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Q3. Drawn by the Father


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  • 2 weeks later...

Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him?

 

I can see why this may sound like predestination. My opinion is that predestination eliminates free will. But the significance to me is that even my decision to receive and follow Christ is because of His wonderful grace and mercy. I used to say "I found Christ!". Then I understood these passages to mean that He chooses everyone "Whosoever will may come", but not everyone will choose to be chosen, or will choose Him back. There is no pridefulness in my choosing....He gets the glory for coming after me, hunting me down and as C.S. Lewis said "Hitting me with His arrow"......He found me when I wasn't looking for Him! And thank God, I wanted to be chosen and responded!

 

I saw in John 14 and 17 this process: The Father chose me and gave me to Jesus as His love gift. At the right time, the Holy Spirit came to me and moved on my heart and circumstances to introduce me to Jesus. When i said "YES" to Jesus invitation, He redeemed me with His blood, wrapped me in His Righteousness, and gave me back to His Father as His love gift. I love that the Trinity was involved in saving me. (again, my opinion is that He chooses everyone...but not everyone wants to be chosen)

 

I don't believe that is predestination....I believe it is God's foreknowledge of who will or will not say yes...and  those who will say yes, or "choose to be chosen" become His Sons and daughters. Free will is His gift. Even the angels were given free will, and many of them including Lucifer chose to rebel against our God and to fight against Him.

 

I have a nurse friend who on several occasions at work was sent to particular patients by the Holy Spirit, to share the Gospel....the mercy of God, giving dying individuals one last chance to say yes! One memorable one was the woman who was in the death breathing stage, but squeezed the nurses hand that she was receiving Christ. The nurse went home after her shift and when she came in the morning, that room was empty. "Did Mrs......not live through the night?" "No, she was healed during the night and was released this morning."   Another incident which chills me, was the same scenario, went to the room of a dying woman, tried to share the Gospel...was told "Stop! I've heard that drivel all my life and I want no part of it...so save your words!"   My friend tried, the Lord tried one more time as she was about to enter eternity without Him...and she died.

 

In what way does this sound like predestination?

 

It sounds like only a select group are chosen. That He has favorites!. But that is not God's heart. We're all on equal footing at the Cross!  Scripture interprets scripture. Judas was chosen as were the other disciples...but he chose money over choosing Jesus, just as one example.

 

How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

In my case He sent someone to me to share with me and to invite me to a Bible Study. My leader spent extra time with me answering my questions, The Holy Spirit taught me in His Word....Truth, and revealed to me my need of a Savior to cleanse me from my sins.

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Such a profound concept that only God fully understands and can explain!

The context of this teaching was 1)that Jesus had identified Himself as the bread of God who had come down from heaven and given life to the world (vs.33), and 2)that the people didn’t understand that He was talking about something permanent, something eternal and unchangeable (vs.34).  Though we can’t entirely grasp what His teaching fully means, it is significant in being able to grasp the truth that eternal life is not something that humanity can produce, attain, or secure by our own effort.  It is a work of God the Father, who is the only One who can draw a person to Jesus, the Bread of Life.  And eternal life isn’t something that has to be continually resupplied, like the manna given in the wilderness.  It is a gift forever given and secured in the ever-living Person of Christ.

 

The concept of being drawn to Jesus by the Father has been interpreted by many to be predestination, which may seem understandable at first glance.  But predestination ultimately says that every individual is specifically created by God either for heaven or for hell and there’s nothing we can do to change our lot.  That isn’t what Jesus was saying at all.  God has designed His plan of salvation to begin for each person with the Holy Spirit’s work of confronting us with the truth of who Jesus is, specifically named here as the Bread of Life from heaven.  The Spirit most often uses other people to deliver that truth, but only He can touch the heart with it to reveal our sin and teach us the way to permanent forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus.  But God’s plan is also designed to require our response of faith that leads us to come to Jesus voluntarily – an opportunity for every person who believes and responds in faith.  I believe the Spirit enables, not forces, us to yield and come.  The predestination isn’t about who can come, but about the outcome for whoever responds to the Spirit’s call by believing and coming to Jesus.  That predestined outcome includes being forgiven of sin and redeemed from its penalty of death, being adopted as a child of the Father, being given a spiritual inheritance that’s permanently sealed by the Holy Spirit as we’re spiritually baptized into the Body of Christ and consecrated as the Bride of Christ who will be united with Him for all eternity!

