Can anyone “get saved,” or can only those whom God initiates a relationship receive salvation?
The question highlights a theological tension: does salvation begin with human initiative (seeking God) or divine initiative (God’s calling)?
Divine Calling and Human Seeking: The Path to Salvation by Grace Through Faith
Scripture emphasizes both human responsibility to seek God and God’s sovereign role in drawing sinners to Himself.
I. Introduction: The Tension Between Seeking and Calling
For example, Isaiah 55:6 urges,
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near,
while John 6:44 states,
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.
This response will examine the biblical evidence for both human seeking and divine calling. It will also clarify their relationship, and affirm that salvation is by grace through faith, received when a person trusts in Christ.
II. Biblical Evidence for Human Seeking
Scripture repeatedly calls individuals to seek God, suggesting human responsibility in responding to His offer of salvation.
A. Old Testament Calls to Seek
The Old Testament frequently exhorts people to seek God. Deuteronomy 4:29 promises,
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Similarly, Jeremiah 29:13 declares,
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
These passages imply humans can seek God and that such a seeking can lead to a relationship with Him.
B. New Testament Invitations
In the New Testament, Jesus invites all to come to Him. Matthew 11:28 says,
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
The gospel’s universal call, as in Mark 16:15 –
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature
– suggests that anyone can respond to the message of salvation. Acts 17:27 states that God is near to all,
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.
These verses emphasize human responsibility to respond to God’s offer of grace.
C. Faith as a Human Response
Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and faith involves a personal decision to trust Christ. Romans 10:13 promises,
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The context of Romans 10:14-15—how people hear and believe through preaching—implies that individuals can respond to the gospel message, suggesting an active role in seeking salvation.
III. Biblical Evidence for Divine Calling
Scripture also teaches that God’s initiative is essential for salvation, as human sinfulness renders people incapable of seeking Him without divine intervention.
A. Human Inability because of Sin
Romans 3:10-11 states,
There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
This passage suggests that, in their natural state, humans do not seek God because of total depravity—the belief that sin has corrupted every aspect of human nature, leaving people spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). Without God’s intervention, no one would seek Him.
B. God’s Sovereign Drawing
Jesus teaches that divine initiative is necessary for salvation. John 6:44 states,
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Similarly, John 6:65 says,
No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
These verses emphasize that God’s drawing—or calling—is a prerequisite for a person to come to Christ in faith.
C. Effectual Calling
Scripture describes God’s calling as effectual, meaning it accomplishes His purpose. Romans 8:30 declares,
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
This suggests that God’s call enables sinners to respond in faith, aligning with the belief that salvation is by grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 reinforces this:
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.
IV. Reconciling Human Seeking and Divine Calling
Understanding that Scripture holds both truths in balance, with God’s grace as the unifying factor, reconciles the tension between human seeking and divine calling.
A. God’s Initiative Enables Human Response
While humans are incapable of seeking God in their natural state, God’s grace enables them to respond. The universal offer of salvation (Titus 2:11) and the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:14) are means by which God draws sinners. The Holy Spirit convicts individuals of sin (John 16:8), awakening their hearts to seek God. Thus, human seeking is a response to God’s prior work, not an independent effort.
B. Faith as the Means of Salvation
Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and faith is the human act of trusting Christ, enabled by God’s grace. While God’s calling starts the process, faith is the personal response that results in being born again. Acts 16:31—
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved
—emphasizes that anyone who believes receives salvation, harmonizing divine initiative with human responsibility.
C. Mystery of Sovereignty and Responsibility
Scripture does not fully resolve the mystery of how God’s sovereignty and human responsibility interact. Philippians 2:12-13 captures this balance:
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Believers are called to act, yet God’s work underlies their ability to do so. The focus remains on salvation by grace through faith, not on unraveling the mechanics of divine and human roles.
V. Practical Perspective: Responding to the Gospel
From a practical standpoint, the question of seeking versus calling should not paralyze but motivate a response to the gospel.
A. The Gospel’s Clear Call
The Bible consistently invites sinners to repent and believe. Revelation 22:17 says,
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
This open invitation means anyone can seek God and be born again by trusting Christ, regardless of how God’s calling operates behind the scenes.
B. Assurance Through Faith
For those concerned about whether they are “called,” Scripture assures that faith in Christ is evidence of God’s work. John 1:12 states,
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
Believing in Christ results in being born again (John 3:3), confirming that God has drawn the individual to Himself.
C. Urgency of Response
The command to seek God carries urgency. Hebrews 3:15 warns,
To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Those who feel convicted to seek God should respond in faith, trusting that God’s grace is at work. The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith assures that no one who trusts Christ will be turned away (John 6:37).
VI. Addressing Common Concerns
The debate over seeking and calling often raises concerns that require biblical clarification.
A. Does Human Seeking Undermine Grace?
Some fear that emphasizing human seeking implies works-based salvation. However, seeking God through faith is not a work but a response to grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies that faith itself is a gift, ensuring that salvation remains unmerited.
B. Does Divine Calling Limit Free Will?
Others worry that God’s calling negates human choice. Scripture maintains human responsibility alongside divine sovereignty. Joshua 24:15—
Choose you this day whom ye will serve
—affirms that individuals make real choices, even as God’s grace enables them to choose Christ.
C. How Can I Know I’m Called?
For those unsure if God has called them, the gospel’s universal offer provides assurance. 1 Timothy 2:4 states that God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Anyone who desires to trust Christ can do so, confident that God’s grace is drawing them.
VII. Conclusion: Trusting in God’s Grace
The question whether someone can seek God and be born again or whether God must first call them is answered by Scripture’s affirmation of both divine initiative and human responsibility. God’s grace initiates salvation, drawing sinners through His Spirit and the gospel, while faith is the personal response that results in being born again. John 3:16 encapsulates this:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Salvation is by grace through faith, available to all who trust Christ. Rather than debating the mechanics of calling and seeking, individuals should respond to the gospel’s explicit invitation, trusting that God’s grace is sufficient to save.
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