I was found of them that sought me not !

Rom 10:20

20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

I have heard it falsely said, that in order for God to save one, that the one must come to God as a repentant sinner ! That is as unbiblical and anti grace as it can get, its just another way to promote salvation by works, by what a person does.

This text of scripture reveals an entirely different gracious Truth, how God is found by them that sought Him not, and the reason for that is because God first sought them out and found them Lk 15:4

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Jesus said He came to do what ? Lk 19:10

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Actually the word seek here is the same word found in our main text sought as in "I was found of them that sought me not !"

And the word means to seek in order to find, and the Sheep is not found until its laid upon the shoulders of the One Seeking Lk 15:4-6

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

The Lost Sheep dont seek or sought after the Shepherd, the Shepherd is responsible for finding His Lost Sheep !

This also goes together with the idea of Rom 9:16

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The Sheep are not saved because they made any effort towards it, as the false statement implies " that in order for God to save one, that the one must come to God as a repentant sinner"

The Lost man doesnt even have the ability to come to God in Christ to get or be saved Jn 6:44

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This means, man by nature lacks the abilty to come to Christ ! And man can only savingly come to God by Christ Jn 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Heb 7:25

25 Wherefore he is able also to save[Lk 19:10] them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Thats part of Christ's mission in coming to seek and to save that which was Lost, causing them to come to God by Him !

Also that word for come in Heb 7:25 " that come to God by Him " its the same word come in Heb 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So the coming to God in Heb 7:25 denotes coming in Faith to God, which can be done only by Christ saving work !

Jn 14:6 and Heb 7:25 in both of these scriptures the prep dia is used to denote how and why men come to God, because of Jesus Christ, their Shepherd who sought and found them Lk 19:10.

Men only have a will to come to God in Christ after the Salvation of Christ has been applied to them by the Spirit, otherwise men cannot come to God in Christ ! The false saying therefore, one must come to God as a repentant sinner to be saved, it is a lie !

 

God says to them Live !

Ezk 16:1-10

Notice Vs 6 and the loathsome condition His sinful people are in when He says to them Live !

The simile here is that of a new born infant covered in menstrual blood, and helpless at that !

Thats how God finds His NT Israel as described in Eph 2:5

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

Those Christ died for and rose again for, even while they were dead in sin in themselves, wallowing in the pollution of unregeneracy, they were quickened together with Christ !

That phrase quickened us together is the greek suzóopoieó:

to make alive together with

to make one alive together with another

Peter says of Christ 1 Pet 3:18

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

That being quickened by the Spirit as it applied to Christ being raised up from the dead, the Church He died for was also quickened together with Him or made alive together with Him as stated in Eph 2:6 !

This was True even while they themselves by nature were dead in sins and trespasses, in pollution as when a baby is covered in menstrual blood Ezk 16:6,9 !

Listen, this means that before God gives us Life, or says to us " Live', there were no conditions we had to first meet. No we did not have to repent first, or forsake sin, or seek after God, God just through Christ had Mercy Upon us as we lied before Him spiritually dead and wretched and helpless and yet rebels.

Listen again, those who teach that one must come to God or Christ as a repentant sinner in order for God to have mercy on you and then save you, they are teaching a lie, and they are teaching Anti-Christ and Anti-Grace messages, a Gospel of works is what is !

God out of Great Love and Mercy, seeing His Elect dead in sins misery and rebellion, makes them alive, says to them Live Eph 2:4-5

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)