SCRIPTURE: John 6:44 "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."
PROPOSITION: to use this text and others to show how God appeals to a sinners conscience to convict him, to his mind to convince him, and his heart to draw him to Christ. also to show that those who come to Christ will be raised up to reign and live with Christ for all eternity and to show that those who resist the Holy Spirit and chose to live in sin will be hopelessly lost throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.
1.) How does God draw through a sinners conscience?
A. God has given animals Instictive knowledge, but God has given men a moral knowledge through his conscience, con means with, and science means knowledge. Because our conscience is the moral law that is written on our heart we know its wrong to lie, steal, blaspheme, covet, etc. Romans 2:15 "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" God works through our conscience to convict us of sin and show us our guilt, so that we might see ourselves in truth, when the word of God is preached the Holy Spirit pricks our conscience. when conviction comes we are either converted to Christ or become angry in our guilt. Here are two portions of scripture one shows sinners under conviction coming to Christ, and the other shows sinners becoming angry because of the guilt of sin.
Conviction unto salvation : Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Conviction unto anger: Acts 7:54 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth."
B. God through the law uses a sinners conscience to draw him to Christ, in this way the law becomes our schoolmaster and serves a very useful purpose in the conversion of lost souls.
Galatians 3:24-25 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
2.) How does God draw a sinner through his mind in bringing him to Christ?
A.) By revealing his glory and righteousness through creation. a sinner cannot know God through this general revelation, but it does give him a taste of His infinite might and majesty. This general revelation is designed to create in the sinner an appetite for God.
Psalms 97:6 "The heavens declare his RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all the people see his GLORY."
Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
B. Through creation God shows his eternal power and Godhead, and through His word He shows his infinite knowledge, and wisdom. Revelation 19:10 "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." the scripures are self evident and self provable, God has proved his word through prophecy. God convictes through our conscience and he convinces our mind through fulfilled prophecy. Paul used both the law and the prophets to show that the gospel he preached was of God. Acts 28:23 "And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the LAW of Moses, and out of the PROPHETS, from morning till evening". we would do well to follow Pauls example.
3.) How does God draw a sinner through his heart to bring him to Christ?
A. When the law has done its work, the sinner understands that he has been a rebel and that he has provoked a loving God to anger through his wickedness. then the goodness of God through the gospel shines as the noonday sun into the dark recesses of his heart moving the sinner to godly sorrow and repentance. and because his heart has been moved he believes unto righteousness and obtains salvation.
Romans 2:4 "the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
4.) What will be the end of those who die rejecting God's efforts to convert them?
A. At death the wicked will experience eternal loss, they will go into perdition, because they died in their sin. Death is only gain to those who live for Christ. those who live for sin, self and Satan will be wholly lost without hope. they belonged to Satan and he holds their souls in his power, they are under his dominion, and "are taken captive by him at his will"
Mark 8:36 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
5.) What is the result of those who come to Christ?
A. At the moment they trust Christ they receive life without end, when we consider the longevity of the life God gives it is always eternal never temporal. John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
B. The elect will also be given a resurrected body free of any blemish, they will shine as the sun in the kingdom of Gods glory, they will be forever with the Lord. Matthew 13:43 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
CONCLUSION: God is not willing that "any should perish", His word is the instrument and the Holy Spirit is the acting agent as He draws sinners to himself and convicts them through their conscience, mind and heart. if sinners yield to this conviction and come to Christ they obtain salvation. if sinners resist Gods calling they remain in a state of condemnation. John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
