Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
A prolific, mature writer had come to her mid-60s when she first said it--a statement that was revolutionary. It reversed the centuries-old thinking of countless Christian people. Many times she called her readers to "behold" what happened on the cross when Jesus died for "the sins of the world." He had said, "I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Myself" (John 12:32). Then came this mature writer's blockbuster, first-ever statement: "The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins."
Popular Christian thinking had understood the opposite. Our "condemnation" had been seen to be the norm; unless the sinner takes the initiative to procure "this love," to acquire it, to first do the right thing by his own will, he was automatically lost. God has done His part, the ball's in the sinner's court, he must take the first "step to Christ" by his own action. You've got to do something to be saved. Good orthodox teaching.
Now this statement maintained that you must believe something to be saved; in fact, more than that, you've got to "resist" this "drawing" of the love of Christ in order to be lost. Backwards!?
To this day, people marvel at this breakthrough insight into "the plan of redemption." Is the agape character of the love of Christ that powerful? Has "the Savior of the world" actually already given something to the sinner? Multitudes worldwide have been driven back to the Bible to see if this statement could possibly be its true teaching. Was this "mature" writer beginning to slip? The Bible has something to say:
(1) Christ has already done something for "every man"--died his final punishment for sin (Heb. 2:9). By redeeming humanity He has given humanity a title to eternal life (but the "title" can be despised and sold as Esau despised and sold his birthright--Gen. 25:33, 34).
(2) Christ's love (agape) does constrain every responsive heart to a total dedication to the One who died his and her second death (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).
(3) It's not craven fear that does this, but His much more abounding grace--stronger motivation than all our natural and acquired sin can be (Rom. 5:15-20).
(4) That "grace" is moment by moment teaching us to respond to Christ's powerful love (Titus 2:11-14); you must block your heart against it in order to be lost. (Too many do!)
(5) It's easier to live a life responsive to that love than to keep on resisting it (Matt. 11:28-30).
(6) It's true--the hardest thing one can do is to wear yourself out resisting it (Acts 26:14).
That writer in her mid-60s turns out to have been right: It's totally by grace that any of us is saved (Eph. 2:4-9). Tell the Lord "Thank You!" for giving you a heart that can respond.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 5, 2004.
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