Scripture Reference: – John 6:37
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
Through this verse, Jesus asserts that no one who approaches Him, seeking salvation, will ever be turned away. The assurance given here emphasizes both the power of God in drawing individuals to Himself and the open invitation to all who desire truth and redemption.
A Quick Look At The Text
The crowds who followed Jesus because of His healing miracles (John 6:2) saw Him perform a supernatural act the prior day (John 6:9-14). In this passage, Jesus has been trying to explain that His ministry is inherently spiritual, not material. The people however are fixated on the idea of material things.
In the same way, they are stuck on the idea of working for their own salvation. Instead, Jesus points to the one and only means of salvation: belief in the One whom God has sent into the world (John 6:29). Jesus has already pointed to Himself as this "Bread of Life" (John 6:35), which the people won't recognize even though they've seen more than enough evidence.
This verse continues to explain the idea of eternal life, touching on at least two controversial doctrines.
The first doctrine is that of predestination: implied by Jesus' phrase "all that the Father gives me will come to me." This suggests that those who accept Jesus' teaching that He is the Bread of Life—those who obtain eternal life—are identical to those who are "given" to Him by God the Father. Logically, this implies that those who do not come to Christ have not been "given" to Him.
Various theories exist on what exactly this means. Some interpret this as a hard determination by God. Others see this as a reference to God's sovereign choice in the issue of salvation. This might imply that God works to bring people to saving faith, but not necessarily that He withholds it from those who are not saved. No matter what view one takes, this verse creates a border for interpretation. God's sovereign involvement in souls coming to Christ for salvation is beyond debate. Those who are saved are those whom the Father "has given" to Christ, whatever that is interpreted to mean.
The second doctrine involved in this verse is that of eternal security. This is the idea that those who are truly saved in Christ can never lose that salvation. Compared to the shadowy edges of predestination, the Bible is extremely specific on this point. In and of itself, this verse speaks only to Christ's unconditional acceptance of anyone who "comes to [Him]." All by themselves, these words only indicate that those who place their faith in Christ (John 6:35) will unquestionably be saved.
However, Jesus will later speak of these same people as those who will unfailingly be raised "on the last day" (John 6:40, 44, 54). This makes John 6:37 a useful support for the doctrine of eternal security, but only in the context of the verses which follow.
What did Jesus mean -“whoever comes to Me I will never cast out”?
John 6:37 is a comforting verse for me. It reads, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (ESV). The verse hints at the mystery of how divine sovereignty relates to human responsibility. Unfortunately, debates over that mystery can distract us from embracing Jesus’ assurance. What a wonderful promise, that whoever comes to Jesus will never be cast out!
The word “whoever” holds the invitation open to everyone, regardless of class, ethnic group, gender, or any other qualification. Even the worst offender who comes to Christ will receive forgiveness of sins and a multitude of spiritual blessings. Jesus will not turn anyone away on account of his or her past actions or any other criteria. Such inclusivity is contrasted with the exclusivity of a preceding verse, where Jesus calls Himself the “bread of life” (John 6:35).
You Cannot Out-sin The Grace Of God
You don’t have to live too long in this fallen, sin-stained world to know that people are not only capable, but do commit some of the most heinous sins, sometimes so deplorable, we look at these people as beyond hope. If you examine the life of Saul of Tarsus, many would put him in that category. No one questions that the Apostle Paul was the greatest missionary and proponent of the gospel the world has ever known.
We sometimes forget that prior to his conversion, Saul may have been one of the greatest serial killers the world has ever known. “Remember Paul’s Faithful Sayings”? In 1 Timothy 1:15, the apostle Paul summed up the gospel of God’s grace: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (NKJV). The magnitude of the gift he had gained in Christ was best understood by Paul when set before the dismal backdrop of his own deep depravity. And so, with humble gratitude, Paul accepted the title “chief of sinners.”
All of my adult life as a Christian, I’ve given much thought as to the extent of Paul’s sinful life before God’s grace got hold of him. Do you see the significance of the great apostle Paul calling himself -“the chief of sinners.”
The word “chief” in 1 Timothy 1:15 is a translation of the Greek term “protos, meaning “first, leading, or ranking above all others.” ” It is also rendered “foremost” (ESV), “worst” (NIV), “worst of them” (CSB), and “worst of them all” (NLT). Paul saw himself as the chiefest, highest-ranking, worst of all sinners. A sinner is someone whose life and actions are contrary or in rebellion to the will and laws of God. Just before his conversion, “Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers” (Acts 9:1 – (NLT).
