My first phone text of the new year was to a friend who has not yet obeyed Christ. She’d messaged me to wish me a happy New Year full of many blessings and to say that she loves me. I messaged her back reciprocating good wishes and then added that my wish for her for the new year is her obedience to the gospel.
See, my friend knows what to do to be saved. We’ve studied that over and over and she understands. So I encouraged her to stop putting off this important decision.
My friend has a preschool child. So I appealed to her regarding her daughter’s need to have godly maternal guidance in the formative years.
She attends only sporadically, but is always enthusiastic and engaged in worship. Her husband recently even attended with her and is beginning to show interest in the church.
After encouraging her to be baptized into Christ, I simply asked my friend, “So, why are you waiting?”
Her response was “I am going to do that one day, God willing.”
That response reflects a huge misunderstanding of scripture. Our obedience is never contingent on God’s willingness for us to obey and be saved. A man’s salvation hinges on His own will. God is always willing.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17)
And again: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9)
I’m not sure my friend really understood the weight of her statement. I think she surely knows that her washing is not waiting on the consent of the Lord. But there are many in today’s religious world who do believe just that. Many of my friends don’t believe that salvation is available to everyone; it’s only for those who are divinely chosen. Some believe that a person must be directly called in some extra-Biblical way before being saved. Others believe that God shows his acceptance and blesses a person with his saving grace only when he “prays through” and feels some kind of “amazing peace and bliss.” These common beliefs are all commensurate with my friend’s statement. “I am going to obey, one day, God willing.”
So I texted her back “God IS willing. I am going to pray that you see your desperate need for the washing that comes when you contact the blood of His Son.”
Is there a reader today who is beginning 2014 outside of Jesus? If so, you have a desperate need. Are you waiting for the Lord to “call” you to be part of his church? If so, may I encourage you to contact me at byhcontest@gmail.com? I would love to talk to you about the invitation that has already been extended to you—an invitation to enjoy the forgiveness and hope that is found only in Jesus. 2014 can be the year in which you are saved…the year in which you decide to be in heaven for eternity. God wills to save you. But YOU will determine whether or not He does.
