Comments on: 6 Possible Responses to the Gospel Call https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/03/26/6-possible-responses-to-the-gospel-call/  Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 By: David Murray https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/03/26/6-possible-responses-to-the-gospel-call/#comment-18876 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:17:10 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=12364#comment-18876 These are great comments, Leah. Every one is so different. Yes, there are broad categories, but there are also other distinctions. And maybe some people are in all the groups! May you have the joy of seeing your friend come to faith in Jesus.

]]> By: Leah https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/03/26/6-possible-responses-to-the-gospel-call/#comment-18383 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:00:31 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=12364#comment-18383 1st edit, “despair of never…” should be “despair of ever”
2nd edit, “all the same to the him” should be “all the same to him”

(oy!)

]]> By: Leah https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/03/26/6-possible-responses-to-the-gospel-call/#comment-18380 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:56:18 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=12364#comment-18380 (…in keeping with your Matthew 22 approach, I guess I would put this “antagonism” in the “behind the scenes” of v.10, upon hearing the invitation, my friend is among those who at first disbelieve – how could he, an “outsider,” really be included in the invitation?…and we are in the business of the servants, persuading him, “No, really! This invitation IS for you! The king said we were to go out and find both the ‘good’ AND the ‘bad’ ~ It does not matter; they are all the same to the him! He said he would not turn away anyone who comes; you will be received and welcomed in, if only you’ll come!”…)

]]> By: Leah https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/03/26/6-possible-responses-to-the-gospel-call/#comment-18374 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:33:29 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=12364#comment-18374 ANTAGONISM:

I have a friend who doesn’t really fit any of the above, and is presently in some form of what I believe to be pre-acceptance. I’d maybe call it “Antagonism” to fit your list. It’s like he’s *testing* every aspect of the Gospel, cuz he just can’t believe God would save him. He WANTS salvation, he WANTS (desperately) to be “used” by God, and he does believe the truth about Jesus and that he is the only way to God, but he can’t quite grasp “grace” and so despairs of never being good enough to receive it (which, frankly, I think many “believers” seem to have that same problem and trend unknowingly towards works-based theology (fleshly effort), of which I am chief….).

My friend exhibits “aggression,” but not typically towards those of the faith – unless it is to prick them till they “prove” their faith is genuine; the moment he sees it’s real and they are unwavering, he is visibly humbled, and yields the conversation. Similarly, whenever I “plant the seed” of the Word, even though he claims he can’t believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God, nevertheless he is regularly “softened” by it. No, his “aggression” is more towards God, as if begging him to prove himself….But even at that, I am not sure how to classify the spirit of his wrestling, exactly. Maybe that’s exactly it – Wrestling.

While I cannot be “sure” in the human sense, I do believe there is coming a day when he WILL fully accept (yield to) the Gospel. This is a strange place to walk alongside a person; I find the Lord has given me much grace and patience with his sharp edges, though there are many in my life (however well-intentioned) who have tested the waters of my friend’s “Antagonism” with their own proverbial toes only to chastise me, rebuke him, and ultimately walk away from him – which has had a two-fold effect of causing him to exhibit greater hardness towards what he deems “faithless Christians” in general, but a greater sensitivity to what he refers to as my “real” faith, and, frankly, a greater longing for Christ himself….

I’m open to any thoughts/responses to the above if you so desire. ;)

As an aside, thank you SO much for your blog posts! The name says it all – Head / Heart / Hand – and I am so thankful for the richness of God’s gift to you as far as not only general practicality and application of the Word, but especially in seeing Christ in the OT. Blessings to you and all your readers and students!

~Leah

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