UNLESS THE FATHER DRAWS HIM BY STEVE FINNELL
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
What is the meaning of John 6:44?
1. Does it mean only a few, who have been selected by the Father, will be saved? No, it does not.
2. Does it mean that men only respond to the gospel because of irresistible grace? No, it does not.
WHO ARE THOSE THAT THE FATHER DRAWS?
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
The Father draws all who hear and learn. The Father does not force anyone to hear or learn. Men have free-will. God does not impute faith into a few so they will believe and be saved. Faith does not come by injection.
HOW DO MEN HEAR AND LEARN?
Romans 10:13-14 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
Men need to hear the gospel before they can learn and believe. The Father draws men by the gospel.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Faith comes from hearing the gospel. Faith does not come because the Father selected a chosen few, before the world began, to be saved. All who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are the chosen and that includes whoever accepts God's terms for pardon. Faith does not come because of irresistible grace.
God the Father draws men to Jesus with the gospel.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
IT IS THE GOSPEL THAT DRAWS MEN TO JESUS!
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE IS NOT THE METHOD THAT THE FATHER USES TO DRAW MEN TO JESUS.
Romans 10:21 But as for Israel He says, "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."
Israel as a nation rejected the gospel. How could that be possible if irresistible grace were in play? Israel turned away from God.
Matthew 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Jerusalem was unwilling to be drawn to Jesus by believing the gospel. They had a choice.
John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
The Jews had the opportunity to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they were unwilling. There was no irresistible grace in play. The Father draws all who are willing to believe the gospel.
John 6:40 This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG YOU ARE ONE OF THE "EVERYONE" WHO HAS A CHANCE TO BE BELIEVE THE GOSPEL AND BE SAVED.
MEN REJECT GOD.
GOD DOES NOT REJECT MEN DUE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
THE FATHER DRAWS MEN TO JESUS THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. MEN ARE NOT DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE THEY WERE PRESELECTED FOR SALVATION!
Greetings.
ReplyDeleteVery clear and to the point. The notion that we are put on this earth as simply animals living by our base instincts with no will of our own is absurd. We are made in God's image. This does not mean we physically look like God but that we are given a will of our own. The Bible itself is a guide book for man to use his free will to obey God. This is clear and not debatable. If man has no free will the Bible has no purpose.
In Esther 4:14, Mordecai tells Esther to speak to the king and reveal her heritage to save the Jews. Mordecai warns her that if she does not, God will find someone else to save His people. The choice was hers. God's plans will be carried out. It is up to us to decide if we will be part of His plan or not. Esther had free will and so do we.