He Who Promised Is Faithful
The Heart of Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 324 viewsJesus is faithful to all those who come to Him; He vowed He would never cast them out.
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Hebrews 10:23 tells us:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
In John 6:37 we also read:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Thesis: Jesus is faithful to all those who come to Him; He vowed He would never cast them out.
Why This Text?
Why This Text?
When we think of the Puritan writers John Owen, Thomas Goodwin, and Thomas Manton come quickly to mind.
Most of the Puritans were well educated but not John Bunyan
Bunyan wrote an entire book on this verse - Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ. This book has a strong theme of the Free Offer of the Gospel but it goes far beyond this topic.
In typical Puritan fashion, Bunyan takes John 6:37 and writes an entire book on it.
The Puritans wrote and wrote until they had exhausted all that could be said about a passage; this book is no different.
The context of John 6:37 is where Jesus has pronounced himself the bread of life given to the spiritually hungry (John 6:32–40). In the middle of that passage Jesus declares: All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
This passage started with Jesus talking about the bread of life and they wanted this bread.
Jesus proclaims in v. 35 that He is this bread of life and that they do not believe that He is that bread from God
His next breath says a statement of the grace, election, and goodness of God.
Spurgeon notes that this passage is full of the doctrine of election,
He notes that all given “must and shall come.”
He notes the necessity of faith - unless they come they are not saved; “All that the Father gives to our Redeemer must come to him, therefore none can come to heaven except they come to Christ.”
He goes at length on “shall [will] come”, he says, He does not say they have power to come, nor they may come if they will, but they "shall come." The Lord Jesus doth by his messengers, his word, and his Spirit, sweetly and graciously compel men to come in that they may eat of his marriage supper; and this he does, not by any violation of the free agency of man, but by the power of his grace.
Thesis: Jesus is faithful to all those who come to Him; He vowed He would never cast them out.
What Truths Are Taught In This Verse?
What Truths Are Taught In This Verse?
It is a definite love for God’s elect - All … will come
“All . . . ,” not “most.” Once the Father sets his loving gaze on a wandering sinner, that sinner’s rescue is certain.
“. . . will come . . .” God’s saving purpose for a sinner is never thwarted. He is never frustrated. He never runs out of resources. If the Father calls us, we will come to Christ.
It is a Trinitarian love for God’s elect - the Father gives me
“. . . the Father . . .” Our redemption is not a matter of a gracious Son trying to calm down an uncontrollably angry Father. The Father himself ordains our deliverance. He takes the loving initiative (note v. 38).
He gives . . . ,” not “haggles over.” It is the Father’s deep delight to freely entrust recalcitrant rebels into the gracious care of his Son.
Bunyan notes, The first part of the text, as is evident, respecteth the Father and his gift; the other part the Son and his reception of that gift.
It is an enabling love for God’s elect - will come … and whoever comes
“. . . will come . . .” God’s saving purpose for a sinner is never thwarted. He is never frustrated. He never runs out of resources. If the Father calls us, we will come to Christ.
“. . . and whoever comes . . .” Yet we are not robots. While the Father is clearly the sovereign overseer of our redemption, we are not dragged kicking and screaming into Christ against our will. Divine grace is so radical that it reaches down and turns around our very desires. Our eyes are opened. Christ becomes beautiful. We come to him. And anyone—“whoever”—is welcome. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ.
It is a personal love for God’s elect - comes to me
“. . . comes to me . . .” We do not come to a set of doctrines. We do not come to a church. We do not even come to the gospel. All these are vital. But most truly, we come to a person, to Christ Himself.
Thesis: Jesus is faithful to all those who come to Him; He vowed He would never cast them out.
What Does This Reveal of Christ’s Heart for Mankind?
What Does This Reveal of Christ’s Heart for Mankind?
This shows the persevering heart of Christ
Bunyan writes: They that are coming to Jesus Christ, are often times heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive them. This observation is implied in the text. I gather it from the largeness and openness of the promise: “I will in no wise cast out.”
Later Bunyan has this dialogue
But I am a great sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a backsliding sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
This promise was provided to answer all objections, and does answer them.
These words “never cast out” uses two Greek negatives for force: it would literally read, I will not, not cast out or by no possible instance would I ever cast out.
Ortlund says, Fallen, anxious sinners are limitless in their capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast them out. We are factories of fresh resistances to Christ’s love. Even when we run out of tangible reasons to be cast out, such as specific sins or failures, we tend to retain a vague sense that, given enough time, Jesus will finally grow tired of us and hold us at arm’s length.
Ortlund says later
We cannot present a reason for Christ to finally close off his heart to his own sheep. No such reason exists. Every human friend has a limit. If we offend enough, if a relationship gets damaged enough, if we betray enough times, we are cast out. The walls go up. With Christ, our sins and weaknesses are the very resumé items that qualify us to approach him. Nothing but coming to him is required—first at conversion and a thousand times thereafter until we are with him upon death.
This offer is to all who come to Him: not the most contrite ones, not the ones who grieve over their sin enough, not the ones who are going to do better in the future; your resolve isn’t the formula for the faithfulness of Christ.
Consider Psalm 63:8
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
Ortlund notes that this is beyond the persevering of the saints, this is the persevering of Christ for the saints.
This passage shows the personal heart of Christ
We tend to think of security in terms of the divine decree, and it is, but our security goes beyond a divine decree, there is a divine desire; to be forsaken in my sin Christ would have to be pulled from Heaven’s throne and put back in the grave.
Ortlund says, For those united to him, the heart of Jesus is not a rental; it is your new permanent residence. You are not a tenant; you are a child.
Spurgeon says,
No limit is set to the duration of this promise. It does not merely say, "I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming," but, "I will in no wise cast out." The original reads, "I will not, not cast out," or "I will never, never cast out." The text means, that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as he will not do it at first, so he will not to the last.
Later, Spurgeon goes on:
But suppose the believer sins after coming? "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
But suppose that believers backslide? "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him."
But believers may fall under temptation! "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but he will "Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; he will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow"; "From all their iniquities will I cleanse them."
Thesis: Jesus is faithful to all those who come to Him; He vowed He would never cast them out.
How Should This Change My Life?
How Should This Change My Life?
This should give us great confidence in our spiritual walk
This does not need to cockiness but humble confidence in the work of God in my behalf.
This shows us the love of Christ for us and the Holy Spirit will use that to fan the flames of our love for Him.
This should give us great desire to forsake sin.
Jesus is completely opposed to fleshly living and embracing sin.
Jesus came and defeated sin, we are living through the final days of sin’s struggle (read Romans 6:7-14)
Let me close with these words of Spurgeon’s:
"I give unto my sheep," saith he, "eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." What sayest thou to this, O trembling feeble mind? Is not this a precious mercy, that coming to Christ, thou dost not come to One who will treat thee well for a little while, and then send thee about thy business, but he will receive thee and make thee his bride, and thou shalt be his forever? Receive no longer the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby thou shalt cry, Abba, Father! Oh! the grace of these words: "I will in no wise cast out."