New Desires

We are sinners, lost without Christ. Only when we believe on Him, and are covered by His precious blood shed on the cross can we be saved from the bondage and weight of our sin. Indeed, we are so desperately sinful that we have no desire for the holiness of God. Before we are saved, we have no desire to repent from our sinful ways. Sin is all that we desire, it appeals to us, the holiness of God is only repulsive. How then can we be saved? If we have no desire to repent, or believe on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, how can we come and confess our sins, so that He may be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)?

Our desires must be changed, transformed, renewed. We must be made to desire the things of God, to desire forgiveness, and righteousness. Before we can respond to the call of salvation the Lord must change our deepest desires. We cannot come to him on our own, in the depths of our sin, because we have no desire to do so. John 6:44 says, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. John 6:65 says, No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. The Lord changes our desires, and then we can come to Him, responding to the call of Salvation because we now desire forgiveness and righteousness.

This act of God, by which he changes our desires, and gives us spiritual life is called regeneration. We cannot take any credit for our salvation, but neither can we take any credit for even our desire of salvation. Regeneration is the complete work of a sovereign God. Oh, what joy, to know that Christ saw fit to change my deepest desires that I might come before Him on my knees, begging for His restoring touch!

This is only the first part of the call of salvation. Our desires have now been changed, and we have the ability to respond to the call of God to salvation. I will explore the actual call of salvation in a later post.