John 6:35-40 BBBC #426 12/3/00
(Words:3,650)
That...I Should Lose Nothing!
Somerset Maugham was considered the most famous author during the 1930s. To his credit were such works as Of Human Bondage which became an instant classic. But now the year is 1965, the year of his death. Maugham is 91 years old and wealthy beyond belief. He has not written a word in years, yet he receives 300 fan letters a week. His success is incredible by any standard.
One of his nephews visited him at his villa on the Mediterranean and tells this story...
My uncle had 11 servants. He dined on silver plates and was waited on hand and foot. But, none of this seemed to matter any longer. One afternoon I found him on the sofa and of all things, he was reading the Bible. He had a grim look on his face. He said, ¡§I¡¦ve been reading the Bible you gave me...and I¡¦ve come across the quotation: ¡¥What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?¡¦ I must tell you, dear nephew, that this text used to hang opposite my bed when I was a child. Of course, it¡¦s all a lot of bunk. But the thought is quite interesting all the same.¡¨
Later on that same evening Maugham would bury his head in his hands and say he had been a failure all his life. His exact words were, ¡§I¡¦ve made a hash of everything. Everyone who has got to know me has ended up hating me...and now it¡¦s too late to change.¡¨ His face was contorted with fear. He was trembling violently. Suddenly he screamed, ¡§Go away! I¡¦m not ready! I¡¦m not dead yet...I¡¦m not dead yet, I tell you...¡¨ His terror-struck voice echoed throughout the villa. His nephew looked around the room, but it was as empty as before. ¡§There¡¦s no one there, Uncle.¡¨ And Somerset Maugham began to gasp hysterically. (From Kent Hughes)
One of the most famous and honored men of his generation. A man who had everything: not just money, but all the fame in the world. A man who dined with royalty. But when he came to the time of God¡¦s reckoning, he found life empty and worthless and he was afraid to die. Dear ones, this is not what God intends life to be. Our God does not want anyone to come to the end of his life knowing it has been hopeless and filled with mistakes.
The people Jesus is speaking to in John 6, the Pharisees, the doubters, they face the same situation, maybe not as dramatic, but with the same end result. Jesus wants to set them free, just as Jesus wanted to set the likes of Somerset Maugham free. This is why He gives ¡§the bread of life¡¨ discourse. He wants to rescue men and women and boys and girls from the emptiness of a life without Him.
We have studied our Lord¡¦s words in verses 35-36. He tells us He is the bread of life. Whoever is in Christ shall never hunger, never thirst. Then comes the sadness of verse 36, You have seen Me, yet you do not believe. Is Jesus saying this to you? You have heard about Me ¡X but you have never been born again, you do not believe. If your heart is open and receptive to the gospel, this could be the greatest day you will ever live. Today, you could become a child of the King.
This brings us to verses 37-40. Jesus tells us what occurs when we say ¡§Yes¡¨ to the call God places on our hearts. What joy unspeakable we find in these verses.
37 "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
Note the repetition. In John 6:29 Jesus said the work of God is that you believe in Jesus Whom God has sent. This is the will of God. Now in verse 40 Jesus emphasizes again that the will of the Father is to believe in the Son Whom God has sent. And twice, in verses 39 and 40, Jesus says those who believe shall be raised up on the last day.
I can¡¦t recall a verse of Scripture that brings more comfort to my heart as a believer than verse 37: All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. This is ¡§bedrock Scripture.¡¨ It¡¦s extremely important to our system of beliefs. Those God calls, those who believe ¡X will come and they will forever be His.
In verse 37 we hear our Lord saying all the Father gives Him shall come. In some circles this is called irresistible grace. It is saying that all those whom God has chosen will ultimately come to faith in Jesus Christ. It must be this way for God¡¦s plan to come to perfect completion. It must be this way to guarantee that what Jesus suffered on the cross was not in vain.
Let¡¦s back up and recall the fact that man is incapable of coming to God on his own. Our natural will, our sin nature keeps us from doing this. Romans 3:11, There are none who seek God. Yes, the Bible does say ¡§Whosoever will, may come¡¨ (Revelation 22:17). The problem is no one wills ¡X on their own ¡X to come to God. But, fortunately God does not leave men to themselves. Everything in your life is in the hands of the sovereign God. And understand this, if you are willing to come to Jesus, then you have been chosen. You are among the elect. The Bible tells us that God has given so many to Jesus they cannot be counted. The question now is: Why should you not be among them?
If there are none who seek God, then why did Jesus die? He died for those God had chosen to salvation...for those whom God promised Jesus. That¡¦s why Jesus died ¡X for those whom God had promised Him. This is what is meant by bringing the plan of salvation to perfect completion. It irresistibly draws men, women, and children to Jesus Christ as eternal Lord and Savior.
