The Seeking Savior
There are many reasons why people reject God! What is your reason? Yet, in spite of these rejections, He still pursues and seeks to save the lost. For instance,
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” – Genesis 3:8-10 (NIV).
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem – Luke 9:51-53 (NIV).
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate – Matthew 23:37-39 (NIV).
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him – Revelation 16:8-9 (NIV).
As you have read these various illustrations depicting people rejecting God, I am confident in saying those who rejected Him then as well as those who reject Him today genuinely believe their reasons are legitimate. However, as I stated earlier, God still seeks to save those and grants mercy even to the rejectors as long as time permits. The only question is, “Do I still have time? Only God knows!
As I bring this to a close, I leave you with these final verses that demonstrates God’s will to look beyond the intentional rejection and looks past the perception of others to save the soul of those He desires.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” – Luke 15:1-2 (NIV).
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner…” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham [righteousness by faith]” – Luke 19:1-7,9 (NIV).