I’ve been meditating on the fact of Jesus wanting to stay in my house and yours too. Think with me about the chief tax collector in the Galilee area, a short man by the name of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). How he longed to see Jesus! Because of his small stature he could not see through the crowd, so he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore fig tree. Jesus came by the tree and called him by name, saying, “Zacchaeus, come down immediatly. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5). How about you, do you want to see Jesus? He longs to come to the house of your heart. Do you realize that the God of the universe knows your name and values you highly? He wants to come and live inside your house. He said “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). He values us so highly that He calls each one of us individually in the midst of our own circumstances. Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, although he was in a line of business that was hated by the local populace, was singled out by Jesus and directly called by name. What a shock that must have been to Zacchaeus–to be called by name! He was known by the Messiah! Not only did He know his name but He wanted to come and visit him. He is told by Christ “I must stay at your house today.” There doesn’t seem to be any act of faith that brought Christ to his door except perhaps his curiosity, the fact that he wanted to see Christ. Jesus deliberately came to the place where Zacchaeus was and initiated the conversation that brought a saving response. The phrase “must stay” (NIV) or “must abide” (KJV) is used. It uses the Greek word dei, “It is necessary by the nature of things.” One must, one has to. It denotes a compulsion of any kind, such as unavoidable, urgent, compulsory necessity.” It seems that the calling of Zacchaeus was all written into God’s plan. Jesus said:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).
What are the implications of this scripture?
Elected and Ordained to Eternal Life
He directly draws and calls each one of us. “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). The Bible tells us that God has ordained (To prearrange unalterably; predestine: by fate ordained) beforehand those who would be saved. We may think that we are the ones searching for God, but He is the One that calls us. God searches our hearts and works things together for our good. God orders our circumstances to cause us to call out to Him. We cannot say that the depths of sin that we got into were ordered by God, our own choices were involved, but the Bible declares that God uses all things to work together for our good to bring us to Christ (Romans 8:28). What do we mean by the word election? Wayne Grudem in his book, Systematic Theology, defines election as “an act of God before creation in which He chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any unforeseen merit in them, but only because of His sovereign good pleasure.” Zacchaeus and all those of us that have been born again, were called and chosen before the foundation of the world to be His elected ones.
4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (Ephesians 1:4-5).
What wonderful grace God has lavished on us! It boggles the mind to think that He has planned you and me out before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless, adopted as His sons and daughters. Zacchaeus, and you and I, were called before the beginning of the world ever took place. He had us on His mind and heart. This chief tax collector was a person that most would never think would be saved. Jericho was a cursed city (Joshua 6:26). Yet Christ came there and called Zacchaeus. He called the worst of sinners from the worst of cities with the worst of trades. I am so thankful that the God of the Universe came to my house–how about you?
That’s very interesting Keith. So if I understand correctly, we can not choose Jesus unless God has chosen us first and that all who reject Christ do so not because it’s their choice, but because God did not first call them ? If this is true, then that would explain why some folks struggle with their faith while other folks take to it like a fish to water. Those who have not been called first, will they ever have a chance of being saved ?
By: Darrell Smith on January 15, 2010
at 6:45 pm
Hi Darrell, it was good to see your comment. As I understand it, and I am not a theologian, just a Bible student, is that God has called all to Himself. The problem of our sin condition is universal to all, and the provision for our sin is for all too. In one place it is written: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” The problem is that not all receive the free pardon. God is outside of time and knows all things and knows just who will respond and open their hearts to His grace. In that sense there is election and predestination, because God knows before the foundation of the world ever took place, just who would receive the gift of life and be saved. He knows the end from the beginning. In talking about Jerusalem, he said, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” Those who reject Christ have made a choice and their choice will be honored by God in eternity. These facts should propel each of us that are Christians to preach the gospel to others because there are eternal implications. The call has gone out to all, but not all will respond. Your question was: “Those who have not been called first, will they ever have a chance of being saved?” While there is life, there is a chance of them being saved. The gospel call closes at death. God will honor one’s choices in life. If a man or woman chooses to harden his or her heart, there is no other gospel or remedy.
By: Keith on January 16, 2010
at 10:01 am
Hi Guys,
This is good stuff. God’s will is that none should perish but that ALL should have eternal life but we have a choice.
Does this not mean that all are predistined but because of sin/freewill some don’t chose God? I’ve always understood that God did everything through Jesus and that was always his master plan to restore His people to relationship with him.
I like the story in Zachariah 3. We are given this image of Joshuah standing with an angel to his side and Satan to his other side and it says Satan is there to “accuse him”. Listen to the Lord’s defence for Joshuah “The LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you, Satan…. Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”. It then goes onto say how Joshuah was dressed in filthy garments as he stood before the angel. As you read one you will see that the angel tells him to take off his filthy garments and gives him new ones, but it gets better, he not only gives him new clothes but he gives him vision and purpose “If you walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among those standing here. Just to recap, Joshuah was probably feeling useless as he stood accused by Satan but then God who created him for good works stepped in! Awesome!
For me I don’t think there is a better way to explain Grace than the removal of our filthy clothes (our sinful heart) and the new clothes we are given (in Christ). We all have to make that “choice” though to trade in our filthy clothes for new ones, at times we go out in our DAZ white clothes and end up spoiling them again but we can always come back to the Cloakman (God) to be washed. What I’ve found though, is that the more I enter that place and realise how much God loves me but also that he’s a holy God and can’t tollerate sin, the less I need to go to that cloakroom to be washed. It’s just incredible what Jesus did on the cross and in the passage in Zachariah it descibes this as “I will remove the sin of this land in a single day”.
Praise God that we’ve been snatched from the fire and we’re now being used for the good works!
I can’t wait to meet this amazing man! Will we not just fall at his feet in awe….
By: Jonathan London on February 16, 2010
at 3:10 am
Good to hear you are studying the scriptures, Jonathan. I am sure your dad and mum are really proud of you. I love the way you are thinking of Joshua and the taking off of his dirty clothes. Good to hear from you! My website is http://www.groupbiblestudy.com if you would like to read more studies and use them yourself. Keith
By: Keith on February 22, 2010
at 4:01 pm