And how does God draw people without their resisting? We call it the new birth, or being born again. God calls them by the means of a miracle, a resurrection from the old way of life...again, the new birth. To do this it must be God Who chooses and God Who recreates, and God Who raises from the dead ¡X then the individual has all that is necessary to believe on Jesus ¡X and only then.
James 1:18 is a key Scripture at this point. James wrote, In the exercise of God¡¦s will He brought us forth (birthed us) by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. It¡¦s like having a baby ¡X and hasn¡¦t God richly blessed our church with a bunch of new babies? Well, none of these babies have been involved in the decision as to when they are to be born. This decision is made for the baby at the time of conception. Likewise, you are not born into God¡¦s family simply by deciding on your own that it is a good thing to do. You come to Christ by having faith ¡§implanted¡¨ in your heart. This implant comes exclusively from the heart of God. God does this through His Word. We believe on Jesus because God first does a miracle in us in order to make us alive to His call. Now we can listen and all those the Father gives to the Son will come to Him. Here¡¦s how it works:
1. God takes the seed of saving faith and gives it to the individual. Ephesians 2:8, faith is the gift of God.
2. God then sends forth His living Word that pierces the egg of faith and a new spiritual life comes into being.
3. Then the church is to fill the role of nursing mother for it is here the Word is preached. It is here where the embryo can grow until it comes to the point at which the new life becomes visible and the cry of confession and repentance that Jesus is Savior and Lord announces the reality of a new birth in Christ.
And to be emphatic dear ones, it is God and God alone Who brings about this miracle. At this stage, you are not involved. God is seeking you, you are not seeking God. He comes into your life and creates this miracle called the new birth. Then you are set apart forever more to Him. Now you are to live your life for Him. Now He is in the process of making you Christ-like ¡X not divine ¡X but much like His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we could only understand this, we would realize that it is not what is happening in the White House; or Florida; or the Supreme Court; or on Wall Street; or in our great centers of academic learning. What is important is what is happening in you right now. If you are in Christ, if you are chosen, you matter to God. Even if there is a nuclear war or other great tragedy or you blown into fifteen million pieces...Jesus will never lose you. Everyone who believes on Jesus will have life eternal.
Verse 37 says those whom God has chosen, whom God has called, will come to Christ because this is God¡¦s perfect plan. I use to believe a man or woman could refuse God¡¦s offer of salvation. They could hold on to the pew so tight that nothing could budge them loose. I no longer believe that. I now realize that those who can refuse God¡¦s offer of salvation are those who have not been called. Our God is perfect and our God is sovereign. Therefore His plan will come to pass and here He has promised that those whom the Father gives to Jesus ¡X will come to Jesus. They will not resist.
So my dear friend, if God is calling you to the new birth in Christ, don¡¦t be hesitant to let others know. It¡¦s not supposed to be a secret. When a baby is born to a family in our church we don¡¦t keep that a secret. We never get over rejoicing and being excited and loving those children as they grow up. This is how it is with a new believer in God¡¦s family. Not only are the angels rejoicing, but all of us are rejoicing. We¡¦re going to love you through all the bumps and swamps and good times in your Christian walk. And just reflect on verse 37. Jesus promises that He will never, ever cast you out. Eternally secure in Him.
It¡¦s been said, faith is clinging to Jesus when it seems that this is all one can do. The gospel is for you if you will hear it and come to Christ. To come to Jesus simply means you have faith in Him. If you have truly come to Him as Savior, you know exactly what I mean. You commit your life to Him based upon a belief that He is Who He says He is and that He will do what He has promised to do.
You came to a point in your life where you saw yourself as a sinner. You could find no way to cleanse yourself from these sins. You needed a Savior. Jesus said He died for your sins and was raised from the dead for your justification. Some like to say justified means ¡§just as if I had never sinned¡¨ and that is exactly what it means. Justified to stand clean and free before the holy God of all creation. You confessed your sins, you asked Jesus to forgive you, and you asked Him to come into your heart and take up residence there. And He did, because He promised He would. Now you are born again, saved, among the elect, chosen and your eternal home is Heaven. The results of faith.
You may be wondering how one does this? To do this you must let go. (From James Boice)
ć Let go of running your own life.
ć Let go of that high opinion you have of yourself.
ć Let go of your love for this world.
ć Let go of that church membership or baptism that you believe will get you into Heaven.
ć Let go of all those good things you do hoping to impress God.
Just fall into the arms of Jesus. Did He not say, right here in verse 37, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out?
Who may come, you ask once again? Anyone. From the least to the greatest of all sinners. Jesus Himself said He did not come to call the righteous, but He came to call sinners to repentance. Sinners, that includes each and every one of us. Murder, adultery, child abuse, theft, divorce, lying, bitterness, jealousy, cheating, pride...it makes no difference because it is all sin. Whoever comes to Jesus confessing their sins will never be cast out. Anyone may come!
