The Father's Gift
The Father's gift of salvation is a sovereign act of God, and it is not something that we can earn or deserve on our own.
A.W. Tozer explores the profound truths found in John 6, emphasizing that coming to Christ is a divine gift from the Father rather than a result of human effort. He highlights that many Christians struggle with this concept, preferring to maintain a sense of self-determination in their salvation. Tozer points out that the ability to seek Christ is granted by God, and those chosen by the Father will inevitably come to Him. This teaching can be unsettling, as it challenges the notion of self-sufficiency and underscores the sovereignty of God in the salvation process. Ultimately, Tozer encourages believers to recognize the unique calling of certain individuals who are drawn to Christ, even before their conversion.
Text
In the ''sixth'' chapter of John our Lord makes some statements which gospel Christians seem afraid to talk about. The average one of us manages to live with them by the simple trick of ignoring them. They are such as these: 1. Only they come to Christ who have been given to Him by the Father (John 6:37). 2. No one can come of himself; he must first be drawn by the Father (John 6:44). 3. The ability to come to Christ is a gift of the Father (John 6:65). 4. Everyone given to the Son by the Father will come to Him (John 6:37)
It is not surprising that upon hearing these words many of our Lord's disciples went back and walked no more with Him. Such teaching cannot but be deeply disturbing to the natural mind. It takes from sinful men much of the power of self-determination upon which they had prided themselves so inordinately. It cuts the ground out from under their self-help and throws them back upon the sovereign good pleasure of God, and that is precisely where they do not want to be. They are willing to be saved by grace, but to preserve their self-esteem they must hold that the desire to be saved originated with them; this desire is their contribution to the whole thing, their offering of the fruit of the ground, and it keeps salvation in their hands where in truth it is not and can never be.
Admitting the difficulties this creates for us, and acknowledging that it runs contrary to the assumptions of popular Christianity, it is yet impossible to deny that there are certain persons who, though still unconverted, are nevertheless different from the crowd, marked out of God, stricken with an interior wound and susceptible to the call of Christ to a degree others are not.
Sermon Outline
- The Father's Gift of Salvation
- The Role of the Father in Salvation
- The Implications of the Father's Gift
- The natural mind rebels against the idea of God's sovereignty
- The desire to be saved must originate with God, not man
Key Quotes
“Only they come to Christ who have been given to Him by the Father (John 6:37).” — A.W. Tozer
“No one can come of himself; he must first be drawn by the Father (John 6:44).” — A.W. Tozer
“The ability to come to Christ is a gift of the Father (John 6:65).” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must trust in God's sovereignty and goodness, and not try to earn or deserve salvation on our own.
- We must recognize that our desire to be saved must originate with God, not with us.
- We must surrender our self-determination and trust in God's plan for our lives.