% of the time, is that an acceptable amount? Does the IRS disregard the rest if you pay 60% of your taxes? Let’s be clear: Even if you could achieve the 1%, it doesn’t matter; It’s all or nothing.
“Jesus said that unless our righteousness matched the righteousness of the Father, we could never enter heaven (Matthew 5:20). Let’s stop deluding ourselves. We aren’t good enough; We’re dead.” Greear
Based on the Ten Commandments, we all fail the entrance exam. Conversely, if entry depends on participation in virtuous acts, then that “deal” isn’t about living in servanthood; rather, it’s a practice of self-idolization. Self-righteousness assumes we can outsmart God and obtain His favor through our self-determined goodness.
In the Global Methodist Church catechism, they answer the question: Are we made righteous by works (pg. 4, question #18)?
“No. We are never made righteous inwardly nor accounted righteous before God through our works or merit.” (Luke 5:32; Rom. 3:21-30; 4:2-5; 11:6; Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 2:14; 3:4-7; 1 John 1:9
No one, believers or nonbelievers, can manipulate God. We can only receive because we’re dependent on His grace.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Unlike God, who is perfectly righteous, humans cannot attain righteousness through our efforts. Instead, we depend on God's grace and mercy, which is freely given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation levels the playing field, making it an opportunity for everyone to approach God. It’s our choice to accept or reject God’s deal, not vice versa.
The Futility of Bargaining with God: Why You Don’t Want To Make A Deal With God
Judges 11:29-40 tells the story of Jephthah, a judge who ruled over Israel for six years. When facing a battle with the Ammonites, Jephthah made a rash vow to God. If he was granted victory, Jephthah promised to sacrifice the first thing that exited his home upon his return. He won the battle, but tragically, his daughter was the first to greet him.
Jephthah's tragic fulfillment of his vow is a cautionary tale about the dangers of making impulsive commitments to God without considering the potential consequences. His vow reveals the folly of attempting to manipulate divine outcomes through our tendency to make commitments amid desperation or crisis.
As fallen humans, divine deals will never satiate the initial request. While we may be determined, the likelihood we can uphold our end of the bargain to God’s standards is limited. Additionally, even if we could meet the conditions, our lives would be plagued with the tireless pursuit of maintenance rather than accepting God’s mercy.
“This misunderstanding of God leads to the following logic: If I can ascertain the correct moves, I can win the game and get what I desire. Conversely, if the desired object ends up being yanked away, I must have made a mistake.” Suzanne Hadley Gosselin, author
Divine deals are a tool of the Enemy; from his perspective, any attempt is a win-win. Either you fail and are overwhelmed with shame that you disappointed God. Or God doesn’t deliver as you requested because it was never part of His ultimate plan, thus invoking anger toward God. Even if you maintain your end of the deal and God does move in your life in the proposed manner, it’s not a victory for you. In that scenario, your perspective of God is diminished to a transactional relationship, which is shallow and devoid of God’s sovereignty.
The Enemy’s lie propagates our self-righteous belief that we’re of high enough authority to approach God on our terms. The reality is that God loves you more than any deal we could muster. In Luke 18:27, Jesus explained, “What is impossible for man is possible with God.” Our Creator is so self-aware of our dependence on Him that He sent His Son, Jesus, to provide a path of reconciliation. The bargaining chips aren’t needed because God wants to sustain you through salvation in Jesus Christ.
Accepting God’s Will
No one makes a deal with God when they’re on an all-expenses paid beach trip. The burning motivation behind a divine deal is to remove ourselves from our current situation, whether that be a job, singleness, crisis, or desire we lack. “God, I’ll go to church every Sunday if you give me [X],” “God, I promise to read the Bible every day if you deliver me from [X].”
The driving force behind almost every decision we make is to avoid pain and find comfort. We construct deals for God with the false security that perhaps we have more control in life than is reality. This deceit promotes the idea that God is a vague recipe book, and we can determine the secret formula to winning the spiritual lottery. It’s as if we can wordsmith our prayers to turn the right phrase and unlock His gifts.
Yet, while we try to side-step hardship, God wants to use our trials to mold us into His righteousness. If we’re introspective about the deals we construct amid hardships, we’ll realize that we’re actually having a breakthrough moment. It’s a nudge of the Holy Spirit at the realization that we’re not living as we should. We can only offer God more worship if we’re not worshiping Him with the frequency we know we should be.
