I Need to Need You

In a song called "Times" by Tenth-Avenue North, there is a line that I believe God has laid upon my heart for a while now. The line is "I need to need you". Short and simple, yet in to that short line is packed an essential belief for the Christian doctrine. This line doesn't only express that we need God, but that we "need to need" God. It doesn't only express that in order for salvation, we need Christ, but that we are reluctant to and hate Christ unless God allows us to need him. 

Although, don't just take a song's word for it. Take Jesus' word:

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." - John 10:28-29

And Paul's:

"as it is written: 'none is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.'" - Romans 3:10-12

Firstly as these verses make clear, everyone, in their natural state, is completely evil in the sight of God. The question then becomes, what hope do we have? How are we to turn from sin and toward God without the ability to do so? This question is answered in the verse I just quoted from Jesus in the gospel of John. "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all." Given them? Maybe that term is confusing you. We have been given to Jesus? Yes. By who? The sovereign Father. What does this really mean though? It means that in order to change from death to life; from sin to righteousness; from filth to being white as snow, you must be changed by God. Truly, you can do nothing good because you have not been given the ability by God to do anything good. If you do good that is good in the sight of the Lord (which is only considered good if it is done for the sake of the Lord), than God has done a marvelous and gracious work in you. If you ever credit yourself with this work, you disrespect the power and grace of God. 

Does it seem odd to you that God offers us a gift he knows we will deny in our natural state? He says "here, accept the forgiveness of my son" as a father may say to a young child "here, enjoy my fortune and have all you want". We respond "No Father, just let me play in the mud, this is much more enjoyable". But the Father in his grace, will not allow his chosen children to continue to play in the mud. He disciplines them and graciously teaches them the worth of what he has to offer. He teaches us that the things we have been so enjoying are evil and the things that he has for us are good. 

God has a violent and jealous love for the elect. He does not let them sway from him, and when they do, he will take them back. Oh how great is our God. How perfect is his love and how amazing are his ways. I am constantly amazed by the grace of God to choose any of us for his love and salvation. The question isn't "why not all of us?" The question is "why any of us?" We don't only need God, we need to need God. Don't pray for a balanced checkbook or lots of money or nice cars or a sweet spouse, pray that you may need God more than you do now. Pray that God would put a passion in you for the things that are good and holy and just, and that he will continue to increase this passion throughout your life. If God starts a work, he will finish it; if he doesn't finish it, it wasn't him who started it.