It’s been my experience in prison ministry for many years to deal with men who have honestly looked at the extent of their sins, and believed they were beyond the forgiveness of God. About 10 years ago, I was watching one of those jail shows; this one being “Orange County Lockdown.” The program featured an inmate that I started writing to afterwards, and I’ve had the opportunity and blessing of ministering to him for many years. This particular prisoner finally had decided, knowing that he was facing multiple life sentences, that it was time for him to come clear with the real number of people he had killed.
He was basically an enforcer for one of the leading gangs of southern California, and he would take people out to the desert, kill them, and bury their bodies. By the end of the show, he had confessed to 29 or 30 bodies; can’t exactly remember how many they put on him.
The reason I wrote to him was because in part of the interview, he mentioned that he had some kind of spiritual experience, and felt it was time to confess. Over the years, we wrote back and forth many times. From everything he said, I really believe he had come to faith in Christ.
He did acknowledge that for a long period of time, he struggled to believe that someone who had done the things he did, could ever be totally forgiven, and be a part of the kingdom of God. I’ve dealt with many men who have felt this way over the years, and it’s been a blessing to share with them everything that God’s Word has to say about the forgiveness of sins.
Getting back to John 6. Both aspects of Jesus’ invitation are offensive in our culture. On one hand, pluralism bristles at the idea of Jesus being the only way, the only bread. On the other hand, our natural tendency is to consider ourselves to be deserving of heaven. The gospel’s invitation to even notorious sinners offends the sensibilities of those who consider themselves to be the good guys. Why should the “deserving” share space with the “undeserving”?
In Capernaum, “when the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw [Jesus] eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” (Mark 2:16). The Pharisees did not understand Jesus’ commitment that “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Their offense betrayed a heart full of pride and self-righteousness. The Lord came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), not to send repentant sinners away.
Who comes to Jesus? “All those the Father gives.” When we come to Christ, we may not recognize that the Father has called us or that we are His gift to the Son. But God is sovereign. We may not fully understand, but Jesus’ words give us security: He will never drive us away.
No one who trusts in Jesus will be cast out or driven away. To be cast out is to be rejected. Jesus will not shut the door on anyone who genuinely approaches Him in repentant faith. As the Hebrews writer affirms, God “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus further implores all who are weary to seek rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30).
Our passage today attests to our eternal security by revealing Jesus’ willingness to receive anyone who believes in Him. God the Father gave the gift, and Jesus would never cast it away. As Jesus says in the next verse, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:37). God’s will was that Jesus save all those given to Him and lose none of them (see John 6:39). We can be confident that, regardless of a person’s past, whoever comes to Jesus will never be cast out.
Final Thought
God knows the end from the beginning and in His omniscience, He knows all who will one day exercise their God-given free-will and choose to believe in the only begotten Son of God for the salvation of their soul, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. And in these few simple, yet profound words, Jesus declares that man's salvation is dependent on two things: divine sovereignty and human responsibility. We are told: "All those that the Father gives Me will come to Me," AND "The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."
The Father gives to the Son all those who have demonstrated faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ. The Father gives to the Son all who choose to place their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. Although no-one would come to salvation except the Spirit draws them, ALL who choose to believe in Christ, when convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, and judgement, become part of that Body of believers that are given by the Father to the Son.
The whole company of believers who trust in Christ for salvation becomes a sovereign love-gift from God the Father to God the Son, through time and into eternity We are also given God's supreme assurance that all who come by grace through faith in Christ, will be given to Him by the Father and none shall pluck them out of His hands, and this is God's sovereign will.
But Christ adds that every single person who trusts in Him for salvation will be accepted, and none will be cast away. Salvation has been made available to all who exercise their free-will and come to Christ for God's free gift of salvation. Everyone who comes to Christ is given the assurance that: "The one who comes to Me (by grace through faith) I will certainly not cast out." But it is man's free will choice to do so.
God does not choose to save some and damn others - that is a damnable lie. All are given the same offer of salvation. Those who are saved are simply those who have chosen to believe God's Word and by faith have trusted Christ as Saviour, while those who perish are simply those who have chosen to reject God's free gift of grace. But ALL that the Father gives to Christ will come to Him, and not one who comes to Jesus for salvation will be cast away.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your mercy and grace, You sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins and that all who come to Him by faith will not be cast out. Thank You for this free gift of Your grace. Help me to share the good news with others who are dead in their sins and heading for eternal separation from You. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.
From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith/Life Journal: by Gregg Harris
Comentarios