Monday, October 23, 2006
GOD'S INITIATIVE
I have been reading from Ephesians 2 and Romans 10 this afternoon and have once again come away from Scripture totally convinced of God's initiative in salvation. I am also convinced that if we would but set aside the traditions and presuppositions that influence our reading of Scripture, there would not be the controversies that exist (and have for centuries) concerning God's initiative in saving people.
Anyway, Ephesians 2: 5 says that God made us alive. That makes perfect sense, since in the first part of Ephesians 2 Paul referred to people as being dead (not merely sick) in transgressions and sins. Dead people cannot raise themselves to life!I also read from Romans 10: 20, where Paul quotes Isaiah: "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." They did not seek?! They did not ask?! Oh my! What about our "all-important" free will? My response: Did our free will determine when and where we would be born in the natural realm? Did our free will choose our parents? Of course not. In the spiritual realm, how can dead people choose God? About the only thing dead people can "do" is lay around and stink up a place! Indeed, Paul says in Romans 3:11 there is no one who seeks God. That makes perfect sense, if one accepts the scriptural witness that human beings are spiritually dead by nature. Lest I be misunderstood, let me say that I do believe in free will. I make choices all the time. But the Bible is clear: In the spiritual realm, human will is in bondage. Apart from God's grace, we are powerless to help ourselves.
All of this is to say that I am so totally grateful that God reached down to save me. He raised me from death to life. He did it; I contributed nothing. Even the faith I exercised to trust in Christ was God's gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Praise God for His initiative in saving me. Truly, Jonah was right: "Salvation comes from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9).
