Believers are a Gift from God

                                             "All that the Father gives me will come to me,
                                              and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
                                              For I have come down from heaven, not to do
                                              my own will but the will of Him who sent me.

                                              And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I
                                              should lose none of all that He has given me,
                                              but raise them up at the last day.   For my Father's
                                              will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
                                              believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will
                                              raise him up at the last day."
                                                                                             John 6:37-40


                                                                 **********


          God, the Father, who ordained His people for salvation before the foundation
     of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13),
     gives His children to Jesus.
          They come to him.  He ACCEPTS THEM AS A LOVE GIFT FROM  THE
     FATHER, forgives them, redeems them, never forsakes them, and grants them
     eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.


                                              "[Jesus said], 'I have manifested your name to
                                               the people whom you gave me out of the world.
                                               Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and
                                               they have kept your word. 

                                               Now  they know that everything you have
                                               given me is from you.
                                     
                                               For I have given them the words
                                               that you gave me, and they have received them and
                                               have come to know in truth that I came from you;
                                               and they have believed that you sent me.

                                               I am praying for them.  I am not praying for the world
                                               but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
                                               All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified
                                               in them."
                                                                                           John 17:6-10


          The phrase, "Yours they were," means that even before conversion, God's chosen
     people belong to Him, because of His unconditional election.  When God gives them
     to Jesus, they receive Him and His word, and trust in Him for salvation.

          Jesus intercedes for the ones given to Him by the Father -- the elect, and only them.
     He does not intercede for any others.  All those given to Jesus, belong to Him and also
     the Father.


                                                                     **********

          All those given to Jesus will remain safely in His hands and the hands of the Father.


                                               "[Jesus said], ' My sheep hear my voice,
                                                and I know them, and they follow me.
                                                I give them eternal life, and they will
                                                never perish, and no one will snatch
                                                them out of my hand.

                                                My Father, who has given them to me,
                                                is greater than all, and no one is able to
                                                snatch them out of the Father's hand.
                                                I and the Father are one.' "
                                                                                      John 10:27-30


                                                              **********


          Since Jesus has been given authority over everything, He gives life to whomever
     He pleases (John 5:21), and He is pleased to give eternal life to those given Him by
     the Father.


                                               "[Jesus said], '... you have given Him authority
                                                over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom
                                                you have given Him.  And this is eternal life,
                                                that they know you the only true God, and
                                                Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
                                                                                       John 17:2-3


                                                                ***********


          Jesus considered those given to Him, those who do His will, His brother and sister,
     and mother. 


                                             "For whoever does the will of my Father
                                              in heaven is my brother and sister and
                                              mother."
                                                                               Matthew 12:50


          He fully identified with mankind by becoming a man Himself, in order to provide
     total redemption for His people.


                                              "For He who sanctifies and those who
                                               are sanctified all have one source.
                                               That is why He is not ashamed to call
                                               them brothers, saying,
                                                     'I will tell of your name to my brothers;
                                                      in the midst of the congregation I will
                                                     sing your praise.'

                                                And again,
                                                      'I will put my trust in Him.'

                                                And again,
                                                      'Behold, I and the children God has given me.' "

                                                Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,
                                                He Himself likewise partook of the same things that
                                                through death He might destroy the one who has the
                                                power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those
                                                who through fear of death were subject to lifelong
                                                slavery.

                                                For surely it is not angels that He helps, but he helps the
                                                offspring of Abraham. 
                                               Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every
                                               respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful
                                               high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for
                                               the sins of the people."
                                                                                              Hebrews 2:11-17


                                                         **********


          Jesus loves those given to Him with a perfect and saving love, that never ends.

                      
                                                " ... having loved His own who were in
                                                  the world, He loved them to the end."
                                                                                           John 13:1b


                                                          **********


          While those who believe are gifts from God the Father to Jesus, Jesus likewise is a
     gift from God the Father to those who believe.


                                                  "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!"
                                                                                            2 Corinthians 9:15


                       "Paul summarized his discourse by comparing the believer's act of giving
     with what God did in giving Jesus Christ (Romans 8:32), 'His inexpressible gift.'
     God buried His Son and reaped a vast harvest of those who put their faith in the
     resurrected Christ (John 12:24).
                        That makes it possible for believers to joyfully, sacrificially, and
     abundantly sow and reap.  As they give in this manner, they show forth Christ's
     likeness (John 12:25-26; Ephesians 5:1-2)."
                                                                                John MacArthur