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

Some people I know have heard the gospel many a time, however they do not respond to it. Perhaps they privately say no to God, in their hearts. I find it frustrating that they are 'spiritually dull' (a term from the notes) and unbelieving. Perhaps God has not touched them with his "prevenient grace" yet. Then there are people I know who have built up attitudes (beliefs about God) that are not biblically acurate, some of them, nominal church people who have been feed a universialist diet, from the liberal church. This also frustrates me. Sometimes I have a hard unteachable heart too. I know that I miss a lot that I could gain from God because of my hard spiritual heart.

 

Perhaps there is a spiritual battle for peoples lives (and I believe there is)- they are given an opportuity to respond to the gospel, however are dulled by lies of the world and the devil. 2 Corinthians 10:4 states that there are strongholds in the world and we have divine power to demolsh them.

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

It sounds like predestination because only 'those' whom the Father draws to Him can come to Him. This effectively means that there are those who the Father does not draw to Himself. So, there are those who are predestined and those who are not.

The Holy Spirit works to open our eyes, hearts and minds to receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Without the Holy Spirit working in us and through us as the small still voice, man would struggle to accept Jesus.

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1.God, not man plays the most active role in salvation. When someone chooses  to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior,he does so only in response to the urging of God's Holy Spirit

We do nothing on our own everything comes from our Savior.

 

2.I think it is predestination. I think before we were born our Savior knew who would seek him and live for him.

 

3.I think the Holy Spirit works in all of us ,even the unbelievers when we feel it and respond  to it that is the difference if we reject the Holy Spirit we may never get another chance.It is hard for some people to know when the Spirit is tugging at us. God is talking to us and giving us a chance to be a be a part of him give our lives to Him and respond when we feel His Spirit.

 

Read God;s word ask someone to help you understand pray for knowledge and wisdom just don;t do nothing God wants all of us to live  with Him forever. 

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What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones that the Father "draws" to Him can come to Him?

If the Father does not draw a person to Himself, then that person cannot come to Jesus to be saved.

 

In what way does this sound like predestination?

God has predetermined who will be saved and who will not be saved, no matter what they try to do to be saved.

 

How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

The Holy Spirit works with a person through the Word of God to convict them of sin.

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him?

 

Everything is under God's Sovereign control, even who will believe and be saved and who won't. Jesus is pretty clear on that. Even in our unsaved state, God made it possible for us to respond to the Gospel of Christ. If He'd let our hearts stay hard we wouldn't be Christians now.

 

 

 

In what way does this sound like predestination?

 

Well, it could be construed . . and I didn't say "misconstrued" . . that God has chosen those who will be saved well before their actual salvation takes place. Other Scriptures back that up. St. Paul says that we were chosen before the creation of the world to belong to Christ.

 

 

 

How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

A person's heart needs to be prepared to receive the Gospel. Our hearts needed to be primed, as it were, to accept the teachings unto salvation. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We may not recognize or accept that God had intervened in our hearts, but He did nonetheless. Our decision to follow Christ was made under the influence of God's Spirit in our hearts and minds.

 

I often struggle with my Christian walk, even to the extent of doubting that God has actually chosen me. Jesus' words: "Many are called but few are chosen" keeps ringing in my ears. Jesus's rebuking of seemingly righteous people when He told them that even if they drive out demons in His name and do everything in His name, they're still not guaranteed a place in Heaven. He could still say to them: Depart from Me, I never knew you. These are very chilling passages indeed. We could live a seemingly victorious Christian life and still not make it into the Kingdom of God.

