3.2.2011 CAN YOU JUST 'GET SAVED' WHENEVER YOU WANT?

i guess that depends on 1. what you mean by 'whenever you want' and 2. if you are still alive when 'you want'.

watchman nee in 'the spiritual man' in the section 'a believer's will writes..'let us realize, then, that except a man receive God's new life and serve him therein, every bit of service for God is but the work of the flesh. his intention to serve and even to suffer for Him is vain. before he is regenerated, his will even though it may be inclined towards good and God, is futile. for it is not what fallen man intends to do for God but how he himself wishes man to do fo Him that really counts in God's eyes. man may devise and initiate countless notable works for God; nonetheless, if they do not originate with God they are nothing more than will worship.

this is true with respect to salvation. when man lives carnally even his desire to be saved is not acceptable to God. we read in the gospel of john that 'to all who received him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God; who WERE BORN, NOT of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God' (1.12-3). man is not regenerated because he wills it so. he must be born of God. nowadays christians entertain the incorrect concept that if anyone wishes to be saved and seeks the way of life he undoubtedly will be a good disciple of Christ, for nothing can be better than this desire. God nonetheless affirms that in this matter of regeneration as well as in all other matters related to him, the will of man is totally nonefficacious.

many children of god cannot understand why john 1 asserts the will of man to be noneffective whereas revelation concludes by saying, 'let him who desires take the water of life without price' (22.17), as though man himself is entirely responsible for his salvation. and does not the lord jesus himself give as explanation for the Jews not being saved the following declaration: 'you refuse to come to me that you may have life' (john 5.40)? here again, the responsibility for perdition apparently rests on man's will. can the bible be contradicting itself? is there any special meaning behind these apparent inconsistencies? a comprehension of this matter will help us to appreciate what God requires of us in our christian life.

we will recall that god wiches no one to 'perish but that all should reach repentance' because He 'desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (II peter 3.9; I tim. 2.4). no problem arises concerning whom god wants to save of whom he will let perish. THE PROBLEM BEFORE US IS, rather, WHAT IS THE SINNERS ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD'S WILL? if he decides to be a christian because he is naturally inclined towards 'religion', naturally contemptuous of the world or naturally influenced by his heredity, environment..family, he is as far from God and his life as are other sinners. if the sinner chooses to be a christian at the moment of excitement or enthusiasm, he may not fare better than the rest. it all reduces itself to this; what is his attitude towards God's will? GOD LOVES HIM BUT WILL HE ACCPT THIS LOVE? CHRIST CALLS HIM, BUT WILL HE COME? THE HOLY SPIRIT WQANTS TO GIVE HIM LIFE, BUT IS HE WILLING TO BE BORN? HIS WILL IS ONLY USEFUL IN CHOOSING GOD'S WILL. the question now is and solely is, how does his volition react towards God's will?

have we noticed the difference here? if man himself commences the search for salvation, he is yet perishing. (note: i believe that this statement fits my experience.) various founders of religions belong to this category. but IF MAN, UPON HEARING THE GOSPEL, IS WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT GOD OFFERS TO HIM, HE SHALL BE SAVED. IN THE ONE CASE, MAN ORIGINATES; IN THE OTHER, HE RECEIVES. the one does the willing himself while the other accepts God's will. john 1 speaks of man himself willing, whereas john 5 and revelation 22 refer to man's accepting God's will. hence no contradiction exists between these two..