Do Wise Men Still Seek Him?
The Bible is very clear that, “There is no one who seeks for God (Rom 3:11).” So why do Christians have “seeker sensitive” worship services? Why do we have memes that declare, “Wise men still seek Him”? The sad answer is that many who claim to belong to Christ are biblically illiterate. The irony is that many who believe people are looking for God belong to churches, who are the very reason they are illiterate, regarding God’s Word. It is a cycle that requires an interruption by grace.
Grace is the work of God that draws His chosen people to Himself. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). The elect belong to Christ (1 Cor 3:23) because God the Father gave them to God the Son (Jn 6:37). He did this in love (Eph 1:4), and He wrote each of their names in the Lamb’s book of life, before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8; 17:8; 21:27).
In the Christmas story, Joseph is told to name Mary’s baby ”Jesus” for He shall save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). These are the people of God’s own possession (1 Pet 2:9), whom Jesus bought for a price (1 Cor 6:20; 7:23), with His precious blood (1 Pet 1:19), when He went to the cross and bore their sins in His body (1 Pet 2:24). Not many of these were wise to begin with (1 Cor 1:26), and again, none of them were seeking Christ (Rom 3:11).
In fact, no one can come to Jesus, unless God the Father drags (Gk. elkuse) them (Jn 6:44). Saul of Tarsus is a wonderful example of this irresistible grace (Acts 9), and so is the conversion of Augustine. In truth, this is the story of every believer’s conversion…God saved us (Titus 3:5). No aspect of our salvation was our doing, but only by His doing are we positioned in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:13).
Many wrongly say it was by their free will that they received Christ. In other words, they imagine they chose Christ. He did not choose them. The Bible contradicts this erroneous and arrogant claim (Jn 1:12–13; 15:16). Others think they have the ability to do good, by keeping the Law, but the Bible clearly contradicts that claim (Rom 8:7). In fact, the Bible teaches us that no one is good, in God’s assessment (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:12). The natural man (1 Cor 2:14), dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), operates from his totally depraved sin nature (Eph 2:3).
Wicked, unrighteous, ungodly people love the world and the things of the world. They are haters of God (Rom 1:30), but they are lovers of self, who boast in themselves, while trying to make a name for themselves (Gen 11). These live in lust, craving more of the world, while they walk in the futility of their minds (Eph 4:17). They do not walk humbly with their God (Mic 6:8), nor are they aware that they are on the wide way that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13).
The end of sinners is, first, the death of the body (Rom 6:23), and after this is the judgment (Heb 9:27), at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11), where they are sentenced to eternal death (body and soul), in the torment of fiery hell, in the lake of fire that burns forever (Rev 20:14–15). God sends sinners to eternal punishment, as a consequence of their unpaid debt of sin against God’s infinite majesty.
All people would share this just consequence, had God not chosen to have mercy upon whom He wills (Rom 9:15–16). In His predetermined plan (Acts 2:24), derived from His eternal counsel, God purposed His own glory, through the Person and work of Jesus Christ (Eph 3:11). There was nothing in God’s objects of mercy, prepared for glory (Rom 9:23) that warranted mercy and grace from God (Eph 2:8–9).
God wills mercy and He works His grace (Phil 2:13), granting these to whom He has chosen (Phil 1:29). Thus, it is not wise men who seek God; rather, it is our all-wise God who reconciles His elect to Himself in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:19). God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, that is, His people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9; 7:9). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11, 15). Of which, He will lose none of them (Jn 6:39).
With the receipt of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and salvation (Rom 5:5; Eph 2:8–9), the saint now has it in him to diligently seek the Lord, who is his Rewarder (Heb 11:6). In the Spirit, the Christian walks by the Spirit’s power (Gal 5:25), keeping his eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2), and seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:33). His joy in this kingdom, in the Spirit (Rom 14:17), is the Spirit Himself (Gal 5:22), who guides him into all truth (Jn 16:13).
Christian, please know that your neighbor is not wisely seeking God. He has no will (Jn 1:12–13), nor ability (Rom 8:7), to do so in his unregenerate, fleshly state (1 Cor 2:14; Eph 2:1–3). Your simple task is to preach Christ (Rom 1:16–17; 1 Cor 2:2), which is made so much easier when you know Christ (Phil 3:10). To know Christ, you must learn Christ from the Scriptures, where He is revealed (Jn 5:39).
Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you time and desire to be a daily student, who meditates on God’s Word (Ps 1:2). Ask your teacher (Jn 14:26) to increase your knowledge of the truth (2 Pet 3:18). In this, you will be asking for the wisdom of God (Jam 1:5), who is Jesus Christ Himself (Prv 8; 1 Cor 1:24).
See Jesus and seek Him with all your heart, and you will lean less and less on your own understanding, but you will trust Christ and wisely seek Him all the more. Wise men do still seek Him, but they belong to Christ, first.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 7, 2022
