The Irresistible Call of the Gospel (3)

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44

The reader of our Newsletter who sent in this text, submitted it without a question attached, and apparently would like to have some general comments made on the text. This I am happy to do because it is such a crucially important text in the Gospel according to John.

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When we concluded our discussion of these verses in the last article in the last Newsletter, we pointed out that verse 44 is an explanation of verse 37 and explains the certainty expressed in verse 37. All the elect shall surely come to Christ because . . . . That is, because even the coming to Christ is God's work.

Some aspects of these amazing words of Christ we shall discuss in this and in the following article.

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The Lord is very clearly laying down here a rule which applies to every single case. Many, many come to Christ. Throughout the ages, those who come to Christ constitute an innumerable throng. They are greater in number than the stars in the sky.

Yet, not one of them has come to Christ in any other way than that the Father has drawn him. It is a universal rule, applicable in every instance.

And, we must not forget, those who come to Christ are those who are given to Christ (verse 37).

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To come to Christ is the same as to believe on Christ.

The subject of faith is a dominant theme in the gospel narrative, and is, in fact, the purpose for writing the book: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (20:31).

John uses different ways to describe faith. Eating Christ's body and drinking His blood, e.g., is believing in Christ (47-51). Following Christ is believing in Him (10:4). Here, coming to Christ is believing in Him.

Quite obviously, coming to Christ is not to be understood geographically or spatially. That was not true even when Jesus was on earth; and it certainly is not true today. We too come to Christ when we believe in Him.

To come to Christ is to believe that He is the eternal Son of God -- ". . . that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God . . ." (20:31).

To come to Christ is to recognize the deep need for Christ because we are so evil and wicked that we are unable to do one solitary thing for our own salvation.

To come to Christ is to believe that He is an all-sufficient Savior, in Whom alone we can find blessedness for this life and for the life to come. We can and will go to none other, for none other can save us. Christ is our ALL.

To come to Christ is to flee to Him out of sheer desperation; out of longing to escape the chains of sin; out of heart-rending sorrow for all our wickedness; to flee to Him that we may hurl ourselves into His blessed arms to find peace at last.

To come to Christ is to forsake ourselves, to damn ourselves as completely unworthy sinners, and to confess that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

To come to Christ is to be saved.

Such a one will never be cast out (verse 37). We never need fear that our sins are so many and so great that it would be useless to come to Christ. No one need think that heaven's door will ever be slammed in his face if he seeks Christ on high. No one is too young. No one is too old. No one is too great a sinner. No one is too far from the kingdom which Christ established. "Him that cometh to me (whoever he may be, it matters not), I will in no wise cast out."

It is blessed to come to Christ.

How does one come to Christ? That is the question.