Arise Thou That Sleepest!

John 11:43 "And when he thus had spoken, he cried out with a loud voice, Laz'arus, come forth."

Have you ever wondered why Jesus called out Lazarus by name? Martin Lloyd Jones said that if he did not clarify who he was calling, all the dead would have come forth. I agree with him. How powerful is this God of ours? Wasn't it this very Lord who called forth the World out of darkness by a word?

This story is a wonderful picture of the New Birth pictured in Ezekiel 36 & 37. The scripture takes special pains to show that Lazarus was DEAD. He was not in a coma, for he stinketh. Ask yourself this question. Could Lazarus of his own power have raised himself from the dead? In the very same way that Lazarus was physically dead, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). Look how Romans 3 portrays the unregenerate and see the similarities. They have no life within them, nothing that can reconcile them to God. We are unable to make ourselves spiritually alive, just as Lazarus was not able to bring himself back to life.

Where did the power come from? Where did the life come from? The power was clearly not in the man's faith. It goes against logic and sound reason that a dead man can have and excersize anything, especially faith. The power was in the command of the Lord. The Life was in the Lord's command. Lazarus came forth in response to the power spoken in the command. Look at Matthew 12:13 and you will see the same thing. Jesus told the man with the withered hand to "stretch forth thine hand." The man responded in faith to the command of the Lord. It is God who calls into existence. He makes alive that which was dead. It is those that liveth that believe and those that believe that will inherit eternal life (Matthew 11:26).

Lastly, consider now Ezekiel 18:31,32 - "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." See also 2 Peter 3:9 Will you attribute this work to a man? That would be the very definition of a "Works Salvation". One may say, "That may be so and all that you say may be true, but this command has been given to everyone and therefore everyone may arise by the power of the command." But let us consider scripture. Is that what God has revealed? IS he speaking to everyone, or is he is speaking to Israel. Hebrews 8:8 - "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel" -Romans 9:6-8 - "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, IN ISAAC SHALL THY SEED BE CALLED. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Oh, Consider! What do we say when we call the world God's children. Romans 11:26 - "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There Shall Come Out of Zion The Deliverer, And Shall Turn Away UnGodliness From Jacob." The promise is only meant for the Seed, the Seed are made alive and prove themselves to be the Seed and alive by believing, and believing, they live eternally. How wonderful!

Who is like unto our God! Who will cause the blind to see and the mute to speak? Who will raise the dead? And consider the blessedness of this people that he has chosen for himself. Are they not blessed indeed? Not because of anything within them but because of who they are in. Because of Who has made them alive and who they have been made alive in. The worth is in the Creator of Life, not in the creature. Words cannot describe the praise that is due such a Holy and Worthy God. May this encourage us to seek out and gather in his Children, call out to everyone to repent and come to the Supper of the Lamb and know that his children WILL hear, and Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit will bring them forth. We do not have to convince anyone against their will. Christ will give them new hearts and they will respond in Faith. Praise him, worship and obey him. Let Angels prostrate fall, bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of All.