John 6

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206&version=ESV

The sixth chapter of the Gospel of John is a wonderful chapter. It begins with the feeding of the 5,000, and then proceeds to tell us that Jesus is the bread of life. It tells us so many more wonderful things that I wish I could write of but for brevity, I will have to let you read the chapter to find them out for yourself.

And in this chapter, you can see how the sovereignty of God and the human responsibility of man intersect.

After the people had seen the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 they ask Jesus, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" and He responds:

"This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:29)

Now look at the following verses and note where Jesus talks about the sovereignty of God and human responsibility:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
(John 6:37) - Sovereignty of God

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. " (John 6:39) - Sovereignty of God

^"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40) - Human Responsibility & Sovereignty of God

^"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) - Sovereignty of God

^"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." (John 6:47) - Human Responsibility

So you can see that while God is sovereign and in control we are still responsible to believe in Christ.

I have become so convicted that people today do not value God's sovereignty. I used to fight so hard for the doctrine of free will. Now, I fight for the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. I want to be complete in Christ. He called me, He regenerated me, He justified me, He sanctifies me, all I have is from Him.

Jesus talks about this in the latter part of the chapter about how we can do nothing in our flesh to achieve salvation.

^"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63)

Friends what we do in the flesh is no help at all!!!

Paul echoes this when he writes:

^"So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." (Romans 9:16)

Friends read chapter 6 tonight again. Ponder and meditate on the great riches and spiritual truths in this chapter.

Be thankful that God loved us first before we loved Him. I am thankful that He chose me, and God does not make wrong choices.

If you are a believer thank God that He chose you. Rejoice in this. Thank Him continually for this.

If you have not placed your faith in Christ, then I ask that you pray to do so. If you do place your faith in Him, know that the Holy Spirit of God has worked in you to bring about this faith in you. And rejoice in that and live a life of obedience and thankfulness towards Him for opening your eyes to comprehend and then appropriate the truths of the Gospel to your own life.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.