Delve Into Jesus : Questions : John Chapter 6

Comments

There is an element to salvation which requires us to freely choose Jesus Christ, yet there is also an element which requires the Holy Spirit to "draw us". We are sinful by nature, and we will not naturally accept the Gospel unless God works in us - this is manifest in God's grace. The Tyndale Life Application Study Notes for 6:65 explains, "The Holy Spirit gives spiritual life without the work of the Holy Spirit, we cannot even see our need for new life. All spiritual renewal begins and ends with God. He reveals truth to us, lives within us, and then enables us to respond to that truth." This verse is a reminder that we can do nothing except what God enables us to do. Does this mean that only a certain few are chosen and the rest will be lost? If I understand it correctly, this is the Calvinist or Reformed position, and I don't agree.

John Warwick Montgomery explains it this way. Salvation is a house which we must enter. On the front door is a sign which reads, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" - a command to act, a decision to be made. Those who enter find another sign inside which reads, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast". The mistake the Calvinists make it that they place the inside sign on the front door, warning people that they cannot be saved except by grace and there is nothing they can do about it. This emphasizes the role of the Spirit and diminishes the importance of our own free-will in salvation. Conversely, the Armenians make the opposite mistake, taking the sign from the front door with them inside and in doing so, place too much emphasis on their choice and minimizing the importance of God's grace in salvation.

The proper position is to understand that both play a role, and I think John 6 is just reminding people not to ignore the importance of grace, and to remember that we can do nothing apart from the Father. I hope this helps, please let me know if you want me to elaborate.

9/2/2007 5:02:02 PM - marklang, Member of Delve into Jesus since 4/3/2007

Right, I don't see anything in those verses to suggest that only certain people are chosen to be drawn. I read that to mean that without God's grace, none could accept the Gospel but because God has drawn ALL of us, all of us are then free to choose the Gospel.

9/2/2007 5:08:32 PM - tom, Member of Delve into Jesus since 4/26/2007

Also, one more thing, I forgot to paste what the Life Application notes say about 6:44 - "God, not people, plays the most active role in salvation. When someone chooses to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she does so only in response to the urging of God's Holy Spirit. God does the urging then we decide whether or not to believe. Thus, no one can believe in Jesus without God's help." I think this is exactly in line with that Dr. Montgomery was saying. There is a choice to be made by us, but God enables us to see that the choice exists and urges us to make the right one.

9/2/2007 5:11:17 PM - marklang, Member of Delve into Jesus since 4/3/2007

Thank you Mark. That helps me a great deal. What a great way to explain it. I still wonder however, why it seems that he urges people at different times in their life or not at all. Why did I hear him now and not 20 years ago? Do some people just refuse to hear him? I guess I am just trying to understand why one day I am saved and my life changes and the whole ongoing process is purely amazing. I want to share that with the people around me but it is as if I am speaking another language. It seems to me that everyone should instinctively ache for this relationship because the life before salvation is nothing. So has it been offered to them and they are rejecting it or has God not urged them yet?? I am sorry if I sound so confused and repetative. I don't want to take too much of your time from other peoples questions. Thank you for your time.

9/4/2007 10:19:21 AM - Anonymous User, Member of Delve into Jesus since 8/22/2007

I think the ongoing spiritual battle plays a huge part in determining who responds to the call, and when they do so. Arsin Delve talks about this in his testimonial on this site - he recalls how as a teen he felt very close to God, then did not for ten years, and then did again in his thirties. He's certain that was the result of the constant battle between God's forces who call to us and present opportunities, and Satan's forces who try to kill our spirit, lie to us, deceive us and harden our hearts to the Gospel. Prayer is our best weapon and defense here. And of course, we all have free-will and each decision we make brings us closer to God, or further from Him. As Greg Boys says, "We gain momentum in the direction of our decisions." Each time we reject the Gospel, it becomes just a little harden to hear it the next time. Every time we do make a decision to align our lives with God's will, it becomes easier to do it the next time. This is a hard thing to explain, I hope this helps.

Accepted Answer

9/6/2007 8:53:19 PM - marklang, Member of Delve into Jesus since 4/3/2007

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