I had a brand new home owner call me up and ask why there was no electricity at his house. The first question I asked solved his problem. “Did you call PUD and set up an account?” He didn’t realize that he had to first ask the power company in order to receive power.
Imagine if he would never have called at all and sat content in his brand new home with no heat, no light and no power in his electrical outlets, and never bothered to ask the power company to energize his home. Imagine a person who willingly chose not to use the power available to him.
I see people doing that all the time. Who would do such a foolish thing, you ask? Those who decide to come to church, hear the teaching of God’s word, hang out with Christians, but don’t bother to really come to Christ and ask Him to be born of the Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Most assuredly I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 There are a lot of people who become church-goers, but who never really become part of the body of Christ through repentance and faith.
I spoke to a man recently who told me that he has been actively going to church weekly with his family for over 15 years, but freely confessed that he had never committed his life to Christ. I know this is a church with biblical teaching, but for whatever reason, this guy is totally content to simply be a church-goer and does not have any intention of ever experiencing the real power of a Christian life that is totally yielded to God.
That’s the equivalent of a person who lives in a house with a good furnace and all the wiring and switches available, but chooses to sit in the dark and the cold, never bothering to call the electrical company and light the power.
Why would anyone play games with church like that? I don’t know, but he’s not alone.
There are also people who are going to church and trying really hard to produce all kinds of good fruit, but realize that their Christianity lacks the true transforming power that the NT promises. Perhaps they have never gone to the true source and asked. Jesus promised us, “Without me, you can do nothing.” It’s true. We can try our best to walk the Christian walk, but without God’s Spirit energizing us and empowering us, we will not bear any good or lasting fruit that will remain.
I know this is true because I tried it for a long time and continually found myself frustrated and coming up short. I eventually came to the realization that I was unable to live like God requires me to. It drove me to my knees, where I surrendered my own efforts and flung myself on the mercy and grace of God.
Then He filled me with His Spirit, and gave me His strength. It’s a whole different life and a whole different Christian experience when you have the true power of the Holy Spirit enabling you.
Luke 11:9-13
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread[d] from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
He never intended for us to do this on our own, friends. He’s got all the power you need available for the asking. Do you trust Him enough to humble yourself and ask?
God is a good Father!