Whoever Is of God

Lesson #108

In this lesson we will look at the third of five passages that relate to John 6:44: “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” (John 8:47 ESV).

Before we consider this verse let us go back and bring to mind several key points. In John 6:37 Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (ESV). The Father gives people to Jesus as a gift and everyone to be given will come. There are none lost along the way and everyone given will be eternally kept. In John 6:44 Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (ESV). Everyone given as a gift to Jesus is first drawn by the Father. If the Father gives all that come to Jesus and none are lost along the way then the Father draws only those who he gives. If the Father drew everyone and if the ones given are the ones who come then you have a condition that the Father drew some that he didn’t give. Why would the Father draw some and then decide not to give them? In John 6:65 Jesus continues and said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” (ESV). The Father chooses those he draws, grants them permission to come, and brings them as a gift to Jesus Christ. A child in an orphanage is unable to choose the family to live with. We as spiritually dead sinners are unable to choose to be a child of God. The Father chooses us to be born again. This is his sovereign will.

Our verse for this lesson reinforces this sovereign choice. “Whoever is of God hears the words of God” implies that you are of God before you can understand and believe the word. Those who are of God are known in the Scriptures as “loss sheep”. These loss sheep are the ones drawn by the Father and given authority to come and will be brought and given as a gift to Jesus. As the Father brings these to his Son he employs us in the process of evangelism. Being of God are those chosen to be drawn and in that process of drawing the ability to understand and believe is developed. These are the ones granted to come. Study the conversion of Paul and many conversions in the Middle East today as an application of this.

Prayer

Father, as I consider the time before my salvation, I can see the effects of your drawing on my life and the process of bringing me to my point of salvation when I knew without any doubt that the time of the new birth had come. That particular night I knew that I had been given as a gift to Jesus and that he gave me the gift of eternal life. No one convinced me to make a decision. Like Paul on the road to Damascus I knew I had to say yes. Thank you that in your sovereign will I am now a child of yours; loved and secured.