Seeking God
I am not a believer. I don't have faith, yet I am seeking God. Does sincerity and willingness to be saved matter to God? What does Isaiah 55:1-6 mean? Does that mean I should hear the Word to be saved? What does seek the Lord mean? I must turn from my sins and believe in Jesus? If I plead, pray, read the Bible, or listen to sermons, is this self-righteousness, and if not, what does Isaiah 55:6 mean?
I will put some references to Bible verses in my response to you. I encourage you to look them up.
What matters to God is saving faith in Jesus Christ, his Son. Such faith is God’s gift to people (Ephesians 2:8). The Holy Spirit creates saving faith in people’s hearts through the gospel (Romans 10:17).
In Isaiah 55, God invites spiritually thirsty and hungry people to come to him and be satisfied with the news of full and free forgiveness through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. If people do follow through on that invitation, it is only because the Holy Spirit has worked in their hearts (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Isaiah 55:6 (“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”) underscores the urgency of attending to our spiritual needs. This life is the only time people have to be brought to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. That is why the Bible says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Because we never know when this life will come to an end (Luke 12:13-21), the Bible urges people to tend to their spiritual needs now, today.
Self-righteousness is present when people point to their own works or efforts as supposedly being meritorious in God’s sight. The Bible condemns that attitude (Luke 18:9-14). It is definitely not self-righteous for you to “pray, read the Bible, or listen to sermons.” Those are godly and important activities.
Considering your circumstances, I believe the materials and resources on WhatAboutJesus would be of great value to you. (The website is maintained by individuals within our church body.) Do check it out. Also, you would benefit by speaking to one of our pastors. To find the closest WELS church to you, consider using this locator tool.
God bless you as you explore God’s word and read about God’s great love for you in Jesus, his Son. May God’s Spirit, through the word, fill your heart with Christian faith and confidence.