No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
You’ve just read Jesus’ own words. A lot of Christians can quote some of that verse but few quote the whole sentence, they usually miss the last 10 words. No man can come to Jesus unless God the Father draws him, AND those the Father draws Jesus will raise up! There are NOT two distinct groups - there is only one! Those the Father draws and those Jesus raises up are one and the same!
Jesus did not say, No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and if he accepts the free gift of salvation and believes in Me, I will raise him up. Yet that is what many are trying to say Jesus meant. Jesus will raise him up only if he will accept God’s free gift. A lot of Christians are running ahead of Scripture and need to stop adding to It! Jesus said those the Father draws I will raise up, PERIOD. Why? Because those the Father draws WILL come to Jesus. THAT is a Sovereign God Who gets His Way. THAT is a Sovereign God whose Word will NOT return void but WILL accomplish that for which it was sent. (Isaiah 55:11)
Jesus did not say, No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and if he accepts the free gift of salvation and believes in Me, I will raise him up. Yet that is what many are trying to say Jesus meant. Jesus will raise him up only if he will accept God’s free gift. A lot of Christians are running ahead of Scripture and need to stop adding to It! Jesus said those the Father draws I will raise up, PERIOD. Why? Because those the Father draws WILL come to Jesus. THAT is a Sovereign God Who gets His Way. THAT is a Sovereign God whose Word will NOT return void but WILL accomplish that for which it was sent. (Isaiah 55:11)
The second point - the Greek word that is translated “draw” in verse 44 is the same Greek word that is translated “drag” in James 2:6. Are the rich drawing the poor into court? Are the rich persuading the poor into court? NO! I’m sure some will find it difficult to admit that James 2:6 is an accurate translation, i.e. DRAG (Strong’s #1670). Why is it that with every use of the word (John 18:10, 21:6, 21:11; Acts 16:19, 21:30; James 2:6) in context draw means to compel, or force an action or behavior - but in John 6:44 above (and John 12:32) it is assumed by some Christians that draw means persuade? The proper modern-day English word is DRAG. Now - read again what Jesus said - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me drags him to me, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Why does the lost man have to be dragged? Because the natural propensity of a lost man is to do only evil, continually (Genesis 6:5), he won't come into the Light because he hates God (John 3:20), he can't please God (Romans 8:8), and he can’t understand things from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). So God draws (drags) him to Christ. Why? Because the lost man is dead in his sins and is not able to come on his own. Similar to Lazarus being dead and not able to come out of the tomb on his own - he was bound hand and foot (John 11:44). He was literally levitated and floated out. He didn't resist, nor was he able.
So it is not because the spirit of a lost man is resisting, it's not. It has to be dragged because it is dead. Don't confuse the inability of the spirit to resist with the resistance of the flesh Stephen so clearly illustrates in Acts 7:51. Of course the flesh resists because it can do nothing else - a lost man is demon-possessed! (Ephesians 2:2)
Doing what the lost man could never do on his own, God quickens his dead spirit. The now saved man WILL come unto the Light. It is now his nature to WANT to come to Christ - and he WILL come. He WILL believe (accept), he WILL repent, and he WILL confess Christ as his Savior - all because God quickened him and MADE him a believer by working in him (John 6:29, Philippians 2:13). God GAVE him belief (Philippians 1:29).
So it is not because the spirit of a lost man is resisting, it's not. It has to be dragged because it is dead. Don't confuse the inability of the spirit to resist with the resistance of the flesh Stephen so clearly illustrates in Acts 7:51. Of course the flesh resists because it can do nothing else - a lost man is demon-possessed! (Ephesians 2:2)
Doing what the lost man could never do on his own, God quickens his dead spirit. The now saved man WILL come unto the Light. It is now his nature to WANT to come to Christ - and he WILL come. He WILL believe (accept), he WILL repent, and he WILL confess Christ as his Savior - all because God quickened him and MADE him a believer by working in him (John 6:29, Philippians 2:13). God GAVE him belief (Philippians 1:29).
It’s called “Irresistible Grace” - the “I” in TULIP. The 4th point in the 5 points of Calvinism. Those to whom God applies saving Grace WILL come, no ifs, ands, or buts. (John 6:37)
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