Desperately seeking for God, along with most other things that are worth a little effort, just do not fit into our “I want it right now” culture. Everybody is in a hurry. Everything is prepackaged and convenient. To earnestly seek after God takes dedication, exertion, a God-given desire, and time. There you have it, time. That is the one thing that we do not have- time. We could make time for everything else, but there is no time to seek God. He has to fit into our schedules. We do not seek; he can seek after us and if we have time we will accommodate him. “No one seeks for God” (Rom. 3:11). People want the benefits of God, but they do not want God. Jesus fed the multitude and the next day they wanted to make him king. But, they did not want him they wanted the benefits of Christ (Jn. 6).
People’s souls simply do not pant or thirst for God (Ps. 42:1-2). He is not sought, looked upon, or beheld. Neither do souls find satisfaction in him (Ps. 63: 1, 2, 5). God is not sought because the unregenerate hate him and love self. Not to mention, we live in days when faster is better-especially conversion. People are bribed down an aisle and fed lies in order for them to “make a decision for Christ”. Gone are the days of telling searchers to pray, wrestle, read scripture, listen to godly counsel, hear the gospel, etc. Churches are results oriented at all costs and no matter the cost. Gospel veracity is sacrificed on the alter of pragmatism/relevancy.
John Owen, in his masterful way, comments,
He who hast been convinced of sin, who hast been weaned with the burden of it, who hast really designed to fly from the wrath to come, and hath heard the voice of Christ in the gospel inviting him to come unto him for help and relief, will tell you that this coming unto Christ consisteth in a man’s going out of himself, in a complete renunciation of all his own duties and righteousness, and betaking himself with all his trust and confidence unto Christ alone, and his righteousness, for pardon of sin, acceptation with God, and a right unto the heavenly inheritance.[1]
In our time, men are not convinced of sin, do not believe that there is a wrath to come, don’t care to hear the voice of Christ calling, will not go outside themselves, and trust only themselves. They want the heavenly inheritance, but on their terms. How foolish is it to think that they want to spend eternity in heaven with God? Heaven will be a place of worship and praise at the feet of the Savior. It is not a party or reunion. But, sinful men, who don’t worship God now on earth, think they are destined for heaven. How can this be?
What does it mean to seek after God? Richard Sibbes wrote, “seeking implies that our happiness is out of ourselves... a man seeks out of some want, or out of some loss, or out of some duty... the creature, because his happiness is out of himself in communion with God, the fountain of all good, he must seek.”[2] We have to be clear at the onset, seeking God is to be encouraged because only God can save. This is not to be seen as a work. When the gospel is proclaimed and the Holy Spirit begins to work, sinners must be informed to seek God. It cannot and must not be simplified down to uttering a prayer or raising a hand and coming forward during an “invitation”. Seeking means that a sinner realizes just that- he is a sinner. Then, because of the great weight and burden felt, and the gained knowledge of God and his holiness, the sinner begins to seek relief.
Seeking after God entails praying for repentance, faith, illumination, understanding, communion and fellowship with God, and a new heart to love and trust Christ. “They should seek God” (Acts 17:27). “Seek the Lord while he may be found” (Is. 55:6). “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Men desirous of salvation must be directed to God. This implies that they have heard the gospel and God has begun a work. They need to be counseled and encouraged to cry out to God for a hatred of sin and a passionate faith in Christ.
Seekers also need to be in the word. God has ordained that salvation comes through the preaching and hearing of his word. It is that simple; we have complicated it. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). A couple of verses earlier, Paul quoted the Old Testament and said, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (vs. 13). He then progresses and reveals that in order to call on the Lord they have to believe. In order to believe they have to hear. And they cannot hear unless someone preaches. Preachers have to be sent for people to hear. There is a progression. Preachers preach the gospel and some people hear it and the Spirit makes the words effectual. They then believe what was heard. Because of this belief, these now seek after and call out to God. This belief is a confidence in and a reliance on Christ alone for salvation.
The word of God must be studied by seekers. It has to be read, meditated upon, memorized, trusted, prayed over, applied, and devoured. The word of God is a well tended garden that lends beauty and repose to those who rest within its fences; it is a life-sustaining oasis in a parched land; its delicacies nourish the spiritually famished; it is a lighthouse that warns of the impending rocks and danger; it is a bright star that guides a weary traveler; it is the sun that warms and gives life; it is that anchor that holds firm in the most violent of tempests. “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” (Ps. 70:4).
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