If we conclude from Scripture that every person will reject God rather than seek Him, the previously analyzed perspective may be derived (perhaps unknowingly) more from the writings of humanistic thought than the pages of God’s Word. This leads us to ask, what causes men and women to pursue a reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ?
Concisely, Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,” and in verse 65 he reiterates this truth, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by my Father.” Jesus directs these statements to a largely unbelieving Jewish audience that continues to reject him as the Messiah. Many in the crowd either saw first hand or heard that Jesus had recently fed 5,000 men (likely 20,000 counting the women and children) from five barley loaves and two fish. Although Jesus’ ministry was fairly new at this point in the Gospel of John, he had already been identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, turned water into wine, healed the sick, and explained that eternal life comes only through himself. If these signs weren’t obvious enough, after Jesus was baptized the Father confirmed in an audible voice from heaven, “You are my beloved Son: with you I am well pleased.”
As we are well aware, even after three years of ministry that included miracle after miracle, sign after sign, fulfilled prophecy after fulfilled prophecy, still most rejected him. Far removed from the early life and ministry of Jesus, we’re prone to read the gospels with baffled brains and tremendous disdain for the people who saw the miracles and audibly heard his divine words. We think, “What a bunch of flipping idiots! Of course this is the Christ you ignorant Neanderthals!” However, we should realize that this reaction carries more than a pinch of pride and reveals that we haven’t fully grasped how or why anyone is saved. Evidence of understanding results in unhesitating delight with Jesus’ words in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”
God’s work of guiding people to the truth extends past the gospels as seen in the early church with the conversion of Lydia. Acts 16:14 records that, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” After exhorting pastors to be kind, patient and gentle with quarrelsome and opposing unbelievers, Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:25, “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” It is interesting, is it not, that this verse says God grants them repentance rather than offers them repentance that leads to the truth.
In addition to our fallen flesh, God must also overcome the work of Satan upon unbelievers’ minds. Second Corinthians 4:4-6 explains this dynamic:
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps not theologically, but countless Christians functionally believe that the they provide some measure of help, if not a great help, in securing eternal life. Why is this not so? Perhaps a spiritually blind person could stumble upon the truth. Granted, a spiritually deaf person may see the signs of eternal life. However, neither sensory perceptions nor consciousness exists in a spiritual corpse (Eph 2:1,5)! Truly, the flesh is no help at all! In this there are no exceptions - not one single person begins their journey to faith in Christ without God drawing them. Perhaps it’s fair to say that there are no true “seekers” without the gracious initiative of the Seeker.
Once sought, for what reasons? How does salvation by grace through faith in Jesus occur? Tune in next week my friends…
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