Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:48
I want to consider this week some of Christ’s words in Joh 6 which give further light to our text above. We see God’s sovereign work in our text–He appointed certain souls to eternal life–and then we see the corresponding response to God’s work–namely they believed! The Lord’s dialog in Joh 6 revealed this same principle. Man will exercise his will in believing and obeying God, but it is in fact God that is working first in a man to exercise that will. As Php 2:12 instructs us, we are responsible to obey and “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling“, but the ability to do so is revealed in the next verse: “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (v. 13) As we emphasized last week, listen closely to the language used in the following portions of Scripture. Make sure you hear these words just as they are given.
In Joh 6:37, Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Note in the first part of the verse, the Father is active. He doesn’t respond to a person believing; rather He acts first and gives these souls to Christ. The result is they will come–that’s where we get in on this thing! And when we come, guess what? We will not be rejected! This giving of the Father–God exercising His will–is set forth again in v. 39. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” Our actions aren’t even included in this verse. The Father’s will concerning all those He gives to Christ is that none should be lost, and the Son responds in obedience by raising them up in the last day. Again, it’s not apart from our response. We will respond in saving faith in the next verse: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v. 40) I want to keep highlighting that we do respond, i.e. act out our faith, because some falsely claim that election means a man can live in ungodly rebellion his entire life–never repenting, never believing–and still die and go to heaven because he was elected. The word of God, however, teaches that those chosen of God evidence salvation by believing and obeying.
Verses 44 & 45 present these truths in a slightly different manner. The first verse shows our inability apart from a work of God. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Unless God is active in drawing a man, not only will he not come, he can’t, i.e. he lacks the ability to do so! But v. 45 again reminds us that those who are saved will act. They will come! “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” Though these facts may be hard for us to grasp, they are the word of God and must be embraced as such. They were difficult for many who heard it in Christ’s day, and these truths caused many to walk away from Him. We see this response in Joh 6:64-66 when Jesus says, ” ‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” To accept the doctrine of election requires our faith–as does everything that pleases God! (Heb 11:6) Faith demands that we simply believe what God’s says even when we can’t fully explain it.
Perhaps a good question to ask now, dear reader, is the same question Jesus asked His disciples next: “Do you also want to go away?” (v. 67) Will you say what the Jews did who left Him at that time, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” (v. 60) I pray not. I pray that rather your response will be the same as Peter’s in v. 68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” To walk with God means to press on, trusting He is good and always does right, whether we understand what He’s doing or not. One thing I know…if you are among those who stick around, who believe the word of God above any other word, and who receive Christ as the Son of the living God when others walk away…this one thing I know, “Blessed are you…for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 16:17) To God be the glory!
Jamie