The Will of the Father
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Today we are looking at John 6:35-46. In this passage we get a glimpse into the heart of God. Jesus tells us very specifically what the will of God is.
How many of us want to know what God’s will is?
Then, let’s look into this passage and see what Jesus has to say to us.
Prayer
The Will of the Father
The Will of the Father
As I mentioned, in this passage, Jesus tells us what the will of the Father is. Did you see it?
In what verse do you see it?
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
“I shall lose none of all that he has given me...”
What is Jesus talking about? What has God given Him? What should He not lose?
I know when I give something to my kids, I don’t want them to lose it. But is that what Jesus is talking about here?
What is it that the Father has given Him, that Jesus should not lose?
People.
The context of this passage is all about people needing to receive Jesus as their Savior. It is all about people believing in Jesus, and finding in Him eternal life! Real life! Satisfying life!
But what does Jesus mean when He says now, “All that He has given me?” What does that mean?
This passage in which Jesus talks about the Will of the Father has some important doctrine for us to understand.
What is doctrine? Doctrine is just a fancy word for teaching. There are some important things taught in this passage.
Today, as we begin to look at the will of the Father, we are going to focus on a couple verses in the passage we just read. John 6:37, and John 6:44.
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Doctrine of Election
Doctrine of Election
Jesus is talking to a bunch of people who have seen Him doing the miraculous. They have seen Him do what only God can do, and what God has done before. They have heard Him teach. They have heard Him declare that He is fully God.
Yet, as we saw in verse 36, they do not believe.
Jesus was not surprised by this. In fact, He knew the hearts of all mankind as we saw in John 2. And, He knew that those God the Father gave Him would believe.
Jesus uses this specific term, ‘gives’ on a few different occasions. He uses this term in John 6:65.
He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
The scriptures are clear that God has given people to Jesus. These are the ones that we saw in Ephesians 1:4 when we studied that book, that God the Father chose those who are, or will be saved before the creation of the World.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
We also saw it in 1 Peter.
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
The scriptures are clear that ever since Adam and Eve first disobeyed God and followed their own desires, all men and women have done the same. This is called sinning. We all sin. We all do what we want even when it is against God’s Holiness and righteousness which He created us to reflect. We are disobedient, and rebellious. We are born like that, and as such, we are enemies of God. We think we are free, but we are slaves of the very things we do in rebellion against God.
God knew that as slaves, we would not come to Him on our own. So, God went to work.
Doctrine of Drawing
Doctrine of Drawing
God knew that we would not just seek Him out. He knew that we would not just come to Him humbly to see salvation. So God went to work, and started drawing us.
Now drawing is the same word used for when fishermen would draw in their nets. They pull them in slowly and deliberately to catch the fish.
In the same way, God works deliberately to bring us to Himself. Jesus spoke of this in John 6:44.
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
How does God go about drawing us in? His kindness!
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
God draws people through His kindness. The fact that He created and sustains this world. The way He makes blessings to come on all, both the good and the bad. The scriptures speak of Him causing the rain to fall on the just, or righteous, and the unjust, or unrighteous.
Not only does He send those common blessings on people, but He sent He best blessing when He sent Jesus.
He did not wait for people to ask for a savior. He did not wait for people to respond to His general blessings of sun, and rain, and creation. Even while we were His enemies, He sent Jesus to be our savior! He sent Jesus to die and rise again to bring us new, eternal life!
And that leads us to the next doctrine,
Doctrine of Repentance
Doctrine of Repentance
Did you see in Romans 2:4 what the drawing of God is for? To lead us to repentance.
God is the One who chose before the creation of the World.
God is the One who draws.
But throughout scripture, not all who are drawn respond. We see that from Cain, on through Israel when they are sent into exile because they would not repent. They would not receive what God wanted to give them.
I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.
“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?
A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans.
My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.
The people of Israel were drawn with kindness.
They refused to repent.
They turned from God.
Repent means to turn. It is a change of mind, or heart. It means to change the mind from one of rebellion against God, to receiving what God has to say. It is to change the mind to believe and receive what God says is true.
God is the Judge of the Universe. It is His to save by applying the justice of what Christ did when He died on the cross to the sinner who repents and believes. Or, it is His to mete out justice to the one who will not repent.
God draws. God will save. It is men and women who are responsible to repent and believe.
It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.
I love this verse. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to me.
All of these people heard from the Father. They heard the words that Jesus taught. And we saw in John 5 that Jesus only taught what the Father gave Him to say.
These people all heard from God. But hearing from God isn’t the only part is it?
No, they much learn from Him. That is, they need to repent, change their minds to learn from God.
God is faithful to draw. God is faithful to teach. Unfortunately, many who are drawn and taught will not repent and believe. It is not in us to do so.
That is why God had to choose some to respond to His drawing.
The doctrine of election is not that some are chosen to perish for eternity. Salvation is available for all. All are drawn by God. The problem is the stubborn hearts of men and women who do not want to repent, and admit they are wrong, and God is right. They do not want to receive the salvation God draws them to receive.
