The Exaltation of the Word

In John 6:37, Jesus says, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me, I will certainly not cast out." Other versions translate the second part, "and he who comes to Me I will never drive away." In John 6:44, Jesus says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him (the drawn one) up on the last day."

So very clearly, Jesus teaches that the Father must give, the Father must draw, in order for anyone to believe in Jesus. Beyond that, whoever the Father gives Jesus and draws to Him will certainly come and receive eternal life. These are comforting and humbling truths for the believer. But a question arises: How does God draw a man to Jesus?

We need look no further than the Word of God. When the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, He attacked God's Word. Adam and Eve called into question the validity of God's Word and sinned by denying its truth. That's what sin is - denying the truth of God's Word, and we do it every day. But notice when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Satan also attacked God's Word. But Jesus did not call into question the validity of it; rather, He upheld its truth in the three temptations He faced at that time. Jesus was all about following God's will, and that meant obeying completely the Word of God.

And it is this word which God uses to draw His people to Himself. Jesus said in Luke 11:28, "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it." Luke tells us in Acts 13:48, "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." Romans 10:14,17 says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ...Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Ephesians 1:13 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." Finally, in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul says, "We also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."

So it is the timeless and timely Word of God that God uses to draw men to His Son. And amazingly, Jesus is that word. John 1:1,14 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ...The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates, even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Psalm 138:2 says, "I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word." Has the Word of God drawn you to Jesus?

Spiritual Growth

How do professing Christians explain the lack of difference between themselves and unbelievers? Both types of people can show themselves to be moral; both can display characteristics associated with the fruit of the Spirit: gentleness, kindness, patience, self-control, love, etc. Both types of people can also reveal their sinfulness, seen in subtle and obvious ways. Lack of contentment (coveting / greed) and perhaps even tolerance are examples of subtle sins. More obvious sins include lying - something of which all of us are guilty - and hatred (if not blatant, then at least behind one's back in our hearts).

The answer to this delicate question lies, I believe, in spiritual growth. We ought to hunger and thirst for righteousness. And though we may not always exhibit righteousness, we ought to be known by outsiders as people who are striving for growth. We're not perfect, but we want to be made perfect. We're not merely professing, we are progressing - and this, all by the grace of God for His glory.

Colossians 4:5-6 says, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This verse may be taken to imply, "Be ready to defend your faith." But I think it's more aggresive: "Be looking for ways to talk about things with unbelievers that will open doors for substantial growth, and do it with grace and salt." Stagnance, over and beyond hypocrisy, may be the silent killer among relationships between Christians and non-Christians. Thus believers must strive not to exhibit satisfaction with lack of knowledge on spiritual things. There is a time for milk, and let us drink! But for the sake of God's glory, let us be seeking meat as well.

2 Peter 3:17-18 says, "Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

The first part of the passage tells us to be discerning - on the defensive so that our understanding of God's truth is not compromised. I find it interesting that Peter tells us that the reason for this tactic is so that we may not "fall from our secure position." If we are in a secure position - which we are - then it is impossible to fall - and it is. Yet the warning, I believe, is a challenge to do more than dig in your heals where you stand. I think it's a challenge to go on the offensive, and that's what the second part of the passage encourages - spiritual growth. "But grow..."

Grow in grace and grow in knowledge of Christ. It's what separates the wheat from the tares - they look similar at first glance, but they grow a whole lot differently. And that's how we tell the difference between believers and unbelievers.

John 6:25-71 - Questions to Consider

Coming up in our small group men's Bible study, we'll be looking at John 6:25-71. Here are some things to consider prior to our study:

In v26-27, Jesus said to the crowd, which was seeking Him the day after the feeding of the 5000, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."

Jesus rebukes them for seeking Him with poor motives. Are you seeking Jesus? Why? Most likely, you are unlike this crowd, as you have received Jesus and His gift of eternal life through genuine saving faith. So what is it that you want from Him? Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." (See also Deuteronomy 4:28.) How do you know if you are seeking Jesus with all your heart? If you are not, what is hindering you? What can you do about it? Read Matthew 6:25-34 for assistance.

In v44, Jesus tells the crowd, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." What does this mean to you? Why do you think Jesus includes the last part of the verse? In other words, who is the "him" that Jesus will be raising up? How does that make you feel?

Finally, in v63, Jesus says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." Where in our study of John have we heard something like this before? What does this mean to you? What ought ot be our response to Jesus' "hard teachings" (see John 6:60,66-70)?

Carnal Christians and the Exodus

I have long denied the idea of the carnal Christian. Some theologians suggest that there are three classes of people: those governed by the flesh (unbelievers), those governed by the Spirit (believers), and those indwelled by the Spirit but living according to the flesh (carnal Christians).

It seems to me that the New Testament authors, as well as Jesus Himself, go to great lengths to always divide people into two groups (sheep and goats, good fish and bad fish, those with the Spirit and those without the Spirit, etc.). But in The Saving Life of Christ, author Major Ian Thomas purports that the Exodus, found, of course, in the Old Testament, offers a clear representation of the carnal Christian.

Thomas suggests that, while in slavery in Egypt, the Israelites represent those in the flesh (unbelievers); likewise, the Israelites, upon entering the Promised Land, represent those led by the Spirit (believers). But Thomas does something I had never heard before when he considers the Israelites in the Wilderness - between their bondage and freedom - to be akin to carnal Christians, truly believing but not living a Spirit-led life and therefore forfeitting their own sanctification.

But I must disagree to Thomas' proposal. He often contradicts himself in the book, using vast amounts of Scripture to support the doctrine of perseverance and the reality of a genuine Christian profession to be validated by fruitful works, while also claiming that those Israelites in the wilderness had genuine faith but lacked all of the signs, including perseverance, as they perished in the Wilderness.

If I could ask the Major a question, it would be this: Were the Israelites who died in the wilderness eternally saved? In other words, was their faith ever genuine? These thoughts result: If they were not eternally saved, then they never were saved even for a moment from their spiritual bondage. It is, afterall, quite possible to be saved physically and not spiritually (as numerous gospel healings reveal - see John 5:1-18 for example). If they were eternally saved (as I believe Moses was), then how dare Thomas call them carnal Christians, for the Spirit was surely at work in them to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil. 2:13)! True, they struggled with sin throughout their journey in the wilderness, but don't we all (Romans 7:8-25)? This struggle does not make us carnal Christians!

The conclusion is as simple as Romans 8 - particularly verse 8-9, 14, and 30:

"Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ... Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God... And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."