Drawn to Jesus

John 6:44 speaks of that encounter with God when He seeks you and finds you. There, Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him." In the Greek, the word "draws" means to influence someone or to cause someone to do something (Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, [AMG International, Inc. 1992, revised edition, 1993], 568). It carries the idea of pursuing someone, finding him, and bringing him back. God is the one who "draws" you to Jesus.

An unregenerate sinner will never come to God of his own accord. It is not in his nature. He must be pursued and found, and his heart must be changed by God, or he will not come to Christ. That is why God pursues you when you stray. It is the only way to bring you back to Himself.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 points out, "For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." No one is just. God searched the earth and found no one from any era that was without sin. All are guilty before God. No one will find their way to heaven based on works or his own righteousness. This verse makes it clear that no one does good. No one is without sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

Psalm 14:1-3 expands on this truth: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one."

God "looks down from heaven" (v. 2a) and searches the earth for a righteous man, finding none. Apart from Christ no one is just. No one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned away from God and are corrupt. Apart from Christ there is no hope.

Paul quotes from these verses in Romans 3:10-12: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one."

Again, no one is justified in his own right or on his own merit. All have gone their own way. All have turned away from God. There is no one who even tries to find God. Therefore, God takes the initiative and pursues His own. He pursues you. If He did not pursue you there would be no possibility of salvation.

A few verses later Paul declares: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:19-20).

The law cannot save you. It makes you aware of your sin. It points out how far you have strayed from God and makes clear your need for a Savior. Still, we do not seek after God. If God did not pursue us, we would never know Christ.

So Paul continues: "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:21-26).

If it were not for God, no one would be saved, especially not you or me. We are no different from anyone else. We are sinners who fall short of God’s glory. We do not do good. We do not seek after God. It is God who took the initiative and pursued us. He provided the Savior. He seeks and finds us. He draws us to Christ. He even provides faith. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Yes, even our faith is God's gift. So if God had not sought after us, we would not know Christ and we would not be saved.

The twenty-third Psalm says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (v. 6). In Hebrew, the word "follow" means to pursue someone in an aggressive manner (Warren Baker, D.R.E. and Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, [AMG Publishers: Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2003], 1037). David sets up a contrast here. While his enemies pursue him in order to kill him, they cannot do him any real harm because God is pursuing him with all His goodness and mercy. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, God pursues or follows him with everything good to keep him unto Himself and to protect him and guide him. It is clear that God pursues those who are His own. Amen.

Pursued by God

Man's habit of hiding from God began way back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. On the sixth day of creation, "the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). God had "planted a garden eastward in Eden" (v. 8). "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it" (v. 15). The Lord made "a helper comparable to him" (v. 18) and "brought her to the man" (v. 22).

Adam and Eve lived in the garden and took care of it, just as God intended. They walked with God in the garden every day, fellowshipping with Him according to God's own purpose. That is, until that one fateful day.

Now God had forbidden Adam only one thing, saying, "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17). Having fallen from heaven, Satan went right to work. He lured Eve into eating fruit from the forbidden tree (Gen. 3:1-6a) and she "gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (v. 6b). Adam was right there with Eve as they disobeyed God.

Sin had entered the world and the fellowship they enjoyed with God was broken. "And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden" (v. 8). They were afraid because they had sinned, so they ran and hid from God. But the Lord knew all about it, so He came looking for them. He pursued them in order to restore their relationship with Him.

"Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?'" (v. 9). So he came forward confessing his sin, along with Eve (vv. 10-13). "Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them" (v. 21),  a blood sacrifice being made to cover their sin. Then, "the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken" (v. 23). Though no longer in the garden, relationship restored, Adam and Eve again walked with God.

When you stray from God, you experience a constant wooing that comes from the throne of God. The Bible says, "the Son of  Man" came "to seek and to save that which is lost" (Luke 19:10). When you stray from God, Jesus seeks after you to save the lost sinner and to bring the straying saint back to Himself. Amen.

