Are You Willing?

Oftentimes you may have an evil thought in your mind which you cannot shake off. You may hate someone in your heart and will not forgive. You may wish to find fault with other people or to spread discord. You may frequently lie and work with your little cleverness. God knows how much you have sinned. Yet He will not only forgive all your sins, He will put His Spirit in you as well so that you have the power to overcome sin and be a clean person. Such is the heart of God! And what God must do, He has already done. I dare to say today that concerning the matter of salvation, there is no problem on God’s side. Today’s problem is on your side: whether or not you believe. I dare today to say that God wants you. In this connection, let me read you something which the Lord Jesus said himself while on earth.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23.37) God in Christ is willing, but men are not willing. Jerusalem is a city, and the Lord Jesus wept over her. How He would have liked to have protected them in the city, for He loved them; but they would not allow Him. If there is anyone here who has already realized that he is a sinner, then be informed that the Lord is saying: “I love you, I am willing to save you.” Are you willing today? There is no question with God, but are you willing? Who can blame God if one hears the gospel today but still goes to hell in the future? Let me reiterate the fact that God wants you and loves you. How often He says I will, but you will not.

There is another passage to be considered: God “would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2.4). He wishes all men to be saved. This is the heart of God!

There is still one more Bible verse I would leave with you: “Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life” (John 5.40). It is not God who is not willing to give us life; it is we ourselves who are not willing to receive life. Please understand, therefore, that if you have but a little desire to be saved, to have eternal life, to be delivered from sins, and to go to heaven, then understand clearly that you will have them all because God is so willing to give. For what would He have? He would have all men to be saved. Hence do not be afraid: there is no problem on God’s side; the problem is solely on yours.

Once a man met a preacher in London. He asked the preacher if he were the one who had once preached in Paris and if he knew that the one asking him this question had believed in the Lord Jesus at that time. The preacher responded by saying, “It is good that you have believed.” The man continued: “That day I believed in the Lord Jesus because of one sentence you had uttered.” “What was that sentence?” inquired the preacher. “You observed that the latch of heaven’s door is on the outside.”

Yes, indeed, the latch of heaven’s door is on the outside. So that if you do not enter in, blame only yourself. For were the latch on the inside, you would not be able to get in even if you wished it. In that event, perhaps God would not be willing to lift the latch or else He may even have decided to seal the latch. In which case you would have to knock and knock from without. Yet know this, that heaven’s latch is on the outside. And thus there is no problem with God; it all depends on whether you want to enter in.