There is a song that many people sing called, “Just As I Am”. It is often times used as an “Invitational Hymn”. Inviting people to come forward and make a profession of faith, and that by doing so you would be given eternal life.
Just as I am, without one plea, but that thou blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidst me come to Thee.
This coming can be one of two things. If this coming is eternal life then it can not be a work of man. To go to God would have to either be a work of God out of our control or it could mean to follow Him and by doing so that would be an evidence of life. Here is a few verses from John that I’d like to look at think about and hopefully ponder them.
John 6:44-47 “44 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. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
This verse clearly states that no man can come to the Father except He be drawn by the Father. Lets think about the definition of draw. What does it mean to draw? This isn’t a picture that he’s talking about but I’d still like to look at drawing a picture. Who is in control of what the picture looks like? The Artist, right! The picture or the object has no control over what it is going to do, only the artist does. If God was going to draw us we would have no control over what we look like or end up with, He is in control. Okay, what if we think about drawing some water from a well. This I would think would be similar use of the word. If we went to a well to draw some water, when could we say that the water was drawn? After the project was complete, right. So my question then becomes, are we drawn if we don’t come? If God draws us, are not we water out of the well? Just like water can not come out of well unless it is drawn, we can not come unto to God unless He draws us.
Now what about that next verse. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. This must mean that everyone must hear the Gospel. Wrong!!! This says everyman that hath heard from the Father. Everyman that has the Spirit placed in him. The Father is in control of that. John the Baptist leaped for joy in his mothers womb, I’d say that was a sign of life. A sign of Spiritual life. I doubt there was any gospel preaching in there.
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Belief is a sign, a fruit of everlasting life. If you believe you have everlasting life. Belief is not the cause but an effect. Man has no control over who believes only the Spirit of God.
Now I’d like to look at a few verses that speak about what must I do to have everlasting life. Let’s go to Matthew 19:16-22.
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
This man thought he had kept the ten commandments perfectly. He thought he could gain eternal life by works. What must I do? The answer is not keep the commandments. No one can do that. For all have sinned. Jesus wanted to make that man think. Had he really kept all those commandments, I really doubt it. Jesus knew this man was a rich man. He knew where his true heart lied. He loved his possesions more than he wanted eternal life. Man can not choose to follow God without the Spirit in him. Man cannot choose to have salvation because we are sinners. We would much rather have the things of this world than the things of heaven. We cannot give up our pleasures here for something we know nothing about, for something we can’t imagine. This is a perfect example of all men. That is what all man would choose if we had to make a choice about earthly pleasures or Heaven. I struggle with that now. I feel convicted many times when I make wrong choices. I have to fight against them. I could not do that without the Spirit of God and His help.
May God bless you all!!
The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Mt 19:16-22
The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Jn 6:45
The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Jn 6:44-47
