While pastoring in Athens, Ohio, in the early 2000s, I had a good relationship with several individuals serving with a large campus ministry at Ohio University. One staff member, a young lady, eventually joined our church. We have remained in touch ever since. Several years ago, close to Christmas, she wrote and shared a beautiful story of God’s grace in the life of someone she loves very much — her father. She’s given me permission to share this. Here’s the story in her own words:
“After about 20 years of prayer and witnessing, my dad is showing fruit of repentance and faith. For the last 4 years I’d given up praying much as he’d become more and more hostile to truth, but left it in the Lord’s hands praying that He would give him eyes to see and ears to hear as Jesus told in his parables in Matthew. Anytime spiritual matters came up I focused on repentance. In the fall his younger brother was diagnosed with stomach cancer and doesn’t know Christ. I called my uncle to tell him about Christ and my dad got wind of it. Then one conversation on the phone with my dad in November seemed to bring everything together. I shared the same gospel message and answered the same questions my dad had been asking for 10+ years but this time the Lord opened his eyes. He admitted sin was his greatest problem, that Jesus was the only one who could and can and has solved that problem, and that there is no other way to God. He then went on his own accord and bought a large print Bible because the one I bought him 20 years ago was too small now, and has been reading every verse I text him and whole chapters. For 20 years he refused, saying it was too hard to understand. Now he’s texting for interpretation on verses.
Only God can do this! Celebrate and pray for him. Christmas will be a sweet blessing together this year.”
I love that story, and I love the line, “Only God can do this!” We listen and interact. We share the good news. We plead with sinners to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. But only God can raise the dead! The apostle Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
Oftentimes a person is urged to flee to Jesus in order to be saved, but they remain unmoved. Yet sometimes the call to come to Christ is “effectual” (or “effective”), meaning God acts through the proclaimed gospel and overcomes a person’s sinful resistance. When this happens, the individual responds to this powerful call by trusting in Christ. This is what happened to this lady’s father. As she put it, after years and years of an outward call to come to Jesus, “the Lord opened his eyes.” Her father heard the Good Shepherd’s voice and willingly and gladly became a follower of Jesus.
Only God can do this!