That is why I love this passage. It not only shows God’s election. But this passage also shows that all who will receive Jesus as Savior will be saved.
How sure are we that all who receive Jesus will be saved?
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
Doctrine of Assurance
Doctrine of Assurance
Jesus said God’s will is that He should lose none of those that God gave Him.
Anyone who is chosen by God, drawn by God, repents to God and believes, will not be lost!
First, Jesus says that whoever comes He will receive.
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Jesus will never turn away, or drive away anyone who comes! You never have to fear not being chosen. If you are drawn by God and repent, Jesus will receive you! He does not care what you have or do not have. He does not care what you look like. He does not care what you have to offer to Him. He dies not care what you can or cannot do for Him. If you come to Him, If you believe He is the God who loves you, died for you and rose again, He will receive you! He will take you as His own, and never turn you away.
Not only will He never turn you away, He will never lose you! You cannot be lost. He will keep you safe.
Nothing that happens to you in this world could separate you from Him and His love. Nothing.
I wonder if this is what brings joy to our brothers and sisters who are in captivity, or who are being persecuted for their faith around the world?
They do not have physical blessings in this world, but they have a savior who will never lose them!
They may be rejected by their families, but they have a God and savior who will never turn His back on them, and never turn them away!
They may have physical pain and suffering. They may even die, but not even that can separate them from their God and Savior. No, it can only bring them closer to Him!
they have learned to fix their eyes on Jesus, their God and Savior! They have learned that this world is not their home!
They have learned that they are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, and that their King will raise them up on the last day to reign with Him forever and ever!
They have learned? Have we?
What about me?
What about me?
I know that some of you know the rejection of family and friends. You have felt the sting of betrayal from some to whom you reached out, and thought they were your friends.
I know that some of you know the physical suffering of this world. This world is broken because of the sin of man. And that leads to sickness and pain.
I know that some of you no the disappointments of this world, the way that money and possessions just cannot satisfy.
I know that some of you know the pain from the death of loved ones.
These doctrines we talk about, God’s election, God’s drawing, Repentance and Assurance are what we need to face these struggles of life.
Other believers have found the strength that knowing these truths provides. Have we?
I pray that we will learn to rejoice and exalt our God and Savior who, because of the will of the Father, will never turn us away.
I pray that we will learn to rejoice and exalt our God and Savior who chose us, draws us, and upon our repentance, saves us and will never lose us!
Praise the Lord who has chosen us, drawn us, and upon our repentance, saved and received us as His own! Praise the Lord who will never lose us, but will raise us up to be with Him for all eternity after all of the things of earth are burned up and are no more!
Homework:
Pray and ask the Lord to speak to you about the doctrines, teachings from John 6:35-46. Then, read the passage each day this week.
Doctrine of Election. Read John 6:37, 39, 65. Each of these verses use the word give (δίδωμι is the Greek word. Depending on your translation, John 6:65 may say ‘enabled’, or ‘granted’.) Other verses we looked at on Sunday were Ephesians 1:4, and 1 Peter 1:2. Jesus also spoke of this in Matthew 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20; Luke 18:7. Then, there are many other verses in the epistles that speak to God’s chosen, or elect, for example: Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 17:14. Does God give good gifts, or bad gifts? Consider James 1:17a and Psalm 85:12. Since God gives good gifts, and He gave you to Jesus, what does that make you? Election should lead us to rejoice that God considers us special! Others may tear you down, but God chose you!! He did not choose you because you were special, but His choosing you makes you special! Let that sink in. Rejoice in the fact that He chose you!! He chose to make you special in Christ!
Doctrine of Drawing. Read John 6:44. Also check out Romans 2:4, 1 John 4:9-10 and Romans 5:8. God was loving you, and drawing you long before you were even alive! Since you were alive, He has preserved your life. He has given you blessings and deliverance on a daily basis. Consider the blessings God has given you today. They are there. Sometimes our troubles make them hard to see, but they are there. God’s drawing should be an encouragement. You may not be loved by others. You may not be pursued by others. But God is loving and pursuing you. He wants to win your heart. Will you open your eyes and see His pursuit of you today? Share with someone how God is drawing you even still.
Doctrine of Repentance. Read John 6:44-45. God promised in the prophets to speak. He has spoken, and He continues to speak through Creation and His word. The question is, will we learn? Will we listen to what He is saying? Sometimes the world and our situations are screaming for all of our attention. We need to take time to not only read the words, but to listen. Read Hosea 11:4-7. We saw how Israel was drawn by God, but they would not repent. They would not listen. Thus they suffered even more. We have talked in weeks past about John 6:35, and eternal life. What do you look to for satisfaction in life? Are you listening to what God says about real life, and real satisfaction? Will you repent of the things of this world in which you trust, and trust Him for real life and satisfaction?
Doctrine of Assurance. Read John 6:37 and John 6:39. How does Jesus not turning you away encourage you? How might it encourage someone who struggles with fearing what other people think? How might it help someone who has felt the sting of rejection from others? How does this help someone who has had friends or family turn them away? How does it help us to view the importance of eternity, instead of just life in this world?