Assurance of Salvation

Lesson #104

As we watch the reaction of the crowd that follows Jesus around it becomes apparent that spiritually dead people are unable to see or understand spiritual things. For many this raises a serious question. What is the chance that no one will have the faith to believe that Jesus accomplished anything by his death on the cross. What if no one responds to the sacrifice God is making? God would have then failed to establish an eternal body of believers to have fellowship with. How can God ensure the salvation of people? He could ensure their salvation by choosing those he wants to give eternal life to. Is it within God’s sovereignty and right to do so? Is that fair to those he doesn’t choose?

Consider what Jesus says next: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37 ESV). Jesus tells the crowd that his Father gives his chosen ones to him. This process of the Father choosing and Jesus receiving is also mentioned in verses 39, 44, 65, which we will be coming to. Those chosen by the Father and given to Jesus will come to him. They will come because God brings them. Bringing them ensures that nothing will happen to the one chosen along the way. Those who are chosen and brought to Jesus will be eternally kept. Jesus does not pick over those given and cast some out. The choosing, giving and bringing is the sovereign work of the Father, and the keeping is the sovereign work of the Son. What assurance this gives to know that the Father loves us so much that he chooses us and brings us as a gift to his Son. Then because of the love and desire of the Son for us, he accepts the gift and promises that he will never set us aside or stop loving us.

Jesus continues by saying, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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 6:38 – 39 ESV). Jesus came to do the Father’s will and that will is that Jesus would not lose any the Father gives him and beyond this assurance is the promise that he will raise up our bodies on the last day.

Jesus adds more by saying, “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 ESV). Those the Father brings to Jesus have been prepared to desire to look on the Son and believe in him and as a result will have eternal life as a gift from the Son and be raised up on the last day.

Consider 1 Peter 1:1 – 3 where we learn that according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, we were chosen and according to the Father’s great mercy, he caused us to be born again to a living hope (NASB). This is how we come to salvation. Someone is sure to raise the question about very small children and maybe a miscarriage or an abortion. That is for another time because it is not part of our text for this lesson, but keep in mind; “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” How might those you are questioning be brought to Jesus by the Father?

Prayer

Father, what a lesson this was for me to prepare. What joy and excitement it gives me to carefully look at the word, meditate on it like eating a great meal and listen to the Holy Spirit give insight as I ingest what I am eating. The Word is Jesus the bread of life we are to come to and partake of and when we faithfully do we are fully satisfied. Thank you that I do experience this as I prepare these lessons.