Why “What Will You Do with Jesus?” is the Wrong Question

In an effort to tempt people into the position of controlling God’s salvation, the false teacher will often pose provocative questions. Hearers must beware. The foremost manipulation comes with the question, “What will you do with Jesus?” The legitimate question is, “What will Jesus do with you?” Let us first consider the wrong question before we address the right question.

Jesus Christ is Lord of all (Acts 10:36). He is the King of glory (Ps 24). As the God-man sent from heaven and enfleshed (Jn 1:14; 3:16), Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). The mission of incarnation by the second Person of the Trinitarian Godhead was successful. The Redeemer of His chosen people perfectly atoned for the sins of His chosen people at the cross of Calvary. In Him, we have the forgiveness of sins and imputed righteousness (1 Cor 1:30; Eph 1:7).

Right standing before the just Judge of all the earth is not determined by the choice of guilty sinners. Only the most perverse would claim, “I have decided to position myself right with God.” The guilty do not declare themselves righteous by an act of their will. That is simply absurd. Now, imagine that you, evil sinner, decided something, but what if Jesus decided the exact opposite of your decision?

The provocateur, posing as a Christian preacher, follows the lead of Satan in that demon’s temptation of Adam and Eve (Gen 3). The quest is to seduce men and women into deciding for themselves whether they will play the role of god (Gen 3:5), “If you decide, today, to control God and His salvation, then you, too, will be like gods. It is your choice. What will you do with Jesus?”

Now, consider the arrogance in the decision maker’s reply, “I will permit Jesus to save me. That is what I will do with Jesus.” May we ask, “Who are you, O man, that as a guilty criminal, on trial before a holy Judge, that you are the one to decide whether Jesus saves you or not?” The fact is that men are subtly deceived into judging God, even singing, “I have decided to…” Sit down, sinner! Stop singing blasphemies!

So, we must answer this foolish question, “What will you do with Jesus?” Sir, Madam, you will do nothing — absolutely nothing — with Jesus. He is the sovereign Lord. You are not. He determines who is saved and who is not saved. You do not. In fact, you may be dumbfounded to learn that God determined the salvation or reprobation of every soul before the foundation of the world (Rom 9:22–23; Eph 1:4–5; Rev 13:8; 17:8). Does that offend you, O wretched man?

Before you refuse to leave your throne of decision, guilty criminal sinner, please reconsider your true position before Almighty God. Join with me in asking the right question instead of the foolish one. The right question is, “What will Jesus do with you?” Notice the sudden juxtaposition, by changing the man-centered question to a Christ-centered question. You are no longer judging God, but He is now judging you. Do you even see that judging Jesus is not biblical, and Jesus judging you is one major theme of Scripture (Gen 18:26; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5)?

Refuse to imagine that you can resist God’s will, by your mythical free will, O slave of sin (Rom 6:6). Jesus is God. You are not God, nor will you ever be a god, as the Mormons teach. To deny Jesus is God, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses do, is to usurp His power and authority in choosing the people of His own possession (1 Pet 2:9). It is by God’s gracious choice that any one of us is saved (Rom 11:5). It is God who wills to have mercy on whom He wills (Rom 9:15–16). It is God’s will that determines who will receive Jesus and be saved (Jn 1:12–13)…not yours!

God is eternal. He is omniscient. He knows the beginning from the end. His will must be done in perfect accord with His eternal counsel that issues His predetermined plan (Acts 2:23), to accomplish His purpose in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:11; 3:11). In other words, God is the Author of His own story. Who are you to question what God made you to be or what He plans to do with you? He is the Potter. You are the clay (Jer 18; Rom 9:17–21). Maybe God made you for destruction (Rom 9:22), in order to display His righteousness, just judgment, justice, and wrath. What will you do with that knowledge of the truth? Obviously, you are commanded to believe the Holy Bible. Denying God’s sovereign will and choice to do as He pleases makes you an unbeliever. Free will decision maker, face that fact, today, and do as the Bible commands and repent of your unbelief in the sovereign King of glory. Believe me, you will not repent unless God grants you the grace to repent of your wrong beliefs (Acts 5:31; 10:45). Do you believe that?

The true believer, as opposed to the free will decider, acknowledges that God has every right, as Judge of the living and the dead, to do with His own what He pleases. So, we ask, “What will Jesus do with His own?” Having already atoned for the sins of His church, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), Jesus is sending His Spirit to those chosen by the Father and given to Him (Jn 6:37; 14:26; 15:26; 17:2, 6, 24). The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19), and He saved us (Titus 3:5). By His Spirit, He is gathering His people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9), in order to give them life — new, abundant, and eternal (2 Cor 5:17; Jn 10:10; Jn 3:36; 1 Jn 5:12).

We close with the question, “What will Jesus do with those who do not belong to Him?” Belonging to someone is never the choice of the one who is owned. The owner determines whether He will purchase this one or not. It is the owner’s will. It is the owner’s choice. It is the owner who pays the price to obtain the object of His will. It is the owner who takes possession of that which He decided to purchase. For the owner to pass over other, undesirable objects is entirely His prerogative. Reader, again, take note, Jesus is the Owner, who has determined to secure objects and reject objects, according to His free will and sovereign choice…not yours!

My prayer is that God will give you eyes to see how diametrically opposed Calvinism (nickname for the Gospel) is from Arminianism (nickname for the false gospel). God makes the saved to be saved because He is their Savior. God makes the reprobate to be reprobate because He is their just Judge. You may now ask, “Why does God have the right to do with me whatever He wills, but I do not have the right to do with God as I please to do?” The answer is that God is God, and you are not God. Can you believe that? Seriously, examine yourself and what you believe. You can and will believe that God is truly sovereign, and you are not, only if that is what God, in His sovereignty, has made you to do.

A final test is whether you rest in His sovereign will and choice or whether you hate the God presented to you here. This is also an excellent way for you to know what He will do with you in the end.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

January 3, 2022