Featured John 6:65

Once again, this poster addresses me and not the topic.

1) The idea based on the context of John 6:65 is a person cannot come to faith in Christ, unless God allows him or her to believe. Thus if God has chosen to harden a person's heart, as depicted in Romans 11, then that person cannot come to Jesus.

Some of Christ's followers actually did not believe Christ was the Messiah, and Jesus knew who did not believe, whether able to or not, and who would betray Him and was not able to believe because He had been hardened to be the "betrayer."

Thus no one can come to faith in Christ unless:

(a) they have not hardened their hearts like soil #1 in Matthew 13, and

(b) they have not been hardened by God for His purpose as in Romans 11, and

(c) God has revealed the Gospel through His witnesses and hey were receptive and open to good news of the gospel. Recall that some receive the gospel with joy, but no deep commitment, and others also receive the gospel but do not make Christ the overriding priority of their lives. Thus no one can come to Christ unless it has been granted or allowed by our sovereign God.

2) So anyone not blocked from believing can believe in Christ.

3) No one said or suggested anyone needs "advanced faithfulness" to trust in Christ. However, if a person's faith is not deeply rooted, i.e. not superficial, or the person's faith does not make Christ their overriding priority, it is unlikely God will credit their "faith" as righteousness.

 

LOL, I see this discussion of John 6:65 is no longer consigned to oblivion God works in mysterious ways. Now this thread is found on our Home page as a Featured Thread.

 

1) I do not deny or reject any scripture, but I do interpret them contextually and my understanding differs from yours.

2) What was given in John 6:65 was to be allowed to either accept or reject the gospel. Anyone not blocked from believing can believe. That is why God spoke in parables (Matthew 13) so those who could choose to believe were blocked by the need for further explanation because the timing was not right.

3) What was given in John 6:37 was the individuals human spirit, meaning their spirit was transferred out of the realm of darkness into Christ's spiritual body. Obviously a very different action, one to allow something that might occur, and one to transfer someone into Christ. To allow human action is very different from God unilaterally causing an action.

4) The claim these verses present Irresistible Grace, i.e. the gift of faith, is without merit.