Who Will Come To Jesus? (Part 3)

(John 6:65) "And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."  (ESV)

In the preceding verses Jesus has just presented some hard teaching to his disciples.  As a result many of them have turned away from him.  In response Jesus says the reason for this, is that no one can come to him unless it is granted by the Father.  As in John 6:37 & John 6:44 Jesus stresses the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.  Those who are false disciples will respond in unbelief while true disciples will respond in belief.  The reason why some respond in unbelief is that they have not been chosen by God.  

Only those chosen by the Father will come to Jesus.  They have been predestined for salvation in Christ (see Ephesians 1).  It is clear that not all people are granted the ability to believe.  The reason why some respond in unbelief is that they do not have the ability to believe.  People are dead in their sins and must be made alive by God in order to believe (see Ephesians 2).  

Our wills are not free but in bondage to sin.  This is contrary to what is usually taught in the modern church but it is the truth.  Left to ourselves we would never choose God, we would only continue in rebellion against him.  We only choose God after he has chosen us and brought us from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive.  Those not chosen by God, who are not of the elect will continue in unbelief.  We see the reason why some people believe and others do not.  God chooses some for salvation while passing over others.  Salvation is totally by grace and is not dependent on man's decision, will, or effort.  

It must be pointed out that people are still responsible for believing in Christ or rejecting him.  All people are commanded to repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ alone for salvation.  But if God is absolutely sovereign how can man still be responsible?  They seem to be contradictory but the Bible teaches them both.  We finite humans are incapable of fully understanding the infinite God.