Tag Archives: salvation

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“I Will Draw All Men”…Are You Sure About That?

KD Jesus Christ dying on the cross Sticker Poster|Christian Posters ...“I Will Draw All Men”…Are You Sure About That?

James R. Aist

“One may infer that saving faith is the result of the elect being taught by and learning from the Father, rather than by deciding to believe in Jesus after being drawn to Him.”

In this article, I will use various scripture passages to connect the dots, so to speak, concerning the mechanics of salvation as described in the Bible. My focus will be on a few passages that deal specifically with people being drawn to Jesus, one way or another. In doing so, I will challenge a very commonly held interpretation of one key verse that is all too often taken out of context to arrive at a conclusion that is not warranted by the text.

What is the result of being “drawn to Jesus?”

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, Jesus answers this question repeatedly, clearly and to the point:

John 6:40 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Here we can see that when Jesus says “I will raise him up on the last day”, He means that He will raise him up to eternal life.)

John 6:44-45  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘They shall all be taught by God.’  Therefore everyone who has heard and has learned of the Father comes to Me.” (There are three pertinent points to see here: 1) No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him; 2) Those whom the Father draws to Jesus will be taught by God; and 3) Everyone whom the Father has drawn to Jesus will be raised up to eternal life on the last day.)

John 6:54 “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day. (Everyone who has eternal life will be raised up on the last day.)

What, then, does it mean to be “drawn to Jesus?” What John 6 is saying is that only those who are drawn to Jesus by the Father can be saved, and everyone who is drawn to Jesus is taught by God and will be raised up by Jesus to eternal life on the last day. Note that there is not even a hint here that, in this process, we are invited to make a choice whether or not to believe in Jesus.

Thus, the path to salvation, according to Jesus, goes like this: an elect person is drawn to Jesus by the Father, then taught by the Father, learns from the Father, and is raised up to eternal life by Jesus on the last day. One may infer, then, that saving faith is the result of the elect being taught by and learning from the Father, rather than by deciding to believe in Jesus after being drawn to Him.

Does the Bible say that all men are drawn to Jesus?

That said, let us now turn our attention to the main thrust of this article, starting with a comprehensive understanding of the meaning of the word “all” in the Bible and elsewhere. If you look up “all” in most any dictionary, you will find not one, but two, alternative meanings. Perhaps the most familiar meaning is inclusive, as in “all have sinned,” where “all” refers to all of humanity. Another meaning is exclusive, as in “all Israel will be saved”, where “all” refers only to those Jews who will believe in Jesus. To discern which of these two alternative meanings applies, one must consider the context of the passage in question.

Now we are ready to examine a well-known utterance of Jesus that is commonly misconstrued: “And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.” He said this to signify by what kind of death He would die.” (John 12:32-33). The second verse is usually ignored, leaving only “And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself”, and is then cited as biblical proof that all of mankind is drawn to Jesus. But, there are at least two reasons why that interpretation cannot be correct. First, the meaning of verse 32 is explained in the very next verse: “He said this to signify by what kind of death He would die,” not “how many would be drawn to Him if He were to be crucified!” And second, if verse 32 was meant to say that all of mankind would be drawn to Him, then this would mean that all people will be saved, because, as we learned above, all who are drawn to Jesus will believe in Jesus and inherit eternal life. Thus, to cite John 12:32 as biblical proof that everyone is drawn to Jesus is tantamount to endorsing universalism, a well-known heresy!  A correct understanding of John 12:32, then, may be to see “all” in this verse to be the exclusive “all”, most likely referring only to God’s elect.

Are we drawn to Jesus to be given a choice to either accept or reject the offer of salvation?

Some say that all people are drawn to Jesus, and then they are given a choice whether or not to accept His offer of salvation. They receive eternal life if they say yes, or so the story goes. There are several reasons why this storyline cannot be true. First, it does not square with what Jesus says about it in John 6, as mentioned above. Second, the Bible does not say, clearly and directly to the point, that anyone chooses to believe in Jesus. Saving faith is a gift of God, given only to His elect. Whenever the Bible speaks clearly to this matter, it is God, not us, who does the choosing. And third, in Romans 8:29-30, the Apostle Paul traces the path to salvation as follows: God foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified those He saves. What is missing from this path to salvation is any step at which God presents to us an opportunity to accept  or reject God’s offer of salvation.