Then there¡¦s the question of how we come. This part of being born again is much like that of natural birth. Some babies are born quickly while some hang on to mom for dear life, seemingly not wanting to face the outside world. Some come running to Jesus...some of you came running. One day it dawned on you that you were lost and on your way to Hell. You heard the gospel because God had planted the seed in your heart. You responded and came to Christ as fast as you could come. The gun sounds and you are out of the starting blocks. That is the way it was for my wife, Diana.
Others come more slowly. There are unanswered questions. That¡¦s the way it was for me. There is some uncertainty, but they want to come. Things need to be thought out, thought through. These folks will eventually come if they are called of God. These folks are like those babies that resist for 48 hours in the delivery room. Ouch! Nevertheless, when the baby is born the labor of giving birth is over-shadowed by the flood of love and joy of this new life. The words of Jesus do not dictate how we may come any more than they say who may come or when. It makes no difference how you come ¡X just come!
Well, when do you come, you ask? You can come as a child and from there on up. A child must know two things. That he¡¦s old enough to sin and he¡¦s old enough to die. If so, then he¡¦s old enough to come to Jesus. But just because you did not come to Jesus as a child, does not mean you can¡¦t still come. It¡¦s never too late this side of the last breath you take. But admittedly, the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. But praise God He is able to handle each and every situation. If you come, it is because you have been called. If called, you will never be cast out. The real question is not who, how, or when. The real question is will you come?
This now brings us to verses 38-40 and another key building block of our faith. Jesus is saying it is the will of God that Jesus shall lose none of all God has given Him, but He shall raise them up at the last day. Some folks see themselves ¡§holding on to God.¡¨ That is poor theology. It is not that we are persevering to hold onto our faith; but it is that God never begins a work that He does not intend to finish. God is holding on to us. Philippians 1:6, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. No one who is saved will ever be lost. We call this eternal security. So now we have a combined promise: He will reject no one who comes and He is determined to keep all of those who do come. We¡¦re not holding onto Jesus. Jesus is holding onto us.
But eternal security has a dimension few ever realize. Suppose you are a true believer and let¡¦s assume you come to a point in your life where you decide you will deny Jesus as Savior and Lord. You will say Christianity is a sham. Do you understand that Jesus would never deny His word to you regardless of what you say or do? Jesus is going to keep those whom God has given Him, regardless. A good example? Peter. He was one of the closest disciples to Jesus. He is the one who proclaimed, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Yet Peter denied he even knew the Lord. Was he cast out? Was he rejected? No. But Peter was heart broken at what he had done and the Bible says Peter went out and wept bitterly, he repented. Then the Lord appeared to Peter following the crucifixion and ¡§recommissioned¡¨ him for service. The Lord will keep His promise.
In 2 Timothy 1:12 we read, ...for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that Jesus is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Entrusted means deposited. We trust our spiritual lives to God for all eternity knowing full well He has promised to keep us. How wonderful it is to know, according to Romans 8, that nothing whatsoever can separate us from the love of God ¡Xbecause God is able to guard that which we have entrusted to Him.
A small boy heads off to the bank with only one penny and goes to the teller and says he wants to open an account. With a serious expression the teller takes the penny and opens an account and gives the boy his savings book. His name is on the front and the opening balance is one penny. A few days later the little boy came back to the same teller and said, ¡§Please, sir, I would just like to see if my penny is still in your bank.¡¨ The teller held up a penny where the boy could see it. The boy smiled and went away satisfied.
If you are in Christ, there will be times when you have doubts. You will doubt the reality of what is yours in Christ, your security in Him, the promise of a home in Heaven. Jesus wants you to come to Him like this little boy and say something as simple as, ¡§Father, I would just like to see the spiritual deposits I placed in Your bank.¡¨ God will give you the assurance you need because He has promised He will keep you forever.
God has called countless numbers to Himself. In the Revelation, John tells us he looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands (Revelation 5:11). God has given them to Jesus and Jesus has promised that those who come will never be cast out. Not only that, but all who come will never have to be worried about losing what they have in Christ because Jesus promises He will lose no one the Father gives Him. Then in verse 40 Jesus repeats the will of His Father...Everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.
We¡¦re being reminded that eternal life is a present possession. God is most determined to accomplish His will in us now, right now, here and now. God does not just do a work in us and leave us to our own devices and then someday we die and we go home to be with Him in Heaven. He is determined to make us like Christ. Therefore, when God places His own everlasting, eternal life within us through the power of the Holy Spirit ¡X¡X this is proof-positive that He wants to be involved in the way we live, the way we think, the way we act, and the way we grow. By allowing God to be involved in our daily lives, we become more like Christ.
37 "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
This is how God intends for us to live. Joy unspeakable!
...and all God¡¦s people said.
