Ask, Seek, and Knock

You know, for the unbeliever, seeking God is not an option. This may not sound like common sense, but it is true, nonetheless. We know that it is true by a couple of verses in the Bible. We came across one such passage during Bible study this past week.
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8.
Try as they might, the unbeliever is controlled by a force that will not yield to another authority. Therefore, it will not let their soul seek God. Even when they think they are, they aren’t. This is confirmed by another passage:
“As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’” Romans 3:10-11
The truth of your salvation is that He sought you. He found you. and He revealed Himself to you, through His Son Jesus Christ. Paul says it best in Romans 8:29-30. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He called; those He called, He justified; those He justified, He glorified.
Also, I cannot resist sharing with you: “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” Romans 10:20
Given these clear verses and their profound message, what do you make of the following?
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously…and it will be given to him. James 1:5
These verses are directed at you and me. We are believers. We have already been cleansed from sin, crucified with Christ so that our sinful nature could be done away with, and brought into the kingdom of God. We are sons of God! He is addressing us as sons when He inspired the above verses to be written. “What would you like to know?” His Spirit says to us. “What is troubling you?” He asks.
Now I realize that the directives, ask, seek, and knock, sound like law. They tell us we must do something to get a response from the Holy Spirit. But law, by definition, is rules and obligations designed to make us aware of sin. Ask, seek, and knock, are nothing of the sort. They are invitations to grow in knowledge, intimacy, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. If you don’t ask, seek, or knock, you still belong to Him; you are still saved.
Though we must never forget the truth of our salvation, we must not confuse it with truth about the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is your life and He wants you to draw near. He wants you to learn, through experience, to depend upon Him. A Christian can live according to their flesh, or according to the Holy Spirit. To draw near is to acknowledge, by faith, that He is present. Drawing near is to converse with Him, fellowship with Him, praise and listen to Him. This is why Paul encouraged us, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Gal 5:25. Do you know Him? Can you discern His voice? Do you sense Him leading your prayers, giving you the words? Have you ever asked for such knowledge? He is always ready to be with you. On our side of the cross, this is not law; this is grace!
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14