No One Can Come to Me Unless the Father Who Sent Me Drags Him
Everyone is permitted to come to Jesus, but no one is able. This is the Bible’s teaching pertaining to the state of humanity, after the fall from Eden. Sin has brought a radical corruption to mankind. This is the bad news, which must necessarily precede the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sin is all pervasive. It is the drop of poison that permeates the whole. There is utter contamination. Not only is one’s entire life soiled with sin, but sin has poisoned all peoples’ lives. Sin is the cause of all suffering in the world. This includes physical suffering, mental and emotional suffering, and spiritual suffering.
From the time of Adam, through every generation of all people, sin nature has been transferred to every heart, mind, and will. This plague impacts every dimension of human life, but there is a spiritual ignorance about these matters, which are so common to the human race.
John 1:9–11 reveals the state of human ignorance in speaking of Jesus’ incarnation, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Here was the Creator in the midst of His creation, and His own did not know Him. It was as distinct as light and darkness, but they did not understand. He walked in perfect holiness, but they were so corrupt, they could not discern any difference in Him.
The apostle Paul helps us to understand the plight of human ignorance. Man has a veil over his eyes (2 Cor 4:3). He is spiritually blind. Natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit (1 Cor 2:14). The only one who can change the state of humanity is God Himself.
Someone might object that he can do what is necessary, but the Bible is clear on human inability. To Nicodemus, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3).” It does not say, “may not,” but rather, it says, “cannot.” That is the difference between permission and ability. As noted at the outset, everyone has the permission to believe the Gospel, but no one has the ability to believe, for he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. The idea of “see” is not visual, but it alludes to discernment. People are blind to spiritual truth found only in Christ Jesus.
Man’s response to the bad news ranges from passive indifference to active hatred. The Light came into the world, but men hated the Light because they loved the darkness (Jn 3:19). Light exposes sinful man for being sinful. His deeds are evil. He is filled with pride.
Man is born in a state of resisting and evading the light. Truth and light go together, and so do lies and darkness. Lies and darkness are natural to sinful man in the world, while truth and light are supernatural incursions. Children may be afraid of the darkness, but sinful man is afraid of the Light.
It is for this reason, we argue: sheep do not find the shepherd; but the shepherd finds the sheep. Sheep must learn the identity of the true Shepherd. This is why we teach Christ, so people can learn the Good Shepherd. It is also why Christians need to be patient with unbelievers. We must never forget our previous state before Christ came to rescue us. We, too, were unable to change our state.
Not only is there spiritual ignorance, blindness, and inability, there is even spiritual defiance, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (Jn 3:36).” Belief is equivalent to obedience. Unbelief is the same as disobedience. Notice how Jesus simply puts people into one of two groups: believers and unbelievers. One has eternal life, and the other has the wrath of God.
Some preachers, who do not understand the true state of humanity will present the Gospel as an option to choose, or hint at a good deal, or make a suggestion for one to accept Christ. This is not how the Bible presents it. There is a command from God for all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Believers come by grace alone (Eph 2:8–9). Unbelievers are defiant without grace. They refuse to submit to Christ.
Salvation is a gift of God. Believers come to Christ without cost to themselves. It is stunning to observe the ignorance, the blindness, the inability, the disobedience, and the unbelief in natural man. If we were to accurately evaluate the state of man’s ability to come to Christ, is it, “I’m ok, you’re ok”? Or is man spiritually sick? Or is it even worse, is man dead?
Jesus answers our inquiry, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (Jn 5:25).” This is not only a reference to the future resurrection of the dead. Jesus said, “the hour…now is.” Now is when the dead are hearing the voice of Jesus and living. Jesus was undoubtedly speaking about spiritual resurrection (regeneration).
Paul claims we were dead in our trespasses (Eph 2:1, 5), dead in our transgressions (Col 2:13). We were as spiritually dead as the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. Man’s mind cannot comprehend light and truth from God because she is dead. Man’s heart cannot stir up holy affections for Jesus Christ because she is dead. Man’s will exists. It makes choices day by day, but those choices are horizontal, earthy. When it comes to God, man’s vertical attempts fall far short (Gen 11). The dead man has no exercise of his will. He cannot pick up the antidote for his disease because he is a spiritual corpse. Man is dead in sin.