Why is it important to know how God saves us, if all He saves will be with Him in heaven anyway?

There is no solid, biblical basis for believing that the Father draws us to Jesus to then, give us an opportunity to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation; it is nothing more than a human construct designed to give the impression that the free will of men is sovereign over God’s will in the matter of salvation. This idea may be attractive and appealing  to the ego and easy to believe, but it robs God of the full measure of glory in saving us. God is not willing to share His gory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8). My Bible says that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8), not us!

You can read more of my articles on biblical topics by clicking (HERE).

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The Parable of the Mountain Laurel

The Parable of the Mountain Laurel

James R. Aist

As you may know, in the Bible, a parable is a story that uses well-known, common, everyday events or experiences to illustrate a spiritual truth or teaching. This parable took a couple of years to develop and several more years for me to discover. After I moved to Knoxville in 2004, I had new landscaping shrubbery planted in a straight row along the front of our house. Among the new shrubs were three Mountain Laurels, a species that is common in East Tennessee, both wild and domestic. At first, these new shrubs appeared healthy and vigorous, producing abundant growth with leaves of a deep green color and a few white, flowering wands. But, within a few years, things began to change for the worse.

These shrubs began to die off one at at time, one or two branches at a time. In each case, I would prune off the dead branches in hopes that the infection would not spread to the remaining branches, but, alas and alack, it always did. Once the first shrub was dead, I removed it in hopes that the infection would not spread to the adjacent shrub, but it did. This cycle was repeated until all that was left of the original three shrubs was one branch of the last shrub. This branch was healthy and green, but I couldn’t imagine how it could possibly develop into a fully and properly formed ornamental shrub, even if it were to remain healthy. Just when I was about to remove the last remnant of the three shrubs and start all over again, I decided to just let it stand until this last branch began to die, and then remove it. I was not going to be the instrument of demise of this last shrub while there was still life in it.

As time went by, I kept noticing that the last branch was remaining healthy and green. Soon, new, healthy branches began to grow from the good branch. It was then that I realized that this good branch had, somehow, escaped infection. As the years went by, more and more healthy green branches were added each year, until now, I have a large, healthy and beautiful Mountain Laurel growing in front of my house (see photo, above)! Had I given up on that last shrub while it had just that one healthy branch left, its potential would not have been realized.

So, what is the spiritual lesson in this parable of the Mountain Laurel? I believe it is that we should never give up on anyone who may seem to be beyond hope. I believe that this lesson applies not only to the salvation of the soul, but also to the healing and restoration of one who is seemingly lying at death’s door. In either case, it’s not over until God says its over, so let’s not give up on them too soon!

(To read more of my articles with a biblical theme, click HERE.)

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What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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What Must I Do To Be Saved?

James R. Aist

 “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:29)

Before I begin to answer this question directly, there is something I need to say to the “seeker” who wants to understand the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. First, abandon all of your pre-conceived notions about earning your way into heaven by doing “good works.” That’s not how it operates. God’s plan of salvation is based on the good works of a sinless man, Jesus Christ, when He died on a cross to pay the price (death) for your sins. All that is required of you is to believe in Jesus (John 3:16), and you will be saved. This Gospel is foolishness to unbelievers, but to believers it is the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18). Second, believe only what the Bible actually says about salvation, seeking the truth there alone. There is no other way to heaven than to trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:12).

Many different answers have been given when someone asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Jesus said that it all boils down to having faith in Himself, the Son of God, and, of course, He was exactly right. Paul elaborated a bit when he wrote, “… if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9). But, I believe that there is more that can be said truthfully and gainfully about it in order to help a seeker know and understand more fully the answer to this question.

