“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
(John 6:44-45)
We are all children of Adam, conceived in sin (Psa. 51:5) and by nature enemies of God, fallen, corrupt, and blind. Just like a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit, a corrupt heart cannot produce faith. So apart from divine grace, none can truly believe.
Indeed, these three truths stand firm. First, salvation is not acquired by human striving. Second, saving faith is divinely given. And third, this faith is unmerited, flowing only from God’s free grace.
A man may assent to gospel facts, yet such assent is not saving faith. Even demons know Christ is the Son of God. But saving faith goes beyond acknowledgment; it embraces Christ as righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption and arises from a heart that has been transformed by the Spirit.
Scripture testifies again and again that salvation is by grace alone, and that even faith itself is a gift of God. Human effort cannot generate it, human intellect cannot attain it, and human will cannot secure it. Faith is born only when God, by His Spirit, draws the soul to Christ.
Even the faith necessary to believe, then, is the gift of God. “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ… to believe on him” (Phil. 1:29). Both the ability to believe and the very act of believing are God’s gifts. It is none other than His gracious work that draws the soul, enlightens the mind, softens the heart, and enables the will. Divine generosity and human reception meet in the moment of faith, but the origin is God alone.[1]
The believer can only look back on his salvation and confess that all of it, from first hearing to final embracing of Christ, was decreed by the Father’s love and wrought by the Spirit’s power. Because grace alone is sufficient to ignite true faith.
Contemplations:
- Boundless sustaining grace. Lord, in light of my own limitations I am so thankful for Your boundless grace. Every day, draw me closer to You and help me always recognize Your hand in my life. And especially in my moments of doubt, remind me of the strength of Your love.
- Continually humbled and ever grateful. Heavenly Father, as I consider my relationship with You, let me never overlook the source of my faith. When I rise in the morning, remind me of Your unending love and grace. And as I daily walk with You, let gratitude be the song of my heart.
- The wonders of Your grace. I know it’s not in my strength but by Your Spirit that I believe, Lord. Anchor my soul in Your truth that I might be unshakeable even amidst the storms of life. When I falter, gently lift me, reminding me that my faith is a gift from You. In my Christian walk, may I always recognize and celebrate the wonders of Your grace.
- A vessel of Your love. Lord, as I navigate the path You’ve set before me, guide me in sharing the Gospel’s message of hope and love with others. Let my words and actions reflect Your heart that others may be drawn to You. Use me as a vessel, Lord, to help light the world with Your radiant love.
Prayer (confession)
O Lord, I confess before You that left to myself I could never have come to Christ. My heart is carnal, my mind darkened, and my will enslaved. I was conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity, and by nature a child of wrath. I could not see, I could not seek, I could not believe. If You had not drawn me, I would never have come.
I confess, Father, that I often forget the origin of my faith. Pride whispers that I chose You by my own wisdom, that I sought You by my own strength, that I believed by my own resolve. Forgive me, Lord, for robbing You of glory. Forgive me for boasting, even in my heart, as though faith had sprung from me.
I confess that my unbelief still lingers. Even as one who has received faith as a gift, I waver. Doubt rises when trials press, when prayers seem unanswered, when sin clings too close. Forgive me, Lord, for questioning Your goodness, for distrusting Your promises, and for forgetting Your Spirit’s power.
I confess that I have often treated faith as though it were mine to protect, sustain, and nurture. But apart from Your Spirit, it withers. Without Your daily grace, it fails. Forgive me for leaning on my flesh instead of resting in Your gift.
O God, cleanse me from pride and unbelief. Teach me to see faith itself as grace upon grace. Teach me to treasure it as Your gift, not my possession. Let me confess daily that I believe only because You have drawn me, that I stand only because You uphold me, that I endure only because You preserve me.
Lord, I also confess that I have not shared this truth as I should. I have often spoken of faith as though it were merely a decision or a choice of will. Forgive me for failing to magnify Your sovereign grace before others and thereby misrepresenting Your Gospel.
Have mercy, Father, for Christ’s sake. Wash me in His blood, renew me by His Spirit, and keep me in Your grace. Let me walk humbly, never boasting in myself but glorying only in Christ. Let my life testify that salvation is of the Lord, that faith is His gift, and that Your grace is greater than my sin.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for John 6:44-45:
Jer. 31:33, John 6:37, 1 Cor. 2:12, Phil. 3:15
[1] Petrus van Mastricht, Faith in the Triune God, ed. Joel R. Beeke, trans. Todd M. Rester and Michael T. Spangler, vol. 2, Theoretical-Practical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2019), 366.
