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Calvin on 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." - John 6:44
[Commenting on the phrase - "unless the Father who sent me draws him."] - "The statement amounts to this, that we ought not to wonder if many refuse to embrace the Gospel; because no man will ever of himself be able to come to Christ, but God must first approach him by his Spirit; and hence it follows that all are not drawn, but that God bestows this grace on those whom he has elected. True, indeed, as to the kind of drawing, it is not violent, so as to compel men by external force; but still it is a powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, which makes men willing who formerly were unwilling and reluctant. It is a false and profane assertion, therefore, that none are drawn but those who are willing to be drawn, as if man made himself obedient to God by his own efforts; for the willingness with which men follow God is what they already have from himself, who has formed their hearts to obey him."
- John Calvin
Comments
Yes and Amen!
Posted by: michael | March 6, 2013 07:08 PM
So I ask again....
If no one can come to Jesus unless the Father "draws" him, how is it that Jesus also said that no one goes to the Father except through HIm?
Clearly, this must be beyond human comprehension but, nevertheless, it is in the Bible.
Posted by: Bob | March 7, 2013 09:32 AM
Bob,
I dont understand why this is a dilemma to you - no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws that person to Christ, and all those approaching the Father will do so through being united with Christ. Why is this a problem for you to understand?
Posted by: John S | March 7, 2013 10:18 AM
So where is the Holy Spirit in all of this? Does one go to the Father first in order to get to Jesus? Or does one go to Jesus first in order to get to the Father? There must be an order, since God is not the God of chaos. Does monergism have an answer for that?
Posted by: Bob | March 7, 2013 05:33 PM
Bob,
There is no competition in the Godhead - all work in unison. The Father draws people to the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Posted by: John S | March 8, 2013 10:39 PM
Bob
Where is the Holy Spirit in all of this?
If you read John chapter six Jesus talks all about the Holy Spirit being the agent that draws.
John 6:63. "He say the Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing... that is why I told you that no one can come to me unless God grants it."
It is the Father who draws or grants (john 6:44, 65) and he draws to the Son by the Holy Spirit who gives life. It is 100% Trinitarian. God alone does this work it is not a cooperative effort of God and man. Man only believes because the Spirit has united him to Christ.
Posted by: John H | March 13, 2013 01:03 PM
"God alone does this work?" "It is not a cooperative effort of God and man?" God will save me without me? What if I want to be saved? Will God then not save me if I call on Him? What if I surrender everything to Him? Will He then still not save me? That is not the God I know.
Posted by: Bob | March 13, 2013 04:34 PM
Bob,
I do not think that you have any idea of what you are speaking about. That is true, it is not a god that you know, it is the God of the Bible.
Here is a question for you, so you think that you in your fallen state are able: to want to be saved? to surrender everything to Him? to call upon Him?
if your answer is yes to any of it, please support if with the Scriptures (within context, no text proofing please)
Posted by: Maks | March 16, 2013 05:10 PM