“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life” (John 6:40).
In this passage, we have set before us three very significant doctrines: human responsibility, predestination, and preservation of the saints. In explaining to the Jews that He is the bread of life—the source of spiritual life for all who come to Him—Jesus refers to each of these doctrines; and He does so without any tension, any awareness of possible contradiction, any need to explain how these doctrines actually work out in the plan of salvation. He simply states His case and leaves it at that. And yet, the church has struggled with each of these doctrines for centuries, some denying one or more, claiming them to be incompatible with one another. But Jesus clearly did not think they were incompatible, and we should follow our Lord’s example. Although we might not understand how each of these aspects of redemption work out in God’s plan, we cannot deny that they are true.
Jesus says that anyone who wants eternal life must first believe in Him. If you want to eat of the bread of life, you are responsible to come to Him. Jesus does not shy away from human responsibility. If we believe in Him, we have life; if we reject Him, we are condemned.
Then as if anticipating the crowd’s assumption that this act of faith is a work of man, Jesus immediately says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Here we have the will of the Father and the Son in perfect harmony. God has chosen some to have faith. When those He has chosen come, which they inevitably will, the Son will accept them. Notice the order here: God gives, we come, Jesus accepts. It is not the other way around.
Lastly, Jesus sums up His statement concerning the way to attain eternal life by saying, “of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. God’s counsel cannot be changed, His calling cannot be revoked, our inheritance cannot be defiled, the seal of life cannot be broken. God, the One who gives to His Son, has determined that some will be saved, and those He has called will be raised at the last day. We have this promise and this assurance from Christ Himself.
