Written on 20 April 2025.

God Creates the Conditions for Someone to Come to Faith

Hank Lindstrom, in his message God Seeks Lost Men, makes a clear case that God actively works in people’s lives to bring them to the point of trusting Christ. This does not align with Calvinist determinism, where God irresistibly regenerates the elect, nor does it reduce God's role to mere waiting, as in some forms of Arminianism. Rather, it affirms that God orchestrates life events to provoke seeking, while still leaving the decision to believe in the hands of the individual.

God Speaks and Stirs Through Circumstances

Lindstrom quotes Job 33 to show that God speaks to people repeatedly, even if they don’t perceive it:

"God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." (Job 33:14)

This passage illustrates that God does not abandon the lost. He continues to reach out, even through discomfort or suffering:

"He chasteneth also with pain upon his bed... That he might withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man." (Job 33:19,17)

These are not merely punishments—they are acts of divine mercy meant to awaken the heart to spiritual truth. Lindstrom connects this idea to real-life situations: graduation, marriage, the birth of a child, or illness. He recounts personal experiences and testimonies of others who came to Christ during such critical junctures.

Spiritual Hearing and Divine Filtering

In his exposition of Mark 4, Lindstrom explains why Jesus spoke in parables:

"Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables." (Mark 4:11)

Lindstrom states:

> "God filters out those that don't want to know truth from those that want to know truth. And if you don't want to know the truth, God is not obligated to bring the truth to you. But if you want to know the truth... God will get the message to you."

This reflects an important balance: God's sovereignty in revealing truth, and man's responsibility in responding to it.

God Wants All to Be Saved

2 Peter 3:9 is central in Lindstrom’s message:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

This verse anchors the doctrine that God does not arbitrarily elect some and reject others. Lindstrom reinforces this by saying:

> "God is working in the life of every unsaved person. He wants you to seek Him... oftentimes, He will use events in your life to cause you to seek."

This is not limited by geography or intelligence:

> "It doesn't matter where you live... you will be able to find the truth."

The Role of the Witness

Job 33:23 mentions the need for a "messenger... one among a thousand." Lindstrom applies this by urging believers to be that rare individual who brings the gospel when someone is ready:

> "Maybe you're the one out of a thousand that will bring the gospel to them when they come to their point of need."

He shares the story of a dying man afraid that he had not been water baptized. Lindstrom clarified that baptism does not save; Christ does. The man trusted Christ and died shortly after. Lindstrom sees this as evidence that God held back death just long enough for him to hear and believe the gospel.

Conclusion

Hank Lindstrom’s teaching affirms that God is actively working in every lost person’s life, seeking to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ. He uses circumstances, trials, and even the nearness of death to get their attention. While faith is not forced, God’s initiative is undeniable. As Job 33:29 summarizes:

"Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."

The responsibility of believers is clear: be alert to these God-given moments and share the gospel boldly, for God may have placed you as the messenger at just the right time.