Duty Faith vs The Faith of God's Elect

Is It the duty of the unregenerate to repent, believe and pray?

Duty: Action required by one's occupation or position, Moral or legal obligation.

"... If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life..." 1 John 5:9-12.

"... And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life..." John 5:40

"And you are not willing to come to me..." John 5:40 (As rendered by some scholars)

"... And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him..." John 6:65-66.

"... Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee..." Song 1:4.

"... As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God..." Rom 3:10-11.

"... But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works..." Psa 73:28.

"...When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek..." Psa 27:8.

No Man Can Come Unto Me

By O. Allen Bailey

LM

Though we may know Christ in our minds
As every man conceives and finds;
Yet they that find Christ in their heart
Will from mere notion then depart.

We must have the Witness within,
- He Who came and saved us from sin;
Which testifies of faith given
In all He wills to enliven

Though men may make God out a liar,
They're not required to come nigher;
For love and faith gives to His Own,
While others still are left alone.

Faith's not a duty to perform
By those who're left here all forlorn;
But is a grace in Love bestowed
In those whom Christ's makes His abode.

And the natural man can't come,
For the command's only to some;
- To those who in themselves can 't find
The way to Christ God has designed.

They too, in nature cannot come,
Nor in nature's power, they can't run,
Till Drawing Power has set them free
To make their heart and mind agree.

In faith, we after Him do run,
When flesh has strived, done all it's done;
So, in our flesh we cannot come,
Of they that seek Him, there's not one;

For God, from Heaven did look down
On poor, or those of great renown;
And found not one whom Him did seek,
The proud, or those whom men call meek;

But to the weak, with sin born down,
Who know it's power, in earth to drown;
When from it's load they would find rest,
So often beat upon their breast;

To these, Dear Jesus says "now come",
My Power now draws thee, makes thee run;
From the rough way you could not pass,
My drawing Power now gives release.

Before, you found you could not come,
Your faith so little, could not run;
Till it was given from above,
To find all's done in Power and Love.

When Jesus draws us, then we run
For to Jesus, we'd often come;
But He must bring us all the way
When His salvation is Today.

His Power must draw us, for we're dead,
His Love must lead us when we're led;
For Christ is Lord, our all in all,
We find in His most pow'rful call.

Though we are dead, His Life still gives,
We know His Power still in us lives;
We hear His voice within us speak;
His Face and favor then we seek;

In His great Power we then can come,
Though unto death we oft succumb;
But we are renewed day by day,
When Jesus takes our sin away.

With open face, we see within
His glory, Who took all our sin;
Into His image we are changed
Where Eternal Pow'r has thus ranged.

Copyright 2002

O. Allen Bailey

*This material may be freely copied and distributed, but shall not be altered or sold.