Bible Truth #25 - John 3:19-20

John 3:19-20

19  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

This leaves little doubt about man’s ability to come to Christ, it’s nonexistent. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:5) whether people believe or not, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light. Who is Jesus identifying here as those who do evil? Well, you and I do evil (sin) but we don’t hate the Light. It is clear that Jesus is referring to those who are lost as those who do evil. In Jesus’ own words He says that those who are lost will NOT come to Him, PERIOD. When you compare this Scripture with other Scripture, we know that they will not come to Him not only because the Light will expose their sins, and that they hate the Light, but also because they are unable (John 6:65).  And as God says in Proverbs 8:36 - ...all they that hate me love death.

In effect, Arminianism says that lost men who love the darkness have the ability to choose to come to the Light when Jesus said right here that men who love the darkness hate the Light and will not come to it. The lost are DEAD in their sins, not mortally wounded! Do you see what’s wrong with Arminian soteriology? It’s contradicting the Gospel and Jesus’ own words. Men love the darkness and hate the Light and will not come into the Light, period. That is why God has to initiate the first action and that is to convert a lost man (save him, quicken his dead spirit) through the faith that He alone gives (Romans 12:3; Ephesians 2:8), and then grant him belief (John 6:29; Philippians 1:29), and repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). And God does that only to those He has chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

That is how WE were saved. God quickened our dead spirit and made us believe (John 6:29), and He did it without asking us first. Then, and only THEN, did we come into the Light. Just as it was natural to hate the Light before God saved us, it is just as natural to come into the Light AFTER He saved us.