"But you don´t want to!"

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority.” Joh. 7:17

Please notice two things: The Lord doesn´t say, ”If anyone can do His will…”, but “if anyone wills. The second thing is the promise: "…he shall know…." In the Danish rendering it suggests "he shall experience…"

I vividly remember what happened at a meeting once on the west coast of Norway. An elderly gentleman got up and addressed the unbelievers with the following plain words: “If you don´t get saved tonight, it´s because you don´t want to!”

That he repeated twice. A young girl broke down in tears that night. “Yes, it´s because I don´t want to”, she sobbed. However, she came with her "I don´t want to" to Him, who will never, by no means, cast out anyone who´s coming. (By the way that girl later became my wife!)

Now what about you? Oh, I meet a lot of respectable, religious people who do want a little religion and church and song and music, but they don´t really mean business and so they never make a genuine experience with our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, it´s still possible for the honest seeker to pray the old prayer, "Lord, I´m willing to be made willing!" This is a prayer The good Shepherd and the Savior of your lost soul will always hear.

-jn