When God first saved me, I was caught up in the belief that I had a part in it, I accepted Jesus, invited Him into my heart. As I continue to grow in knowledge and maturity and study God’s word, I clearly see how wrong I was and the dangers of such thinking. My prayer is that God will open the eyes of all who give credit for their salvation to ‘self’…lyn
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”—John 6:44.
COMING to Christ” is a very common phrase in Holy Scripture. It is used to express those acts of the soul wherein, leaving at once our self-righteousness, and our sins, we fly unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive his righteousness to be our covering, and his blood to be our atonement. Coming to Christ, then, embraces in it repentance, self-negation, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it sums within itself all those things which are the necessary attendants of these great states of heart, such as the belief of the truth, earnestness of prayer to God, the submission of the soul to the precepts of God’s gospel, and all those things which accompany the dawn of salvation in the soul. Coming to Christ is just the one essential thing for a sinner’s salvation. He that cometh not to Christ, do what he may, or think what he may, is yet in “the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.” Coming to Christ is the very first effect of regeneration. No sooner is the soul quickened than it at once discovers its lost estate, is horrified thereat, looks out for a refuge, and believing Christ to be a suitable one, flies to him and reposes in him. Where there is not this coming to Christ, it is certain that there is as yet no quickening; where there is no quickening, the soul is dead in trespasses and sins, and being dead it cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. We have before us now an announcement very startling, some say very obnoxious. Coming to Christ, though described by some people as being the very easiest thing in all the world, is in our text declared to be a thing utterly and entirely impossible to any man, unless the Father shall draw him to Christ. It shall be our business, then, to enlarge upon this declaration. We doubt not that it will always be offensive to carnal nature, but, nevertheless, the offending of human nature is sometimes the first step towards bringing it to bow itself before God. And if this be the effect of a painful process, we can forget the pain and rejoice in the glorious consequences.
I shall endeavour this morning, first of all, to notice man’s inability, wherein it consists. Secondly, the Father’s drawings—what these are, and how they are exerted upon the soul. And then I shall conclude by noticing a sweet consolation which may be derived from this seemingly barren and terrible text.
continue here…
I believe most people think they chose Christ, as that’s what the experience of being born again leads us to – we see and feel but know not the unseen prior work of the Holy Spirit. Hence the importance of reading the Bible – wherein God reveals His unmerited choice of the elect, before time, space, and matter were created. And as time unfolds, we who are caught in it, experience His grace as we tumble into eternity. Because of His great love for those whom Christ bought with His blood, we are were chosen – in spite of ourselves – are called sons and daughters of the most high God!
Well said Manfred: those of the free will camp overlook so many verses concerning depravity and human inability and lack of free will, especially John 1:13 and Romans 9:16
The “Free Grace” people also make me sick – teaching that one can be saved and exhibit NO fruit, unless discipled by men. They are rightly allergic to works based salvation, but take this so far that they fall into the ditch on the other side of the road. As if the Spirit of God, Who raised Christ from the dead, can make one a new creature in Christ and not leave a mark? No litmus test of salvation, such as speaking in tongues, but if one is in Christ, he will grow in grace and love for righteousness and hatred for sin.
Our church is in Romans right now, covered chapter 9:6-13 yesterday