Be Faithful in Telling Others About Jesus

Like Stephen, Philip was also called to greater things. "Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 'Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza'" (Acts 8:26). Philip did so, and found "a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians… sitting in his chariot… reading Isaiah the prophet" (vv. 27-28). "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot'" (v. 29). Philip did as the Spirit told him and, "beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him" (v. 35). The man believed, "and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him" (vv. 37-38).

Then we are told: "Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea" (vv. 39-40). What a great story of how God uses those with a willing heart.

Like Stephen and Philip, when God speaks to your heart you need to respond by faithfully doing as asked, even in the little things. That is the sign of a willing heart. When you see some small thing that needs to be done, God is making it known to you. Be faithful to do it, even if it is nothing more than cleaning up after a church social, or cleaning the church, or mowing the church lawn.

When you are faithful in the little things, God will give you something more to do. Perhaps He will lay it on your heart to pick up a friend or neighbor and bring him to church. Be faithful. Maybe it will be the day of salvation for him. Then you may be led to meet with him weekly for Bible study. If so, be faithful, and God will use you to help ground him in his newfound faith. Do you catch the idea? That is how it often works when you have a willing heart. Amen.

Be Faithful in the Work God Gives You

In the parable of the talents, when the servant entrusted with five talents returned ten to his master (Matt. 25:20), he was told, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord" (v. 21). Stephen was one who took the opportunity before him to serve the Lord in even greater capacities. Having been "faithful over a few things," God put him in charge "over many things." We pick up the story in Acts chapter six. "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people" (v. 8).

"Wonders" and "signs" in the original Greek are two words that are always used together in the New Testament. A "wonder" is a miracle so amazing that people do not soon forget (Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, [AMG International, Inc., 1992, revised edition, 1993], 1377). "Signs" is a word that indicates God is putting His stamp of approval on the work Stephen is doing (Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged, [William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985], 1172).

As a result, much opposition rose up against him and they were "disputing with Stephen" (v. 9), because of the message preached concerning the Savior Jesus Christ. "And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (v. 10). They brought him before "the council" (v. 12) and brought "false witnesses" (v. 13) as well. "And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel" (v. 15).

Continuing in Acts 7, given the opportunity, Stephen took advantage and clearly preached the gospel to those who were on the council, along with all who were gathered there: "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart… But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him" (vv. 54-58a).

Stephen was faithful in a few things, just as he was faithful in many things. Great or small, whatever God asked of him, he did, no matter the cost. And for him the cost was his life as he became the first martyr to die for Christ. However, though they could take his life, they could not take his soul. They merely ushered him straight into the presence of his Savior in heaven.

What you do for Christ won't likely cost you your life, though it could bring strong opposition against you, as well as suffering. What Stephen understood was that Jesus was with him, bringing him through whatever he faced. The same is true for us. So we need not fear men because the worst they can do to us is to usher us into the presence of God. And that is not such a bad thing. So we must "take up our cross" and follow Jesus. Amen.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). A statement that applies to all believers. So what does it mean to "take up" your cross? It means to lose or give up your life for Christ (v. 24). It means to follow Him faithfully in righteousness. Be holy as He is holy. Let Jesus live through you. It means to follow Him in loving others. Seek the welfare of your "neighbor." Help him with his needs in whatever way the Lord has provided and talk to him about faith in Christ. It means using your spiritual gifts "for the work of service" (Eph. 4:12, NASB).

That passage in Ephesians says, "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12, NASB). Having been mentioned previously in some of my earlier blogs, let's dig a little deeper into what this verse is saying to us.

By God's design, your pastor and other teachers and leaders in the church are there to train you how to discover and use your spiritual gift or gifts in ministry within the church body. All believers are gifted for service. When you have a willing heart, you will sit under the teaching of your pastor and other teachers within your church and learn from them. You will also get involved in the outworking of the ministry in your church, according to your gifts. When all of us do our part and work together in the ministry outreach of our church, God's purposes are accomplished, and God's will is done in our lives and in the lives of those to whom we minister.

