The preacher and the evangelist need to let this sink down into their understanding. They play a part in the advance of Christ’s kingdom, but it is a limited part, and they must not overexaggerate their role. This means that mere pressure will not work. They will not bring more into the kingdom by using strong emotional manipulation, or by pressing sinners to make a commitment before they have counted the cost of following Christ. They cannot fill heaven by altering the terms of the gospel, and making it easier for people to enter in. They cannot minimise the matter of sin, for fear of offending some. They must simply present the message they have received from God; they must preach it unchanged, and then wait to see how God works, and who he chooses to call.
The one who is approaching Christ for pardon needs to think deeply about these things also. What is it that is impossible for human beings? We are under the power of something: some element of pride, some pleasure which is a sinful pleasure, some selfishness, and it rules us. We are in its grip. What can we do to get rid of it? Nothing. And yet it stops us coming to Christ. ‘I have got to get rid of it.’ No, you can't do that. But what you can do is you can come to Jesus Christ, and you can say to him, ‘Lord I love these things. These things have such a hold on me; these things I cannot let go. I know they prevent me from ever being blessed. Lord, help me. Lord, take them away. Lord, I will come, take away the power and the strength of these things which prevent me.
Of course the biggest hold up of all to coming to Jesus Christ is the guilt of our sin and we can do absolutely nothing about that. How can I ever be blessed by God? How can I ever know him and walk with him? I am sinful, I have got so much guilt. I cannot atone for my own sins, I cannot make myself any better than I am – a sinful person. Nor can I give myself spiritual life, and I'm cut off from God, I cannot come to God. With men it is impossible, but God can do it. He sent Jesus Christ into this world to suffer and die on Calvary's cross to take away the punishment due to us for our sin, if we believe on him. By the power of his Spirit, when we come and we repent of our sin, he will change us. He will make us his children, he will give us a new nature. He will forgive us. What we could never do, he can do, and that is such an important verse for us. With man these things are impossible but with God anything is possible.