Why So Many Who Desire Jesus Never Experience Him

3/5/2023

Have you ever met someone who seemed to earnestly desire a close walk with God, but who never seemed to make much progress in his or her spiritual life? Perhaps you’ve noticed this pattern in your own life. Whenever the subject of the power of Jesus’ Spirit being unleashed in the life of a disciple is brought up, these people seem to genuinely respond to it. And they will express what seem like very sincere desires to know Him. It seems impossible to find fault with anything that they say, and yet, as time goes on, the life of Jesus seems markedly absent from their lives.

How can this be? How can it be that so many people, who express such strong desires to know God in a deep way, lead lives marked by shallowness and carnality?

Charles Finney, the 19th century evangelist, had keen insight into this apparent dilemma. The following excerpt is taken from remarks that he made in New York City in 1836. Although the language has been updated and his ideas expanded upon, one key aspect of Finney’s remarks has been left intact. As always, Finney was speaking to “you.”

To those who would honestly ask, “Why does God’s life and power seem to be absent from my life?” Charles Finney would answer:

The fact is that although you may say that you desire to know God and to experience His life and power, in the end you do not really desire it. You may say to others, “I know that I want that for my life,” and you may think yourself perfectly sincere when you speak the words. But the truth is that you do not desire this kind of life the way that you think you do. Let me not be mistaken here. I want you to understand some very important distinctions. There is an enormous difference between those who have a desire for something that they admire and those who desire something to such an extent that they are willing to possess it. Nothing is more common than for people to desire a thing on some accounts, which they do not choose in the end. For example, a man may see in a shop window an item that he desires to purchase. Accordingly, he goes in and asks the price, and thinks about it for a while. Yet, when he weighs all the factors associated with buying the item, he decides not to purchase it. He desires the item, but he does not like the price, or he may be concerned that his wife will be displeased if he purchases it. So, although he does admire the item and would like to have it for himself, in the end he prefers not to purchase it.

In a similar way, many persons may on some accounts desire a relationship with Jesus. They long for the comfort and joy of the heart that He brings. If you know what it is by former experience to commune with God, and how sweet it is to dissolve in penitence and to be filled with the Spirit, you cannot but desire a return of those joys. And you may set yourself to pray earnestly for it. You may even pray that others may experience it, too. But, in the end, you are unwilling that He should come. You have so much to do that you do not make time for it. Or it will require so many sacrifices that you cannot bear to have it. There are some things you are not willing to give up. You find that if you wish to have the Spirit of Jesus dwell with you, you must lead a different life. You must give up the world. You must make sacrifices. You must break off from your worldly relationships and make confession of your sins. You must respond quickly to the inner promptings of the Spirit, even when it’s inconvenient. And so, in the end, you do not wish to have a relationship with Jesus, unless He would be willing to dwell with you and let you live as you please. But that He will never do.

Many people live in this state of self-deception. They mistake their admiration for the person of Jesus as a genuine desire for Him to dwell with them. They think that they desire the fullness of the Sprit, but in reality they do not. They only delude themselves with such thoughts. If they remain in this state, the best that they can hope for is to admire the things of God from afar. They will never possess them.

The good news is that if you recognize this pattern in your life, it can be different beginning right now. You must be willing to come to God on His terms and yield yourself to Him completely. You must abandon your life, your will, your self, your opinions. A true disciple is a “doulos.” He knows that he is not his own; he is bought for a price. There is no other way. The so-called “desire” that deceives so many people is insufficient. Either you desire the things of God to such an extent that you are willing come to Him on his terms in all areas of your life, or you don’t really desire them. You may admire them. You may wish for them. You may be interested in them. But do you desire them to such an extent that you will actually possess them? The truth is you have not been willing, or have become unwilling, to make the sacrifices necessary to possess them. And the sacrifice needed is everything you have: your opinions, your independence, your will, your rights, your self-life.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.”(John 12:14)

A kernel of wheat has its own identity, so to speak. It is solid, round, and distinct from other seeds and other objects. It has its own existence unto itself. By God’s design it contains within itself the makings of the miracle of life. And yet, as wonderful as that seed is, as full of life-giving potential as it may be, it will never bring forth fruit unless it dies. If the seed is never planted in the ground and loses its distinct existence, it will never produce fruit.

The same is true of anyone who would follow Jesus. As long as we maintain an existence unto ourselves, as long as we refuse to die to ourselves, we will never experience the life and the Spirit of God. We will never produce fruit. Like the seed, we must be willing to lose our identity. The seed must break and crack and appear to decay. We must be willing to yield our rights, our selves, and all that defines us apart from God. And if we will do so, like the seed, from what appears to be death will spring new life.

If, by your choices, you have demonstrated that you have been unwilling to lose your life, you can renounce this way of existence and cooperate with God to change your destiny. No more lonely admiration from a distance. You simply need to choose to pay the price and actually do it, today, and every day.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Are you willing to pay the price to be Jesus’ disciple? It is not enough to say “I want to” or “I’m going to.” Whether you truly desire to experience the fullness of the Spirit will be proven by your choices. It will be evident to all. A tree is known by its fruit. The choices you make will speak louder than your words. Do you really want to know the life of God? Then choose God’s ways.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matt. 11: 12)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matt. 13:44-46).