I especially want to speak to those of you who are currently using God’s sovereignty against yourself. And I say against yourself, because that’s exactly what you’re doing. If your reasoning is like this:
“Well, God’s sovereign, and you know he chooses whom he will, so I can’t do anything. He’s going to have to do it. It’s all I’ve got to wait for him to do it, you see. I mean, I can’t save myself. If I’m going to be saved, he must save me. I mean, he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will. He’ll show compassion. He elects some, and some he doesn’t. And so God’s got to do this thing.” (Romans 9:15-16)
And you know what? All that’s very true. God’s got to save you.
He is sovereign. But why are you not allowing that to work for you? Why are you allowing that to work against you and not for you? Why are you only using half the Bible?
Why do you refuse to listen to this same Christ who says, “Whoever comes to me, I will not cast out? I will not cast away.” (John 6:37) Who says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) That is just wide open. This sovereign God leaves his gospel wide open and chooses to receive everyone who comes to him by faith.
Everyone who humbles themselves and responds to his call in obedience. Just quickly here, this is so simple. The gospel is so incredibly, wonderfully simple. And it’s shown us in the picture of this man with a withered hand. Here he is in verse five. Jesus is addressing this man in verse five with the withered hand. You know, it was a problem that this man was completely, I mean, completely incapable of fixing and solving it.
Jesus says to him, “Come here.” (Mark 3:3) And you know what he does? He comes. He obeys him. And Jesus says, “Stretch out your hand” in verse five, and you know what he does? The man obeys him. Notice what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t say, “I can’t, Lord.”
Even though he couldn’t. Jesus is actually asking him to do something that was absolutely impossible for him to do: stretch out his hand. But his obedient response to Jesus’ command released enabling power to do what otherwise he could not do. And his hand was restored. A transformation took place. That’s what happens when those who truly believe in this Son of God, in the sight and belief of that Son of God, results in obedience to his call.
And the evidence of salvation is transformed life.
Minus the transformation here, what do you have? You’ve got demon worship. “You’re the Son of God,” the demons said. (Mark 3:11) But obedience to Jesus’ call yields true and everlasting transformation. It does. And so I bid you, and I warn you, stop making excuses and answer Christ’s call today. Right now. Come to him. Embrace him. Trust him. Fall down before him and do so with joy.
Not the dread of his condemnation that these demons had. Father, thank you for such a wonderful Savior. Lord, thank you that you’ve opened our eyes to behold him. Lord, we see through this lens. It’s difficult at times. We’re thankful that you don’t leave us there, though. Thankfully, you bring us from grace to grace and faith to faith. (Romans 1:17)
And Lord, you’re working in us both the will and duty for your good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) Lord, I pray, help us as a church. Help us to recognize this evil feeling in this whole system and this whole garrison set out to oppose your son. Lord, I pray you give us grace to overcome. I pray you’d help us, Lord, advance his kingdom.
Lord, you’re so worthy.
