More Willing…
In his message this past Sunday Pastor Andrew stated “God is more willing to save sinners than the Church is to see them saved.”
How does that statement sit within you?
I hope it doesn’t ‘sit’ within you at all! I hope it ‘paces back and forth’ within you. I hope it ‘jumps up and down’ and ‘waves its arm’s’ within you. I hope it challenges you to greater boldness and urgency to speak the gospel to every lost soul the Lord allows to cross your daily path.
The statement is undeniably true. No matter what the degree of your current desire for the salvation of the lost, God’s desire will always be greater. It has to be! If not, what is the alternative: The Church (you, the believer) is more willing to see sinners saved than God??? — I think not.
“God is more willing to save sinners
than the Church is to see them saved.”
When a young child goes missing a whole community may rally to search for it. All will be deeply moved. But none will be more willing, more desiring that the child be found than mother and father. This is an apt illustration of God the Father’s Love for the lost, for it is one which Christ Himself gave to express to us our Father’s heart. (Luke 15:11-31).
This statement more than many reveals to the too pious one’s own smugness and selfish sinfulness. One’s pride! But we are not helpless in this. Rather than half-heartedly pray hypocritically for the unsaved, we can whole-heartedly pray honestly asking God to give us His Heart. We can ask God to grant us a broken heart for the lost, our brothers and sisters yet to be. We can open our eyes to the spiritual needs and opportunities coming before us and speak Christ into them — Awkwardly, clumsily perhaps at first, but even seeds tossed in this way can take root.
Pray!
Pray for the salvation of the lost, and pray for the submission of your self. You will never be more willing to see the lost saved than is God, but you can be more willing to see the lost saved today than you were yesterday.
Press on…
To hear Pastor Andrew’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.
thebrokenrunner 