Coming to Christ

Is the expression “coming to Christ” a scriptural expression? We believe it is. In God’s Word we read the invitation, the call to come to Christ.

We call the familiar words in which that invitation sounds, both the general, indefinite invitation as well as the addressed invitation. We think of Isaiah 45:22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” In John 7:37b, Jesus says, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” In Isaiah 55:1a it sounds, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” Finally, we mention Revelation 22:17b: “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

We also read in God’s Word that there are those who do come. We read in Jeremiah 31:9a, “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them.” In the gospels we read it several times. The Canaanitish woman came to Jesus, as did the woman with the issue of blood, and the leper. In John 1:47a it says, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him.” Thus, the call, the invitation to come to Christ, does not remain unfruitful.

Elder Avinck

Now the question arises whether a person can just go to Jesus. To answer this question, we would like to let one of our ancient writers speak, Theodorus Avinck (1740-1782). Avinck was a friend and a student of Dr. Alexander Comrie. Avinck himself was not a minister, but an exhorter and elder in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. His treatises are balanced and scriptural. Avinck wrote the following in his book Practicale verhandelingen (Practical Treatises): “Will a poor lost sinner come to Christ, that is, believe in Him unto salvation, three things must be found in him. He must have a right to be allowed, power to be able, and an affection to want to come. If one of these three matters is lacking, no one will ever come to Christ; but if they all go together, then one will come immediately.”

As this godly writer elaborates on this, he shows that the right to come is given to the sinner by the external call, or sincere offer. This comes to all who live under the ministry of the gospel. Further, he writes: “Meanwhile the sinner is mortally impotent, therefore he cannot come.” Also, “The external calling must be accompanied by an internal and effectual calling. If this is lacking, the first is without fruit.” So, for the power to come, the wonder of regeneration is needed. Theodorus Avinck writes, “Man is wickedly hostile, therefore he will not come, however earnestly and sincerely he may be called and invited.” In the sequel, he then shows “how man must be uncovered and stripped of everything before he will come to Christ.”

The right balance

What a responsible task the faithful preacher has. For if these three things are absolutely necessary, these three things will also have to be addressed and explained in the preaching. What a struggle it always is for the preacher to find the right balance.

If we preach only the broad invitation to Christ, then the danger is very great that the hearers will think they have to come in their own strength, with a natural faith. Thus, it is as we read in Matthew 7:22&23a: “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.” If we preach only the necessity of God’s work in regeneration and the way to Christ, then we deprive hearers of the emphasis of the responsibility and strengthen them in their passivity.

The zeal of a student

A student somewhere, full of zeal and fire in his “sermon,” had bound the responsibility on the people’s hearts and proved man’s unwillingness. In the consistory room, a fatherly elder shook his hand. That elder said, “I heartily agree with your sermon. The great miracle for me is, I did not want it either, but God wanted it.” The student always remained grateful to that elder. It helped him in his efforts to bring balanced preaching.

A spiritual infant

A troubled soul will say, “How can I ever come to Christ? My soul thirsts for Him, but I have no feet to go to Him.” Christ knows the desire of the thirsty soul, as a mother knows the desire of her infant. He knows of the inability, as a mother knows that her little one cannot come to her. Jesus acts like the mother who bends over her little weeping darling and says, “You come, my child.” She knows her child cannot, but as she says it, she reaches out her loving motherly hands, takes the child to herself, and puts it to her breast. This is how Jesus wants to deal with His spiritual infants. p

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