Dead men need life, and only God can give them life. Dry bones, of themselves, cannot connect themselves and add flesh and become an army. Ezekiel humbly acknowledged these things were only possible with God. When a preacher asks a dead man to make a decision, it is pure foolishness. The man is not able to do what the preacher is asking. Dead men do not sing, “Just as I am.” We must avoid asking people to do what they have no capacity to do. It is more suitable to preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2; Col 1:28), as the biblical and better alternative.
When it comes to the teaching of spiritual inability, Jesus said it best, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (Jn 6:44).” When Jesus says, “No one can come to Me,” He means, “no one.” This is universal inability. We again see the term, “can” like we did in John 3:3. It is a term of ability, not permission. Everyone may come to Jesus, but, “No one can come to Me,” says Jesus. To come to Jesus means to believe in Him. We come to Him in order to demonstrate our utter trust and dependence upon Him for our salvation. There is a moral inability, “No one can come.”
“Unless” the Father draws (actually drags = Gk. elkuse) him (Jn 6:44), and Jesus repeats Himself in John 6:65, “unless it is granted to him by the Father.” Absolutely no one can come to Christ through a self-generated faith. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5).” The one exception to this rule of inability is that God is able.
God is able to grant faith unto salvation, but it is entirely up to God the Father to choose. It is entirely up to God the Son to die the substitutionary death to pay for the sins of His people. It is entirely up to God the Spirit to indwell the elect soul (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11), and to bring the life of God into it. It is all God, for from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things (Rom 11:36). All things include salvation, from beginning to end.
How well does this exclusive work of God in salvation sit with people, even church goers? Jesus answers our inquiry, “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore (Jn 6:66).” There were nominal disciples of Jesus, just as there are nominal Christians, today. These people do not like the sovereignty of God in salvation. It is not difficult to understand this teaching, but it is hard to swallow. Many choke. We need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to accept it.
All of the inability conditions, stated so far, are the result of the human state of being enslaved to sin, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin (Jn 8:34).’” Sin is master (Rom 6:6). Sin is lord. Sin demands his subjects go on sinning. Slaves of sin have a lifestyle of sin. They love the darkness (Jn 3:19).
What makes matters worse is the spiritual bondage to Satan, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).” Everyone is born into the family of Satan, which is why we must be born again into God’s family. There are only two spiritual families in the world.
When Jesus says, “You are of your father the devil,” in the context, He is speaking to the religious leaders of Israel. He is saying that religion is a curse. It was the religious crowd who crucified Jesus. This was the type of preaching which pinned Jesus to the Cross. Men hate to be told they are evil and wicked, especially if they are in church.
Paul wrote and claimed the mind of man is blinded from seeing Gospel truth (2 Cor 4:4). He also wrote how all of humanity is under tyranny (Eph 2:2–3). Sinful man is captive to the devil to do his will (2 Tim 2:26). Here is the argument against free will, easy believism, in man-centered salvation. Human will is simply not free. It is not easy to believe; in fact, it is impossible, “No one can come.”
When Simon Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah, Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Mt 16:17).” The will is enslaved to sin, Satan, and the lusts of this world. One might ask, “Why don’t people understand?”
Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17). Jesus said, “Why do you not understand what I am saying?” Surely, they could hear Him audibly. Jesus answered His own question, “It is because you cannot hear My word (Jn 8:43).” Here is this word, “can” again. As noted, it is a word of ability, “No one can come,” and “You cannot see,” and “You cannot hear.” It is crystal clear to Jesus, and it should be indubitable to us: man has no ability to do what he is permitted to do.
If faith comes by hearing, and some hear and some do not hear, what makes the difference? Jesus answers our inquiry, “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God (Jn 8:47).”
Everyone who is not of God does not hear the Word of God. It never sinks in. They never hear with understanding. Until God speaks and enables a response there will never be a response to the Gospel (Acts 10:42, 44; 16:14). Thus, we must marvel at the miracle of our salvation…to the glory of God.
For someone to object to or deny the doctrine of total human corruption is to be guilty of everything stated here. Therefore, let us humble ourselves before Almighty God, who resists the proud, but who gives grace to the humble. Be humble, therefore, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will discover that God is able to drag sinners to salvation.
When we understand God’s salvation, we understand why the word is “drag.” It is because, “No one can come” to Jesus, unless the Father grants it, and the Spirit does it. Praise God for so great a salvation that honors Him alone and glorifies His great work in saving totally depraved sinners like us.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
April 19, 2021