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones the Father "draws" to him can come to him? The significance of Jesus teaching is why I am thankful that I worship a God who desire is that no one be left behind, that God’s mercy is for whosoever “WILL”, I am thankful that the Father has given to all people a measure of “faith” to believe, that He has given his law, a light before their path that teaches mankind how to love and please God, He has given his Word, a powerful source that nourishes the soul, God’s plan includes the powerful drawing of the Holy Spirit, with the most important draw is that He supplied and paid the debt by offering His Passover Lamb for the world, for whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

 

Q.4 In what way does this sound like predestination? God had His plan right from the beginning, but as Romans tells us, they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report?

 

Mankind has a free will and can choose to come, to believe, but not all want to be included in the predestined plan of God.  

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) 

What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones the Father "draws" to him can come to him? 

In what way does this sound like predestination? 

How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

Jesus teaches that all those that God gives to Him will be saved. But there are others who come to the Lord Jesus and accept Him by faith who will also be saved. So God does choose some to be saved, and He does this by His free grace. These are the elect who are chosen before creation. It is God’s right to save whoever He wants. Importantly, God never chooses some to be damned – if anyone perishes it is of their own doing. They are condemned by their own sinfulness and wickedness. The decision is theirs. In order to be saved, a man must come to the Lord Jesus in repentance and accept Him by faith. Satan, the god of this age, has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). He places a veil over their minds and hardens their hearts, keeping them in perpetual darkness. So he needs help and unless God begins to work in their heart and life, they will never realise their hopeless and helpless situation. They need help! We read in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The gospel can only be received by the power of the Holy Spirit, without Him we can never understand as everything is but foolishness. 

 

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I can’t answer these questions separately as they are intertwined.  There are many who therefore only have faith in material things.  It takes a willingness to think outside the materialist box and look at the world in spiritual terms instead.  We have to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to put our faith in Christ.  The Holy Spirit comes from the Father, so we are therefore “drawn”.  All around us we only see the material world.  Predestination comes into it because we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  Therefore God must have chosen us.  I am always uncomfortable with this as it seems so unjust to others, who are also God’s creation.

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones the Father "draws" to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

The world is full of worldly goodness to those who don't understand the love of God. Getting attracted to it is fatal, getting attracted to the love of God, and the beauty of His promises, its not an easy thing. God give us the nudge so gently, we end up loving Him more than anything else when we finally really get it. This building of faith is also the work of God, whose will is always done, not ours. He is too strong and makes it happen His way. So repent and get into His arms. Have a life of peace knowing He has already mapped out a great life for each of us to accept, to surrender to. What a blessing to have been selected by our glorious Father!!

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones the Father "draws" to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

The Father has the sole prerogative to decide who yields to Jesus. He however wants every one to be saved and works in the background through the Holy Spirit to give us the faith to respond to Jesus.

 

It may sound like predestination but God's plan is for everyone to be saved. Thus He will not bar anyone from being saved.

 

The Holy Spirit softens the stony hearts of men and explains the word for them to understand, believe and then be saved.

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These verses (John 6: 37,44,65) certainly make the point that God initiates and effects the call to us. He loved us first while we were far from him. We are saved by grace through faith and not from our selves (Eph 2: 8-9). He draws us to Him. The Holy Spirit works in us by convicting us of sin and our utter inability to work our way to God. The Holy Spirit softens our heart - makes us more responsive. This is predestination. Even our faith is a gift from God. We can only praise God for such a love. However when we try to push the rational limits of this doctrine of predestination, we risk trying to grasp the secret things that God has not revealed. (Duet. 29:29) 

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?  

Jesus teaching that all the Father calls, are drawn to Him (Jesus), because God is at work in our salvation. We are drawn to Jesus the Son of God and He will not lose us or forsake us.

This saying by Jesus sounds like predestination, but perhaps everyone is called at one time or another, it is our duty to be obedient to the call of God by the Holy Spirit, if we reject it eternal life will not be our destination.

God is work in our lives, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and draws us Christ, who forgives us if we have faith and believe in who He is and the salvation He provides. His death for our salvation for eternal life with Him in Heaven.

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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ? 

