Not of Him that Willeth

Occasionally, we hear a pastor or teacher or evangelist plead with the lost by saying something like this:

God is calling you to salvation right now. He wants to save you. He loves you, and is not willing that you should perish. But God will not overrule your free will. God cannot save you unless you let him. Won’t you let him save you?

Now of course, the Bible nowhere says that God will not overrule one’s free will. But that is a different issue for a different time. Right now, we are more concerned with the question of how much our salvation depends on our own will, our own desire for salvation. Is it true that God cannot save us unless we let him? Must we be willing in order to be saved?

If one must first be willing, then salvation comes by the will of man. When it is my will to be saved, then I will be saved, and not until then. I cannot be saved unless it is my will that I be saved, nor can God save me unless it is my will. Everything depends on my being willing. When I will it, then I am saved.

If we believe Scripture to be ultimate, then we must evaluate the traditional opinion outlined above with what the Bible says.

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.



But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Perhaps so many believers struggle with doubt about their salvation because they are constantly evaluating themselves and their response to the gospel, looking there for evidence of salvation. Rather than depending on Christ alone for salvation, we depend on our own desires for it. Rather than asking, “has God saved me,” we wonder, “did I ask for it right?” Rather than trusting Christ, we make sure that we believed enough, or with our heart rather than simply our head, or wanted it enough, or for the right reasons. Rather than resting on Christ, we rest on our prayer. We rest on what we said, how we said it, how we felt when we said it, and how we feel now that we have said it.

Were we born of the will of the flesh or not? Is it of him that willeth, or not? Is it of him that runneth or not? Is it of the will of man, or not? If it is of the will of the flesh, if it is of him that willeth, then we better make sure that we willed it correctly and properly, with all our heart. You might say perfectly. But if not, then we must rest on God that sheweth mercy, who gives man the power to become a son of God.

Who Is on My Side?

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Joshua 5:13-14

When Joshua asked the man whose sword was drawn, to identify which side he was on, the man answered “neither.” He was not come to take sides. He came as captain of the host of the LORD.

At times, we are tempted to think that God stands behind us because we are good, and stands against “them” because they are not. But God is not choosing between good and bad. The Lord of glory does not pick sides in a fight. He is the Lord of hosts. He comes as that.

The Lord of hosts is neither for us nor is he for our adversaries, as if God were choosing who is right. The Lord of hosts does as He pleases. He is the God of battles, and has no obligation to one person over another. The question is not, “is the Lord on my side?” Rather, the question is, “am I on the Lord’s side?” It is not for us to demand of God that he choose sides, but rather it is for us to fall on our face and worship, and to say, “What saith my lord unto his servant?”

In eternity past, God set the course of this world, and decreed all that would be. God established his eternal purpose and works all things after the counsel of his own will. And in His goodness and mercy, God has chosen us out of the world to walk in his ways. We are honored above all others, for we fight the Lord’s battles. As we fight His battles, He fights against those that fight against us. He sends us conquering and to conquer, and He that is in us is greater than He that is in the world.

But sometimes, He is not for us. At Jericho, God fought for His people, but at Ai, God fought against them. The question is not, “is God for me” but, “am I for God.” When I am on the Lord’s side, then God will not be fighting against me. But when I, who am on the Lord’s side, stand in the way or fail to submit, I can expect a cuff, a “get thee behind me, thou satan,” an opposition.

We must learn to say always, “what saith my lord unto his servant?”

A Break from my Hiatus

I’ve been away from this outfit for a bit, but not for lack of things to say. Most of my limited blog time has been dedicated to our other blog at Jackhammr.org, and I simply have not taken the time to post over here. But I’m not finished.

For quite a while now, this blog has been dedicated exclusively to dealing with John Price in particular, and to the issue of Predator Pastors in general. I’ll have some more on that in short order, but its time to diversify into some other areas as well, so I’ll be doing that pronto.

Meanwhile, you should know that Hannah Elliot over at ABPnews.com, the website for the Associated Baptist Press, has done a story regarding Predator Pastors over at the Baptist Standard. Part of the reason for pointing that out is that she quotes me some in her story, which you can read here. Thanks, Hannah, for your story. They do have some good and helpful material on this issue.

As the readers of this blog know, this is an issue about which I am passionate, and I’ll be saying more in the future. Meanwhile, we hope to add some material for your edification shortly.

Blessings!