John 6:37 and Irresistible Grace

In recent days there have been discussions about the drawing work of God. What I desire to do in this post is to maybe help bring to light some aspects of this issue that need further discussion.

My focus here will be on John 6, mainly verses 37, 44, and 60-65. I also want to look at John 12:32 since it is often used to deny irresistible grace (as it is often called). Let me also say that my desire is that we take our eyes off ourselves and put our eyes on Jesus. What did He say?

Up front I want to make a statement. You ready? Jesus only gives eternal life to those the Father has given Him. Did that statement shock you? Do you find yourself in disagreement with it? Ok.

Jesus Himself made the above point in John 17 when He said, "You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life" (Jn 17:2). There it is. Jesus gives eternal life to those the Father has given Him (see Jn 17:6). Now the objection maybe raised that Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe (Jn 3:16 etc). This is true. I would propose that Jesus teaches that those the Father gives Him will believe in Him and receive eternal life. Notice what Jesus said in John 6:37:

All of those the Father has given Jesus out of the world (Jn 17:6) will come to Jesus and Jesus will give them eternal life. In other words all who the Father has given to the Son will believe and receive eternal life.

Please notice that Jesus said that those the Father has given Him "will" come to Him. Not "might", "maybe", "should", or "hope they will", rather they "will" come to Him. What does this mean?

It simply means that before you come to Christ and are saved you must be given to the Son by the Father. Jesus Himself taught that you cannot come to Him apart from this action by the Father. Notice what He said in 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" (NASB)

So unless the Father gives you to Jesus and draws you to Jesus, you cannot/will not come to Jesus. Jesus repeats this teaching again in John 6:60-65...

"For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father" -John 6:65 referring to vs44.

Before you are saved you are given to the Son by the Father. After that you "will" come to the Son and receive eternal life.

This is the point where someone will usually bring up John 12:32. Therefore I want to take a look at that verse.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" (NASB)

Those who use this verse against the doctrine of Irresistible Grace often don't realize that, if the verse means what they say it means, the verse goes way beyond what they want it to say. If John 6:44 and John 12:32 are referring to the same drawing then all men will be saved (ie...universalism). Again notice what Jesus says in 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 will Jesus do for those the Father draws to Him? Raise them up on the last day (ie...salvation). Please note that this is the same promise given in 6:37-39...

"All that the Father give Me will come to Me...that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day" -Jn 6:37a,39b

So those who wish John 12:32 to be referring to the same type of "drawing" that is mentioned in John 6 must also affirm the doctrine of universal salvation. However that is rarely done. This problem is usually avoided or glossed over with fancy preaching that gets allot of "amens" from the listeners.

So if I am asserting, and I am, that John 12:32 is not referring to the same type of "drawing" that is being referred to in John 6:44 (etc), then what is He referring to?

I believe we can put this passage with verses like Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 7:9. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ the Gospel offer is made to the entire world (Lk 24:47). All men are invited to come to Christ. Indeed whosoever will believe in Jesus will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). But who will respond to that offer? That is the question that must now be asked.

The Bible clearly denies that anyone can respond on their own at their own time (see Rom 3:9-12, Jn 6:44). So who will respond? Those the Father has given to Jesus will respond (see John 10:26-27). In other words the Gospel is preached to the entire world and through that message God brings to Himself all of the elect.

Indeed all men are drawn to Christ through the general offer of the Gospel, however only those the Father has given to the Son will be drawn to Christ in a saving way (ie...granted to come to Christ). All that the Father gives to Jesus will come to Jesus.

 

==If you are saying that believers are given to the Son by the Father then you are clearly wrong. Scripture teaches that we are given to the Son by the Father and then we come to Christ and become believers (order of John 6:37, 17:2, 3:16, etc).

==Wrong. Jesus said those the Father gives Him "will" come to Him. God will use preachers, missionaries, evangelists, tracks, Bible reading, and a number of any other means to reach His sheep with the Gospel message. His sheep will hear His voice and follow Him, they will come to Christ (Jn 6:37, 10:27). God has chosen to work through men, but He does not "need" our service (Acts 17:25). If we will not preach the Gospel, God will find someone else who will. Those He has given to the Son "will" come to the Son.

Salvation is of the Lord.

==You just ignored everything I pointed out. Consider...

If the rich young ruler was drawn to Jesus, in the way you claim he was, then he is saved and will be raised up on the last day. Why? Because that is what Jesus said.

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me...that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day...No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day" -Jn 6:37a,39b,44

The rich young ruler "was not" drawn to the Son in a saving way. How do I know? Because he was not given eternal life (Jn 17:2). Like the men in John 6:60-66, the rich young ruler was interested in Christ but was not willing to come to Christ. That is why Jesus makes the statement in John 6:65, "no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father". What will Jesus do to those who are granted by the Father to come to Him? He will not drive them away (6:37), He will not lose them (6:39), and He will raise them up on the last day (6:39,40,44). So unless you are willing to convert to universal salvation, or unless you are willing to say that contrary to Scripture's witness the rich young ruler was saved, you cannot claim that the rich young ruler was drawn to Christ in a saving way (like described in John 6:37,44).

To your point..."It (grace) is not irresistible we can walk away"

What do you do with John 6:37 where Jesus says those the Father gives Him "will" come to Him? Those who are elect clearly will not resist but will come to Christ.

 

==I came to believe in the, so-called, doctrines of grace through personal Bible study. It was a long road but I am convinced by Scripture that the doctrines of grace, as commonly understood, are generally correct. I desire to know Christ and Him crucified as well. I am sure we both have that as our goal. But I also want to know what my Lord teaches about these issues. I can't go in a direction different from His Word. As another guy named Martin, Martin Luther, said so well at the Diet of Worms in April of 1521...

"my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do other wise."

==Then why are you not willing to deal with the points I raised from Scripture? I would really like to see you interact with the Biblical texts that I have pointed out (etc). Can you, will you, do that? If not please tell me so I don't continue to respond to your posts.

 

==Of course John 6:37-39,44 (etc) bring your statement into serious doubt. Are you going to directly deal with those verses? Yes or no?

==Yet Jesus said that those the Father has given Him "WILL" come to Him. There is no doubt there.

==Yet Jesus said that, "unless the Father who sent Me draws Him and I will raise him up on the last day" (Jn 6:44). Jesus said that those drawn to Him, in a saving way, will be raised up by Him on the last day (ie...they are given eternal life- Jn 17:2, 6:37-40).

==Who are those who come to Him? Those the Father has given to Him, those who Father draws to Him, and those the Father has granted may come to Jesus. Nobody comes to Jesus without "first" being given to Jesus by the Father. Do you deny this?

==As was the rich young ruler (yet you said he was drawn). Neither were drawn to Jesus in a saving way and therefore neither came to Jesus.