As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
~Matthew 9:9
Do you suppose that Matthew had a choice? Do you think that he could have looked at Jesus, our mighty God-Man who had bound the strong man, and said ‘no’? Do you suppose that Matthew could have resisted the irresistible God who kept king Abimelech from sinning against Him?
Do you suppose that Matthew had a choice? Or was it rather as John Darby shared:
Matthew, the publican, is called; for God looks at the heart, and grace calls the elect vessels.
~John Darby
The election of God’s people is undeniably clear in Scripture. Paul constantly reminds the saints that they have been called in Christ Jesus to salvation(Romans 1:6-7, 1 Corinthians 1:2 & 9, Galatians 5:13, Ephesians 1:17-20, and much more).
Our Lord Jesus Christ reminded us that:
…“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day…”
~John 6:35-44
So it is by the will of our irresistible God, that to those whom He says “follow Me,” will -like Matthew- be unable to resist Him.
Praise God that by his grace we have been redeemed!
Tags: God's Sovereignty
