John 6:37-39

Your abusing Rom. 5:2. The perfect tense (stand) demonstrates that the standing in grace preceded access by faith. It was a completed action that stands completed prior to access by faith. That grammatical fact completely anhilates your whole argument. This grammatical fact also demonstrates your reasoning behind Romans 4:16 is also in error.

Furthermore, grace preceded both faith or imputation as Paul introduces "grace" in Romans 4:4 before considering either faith or imputation in Romans 4:5.

Finally, your whole line of argument is obviously wrong as this would attribute both faith and imputation to something other than "grace" and the only other option to grace in this immediate context is "works" (Rom. 4:4; 11:6).

 

John 17:2-3 declares that Jesus gives eternal life (quickening) to only as "many as thou has given him."

The last phrase is a purpose clause in the Greek text as well as in the English text. Here is a clear and explicit statement that declares that the purpose in being given by the Father for all those given to be quickened/regenerated/made to live or give eternal life. The restrictive clause "to as many as were given" denies this is God's purpose for all men or else they too would have been given to the Son.

John 6:37-39 demands all those given to the Son to be quickened will in addition come to the Son in saving faith and not one be lost.

John 6:44 demands that NONE can come to the Son but those the Father draws. Since the rest of mankind was not given to the Son to be quickened then the rest of mankind will not come to the Son in faith because only "as many as were given" to the Son are quickened/regenerated and come to Christ in saving faith. It can be argued clearly on the basis of grammar that the "draw him" is the same "him" that will be raised again as the previous "him" is the object of "draw" not the object of "come."

In addition, drawing is futher defined to include "ALL" that the Father teaches in verse 45 which in turn is equal to "EVERY MAN" who has heard and learned of the Father or else they were not taught. EVERY MAN "cometh to me" Jesus said, that was taught/drawn.

Therefore, being given by the Father to the Son means being quickened, drawn and coming to the Son effectually so that not one is lost.

 

They would simply argue that they were foreknown rather than foredetermined by God's purpose. However, both the context of Romans 8:28-31 and the repeated definitive statements of purpose beginning in Ephesians 1:4-11 totally repudiate that definition.

In Romans 8:28 Paul establishes that all things work together "according to God's Purpose." This purpose is the foundation and spring from which the following series of "for whom....he did also" originates. Each item "foreknew, predestinate, called, justified, glorified" are consequential items included in the "all things" that are worked "according to His purpose." His purpose stands as the fountain head from which "all things work" according to.

In Ephesians 1:4 the final infintive purpose clause "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" demonstrate that nothing foresaw separated them to God but election before the world was to accomplish such separation unto God. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 also demands that they were chosen before the foundation of the world "TO salvation THROUGH sanctification (setting apart) rather than because of foreseen setting apart by faith.

The remainder of Ephesians 1:5-11 provide plenty of reasons for election before the foundation of the world but not one reason is because God foresaw anything in the elect as a cause for election:


Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.


In the Bible the term "foreknew" when used of God's elect in the purpose of redemption is never to understood as "foresaw" but previous knowledge that is predetermined because of God's purpose. It is like knowing where every room will be in a house because it is found in the blueprints which reveal the purpose of the Archetech or "according to His purpose" or "according to the good pleasure of His will" .

Thus in the purpose of salvation Jesus could say on judgement day to a great multitude of professed believers "I NEVER KNEW you." He obviously did know them in regard to foresight but never in regard to His purpose of salvation "according to the good pleasure of His will."

 

When Paul says He works "ALL THINGS" it is inclusive of things that others do who are not "called according to His purpose." In fact it is inclusive of "ALL THINGS" that happen. Psa. 76:10 demonstrate that "ALL THINGS" done by the wicked are under the restraint of God to fit within His purpose and never to exceed beyond the limits of His purpose. Ephesians 1:11 explicitly says, "according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Therefore, His purpose leaves nothing out that comes into existence. This includes sin and all of its consequences which fit within His purpose just as the Colorado river is restrained within the walls of the Grand Cayon heading for gulf so also sin is restrained within the walls of God's purpose heading for the the exact conclusion God intends.

 

Nothing comes into existence that is not "according to his purpose" including sin and all of its consquences. God could have prevented sin and all of its consequences but clearly did not. God permitted the entrance of sin into the world by the creation of free choice. Free choice requires permission to sin with all of its consequences even though God hates sin. However, he also decreed that moral free agents would be the responsible source for any choice to sin with all of its consequences.

Finally, Psa 76:10 is pertinent to this discussion as it demonstrates clearly that the will of fallen mankind is not sovereign and God does restrain as well as overrule the human will and its actions. This can be demontrated by many examples throughout scriptures where God limited the circumstances by divine providence so that man cannot do anything he pleases or carry out evil designs. God simply does not permit EVERYTHING man or demons desire and therefore He restrains "all things" that are not "according to his purpose" as well as supervises control over "all things" that do happen.

Your objection that Romans 8:28-32 is stretching "all things" because the context deals with God's elect is invalid because Ephesians 1:11 is found in the same context dealing with the very same words. In addition, both texts by necessity must include all decisions and actions by other rational beings because God's children do not live in a vacuum. Satan and demons are actively working against God and His children in all of their decisions and actions through governments and the lost (Acts 2:23; 4:28; Rom. 9:17,22-23). There has been and there is a battle going on and it is directed against the people of God. God cannot "work all things" without being Sovereign over "all things" that interact and impact His people as well as His specific purposes for His children. His eternal purpose and His sovereignty over all things are inseparable in scriptures and must be or else one would repudiate the other. Any other view paints God taken by surprise by sin and having to scamble plan B.