Some lay people who got involved in the ministry of their church are found in Acts chapter six. The church in Jerusalem was experiencing growing pains. Some of the widows were getting overlooked in the distribution of food and various other necessities. To solve the problem, a meeting of the church was called, and the apostles said: "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:2-4).

Note how these men were walking faithfully with Jesus. They were reputable, filled with the Spirit, and wise. They were men who followed the Lord with a willing heart. They worked hard at the task they were given. As a result, they soon saw their individual ministries expand as more was given to them to do. Jesus said, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much" (Luke 16:10, NASB). So those who were faithful in the area of ministry they were given, received greater responsibilities in their work for the Lord.

When you grow and learn under the teaching of your pastor and other teachers, and as you discover and begin to use your gifts faithfully in service for your church, Jesus takes notice. He will then give you greater ministry, greater things to do for Him, as you are ready. It will be a great blessing to experience. Amen.

When the Lord Calls

One man who did not draw a line in the sand was Isaiah. His heart was willing without any reservations. He set no limits on what He would or would not do, or where he would or would not go for God. Isaiah chapter six reveals that willing heart when God calls.

He was in the temple and saw a vision. "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew" (vv. 1-2). As they flew one cried out, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory" (v. 3). Then Isaiah noticed that "the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke" (v. 4).

What a scene it was. Isaiah must have been astonished at what he saw, and greatly elated at the same time. At some point he spoke to the Lord with a humble heart, saying, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (v. 5).

He then continues describing the scene: "Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar" (v. 6). He touched Isaiah's mouth with the hot coal and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged" (v. 7).

Then came the critical moment—God's call. The Lord spoke to Isaiah and said, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (v. 8a). Then Isaiah, with a willing heart, said, "Here am I! Send me" (v. 8b). He was in the temple, serving the Lord. He was likely praying at that moment, searching with all his heart. And he found the Lord—or rather, the Lord found him. When God called him to take a specific message to His people, Isaiah accepted the call eagerly because he had a willing heart.

You might say that this is all fine and good, but what about me? So far it has been all about a prophet. What about us common folk. I am not a prophet. I am not even a pastor or anything like that. I am a person in the pew at church. I am a layman seeking to live my life for Jesus. How does this apply to me?

When God speaks to us through His Word, or directly to our hearts and minds, we would do well to listen and do as He directs. God has great plans for us. "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'" (Jer. 29:11, NASB). When we have a willing heart and listen to what the Lord says, and we discover His will and follow His plan, He will accomplish His plan and fulfill His purpose in our lives. So listen for that still small voice, read and listen to God's Word, and do as He leads. Amen.

Build Your Life on Jesus

What if you seek to follow Jesus, for the most part, but you continue to limit God? You continue to draw a line in the sand as to what you will or will not do and where you will or will not go? What then?

We are warned about this in 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. There Paul uses the metaphor of a building: "You are God's building" (v. 9b). The "foundation… which is laid… is Jesus Christ" (v. 11). Upon that foundation we build our lives.

Concerning how we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ in our lives, Paul warns, "But let each one take heed how he builds on it" (v. 10b). Anyone who lives their life in righteousness as God designed it and follows Him in service as He leads, builds on that foundation with "gold, silver, precious stones" (v. 12a). When Christ returns and the work with which he built on that foundation is tested and "revealed by fire" (v. 13), it will endure and "he will receive a reward" (v. 14).

However, when someone refuses to live according to God's design or to do as God leads, he is building on the foundation of Christ with "wood, hay, straw" (v. 12b). Then, when that man's work is "revealed by fire" (v. 13), it will be "burned" and "he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (v. 15).

For the believer salvation is secure. However, drawing a line in the sand and limiting God can still be quite costly, rewards can be lost. To have a willing heart for the most part, but putting limits on it, works against what God has for you, and He has great things in store for you. Trust me. So why not make sure you have a willing heart, without limits? Amen.