- Jul 15, 2022
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I have really been enjoying the book Foundations of Grace by Steven Lawson.
It has brought back great memories when the Lord opened my eyes to His doctrines in the Bible.
Reading this book and coming to the subject of Irresistibly Drawn, has brought back early memories when I struggled with the word "drawn" in John 6:44. Over the years the Lord has really revealed His sovereignty and love for me, it truly shows how much He loves His people that cannot come to Him for salvation. This just refutes any idea that man has a free will to come to Him.
For those that do not believe in the Doctrines of Grace your head will explode after reading what this word truly means.
Here is a quote from Pastor Lawsons book.
Irresistibly Drawn. Jesus explained that all the elect of God—here identified as “ ‘all that the Father gives me’ ”—are drawn to believe upon Him. The divine power guarantees this coming to Christ:
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.… This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
Jesus taught that all those chosen by the Father and given to the Son will be irresistibly drawn to Christ. This effectual drawing is so omnipotent that it cannot and will not be resisted. Arthur Custance explains, “The word draw in this passage is a strong one. According to Moulton and Milligan (Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament), the Greek form helkō or helkuō has almost the sense of dragging by force. It is used of hauling bricks, of towing, of dragging along, and even in connection with impressing people as labourers. Thayer (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) says it is used of dragging people, as when Paul is dragged into the market place (Acts 16:19) or out of the Temple (Acts 21:30). John uses it in 18:10 of drawing a sword, and in 21:6 and 11 of failure and then success in dragging a net. James 2:6 uses it in the sense of dragging the poor before a judge. In the Septuagint the use follows very much along the same lines. Obviously there is something here much stronger than the mere attractiveness of a sweet personality, and it is significant that even in John 12:32 the same word is employed: ‘I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me.’ The mere presentation of the drama of Calvary, no matter how effectively or appealingly it is made, will not be enough to attract men. Contrary to popular sentiment, there is a real sense in which sinners are not attracted to the cross but dragged to it. Such is the deadness of the human spirit.”55 Those who come to Christ do so because the Father brings them to Him.
Regarding this powerful drawing, Pink writes, “In what, we may inquire, does this ‘drawing’ consist? It certainly has reference to something more than the invitation of the Gospel. The word used is a strong one, signifying, the putting forth of power and obliging the object seized to respond. The same word is found in John 18:10; 21:6, 11. If the reader consults these passages he will find that it means far more than ‘to attract.’ Impel would give the true force of it here in John 6:44. As said above, the unregenerate sinner is so depraved that with an unchanged heart and mind he will never come to Christ. And the change which is absolutely essential is one which God alone can produce. It is, therefore, by Divine ‘drawing’ that any one comes to Christ. What is this ‘drawing’? We answer, It is the power of the Holy Spirit awakening within him a sense of need. It is the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the pride of the natural man, so that he is ready to come to Christ as an empty-handed beggar. It is the Holy Spirit creating within him an hunger for the bread of life.”56
4. Supernaturally Taught. Jesus further declared that the elect are taught supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. That is, they are spiritually enabled to comprehend the truth of the gospel, causing them to come to Christ:
“It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.”
It has brought back great memories when the Lord opened my eyes to His doctrines in the Bible.
Reading this book and coming to the subject of Irresistibly Drawn, has brought back early memories when I struggled with the word "drawn" in John 6:44. Over the years the Lord has really revealed His sovereignty and love for me, it truly shows how much He loves His people that cannot come to Him for salvation. This just refutes any idea that man has a free will to come to Him.
For those that do not believe in the Doctrines of Grace your head will explode after reading what this word truly means.
Here is a quote from Pastor Lawsons book.
Irresistibly Drawn. Jesus explained that all the elect of God—here identified as “ ‘all that the Father gives me’ ”—are drawn to believe upon Him. The divine power guarantees this coming to Christ:
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.… This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
—John 6:37, 44a, 65
Jesus taught that all those chosen by the Father and given to the Son will be irresistibly drawn to Christ. This effectual drawing is so omnipotent that it cannot and will not be resisted. Arthur Custance explains, “The word draw in this passage is a strong one. According to Moulton and Milligan (Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament), the Greek form helkō or helkuō has almost the sense of dragging by force. It is used of hauling bricks, of towing, of dragging along, and even in connection with impressing people as labourers. Thayer (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) says it is used of dragging people, as when Paul is dragged into the market place (Acts 16:19) or out of the Temple (Acts 21:30). John uses it in 18:10 of drawing a sword, and in 21:6 and 11 of failure and then success in dragging a net. James 2:6 uses it in the sense of dragging the poor before a judge. In the Septuagint the use follows very much along the same lines. Obviously there is something here much stronger than the mere attractiveness of a sweet personality, and it is significant that even in John 12:32 the same word is employed: ‘I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me.’ The mere presentation of the drama of Calvary, no matter how effectively or appealingly it is made, will not be enough to attract men. Contrary to popular sentiment, there is a real sense in which sinners are not attracted to the cross but dragged to it. Such is the deadness of the human spirit.”55 Those who come to Christ do so because the Father brings them to Him.
Regarding this powerful drawing, Pink writes, “In what, we may inquire, does this ‘drawing’ consist? It certainly has reference to something more than the invitation of the Gospel. The word used is a strong one, signifying, the putting forth of power and obliging the object seized to respond. The same word is found in John 18:10; 21:6, 11. If the reader consults these passages he will find that it means far more than ‘to attract.’ Impel would give the true force of it here in John 6:44. As said above, the unregenerate sinner is so depraved that with an unchanged heart and mind he will never come to Christ. And the change which is absolutely essential is one which God alone can produce. It is, therefore, by Divine ‘drawing’ that any one comes to Christ. What is this ‘drawing’? We answer, It is the power of the Holy Spirit awakening within him a sense of need. It is the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the pride of the natural man, so that he is ready to come to Christ as an empty-handed beggar. It is the Holy Spirit creating within him an hunger for the bread of life.”56
4. Supernaturally Taught. Jesus further declared that the elect are taught supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. That is, they are spiritually enabled to comprehend the truth of the gospel, causing them to come to Christ:
“It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.”
—John 6:45
Jesus maintained that God teaches all of those who are drawn to Him. That is, they receive divine instruction in the truths of the gospel and God’s kingdom that are essential for salvation. This is necessary because fallen man is spiritually blind and ignorant of the gospel. He cannot understand his need for grace. Neither can he genuinely perceive who Christ is. The sinner must be taught by God in order to comprehend the real meaning of the gospel. Hendriksen explains, “It is God who draws before man comes; it is He that teaches before man can listen and learn. Unless the Father draws, no one can come. That is the negative side. The positive is: everyone who listens to the Father and learns of Him will come. Grace always conquers; it does what it sets out to do. In that sense it is irresistible.”57 This is a work of sovereign grace in the heart of “all,” that is, the elect. Calvin writes, “The word ‘all’ must be limited to the elect, as only they are the true children of the church.… From this it follows that not one of God’s elect will not share faith in Christ. Again, just as Christ previously said that not everyone is suitable for believing until they have been drawn, so he now declares that the grace of Christ by which they are drawn is effective, so that they necessarily believe. These two clauses completely overturn the whole ideal of free will.”
