And they were all amazed, so they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” Mark 1:27 (NASB 2020)
Throughout the gospels, we find Jesus commanding demons (unclean spirits) to come out of people. And, without fail, they obeyed Him. They recognized Jesus’ authority and submitted to it.
Jesus also demonstrated His authority over the creation. He commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and they obeyed. He commanded the few loaves and fish to feed a multitude, and they did. He commanded broken bodies to be restored, and they were. The creation recognized Jesus’ authority and submitted to it.
Jesus called on people to repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:14-15, Acts 17:30). But unlike the demons and the creation, who recognized and submitted to Jesus’ authority, people, by and large, refused to submit to His call. And our rejection of His authority went so far as to see Him hung on a Roman cross.
But why? Is God unable to tame humanity and bring us to heel? Could God not force us to obey, as the demons and the creation do? Or are we so strong that we can defy God with impunity?
I have no doubt that God could force us to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. He is, after all, our all-powerful creator. But He has chosen to leave the choice to obey up to us. [Editor’s Note: It is important to remember that the choice is ours because God enables us to make the choice by his prevenient grace. We would not be able to choose for him if he did not supernaturally work in our hearts with his enabling grace.] Those who submit to Jesus as Lord find life. While those who reject His authority in their lives find only death (John 3:16-18).
The choice is yours. Will you believe in the Lord Jesus, submit to His authority, and find eternal life? Or will you reject His call to repent and believe, and face eternal destruction? The choice is yours.
