I have a question for you.
Are all the verses in the Bible comforting?
The answer is no.
But Rob, I thought that God’s Word is supposed to bring comfort.
Well … God can bring comfort through His Word, but reading the Bible can also bring conviction, concern, confusion, and regret.
So, let’s examine the following verses, and then we will check in on your reaction:
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” – John 6:41-44
So, what is your reaction to these verses? It may be interesting to note that these verses can bring a lot of different reactions. Some will read them and praise God, saying, “Thank you Father for drawing me to Jesus”. For others, they will cause anxiety, as they wonder, “Have I been drawn to Jesus? Is my salvation a sure thing? How does one actually get drawn to Jesus.”? Still, for others, they will ponder, “When is the last day”? See what I mean? Different people; different responses.
For today though, I would like to touch on one of the responses mentioned. It is the question, “How does one actually get drawn to Jesus? Now, I am not going to dare to explain exactly how God does this, as if there is some sort of formula or precise predictable pattern that man can know, for Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” No, rather than foolishly trying to explain exactly how someone gets drawn to Jesus, I would like to show you an example.
This account is from a missionary, and it is to the praise of God:
“If you have come to visit us, then you most certainly have met Wanda. Wanda is Al’s niece who came to live with us about 6 years ago. She was the first of her generation in the family to graduate from college. She is very bright and when she graduated with a degree in English, Mel insisted she come stay with us while she got her master’s degree in business. She became our second daughter and she continued to live with us as she got a job. Over the years, many shared the gospel with her and she watched all the Christians come and go in our lives. She would sit in on our family meetings when we shared prayer requests and join us for big celebrations like baptisms, Christmas and Easter with the underground house church. She was always very curious about our faith and would ask many questions. However, whenever she was confronted with making a decision for Jesus, she said she wasn’t ready and didn’t feel the need. After we left, she moved into an apartment by herself. She quickly began to feel the void of the many Christians in her life. So when some of her friends from the house church invited her to come to the meetings, she began to attend them. In December, as usual, they had a big Christmas celebration and invited Wanda to come. The next day, Wanda called us with the best Christmas present we could have dreamed of having … she told us, “Uncle, I finally did it! I decided to become a Christian!!” Since then, she has joined a Bible study and is being discipled by some of our interns. Please pray for Wanda as she misses our family so much. Pray for her to grow and pray for a Christian husband for her! Thank you for your prayers for Al’s family. Wanda is the first immediate family member to come to Christ in 30 years! Pray that she will be the first of many of her generation!”
What a beautiful story of God working in someone’s heart. How did it happen? Well, we can at least identify some of the pieces. First, there was an invitation. These faithful saints opened their home of love to their niece. Then there was the sharing of the Gospel. Alongside of this faithful witness, there was a faith-filled life, as their niece observed Christians. Lastly, there was the fulfillment of a need. Wanda missed the fellowship she had with Christians, and wanted to be around them again. Through all of this, God was working in Wanda’s heart, drawing her to Jesus.
Sometimes we think that all we need to do is share the Gospel with someone, and leave the rest to God. While sometimes people are saved through this approach, it is often not the case. No, what we see from this example is that someone coming to Christ often requires that believers build a relationship with them, share the Gospel, live a life of obedience to God, and continue to yield to the Holy Spirit’s influence in their life, that much of His goodness is on display through the believer.
So, the next time we are hoping that someone can come to Christ, let’s remember the story of Wanda. It is a good example of what God will do in the heart of someone who is surrounded by the love and faithful witness of a believer.
For Jesus,
Rob