July 6
________________________________________NO ONE CAN COME UNLESS THE FATHER GRANTS IT
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
– John 6:60-65
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There were many of Jesus’ disciples who cannot comprehend the truth He was revealing to them. Jesus was also aware of the grumbling taking place among them. He told them that if these truths He was laying down on them cannot sink into their hearts, how can they be able to see the Son of Man go up to heaven right before their very eyes. In verse 63, he explains that they cannot understand spiritual things by the physical alone. Unbelief causes them not to understand the truth. Once again, in verse 64, we are presented with Jesus’ omniscience. He knew already who would betray Him even before they do the act. He spoke that He knew who are those who believe and those who didn’t. He reminds them that it is not their choice to believe, it is the heavenly Father who chooses who are His and who aren’t. In other words, we cannot do anything unless it comes from the Father’s will and unless we are chosen by God, we cannot even come close to Jesus.
Isn’t this a fact and truth that many of us, even those who claim to be believers, fail to understand? Many religious individuals and unbelieving people don’t accept truth because they are not in the first place chosen by God. We think that it is our choice, when really, it is God’s. We have no power to meddle in God’s plan. What we experience in life is because it is the will of God. We are given free will to accept His gift of salvation and obey what He commands, but it is up to us to take it or leave it. Even the will to accept Him does not only happen because we choose Him, but even our unbelief is also an act of God. In other words, humans have no power. Only God has.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some Christians think that they are in control of their belief in Jesus?
• What are the proofs that God is the only one in control?