 
Only  God can awaken us spiritually.  We are born spiritually dead and need the Father to draw us.  I think the predestination thought comes into play because  God knows ahead who will respond to His wooing, however the invitation is for all who will come.  
As I look back I can see God's hand quiding me in decisions I or others have made.  Even when I didn't really know about the Holy Spirit He was at work and still is, in my life making me into the person I  am.  I just didn't know it was the Holy Spirit.  I have to say I was very dull, wanting to know that there is God and that He knew and cared about me but very hard of hearing if you will. So truly God is at work in us before we are even aware of Him in the sense that He is a personal God who cares for each of us on a personal level, guiding us, directing us, loving us, discipling us. 
Thank you Lord for not leaving me as I was.  For finding me and preparing my hard heart to receive you.  The work was yours and I am merely a trophy of your grace.  
 
God Bless!
Jen
Numbers 6:24-26
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Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65) What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

the teaching is that the Father calls us to follow  Jesus by faith in the word and believing in him.  We are drawn to Jesus by faith  in eternal salvation and the filling of the Holy Spirit that prepares us with a softening guidance and teaching .   I think that the predestination piece here  is that the "all that the Father has given me will come to me"  which implies that he has chosen the followers before birth.  God preceding grace,

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  • 4 weeks later...

Q3. (John 6:37, 44, 65)

What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him?

It is the Fathers will, the plan and purpose was made by him. Before you were born and what will happen to you after was made already by the Father. So the Father already made those ones he draw close to him.

 

In what way does this sound like predestination?

The ones are chosen or elected according to the will of the Father.

1 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

 

 

How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

The Holy Spirit sanctify those ones by having faith with Jesus Christ.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When Jesus speaks about the Father drawing people to Him, it is almost as if He is reassuring Himself at that time, because He knew the heart-motives of the people, and that a lot of them were about to leave Him. He was saying "Eat Me" and other seemingly preposterous things- perhaps so that the ones who came to Him for truly good reasons would be the only ones who stayed, because He is a Tester of hearts! He says that the people that the Father draws will come to Him. Perhaps He knew inwardly that even though it looked bleak that many were going to leave Him, He also had faith that His Father was drawing true disciples to Himself. (It would be interesting to compare this to a church mentality that might sometimes go on in some cultures, where the numbers that attend are seen as very important rather than the dscipleship quality of those that do. Ah...we are all broken in some way, and I hope that He might even restore vacillating/weak/fleshly followers to Himself, to a way that is what pleases Him, followers like myself a lot of times!)

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  • 3 months later...

I feel that a lot of people who call themselves Christians are those people who come through the church because of generations. Their parents and grandparents came through the church so they are there also. They feel that since they are church raised, they are safe. However, they do not hold God or Jesus in their hearts. They do not really believe what they hear or live by the words of God or Jesus in their every day lives.

 

They there are those people that are drawn to God and Jesus in their hearts before they really know how to accept him. They go against the norm of their family to follow God in their hearts and souls. They have a burning and a yearning for the teachings of the bible. This might be predestination, but I feel that it is their true calling of their own hearts. There is a free choice and free will to look for God to fill their lives.

 

I personally have had a restlessness inside of me. There was a very strong pull for me to return to the church to calm my insides. I have gotten involved with many activities that bring me back to the word of God and Christ.

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  • 1 month later...

1)        He tells us clearly that God draws everyone to Him through Christ Jesus.  Unfortunately, there are those who refuse, through ignorance or otherwise, to willing take that first step of faith to believe in the Father.  Jesus is telling us that without true faith, no one can come to Him.  2) Those who teach predestination are clearly missing the mark.  They teach that only those who God has chosen (predestined) will enter His kingdom but the Bible clearly teaches that God wants everyone to be saved!  God, in His infinite wisdom gave us all the free will to choose not to be saved (although I can’t understand that particular mindset).  If God didn’t take our personal decisions into consideration, He would certainly save everyone but that’s not how it works!  Those who believe in Him through true faith will be drawn to Christ.  3) Without the Holy Spirit, there is no salvation.  You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.(Romans 8:9)  It’s extremely important for us to make sure we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, in order to ensure our salvation.

