Response:
 
The wiser and humble amongst us would receive Jesus into their lives in the prime of their lives but unfortunately the majority of us are fallen human beings living in a fallen world and we don’t turn to God until we reach the end of ourselves.

When Adam sinned in the garden, self righteousness became man’s dominant trait or dominant sin nature. Gen 3.12 shows Adam blaming God and Eve as a selfish act of deflecting self guilt onto others but never self.

Man has since been full of self righteousness (ego, pride, selfish, self-centered, self-dependent, self-works, self-will, self-preservation, self performance, I can do this, I can do that, etc) and finds no need for God especially at a time when all is going well (usually when they are young and successful) – which he would attribute to his own works (self-works), his own intelligence, his own will-power, his own determination, in short, his own effort. When one has self-consciousness there is no place in one’s heart for Christ consciousness.

Grace is not an easy gospel for the proud of heart to accept, in fact only the humble of heart can truly receive grace.

James 4.6: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’

God foreknew this weakness in man that is why in the Bible there are numerous examples to show man’s propensity to depend on self and only when they come to the end of themselves do they look for God. Some examples:

The rich, young ruler: In Mt 19.16-22, the rich young ruler asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. There is nothing insignificant in the Bible and the phrase ‘rich young ruler’ is a reflection of the world today – when you are young, successful and have much influence and power – the tendency is for the flesh to attribute all this success to self (that’s why the ruler asks Jesus what ‘he must do’) and no one else, especially not God. God is not against man having money; He is against money having man.

Jesus respects the ruler’s choice and he is no more heard off in the Bible and only his unwise decision is recorded as a lesson for us.

Another example, Moses at the Red Sea: Ex 14 tells of Moses and the children of Israel trapped with the Red Sea before them and the pursuing, angry and vengeful seeking armies of Pharaoh behind them. This is a picture of man reaching the end of himself.

At least, Moses had the sense and wisdom to look to God at that precarious moment and God intercedes in ways beyond our natural understanding.

Contrast Moses’ story at the Red Sea with that of the rich young ruler above. One yielded to God and all the children of Israel were supernaturally delivered from Pharaoh’s army whilst the other did not and is recorded in Biblical posterity to ensure we do not learn the wrong lesson.

The example of Abraham and Sarah: This passage of scripture spells out so vividly that Abraham and Sarah, aged 100 years and 90 years respectively, well beyond natural child bearing age (a picture of man reaching the end of himself) yet when they yielded themselves to God, He would do the supernatural for them and baby Isaac was born to them and the world.

It is only when man has reached the end of himself and invites God to intercede that He ‘can’ and ‘will’ intervene and come into our lives. ‘Can’ because God is the Perfect Gentleman, He will never force Himself on you if you do not want Him to be in your life. ‘Will’ shows the attitude of the Father’s heart. He is ever-willing waiting patiently at our hearts’ door or scanning the horizon for a glimpse of us returning to Him and He will willingly, with love, run to us, embrace us and kiss us (Lk15.20) and restore us to our rightful position of sonship and honor in His family!

Will you now be wise enough and humble enough to invite Jesus into your life?

God bless