65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
Jesus now returned to the role of the Father in salvation. No one can come to Christ with unadulterated human viewpoint or enablement. People can believe in Him only through divine enablement.
65 And He said [was saying],
Jesus turned at this point to speak to the twelve (cf. vv. 67-68). He elaborated further verse 44, in which God says that no one can come to Christ without divine initiative taking place first. This furthers the idea that “the flesh profits nothing.”
“Therefore
Since people cannot come to Christ by starting with human viewpoint, Jesus spoke of the necessity of divine initiative for salvation.
I have said to you that no one can come to Me
No one can come to Jesus on his or her own terms. This is more than “no one will come to Me.” It is not possible to come to Christ unless the Father enables a person to decide for Christ. The Father must take the initiative on the soul of man. New birth is not the will of the flesh.
unless it has been granted [enabled] to him by My Father.”
The word “granted” is from a Greek word meaning to give. Give is a concept of grace, God’s grace. The Father establishes the condition for people to believe. The grammar indicates that the Father has given people the ability to receive eternal life (perfect, passive, participle). It is because of God’s grace that people can believe on Christ. Divine enablement is necessary for salvation to take place. The Father is the ultimate source of our salvation.
PRINCIPLE:
The Father establishes the condition for salvation.
APPLICATION:
No one can come to Christ except on the Father’s terms. Autonomous human volition cannot make this decision apart from the work of the Holy Spirit first. Man is blind until he receives light from God, from illumination and conviction by the Spirit of God.
God sets up the conditions for salvation. He does this in view of His character. No one can come to Christ unless the Father grants the condition for doing so. The Father overcomes unbelief by enabling people to believe. It takes the divine and convicting work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to Christ.
Following Jesus means something entirely different from what most non-Christians think it means.
I like this!
Beautifully explained, thank you!
The person of Christ has one purpose..atonement for sin. So if God, by the work of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t convict man of his sin, then man will not see the need or purpose for Christ as his atonement, or Lord & savior. That is why Christ said “no man can come to me unless the father DRAWS him”. God convicts man of his sin, & points or draws him to Christ. Without that drawing or conviction of sin..man will NEVER come to Christ.
B Davis, I completely agree with your point about conviction. However, the central work of the Holy Spirit on earth is to glorify Christ above all.