Ryan Goodwin

Introduction

            What has God done for us? That is the question that many ask when confronted with the Gospel. Some choose to never obey because they do not believe God has done anything – others see God as an inactive being who, though He is the apparent impetus behind creation, remains aloof of His creation. But the very first words of Genesis 1:1 speak of an entirely different God. “In the beginning God…” These words tell us of a god who acts, who takes initiative, who creates, speaks, and intimately involves Himself in the affairs of the world beneath Him. The Bible is, in fact, the religion of an initiating god. “Before man existed, God acted. Before man stirs himself to seek God, God has sought man. In the Bible, we do not see man groping after God; we see God reaching after man. Many people visualize a god who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be, they can badger Him into taking action on their behalf. Such a view is wholly false” (Basic Christianity, Stott, p. 11). Long before man thinks to seek God, before it even occurs to him, the Father is actively seeking him. God takes the initiative, leaves His throne, and stoops to our level so that He might lift us up.

            In no way is God a passive force in our universe. He took the initiative in creation (Genesis 1:1). He took initiative in revelation of His will (Hebrews 1:1). He took initiative in salvation (Romans 5:6-8). “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:5-6). He takes the initiative in baptism (Titus 3:4-6).

What has God done for you lately?

God Has Created You

            We seem to forget how very much we need God, even in the most basic way. Without His creative force, we would not exist. We owe our lives to Him. Every time we breathe, every glass of water we drink, every night of sleep, every sunset, every meal – our lives are in His hands. We owe to Him to seek after Him. For as much as He does for us, is it really that much to worship, love, and obey the Heavenly Father? We could not have created ourselves, and we cannot create anything new now (Ecclesiastes 1:10).

God Has Spoken To You

            “Man is an insatiably inquisitive creature.  His mind is so made that it cannot rest.  It is always prying into the unknown.  He pursues knowledge with restless energy.  His life is a voyage of discovery.  He is always questing, exploring, investigating, and researching.  When man’s mind begins to concern itself with God (apart from revelation), it is baffled.  It gropes in the dark.  Nor is this surprising, because God, whatever or whoever He may be is infinite, while we are finite creatures.  He is altogether beyond our comprehension.  Therefore our minds, though wonderfully effective instruments—cannot immediately help us here.  They cannot climb up into the infinite mind of God (Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 10:23).  And so the situation would have remained if God had not taken the initiative to remedy it.  Man would have remained forever agnostic, asking indeed with Pontius Pilate, ‘What is truth?’  He would be a worshipper, for such is his nature; but all his altars would be inscribed, like the one in Athens, ‘To an unknown god’” (Stott, pp. 12-13).

            God will never leave us in the dark without answers. He longs to reveal to us what we need – and it is only our stubborn, unrelenting, dull hearts that prevent us from hearing every word of life (Hebrews 5:11-14). Friends, we need His words. No words will guide us as His do. In them we have everything we need (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We have insights into the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:3-5).

• Others disappoint when it comes to verbal disclosure. Nobody is perfect, and even the best spouses, children, and employees do not always give us all the truth on certain matters.
• We may find loneliness in this life, for which there is no worldly cure. The word of God, however, is the answer to emptiness within the spirit (Psalm 119:165).
• The Word of God is accessible to everybody (Psalm 119:130), unlike the complexities of convoluted human wisdom.
• People seem to spend so long waiting for signs from God, yet fail to see the sing in front of their eyes. God has spoken to us in His word (Hebrews 1:2), and if we are unhappy with that revelation, then nothing else will be given (Matthew 16:4).
• We lack nothing in the Bible pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). So if you are unsatisfied with God’s revelation, then you have bigger problems. We need to be reminded that God has done a lot for us in the realm of revelation. How much do we reveal to Him? Do we return God’s favor by disclosing everything in our hearts? God has told you how to get to heaven, so will you tell Him about your sins, your fears, your doubts, and your secrets?

God Has Acted On Your Behalf

            “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15).

