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For we are labourers together with God . .
. (1 Cor 3:9)
Surely we could agree that we would get the best results in the work of the
Lord if we cooperated with God in all things. After all, it is HIS work, not
ours, and He certainly knows how to accomplish it better than we do. God
surely wants to see sinners converted more than we do and He would surely
use the right methods and say the right things to a sinner to get the job
done. Let’s consider God’s dealings with a sinner and then consider our
dealings with sinners and we’ll see if we are working WITH God or AGAINST
Him.
Every person who has been truly saved and born into God’s family can
remember what the Holy Ghost was pressing upon his heart while he was under
conviction. God is very consistent and He tells every sinner the same thing.
The message that God is pressing into the heart of every sinner under
conviction is: “REPENT!” and “do it NOW!” There has never been a sinner
under conviction who felt any other direction from God that this simple
message. The issue between a sinner under conviction and God is his sin and
he knows it very well. No matter who says that you don’t have to repent of
your sin to be saved, the Holy Ghost still tells sinners to repent, and He
presses it into their hearts with urgency. They KNOW that they cannot have
peace with God and continue in their sin. They feel they might not live
another day if they don’t repent and turn to God, but still they linger.
Why?
To answer the question let us look at the instructions that are given to
lost sinners today. God is saying, “REPENT!” and the preacher says, “Raise
your hand.” God is saying, “REPENT!” and the preacher says, “Come forward
and someone will pray with you.” God is saying, “REPENT!” and their
Christian friends will say, “Read your Bible,” or “pray and ask Jesus to
come into your heart.” God is saying, “REPENT!” and the sinner will be given
the “plan” in four or five points and THEN asked to repeat a sinner’s
prayer. The sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit that he is a sinner and
when he does come forward someone takes a Bible and begins to try to show
him that he is a sinner. If he is under real Holy Ghost conviction he
already knows that and God is saying to him in his heart with great urgency,
“REPENT!”
What do you suppose would be the result if we simply told the sinner the
same thing that we KNOW God is telling him? If we simply took up the same
argument that the Holy Spirit is making with this rebel against God and his
throne, do you suppose the results might be different than what we are
seeing in most of our churches? Too many are too sympathetic with the sinner
and his struggle against God. We should not give him aid or COMFORT in his
battle against God. What we should do is join up with God and hammer at the
walls of his hard heart with all the strength we can muster, telling him the
same things that the Holy Ghost is pressing upon his heart. We should not
feel sorry for him while he continues in his rebellion against God. He is
wanting to be comforted, but there is no real comfort for him until he
surrenders to God and lays down his weapons and quits fighting. The Holy
Ghost that is convicting him and pressing him so over his sin is the same
Comforter that will soothe and heal him the moment he surrenders and gives
up his battle against his Creator. Any effort we make at comforting him
while he is still struggling against God will simply grieve the Holy Spirit
and harden the sinner’s heart more.
Let’s junk our own “plans” and methods and let God lead the way. Then let’s
follow hard behind Him and cooperate with Him in the work of salvation.
Surely that is an idea worth considering. Let’s face it, God knows how to
save the hardest sinner, but it is very evident that we DON’T. The work is
the LORD’S, but the Lord uses people to carry the Gospel to other people.
Surely more could be accomplished if we simply cooperated with God.
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