Featured There is none who seeks for God

Tell me your thoughts on this passage, if you will, Van:

" But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by [them that are] no people, [and] by a foolish nation I will anger you.
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.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." ( Romans 10:19-21 ).

 

I see now! For example, Paul could have meant no one seeks God on Tuesdays when there is a blood moon! PAUL GIVES US THE BASIC IDEA, THEN WE SPECULATE LIKE YOU ARE DOING.

 

Van,

What I'm doing is asking you how the passage I listed fits into men seeking God, and finding Him.
If you see unbelieving men seeking God and actually finding Him, I'd like to know your thoughts on passages that I think contradict this idea.

Here's a few more:

Matthew 11:27,
Luke 10:22,
John 14:21.
Isaiah 45:15,
Isaiah 64:7,
Psalms 104:29.

 

Romans 9:16 states that salvation is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.
The context is defined further up in the passage, with the subject being, " the children of God" from verse 8.
As the chapter goes on, being a child of God is declared to be by God's mercy and compassion...and that the purpose of God according to election ( choosing) might stand.


Matthew 23:13 is Jesus telling the religious Pharisees that, not only do they seek to shut the doors of Heaven to men, they also hinder those who are going in.



As I see it, there is nothing in either passage to support the idea that unbelievers seek God in any way.

 

There is an eternal difference between humankind “seeking God” By human means, and salvation under God’s terms.

The reason for “repentance” in Acts 17 was because humankind seek God on their own terms and under devices of their own construction, having turned away from the truth.

This is consistently shown valid throughout the Scriptures. Modern example is the typical assembly who seek on their terms by conforming to worldly presentations of worship.

 

Van,

I think if you look carefully, you will see that the people in the Bible that were seeking God, had already had Him manifested to them first.
There are plenty of places in God's word where men seek Him...
The problem is, there is none that seek Him ( Psalms 10:4, Psalms 53:2-3, Romans 3:10-12 ).

So, how is it that a man seeks God?

Psalms 65:4.

 

I agree.

Since all men sin continually ( i.e. unable to stop, Job 15:14, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalms 58:3, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 51:5, Romans 1:29-32, Romans 3:9-18, Proverbs 20:9 ), then none seek God in all their ways.
To say that mankind does not seek God when they are sinning, is to say that man can stop sinning, wouldn't you agree?
He cannot.

Mankind does not have the capacity to stop sinning, without God doing it for him ( Genesis 20:6, Galatians 5:16. ).
Therefore, there is no such thing as a man who seeks God, just as the Scriptures say.

All men sin...and no man can stop sinning.
No man seeks God, because sin gets in the way ( John 3:19-20 ).

Yes, there is.

Romans 3:10-18.
Psalms 14:1-3.
Psalms 53:1-3.
Romans 8:5-8.
Genesis 6:5.

IMO, you just have to put together the pieces.

The wicked are those who are not saved.
The righteous are those who have had their sins cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Read the Psalms and Proverbs, and work out the details...who are the righteous, and who are the wicked?
Who seeks God, and who does not?

Believers seek God, and unbelievers do not.

 

" 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." ( Hebrews 11:6 )

Without faith, mankind cannot please God, does not believe God and does not seek Him.
Who has real, biblical faith?

" Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." ( Jude 1:3 )

How does one get faith?

Galatians 5:22-23. <---- By the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9. <----- As a gift.
Hebrews 12:2 <---- One that is authored and finished by Christ.

No fallen man truly seeks the real God at any time.
All are idolaters and seek their own way.

Many men will to be saved...not all men who want to be saved, will be ( Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 13:24 ).
The ones who think that they know God and do not, make a show of seeking God, but they fail to find Him because they are unable to seek Him with all their heart.
Those that do, God is "found of them" who did not seek Him to begin with ( Romans 10:20 ).

It's a biblical principle...God confounds the will and wisdom of men, by seeking those who do not seek after Him: and He reveals Himself to them.
Abraham did not seek God first...
Neither did Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses, Samuel, or any of God's other children.

He does the seeking, and He does the finding.

This is my final reply to you in this thread, sir.
May God bless you abundantly in all things.

 

A soft revisit of Matthew 23:13

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
​

There are two groups that are in this passage.

One group is the scribes and Pharisees, and the other are those entering the kingdom.

The first group is making attempts at hindering the second.

Because the phrase states the second group “are entering in” the are not “seeking God, but are the redeemed who already posses God.

Just as in this day, there are both human enticings and lusts that distract and detract as the believer walk the narrow way, so the statement is valid.

The second group are not “seeking” God, redemption, heaven, ... but have it, already.

Van, to use Matthew 23:13 in attempting to support heathen “seek God” in other than idolatry, is a failed effort.

 

Van, “are entering” is not the same as seeking to enter.

Folks who “are entering” are believers.

Do you recall the lessons concerning the door and the sheep?

Only sheep enter and are welcomed.

You’re staking your thinking by attempting to use a verse that can’t be supportive.

The heathen were not “seeking” God, in contrast to believers who are the adopted children and who “are entering.”

Btw, they believers are never blocked from entering heaven.

The enemies of the children of God certainly make all efforts to hinder, distract, and destroy (as a little fox or roaring lion), but the believers “are entering.”

 

From the very beginning men have "sought" God.

There are however two ways to seek God. The way which He approves, the way He does not.

From the very beginning? Yes.

e.g. Cain and Abel.

To this very day it continues with billions who should rename their "seeking" as "placating".