Pastor Chris,
People can’t save. Only God can. Why doesn’t He draw all of the people to Him? Doesn’t He love all of His creation?
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:44
~ Christina
Dear Christina,
As to your question,in his commentary on John’s Gospel, Leon Morris writes, “The thought of the divine initiative in salvation is one of the great doctrines of this Gospel…” (p.371). In other words, God chooses to pursue us. By choosing to pursue us God is saying that He wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. Think about how Jesus went from town to town speaking to crowds and talking with individuals. He was pursuing them. He told them the Good News that everyone who comes to Him will be given eternal life.
How do you know that God is pursuing you? Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes, “…He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Let’s pick one of those three convictions for just a moment. Let’s pick sin. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. That means everyone. Everyone feels the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We call that feeling “guilt.” It happens when we break one of God’s laws.
Have you ever felt guilty? Yes…so have I. That feeling of guilt is the work of the Holy Spirit. When guilt happens it is a good thing because you know that God is working in your life. Why is He doing that? He does that because He wants us to see our need for Christ. You see, we cannot get rid of sin by ourselves. We need someone to get rid of it for us. That Someone is Christ. He is the only one who can take away our sin and make us right with God.
God pursues everyone. The problem is that some respond and some do not. Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32).
Remember, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). The nature of love is that it must be expressed. It must be shared. God, who is love, wants to express His love and share it with His creation. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Also, never forget that God desires everyone to be saved.
1 Timothy 2:3-4, 6, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth… 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men…”
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus…now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
-Pastor Chris
