#117: The Simple Call of the Gospel, Part 6: Its Success
So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
II Kings 5:14
Is the call of the gospel successful? During periods like the Apostolic age, the Reformation, and Great Awakening when many thousands were coming from darkness to light the answer would be a resounding “yes.” During periods like our present day when people seem more interested in hearing about the latest social gospel trend than the proclamation of the unadulterated Word of God, the answer may seem less certain. The present famine of the Word of God [1] tempts some churches to change the message of God, modify the worship to the sensitivities of seekers, focus on experience to the neglect of substance, all in an attempt to attract the world to the church. [2]
When the call of the gospel seems to be scattered far and the yield negligible, Christians can grow depressed. At the height of Ahab’s reign just 7,000 in all of Israel had not bowed the knee to Baal. It did not seem to be any better in the reign of Jehoram – even the children mocked the prophets of God and despised His Word. In our day nearly a third of self identifying evangelicals deny that Jesus is God.
During Israel’s Spiritual famine did Elisha change his message, manner, or focus on the Word of God? No. He went about doing what God called Him to do. He taught the sons of the prophets the Word of God. He revealed the Word of God to the King of Israel. He ministered to the family of Shunem. He went about the work of the Lord knowing that God’s Word would not return to Him void, but it would accomplish everything God pleased and it would prosper in the mission for which God sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
As the Word went out to Naaman the Syrian, though it looked to be rejected at first, the Spirit of God used it to great success. Naaman, went and did according to the Word of the man of God. Naaman obeyed the call.
We should not miss Scripture’s focus on who Naaman was obeying when he went to the Jordan River. God used the simple question of Naaman’s servants for Naaman to reconsider his rage and anger but it was not the servants that Naaman obeyed. Naaman obeyed the Word of the Lord, “ So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God.”
Here is the success of the simple call of the gospel: The sinner is saved. The sinner whom the Spirit called, submits himself to the God of the Word. The sinner with a true sense of his sin turns from it unto obedience to the Word of God. The sinner embraces Jesus Christ by faith. The sinner has received the salvation of God.
As Jesus spoke with the crowds in Luke 11:27-28 a woman shouted out, “Blessed is the womb that bore You….” Jesus responded, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” It is easy to hear the Word of God as its message is straight forward. But blessing comes from submitting to it and heeding its call. Naaman heard the message of Elisha and in accordance with that Word, he obeyed, going down to the Jordan and dipping seven times in the water.
Though the yield may vary greatly from times of abundance to times of famine, the call of the gospel remains successful! Press on.
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[1] Amos 8:11.
[2] It also tempts bloggers to be more provocative in their posts so as to gain more attention to themselves.
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