1103 God's Wish List Pt-8

This message in this series examines the differences between how we expect God to work in our lives and what He actually does. It examines how faithful church members can spend years believing they are saved because they did what they were told and later on have God bring real conviction and an undeniable personal knowledge that they were not saved.
There have been many who have the personal testimony of God's dealing with them about their need of salvation following years of church service; some had even been the pastors. This subject is usually approached with skepticism by those who hear of it but the individual is certainly convinced in their own mind and heart.
How is it possible that God allows people to believe they are saved without His Spirit convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment to come. It's clear in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. To understand this verse consideration must be given to the meaning of "the will". In this case God's will is a reference to desire or choice. From Adam and Eve until the upcoming Battle of Armageddon God does not enforce His will on his creation, it is a matter of each individual's free choice.
That choice involves Hebrews 11:6; "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him". The "faith" part is about learning enough from the "Word of God" to be able to make the choice by coming to the knowledge that it is a serious matter of life or death. (Continued in the PDF Text)