Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Mat 16:16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” …And Jesus answered him…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
After studying the Bible the past 14 years, I am certain that a person cannot find God by going on a quest for Him. I did that very thing; my quest lasted 15 years or so. I am going to say just a few things about my religious history before showing proof texts from the Bible that indicate that no one can find God unless He reveals Himself to them. (Also, see categories, Doctrine / Theology, Decisionism vs Doctrine of Regeneration… in this blog.)
My religious history in a nutshell: I was confirmed Catholic at age 12; when my father quit attending church, my mother began taking me to a Presbyterian church. I quit attending at 15 and did not become interested in knowing anything about the spiritual world until my mother died suddenly 7 years later. I did not begin my search for God in Christianity because my father was a judgmental man, and I feared being shamed…but noticed a lot of Christians were like him. I didn’t think God could be in a system like that, but I knew almost nothing about God, so it is no wonder that I could believe such a thing (self-righteous, judgmental Christians are not a good indicator that Christianity is flawed).
I began searching in Hinduism, became a Baha’i a couple of years later, and after 4 years of reading all their books I could afford (3 paper grocery bags full), and finding no definitive answers to my questions, I decided to go to college to search for God in other eastern religions and in philosophy. I continued that search after college, 15 years at least, to no avail. I gave up looking and returned to my former lifestyle until my life crashed. A couple of painful years later, God revealed Himself to me as I read through His word. It took me several years to understand that no one finds God unless He has been born-again; and that the Holy Spirit is the One who gives one new life from above as it is stated in John 3:1-8. (My story is a picture of what it looks like to seek God via one’s own guidance and reason.)
PROOF TEXTS FROM THE BIBLE:
Before I provide those texts, I need to make one more point: as a Bible student, I have to believe that all the following examples of God calling and revealing Himself to men that are noted below, must be considered in the context of “Eph 1:4 Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” That is, that God’s plan not only included creating humans and all else, the Bible indicated that He had a time table for events to unfold; he had chosen a particular people to be united to Christ and He determined every tiny element of His creation. (The 22 page free pdf download that is included in the Baha’i post and the Justification post say a lot about that. Your own study of the Bible would confirm the same.)
ABRAHAM’S CALL FROM GOD:
Act 7:2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. Act 7:3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ Act 7:4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.
Gen 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’ family, and go to the land that I will show you. Gen 12:2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
JACOB’S CALL FROM GOD:
Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. Gen 28:12 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. Gen 28:13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and He said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Gen 28:14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. Gen 28:15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
JACOB’S CALL RECORDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:
Rom 9:12 He calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” Rom 9:13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” Rom 9:14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! Rom 9:15 For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”
MOSES CALL FROM GOD:
Exo 3:1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.
Exo 3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. Exo 3:3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” Exo 3:4 When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. Exo 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
SAMUEL’S CALL FROM GOD:
1Sa 3:8 So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
1Sa 3:9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went back to bed. 1Sa 3:10 And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
KING SAUL’S CALL FROM GOD:
1Sa 9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel the previous day, 1Sa 9:16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of My people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on My people in mercy and have heard their cry.” 1Sa 9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule My people.”
KING DAVID’S CALL FROM GOD:
1Sa 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be My king.” 1Sa 16:12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.” 1Sa 16:13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH’S CALL FROM GOD:
Jer 1:4 The LORD gave me this message: Jer 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nations.” Jer 1:6 “O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!”
THE APOSTLE’S CALL FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
Mat 4:18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Mat 4:19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Mat 4:20 And they left their nets at once and followed Him. Mat 4:21 A little farther up the shore He saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And He called them to come, too. Mat 4:22 They immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
JESUS CLARIFYING TO HIS APOSTLES THAT HE CHOSE THEM NOT VICE VERSA:
Joh 15:16 You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name. Joh 15:17 This is My command: Love each other.
THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST’S CALL TO THE APOSTLE PAUL WHILE HE WAS PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS:
Act 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest… Act 9:2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. Act 9:3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. Act 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?” Act 9:5 “Who are You, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
Act 9:6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
THE CALL OF LYDIA VIA HER EYES BEING OPENED BY GOD WHILE PAUL PREACHED THE GOSPEL:
Act 16:13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. Act 16:14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. Act 16:15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
ROMAN OFFICER CORNELIUS BEING CALLED VIA AN ANGELIC MESSENGER SUMMONING THE APOSTLE PETER TO DELIVER THE GOSPEL MESSAGE TO HIM:
Act 10:1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. Act 10:2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.Act 10:3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Act 10:4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Act 10:5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. Act 10:34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
Act 10:35 In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. Act 10:36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all… Act 10:44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. Act 10:45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.
MORE EXAMPLES OF THE LORD FILLING HIS CHURCH BY CALLING INDIVIDUALS INTO IT JUST AS HE CALLED PROPHETS AND APOSTLES:
Act 2:39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
Act 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.
Rom 8:30 And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.
Rom 11:5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—His undeserved kindness in choosing them. Rom 11:6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. Rom 11:7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
Tit 3:4 But—”When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, Tit 3:5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
I challenge you to find one example in the Bible of someone finding God on his own, or someone choosing Christ without having been regenerated as in John 3:1-8. Evangelism in the 20th century infused Christianity with many erroneous ideas about how one is born again, and many other things.
Yet, I am also aware that some born-again believers were saved by walking an aisle or signing a card; the only explanation for that is that they had been previously regenerated as in John 3:1-8, as this text states: Col 1:13 For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Those are the ones who don’t go back to the world, while so many that sign a card fall away. My experience of 15 years of searching for God in all the wrong places and then being born again by Him revealing Himself to me, fits with what the Bible says about God’s sovereign calling. I am also certain that He cannot be found via reason alone, as the scriptures say: Rom 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” One last confirmation from the Bible that spiritually dead people cannot do anything, especially choose life: Eph 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. Eph 2:2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God… Eph 2:8 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Eph 2:9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
If anyone was able to choose Christ on his own, then he would have something to boast about; the scripture says no one can boast. Moreover, consider the list of names above, if those central characters of the Bible did not find God on their own, then how can any of us say that we have?
HOW DOES GOD CALL BELIEVERS INTO HIS CHURCH?
1Co 1:17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
1Co 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
1Co 1:19 As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
1Co 1:20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
1Co 1:21 Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.
1Co 1:22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
1Co 1:23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
1Co 1:24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The above passage indicates that even the greatest minds among men cannot find God, as He prohibited them from doing so to show that He alone reveals Himself via His own way, the preaching of Christ crucified.
WHAT SHOULD ONE DO IF HE DISCOVERS THAT HE IS NOT BORN AGAIN?
Put himself under the hearing of the gospel message; read the Bible because therein is Christ revealed, and He is the Savior that God has appointed, the way, the truth and the life.
So, if you attend a church that does not follow the Bible; that does not preach the whole counsel of God; that preaches prosperity gospel, the social gospel, the healing gospel, or any other 20th century perversion of the Biblical gospel, you ought to leave and find a church that preaches the whole counsel of God: that preaches the word, sings the word, prays the word…of God (see the last video in my Meditation post; also, see the Beatitude Life posts that emphasize God’s means of grace and the necessity of owning and confessing of one’s sin).
May God bless you with understanding.