Jesus Taught the Doctrines of Grace Part 2

          Yesterday, we demonstrated that Jesus taught the "doctrines of grace."

                                 The Sovereignty of God

                                 Total Inability

                                 Unconditional Election

                                 Limited or Definite Atonement

                                 Irresistible Grace

                                 Preservation of the Saints


          Today, we continue looking at John 6:37-45, a passage that has Jesus
     teaching each of these doctrines.


          This is a summary of the seventh chapter of The Potter's Freedom, by
     James White.


                                    "And the one who comes to Me
                                      I will never cast out" (v. 37b).


          "The true believer, the one 'coming' to the Son, has this promise of the Lord:
     using the strongest form of denial possible, Jesus affirms the eternal security of
     the believer.
           Jesus is the one who gives life and raises His own at the last day.  He
     promises that there is no possibility whatsoever that any one who is coming
     to Him in true faith could ever find Him unwilling to save.

          But this tremendous promise is the second half of a sentence.  It is based
     upon the truth that was first proclaimed.  This promise is to those who are
     given by the Father to the Son and to no one else. 

          Of course, we will see in verse 44 that no one but those who are given will
     be coming to Christ in faith anyway:  but there are surely those who, like many
     in that audience in Capernaum, are willing to follow for a while, willing to
     believe for a season.  This promise is not theirs.

          This promise to the elect, however, could not be more precious.  Since Christ
     is able to save perfectly (He is not dependent upon man's will, man's cooperation),
     his promise means the elect cannot ever be lost.
          This is the only basis of 'eternal security' or the perseverance of the saints:
     they look to a perfect Savior who is able to save.


                                                   ****************


          Verse 38 begins with a connective that indicates a continuation of the thought:
     verses 38 and 39 explain verse 37.
          Christ keeps all those who come to Him for He is fulfilling the will of the Father.

                                 '38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do
                                 My will, but the will of Him who sent me.'

          The divine Messiah always does the will of the Father.  There is perfect harmony
     between the work of the Father and the Son.
           And what is the will of the Father for the Son?  In simple terms, it is the Father's
     will that the Son save perfectly.

                                '39. This is the will of Him who sent Me
                                 that I should lose none of those He has
                                 given Me but should raise them up on
                                 the last day.' 


          Those who are given infallibly come to the Son in v. 37, and it is these same
     ones, the elect, who are raised up at the last day. 
          Resurrection is the work of Christ, and in this passage, is paralleled with the
     giving of eternal life (v. 40).

                                '40. For this is the will of My Father:
                                 that everyone who sees the Son and
                                 believes in Him may have eternal life,
                                 and I will raise him up on the last day.'


           Christ gives eternal life to all those who are given to Him and who,
     as a result, come to Him.

            It is not the Father's will that Christ try to save but that He save a
     particular people.   He is to lose none of all that He is given.  How can
     this be if, in fact, the final decision lies with man, not with God?
            It is the Father's will that results in the resurrection to life of any
     individual person. 
 
    
                       THIS IS ELECTION IN THE STRONGEST TERMS,
                       AND IT IS TAUGHT WITH CLARITY IN THE
                       REDDEST LETTERS IN SCRIPTURE!


                                                      ***************


          Verse 39 begins with  'This is the will of Him who sent Me,'
     and verse 40, does the same, 'For this is the will of My Father.'
     But in verse 39 we have the will of the Father for the Son.
     Now we have the will of the Father for the elect.

                           'That everyone who sees the Son and believes
                            in Him may have eternal life, and I Myself
                            will raise him up on the last day.'


          Jesus raises up on the last day everyone given to Him (v. 39)
     and everyone looking and believing in Him (v. 40)
.
          Are we to believe these are different groups?  Of course not.
          Jesus raises one group to eternal life.  But since this is so,
     does it not follow that everyone given to Him will look to Him
     and believe in Him?  Most assuredly.


                                                            **************

          Saving faith, then, is exercised by all of those given to the Son
     by the Father (one of the reasons, as we will see, the Bible affirms
     clearly that saving faith is a gift of God)."

          Tomorrow:  The Conclusion