S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Some contemporary churches are billed as "seeker-friendly," but the Bible says that "no one seeks God." Psalm 14:2-3 pictures God searching in vain for even one heart that seeks Him: "The Lord look...

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September 19 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt

Many claim, that based on Romans 3:11, unbelievers do not seek after God. However, there are problems with this thinking.

By citing Old Testament poetic passages, Paul in Romans 3:10-18 describes the universal guilt of man. Jews and Gentiles are equally charged with sin and will have to answer to God. The description concerns the wicked who defy and resist God. Psalm 10:4 emphasizes the wicked are the ones who do not seek God. To say all unbelievers are wicked is not correct. Paul does not call them unbelievers.

The idea of anyone being unable to seek God is not true. Instead, God encourages everyone to seek Him, I Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 9:10, 69:32, 70:4, Isaiah 55:6-7, 58:2, Jeremiah 29:13, Lamentations 3:25, Hosea 5:15, 10:12. If so, they must be able to do that. Concerning those who do not seek God, it is not because they cannot seek Him, but they do not and will not seek Him.

The inability to seek God is said to be because people are dead, Ephesians 2:1. But to be dead in trespasses and sins is to be without eternal life. It is strange that the very same people Paul mentioned as dead in Ephesians 2:1, are the ones who walk according to the course of this world and conduct themselves in the lust of the flesh, Ephesians 2:2-3. Obviously, the metaphor cannot be forced in these verses. It says nothing about not having an interest in spiritual things or not having a free will. In essence, they are not incapable of believing something about God and the Bible, or even believing on the Lord Jesus to be saved. Satan can and will interfere so that people will not believe, Luke 8:12, II Corinthians 4:4, which means they are not incapable of believing. 

It is also claimed that nobody seeks after God without help from Him, such as God giving the “gift of faith,” as thought by reading Ephesians 2:8-9. Grammatically, the gift is not faith but actually salvation. Faith is misunderstood. Faith is knowing, being persuaded or convinced that something is true by the evidence that is given. One of the clearest statements by Jesus is, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life,” John 6:47. Jesus guarantees eternal life to those who believe, John 5:24, 20:31. This is the gift God gives, John 6:27, 32-33, from His great love, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, I John 4:9-10. 

Acts 16:30-31 clearly puts the responsibility on each person. To be saved, one must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. All that one can do is either believe or choose to not believe. People who do not believe are condemned already, John 3:18. If they supposedly are not able to believe, then there is a huge question about the character of God to put the human race in jeopardy. 

God draws, attracts, and seeks people that they might respond, Luke 19:10, John 6:44, 12:32. They can and should seek Him by faith, Acts 17:27, Hebrews 11:6.

October 23 2023 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report