But be reminded amid your trials that God isn’t waiting in the wing for us to act. While our prayer is to have our circumstances changed, God began orchestrating that moment to move us closer to Him years, decades, and even millennia before we ever constructed our deal. God’s plans are long-term and our rash deals are meager in comparison to His grand plan.
While the circumstances of our deal may be painful, and it’ll be hard to see, but everything is for the benefit of His glory in our lives. You cannot raise the championship trophy without fighting the battle. Jesus best exemplified this in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest and crucifixion. In anguish, Jesus prayed that God would allow this cup to pass from Him (Matthew 26:39). However, while Jesus suffered, God was merciful through the sacrifice, and His ultimate plans restored our relationship with Him.
How Can We Come Before God With Our Needs & Desires?
Scripture’s overarching narrative is about redemption. We’re redemption-based people. It’s why a story like Star Wars, where the most merciless villain saves the galaxy as his final act, resonates with us.
But Scripture reminds us that God’s redemption story extends well before and well after us. We’re part of a larger narrative leading to the new earth, where the sting of death and heartache has no place (Revelation 21:1-5).
“He sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever. Holy and awesome is His name!” Psalm 111:9
As we’ve established, moments of divine deal-making are likely Holy Spirit nudges to act, renew, or grow our relationship with God. Whatever deal we present is void on arrival because the ultimate deal of reconciliation with God has already been made through Jesus Christ.
However, we cannot approach His throne without first repenting and committing to obedience. Scripture tells us to “delight in His commandments” (Psalms 112:1). While it may sound odd to be excited about discipline and instruction, obedience is not a nagging requirement but something that gladly pours from a devoted heart. Our virtues and generosity could never balance the scales, but an obedient heart produces eternal blessings.
When we cast our cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), it’s not that God will always remove us from the circumstances, rather it’s that He give us the supplication to sustain them. The point of mercy is to freely receive something that we don’t merit. God’s love is inexhaustible and will outpace any pact we could conceive of because it’s His forever covenant through Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.
The Alternative of Bargaining: Prayer
While negotiation is key in the business world, believers' relationship with God isn’t transactional but more like a conversation or a heart-to-heart with the Divine.
If you feel trapped or desperate, remember God’s infinite love, grace, and presence available for your life. God is with you. Your worth and value aren’t contingent on how you “perform” but are based on His unconditional love.
Prayer is your direct line to God and your chance to present your circumstances and heart at His feet. Be bold in your prayers, and ask for His guidance, clarity, and even help. Share your concerns, fears, and desires with Him, trusting He hears and cares about your needs. Jesus encouraged His followers to bring their requests to the Father in prayer, with faith and persistence (Matthew 7:7-11).
However, keep an open heart and seek God with the realization that this isn’t about demanding your requests but aligning to His will and trusting that He’s got you with every step, even if things don’t turn out how you’d like.
As you pray, here are three things to keep in mind.
Trust in God's Promises: Instead of trying to negotiate with God, focus on trusting in His promises and character. The Bible is filled with assurances of God's love, faithfulness, and provision for His children. Cling to these promises, knowing God always works for your good, even amid difficulties (Romans 8:28).
Submit to God's Will: Cultivate a posture of submission to God's will, even when it may not align with your own desires. Recognize that God's plans are higher than ours, even if they’re difficult to understand in the moment.
Patience and Perseverance: Trust that God's timing is perfect, even when it may seem slow or difficult to discern. Instead of trying to rush or manipulate outcomes, practice patience and perseverance, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises in His own time. (Psalm 27:14)
God isn’t a silent observer in your journey; He's your biggest confidant. You don’t have to make a deal to access His mercies and powers. Pray with persistence, align your heart with His, and seek His will, and you will have access to God’s power to sustain you.
TL;DR
Simply put, no, you can’t make a deal with God, because His righteousness is unchanging, and our sin separates us from Him.
Trying to bargain with God comes from self-righteousness and ultimately fails.
Instead of making deals, we should approach God with humility and obedience, trusting in His grace.
Prayer, not negotiation, is the way to bring our needs and desires to Him, aligning with His will and accepting His perfect plan for our lives.
Related Reading
The God Honoring Way by Rev. Paul Lawler
How to Develop Intimacy with God by Rev. Paul Lawler
What’s My Purpose? by Bro. Chris Carter