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  • 3 weeks later...

This question would lead you to believe that only certain ones are drawn or predestined, however John 12:32 says, "But I, when I am lifted up from earth, will draw ALL men to myself." So Jesus draws ALL of us to Him, but we have a choice whether or not we respond to that drawing. God's desire is that NONE should perish. I believe the idea of predestination relates to God knowing who will respond. The Holy Spirit prepares people to put their faith in Christ by convicting the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8), by guiding us into all truth (John 16:13), and by taking what is Christ's and making it known to us (John 16:14).

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  • 2 months later...

What is the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones the Father “draws” to him can come to him? In what way does this sound like predestination? How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ?

 

Predestination is a hard one for me and if we are not careful, it can divide Christians. I know from my own testimony that before I put my faith in Christ, God worked in my heart for years. For example, back in the 80's I was 'drawn' to go to a bookstore and buy a Bible just to see what was in it. About the same time, I was 'drawn' to start watching a certain tele-evangelist and listen to his Bible teachings. There were other things that happened too where God was apparently planting seeds in my heart. All this happened before I was a Christian. Then the time came (in 1989) where I was invited by my best friend to come to California for his wedding. We had some time alone together at his house. While talking about life, He suddenly got up and disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with a Bible. He laid it on the table, opened it to John 3:16 and asked me to read it. Then he asked me boldly if I wanted to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I said yes and we prayed together right there. I was born again in that moment.

 

So looking back, I do believe that "no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him" because that's exactly what happened to me. It seemed that God's Spirit was first chasing me down, and at the right moment, He gave me the gift of faith so I could believe. I don't think I would ever have 'chosen' Jesus just on my own. God had to first do a work to break the 'blindness' that Satan creates across the whole world of people. It says in 2 Cor 4:4 that the god of this age [satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they might not see...... How can a blind person (like I was) 'choose' on his own to start seeing?? I don't think he can. An outside agency must intervene. I believe it is God Himself, using His Power, that must first intervene in order to overcome the blinding influence of Satan (Prevenient or Previous Grace).

 

So from what I see in Scripture, and from my own personal testimony - I do believe in Predestination - as being a 'Prevenient Grace' that precedes human decision. We have a free-will, but we can't (or won't) choose Christ unless God does a work in us first. Faith is a gift from God, and you must first possess the gift in order to be able to use it. Otherwise it's just human effort (which is never enough). To me that sounds consistent with the God of Creation who always came first before His creation (Genesis 1:1). He precedes everything! In Christ, we are also 'new creations'. So just as He came first in the creation of the universe, He must also come first in the new spiritual creation of a person. That's why Jesus said "no one can come to Me unless the Father draws him" . That's about as far as I can understand it. I don't know if my decision for Christ was only of my free will (Arminians) or if it was 'irresistable' (Calvinist). I really don't know that part, but I consider it 'splitting hairs'. We don't need to divide over the issue. Besides, from what I learned, the Arminians and the Calvinist actually AGREE on a whole lot more than they disagree with.

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  • 1 year later...

It is such a blessing to be reminded that it is the Father who draws people to Jesus. Sometimes when witnessing to people I think they are my responsibility that they come to Jesus and the danger is to "overdo" it. When I first became a Christian, I did that with my husband and of course it didn't work. (Many years later he became a Christian by the grace of God.) A good lesson to learn though as I hopefully  don't repeat the same mistake with the young members of my family.

Knowing that it is the Father who draws them according to His will and purposes, frees me to just say or do what I hear the Lord telling me and I gladly leave the rest in His wonderful hands.

 

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  • 11 months later...

I think that the significance of Jesus’ teaching that only the ones that Father “draws” to him can come to him is that we have to accept what God has already done for us. This sounds like predestination because it sounds like we were drawn and only those that have been drawn will come to him. But Jesus died for us all so we have all been drawn to Him and not all have come to him. The Holy Spirit prepares people to put their faith in Christ because he is the one that puts the want in us to seek Him.

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