We Are Not Independent: Learning Dependence from Isaiah 40 and John 21
One of the quiet dangers of spiritual life is acting as though dependence on God is only needed at the beginning. A person may confess grace, sing of mercy, and speak of salvation as God’s work—yet still drift into a mindset of independence. Independence, in this sense, is not maturity. It is the illusion of being free from God’s influence, rule, control, and determination.
Scripture teaches something far more humbling and far more comforting: human beings are not self-governing creatures. Every breath is borrowed. Every spiritual sight is given. Every act of true faith is upheld by divine mercy. The believer’s life is not a climb toward autonomy, but a deeper surrender to the God who saves, strengthens, and keeps.
This teaching brings together Isaiah 40, John 21, Ephesians 2, and other passages to confront misplaced curiosity, expose human inability, and call believers back to humble obedience: “Follow thou me.”
All Flesh Is Grass Before the Sovereign God
Isaiah 40 lifts the eyes away from human strength and places them on the incomparable majesty of God. The prophet does not flatter humanity. He does not say that people are basically strong and need a little help. He says flesh is grass.
“All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it... but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” — Isaiah 40:1-31
That is not meant to produce despair, but humility. Beauty fades. Strength fades. Intelligence fades. Influence fades. Human ability is not ultimate. The strongest person is still grass before the Lord.
This matters because spiritual independence grows from forgetfulness. When a person forgets that all flesh is grass, boasting becomes easy. It becomes easy to trust discipline, heritage, intellect, personality, ministry position, or religious activity. But Isaiah 40 tears down every false confidence.
“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance... All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” — Isaiah 40:1-31
God is not one being among many. He is not a larger version of humanity. He is sovereign, incomparable, and free. His word stands because He stands. His purposes hold because He cannot lie.
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent... hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” — Numbers 23:18-19
The proper response to such a God is not suspicion, complaint, or self-rule. It is repentance, reverence, and trust.
Grace Opens What Sin Has Closed
The teaching also presses an uncomfortable truth: spiritual seeing, hearing, understanding, and conversion are not natural human abilities. Scripture does not describe fallen people as spiritually neutral. It describes them as unable apart from grace.
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” — Ephesians 2:1-10
Dead people do not raise themselves. Spiritually dead sinners do not generate life from within. Salvation must come from outside the sinner and from above the sinner. That is why grace is not merely God making salvation possible; grace is God acting mercifully and powerfully upon the soul.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:1-10
This is one of the most humbling truths in Scripture. Faith is not a badge of superiority. Faith is not the one independent contribution a sinner brings to salvation. Saving faith is bound up with God’s gracious work, leaving no room for boasting.
Jesus Himself taught that some see and hear outwardly but do not understand inwardly.
“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” — Matthew 13:13-16
Isaiah had already declared this judgment:
“Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.” — Isaiah 6:9-10
This does not make God unjust. It makes salvation merciful. If anyone truly sees Christ, truly hears His word, truly understands the gospel, and truly turns, that person has received grace. The natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit because spiritual truth requires spiritual life.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him... because they are spiritually discerned.” — 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Grace hum