• Jesus Christ is our propitiation, which means that He is our intercessor before the throne of God (1 John 2:1-2). If that is not enough, then what more would you ask of your Savior?
• He died on a cross on our behalf.
• He left His place of power and glory to be a human and endure all things we do (Philippians 2:6-7, Hebrews 4:15-16).
• Those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord will have the blessing of His confession before the Father (Matthew 10:32-33). This means, essentially, that Jesus will vouch for us before God.
• God has spoken to us – have we listened? God has acted for us – have we responded?

Responding to God

Seeking Him

            “Seek, and you will find” says the Lord in Matthew 7:7. Remember that Paul noted, “That they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). Keep in mind that your spiritual life is in your hands. God is seeking you, calling to you, acting on your behalf – but you have to be the one to take His help. His hand is outstretched to each of us for every moment that we breathe, but if we refuse to accept it, the loss of our souls to eternal damnation will be on our own shoulders. Each of us alone will carry our burdens to Hell. The fact is that seeking God is worth it!

• Even though long hours of Bible study might seem tedious to some, is it not worth it to know if you are going to heaven or hell? Is it not worth it to investigate the promises offered to you by God? Satan has disclosed as much as God has, so perhaps it is time to stop giving the devil so much of your time!
• The woman of Luke 15, after all, sought after her coin until she found it. The shepherd left the ninety nine sheep who were safe so that he might travel many miles to find the lost lamb. If God believes we are worth the effort, then should not we believe He is worth the effort as well?
• God wants to be found! He has made Himself so obvious to the world that one wonders how some people go their entire lives without reading a Bible, attending some kind of worship, or praying about something! He is not hidden, but has made Himself readily available to all.
• But seeking God will take work. No matter how churches you have to visit; no matter how many hours you must read the Bible; no matter how much prayer you give; no matter how many friends you lose in the fight for your soul; no matter how difficult it might be to say “no” to the temptations of Satan; no matter how much the “old you” wants to creep back in (Ephesians 4:22-24); it is worth it!

We must seek Him diligently

            “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). Do not give up and compromise. Seek God until you find Him, not until you get tired of looking. Seek Him until you have made yourself what He wants you to be, not until you become what you think you should be.

Seek Him Humbly

            Pride is a great hindrance to those seeking God. It is one of the reasons that Christ loves children so much: they are teachable. We need to be like children in our attitudes toward God (1 Corinthians 14:20, Luke 18:16-17) – innocent, open, humble, receptive, and never self-important and critical. Realize that you do not know as much as you think and accept criticism and advice with honesty.

Seek Him Honestly

            Many people come to the Bible with their minds already made up. Having an open mind, however, allows us to receive the Word with a mind toward the truth. The person who believes he knows everything is the person who knows the least! “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Seek Him Without Fear

            Do not be afraid of admitting you are in sin. Do not fear the knowledge of the truth. The Bible is not meant to scare us, but to produce a life without fear. The individual who makes his life right in the sight of God has no fear (Matthew 10:28). The fearful will not be tolerated by God (Revelation 21:8).

Make a decision and act!

            “That a decision is necessary in order to become a Christian is an idea quite foreign to many people.  Some imagine that they are already Christians because they were born in a Christian country.  We cannot remain neutral.  Nor can we drift into Christianity.  Nor can anybody else settle the matter for us.  We must decide for ourselves.  We may concede that the evidence for the deity of Jesus is compelling, even conclusive, and that He was in fact the Son of God; we may believe that He came and died to be the Savior of the world; we may also admit that we are sinners and need such a Savior.  But none of these things makes us Christians” (Stott, p. 121). God needs more than simple intellectual agreement or a belief in facts (John 12:42-43). He wants commitment (Matthew 19:16-22).

• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
• Jesus will not force His way in. You have to let Him enter.
• Jesus knocks through the Bible (Romans 1:16, Luke 16:29).
• Upon opening the door, we must give Christ free access. He must be a part of our decisions. He must have disclosure from us. He must be allowed to fill our souls, our minds, and our bodies. Christianity is not a religion on our terms, but on His!
• God is a seeking god. He longs for you to know the truth. He want you in heaven. He wants you to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). The next move is yours.