I love to hear detailed accounts of how God has saved different folks. The details vary, but there are some aspects that are apparently universal. Of course, God knows exactly how He is going to save every one of His chosen people, and He does whatever He pleases in order to do it. Nevertheless, He has chosen to reveal to us, in His written word, some of the universal aspects concerning how He goes about saving people.

Firstly, we must recognize that we are all born into a state of enmity and rebellion toward God (Romans 3:10-12).

Secondly, we should understand that God is in control of whom He will and will not save; salvation belongs to God (Psalm 3:8; Revelation 7:10; Revelation 19:1). In fact, God chose whom He would save before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

Thirdly, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). No one can believe in Jesus of their own accord, apart from the Father’s influence. And all whom the Father influences in this way will be saved. One universal aspect of the Father’s influence in this regard is that He uses believers to tell unbelievers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14).

Fourthly, a person can think their way toward Jesus under the influence of the Father, but it requires a direct and singular act of grace by the Father to get them all the way to saving faith in Jesus: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

And, finally, just as we are not in control of our initial salvation experience apart from God’s intervention, so also it is God Himself, not us, Who keeps us saved by His own power (1 Peter 1:4-5) and by the presence (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14) and activity (Philippians 2:13) of His Holy Spirit in us. In fact, the Holy Spirit in us is God’s guarantee that we will spend our eternity with Him in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-15).

Thus, the mechanics of salvation can be summarized in this way: We are all born into a state of enmity and rebellion toward God. God is in control of whom He will and will not save. No one can come to saving faith in Jesus unless the Father draws him. Saving faith in Jesus is a gift from God, not a product of our efforts apart from God’s influence. And, just as it is God who saves us, it is also God who keeps us saved. So, perhaps a better question to ask is , “What must God do to save us?”

If you want God to save you and keep you saved, then purpose in your heart to end your rebellion toward Him, confess your sins to the Father, ask Him to give you the gift of saving faith in Jesus Christ and commit yourself to put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. God is faithful and just to forgive your sins (cf. 1 John 1:9) and to grant you the gift of saving faith (Romans 10:8-10). Rest assured that He will do it (John 5:24; Romans 10:13), because He chose you for salvation before the foundation of the world!

Finally, remember Jesus’ words: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29). When God the Father has drawn you to the point that you believe in the One He has sent, Jesus, then you will already be “born from above” into eternal life with God in heaven. We have God’s word on it. Rest assured that God knows exactly how to save each and every one of His elect, so surrender to His influence, and let Him save you today!

If you are interested to know how God saved me, then click HERE.

 

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What Are the “Greater Works”?

 

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What Are the “Greater Works”?

James R. Aist

“Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me will do the works that I do also. And he will do greater works than these, because I am going to My Father.” (John 14:12)

During His ministry, Jesus performed many “miracles” that were evidence that He was a man sent from God. These miracles were works that were outside the realm of naturally occurring events, such as  healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, raising the dead, and casting out demons. These were all works done in the realm of created things, and they were amazing to see. Nevertheless, these were not the greatest works that Jesus was doing.

In Luke 17-20, seventy of Jesus’ disciples had just returned from an evangelistic campaign. They returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your name.” He said to them, “I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Let me unpack this passage in Luke, and I will show you what Jesus was referring to when He said in John 14:12 that His disciples “…will do greater works than these.” The seventy disciples returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your name.” They were amazed that this man, Jesus, was able to give them power to do miracles in the realm of created things. Upon hearing this, Jesus proceeded to explain to them that He was no ordinary man, but the very Son of God, and, as such, has innate power over all created things, saying “I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” In other words, why were you surprised that I was able to give you power to perform miracles in the created realm, as I have been doing? There is an even greater miracle that you will have a role in: that is, the miracle of salvation. This miracle occurs in the spiritual realm and is a “greater thing” than the power I gave you over created things.

The take-home message is that miracles that manipulate the natural world, while impressive, are of lesser importance than the spiritual miracle of salvation. Remember, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Those are the “greater works.”