The first step. Of our justification, that which quickens us from spiritual death and enables us to come to Jesus at all. Is the gracious work of God. the Holy Spirit and is never The fruit of the flesh. The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Ephesus that before anyone becomes a Christian, They're not simply sick or ignoring God.
They are dead in trespasses and sins.
So since unbelievers are spiritually dead, how does anyone come to Christ? This is the Monday edition of Renewing Your Mind. And this week, you'll be hearing some classic messages from RC Sproll, messages that, by God's grace, have helped countless Christians around the world. For the next three days, we're featuring messages from Dr. Sproul's series Chosen by God.
I still remember the light bulbs turning on for me. as I work through this teaching on the sovereignty of God and the will of man. Confusion and questions were replaced by clarity.
So I pray that these messages are just as helpful for you. When you respond today at renewingyourmind.org with a donation, In addition to unlocking this entire series and study guide for you, we'll send you a special anniversary edition of the companion book also called Chosen by God. Help others gain clarity on these important questions when you give your donation in support of Renewing Your Mind at renewingyourmind.org.
Well, to start us off, here's Dr. Sprawl on the radical fallenness of man. In this session, I want us to give some attention now to some very crucial statements that Jesus made. Regarding man's ability or the lack of it, turn our attention first of all to the sixth chapter. of John's Gospel.
where Jesus says in verse sixty five And he was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to me unless it is given to him by The father.
Now let's look at that verse. No one can come to me. unless it is given to him By the Father. The first two words in this statement, no one, or some translations read, no man, no person. No one That statement If we apply the categories of logic to this, And the laws of immediate inference, and so on, we see that this statement is what we call.
A universal Negative. That is to say, it is all inclusive. What Jesus is saying is Without exception, there is no human being. Who? whatever it is he's going to say about them.
that is, can come to him unless it is given to him of the Father.
So this is an absolute. It's a negative absolute. And we have to understand that.
Now, the next word is also crucial to our understanding. It is the word camp. KN. No one can. Pan.
Now the word can Or, at least, the word that is used here in the Greek text is less ambiguous than the word can is in our language, because in our language, the word can is often mistaken. For what other word? May, that's right. We've all been corrected. I remember when we were children and going to school and would put our hands up and say, teacher, can I?
sharpen my pencil and she would always say I'm sure you can. and you also may. And she would then take that opportunity to teach us that lesson that seemed so difficult for us to learn of the difference between the word may, which suggests permission, And the word can. The word can has to do with ability.
So, what this verse is saying is that to say that no man can. is to say that no one has the ability to do something. If I say no one can run 30 miles an hour, that means no one has the ability to run 30 miles an hour.
Alright, now what is it that no one has the ability to do? that Jesus is talking about here. No one has the ability. To come to me. He says.
Now let me ask this question. Does man? In and of himself. According to Jesus. have the ability.
To come to Jesus. No. No. Do some men Have the ability to come to Jesus in and of themselves. No, no man can.
And Come to Jesus. No man can come to me. Unless Now We see A clause that follows that we call an acceptive clause. unless introduces an exception. And unless points to what we call in philosophy A necessary condition.
Now, what is a necessary condition? A prerequisite, something that has to happen before something else can possibly happen. That's what a prerequisite is. And so Jesus is saying. That there is a necessary condition that must be met before anyone can come to him.
Now, what does he identify in this verse as the necessary condition? for anyone to be able to come to him. Unless the father gives it to him. or other translations unless it is granted. By the Father.
Another translation reads: unless the Father enables him.
Now those words don't all mean the same thing. To grant means to give permission. To give means to give a gift. And to enable means to empower. All right, so there is a certain ambiguity here about what that necessary condition is.
And there's another question that is still hanging out here, and that is: if a necessary condition is provided.
Now we're not talking about coming to Jesus in any situation. If a necessary condition is provided, Does a necessary condition guarantee that the result you want will in fact take place.
Now that's why we make a distinction between necessary conditions and sufficient conditions. A sufficient condition. is a condition that if it is met guarantees the result. It suffices.
So All of this verse is teaching is That in terms of man's natural ability, none of us has the ability in and of ourselves to come to Christ. Unless God does something. We're still not sure. Exactly what it is that God does. And we're still not sure that if God does it, it will guarantee.
That people will come. All we know is that whatever it is that God does is a necessary condition, a prerequisite.
Some have jumped to another verse here in John 6 where Jesus says, All whom the Father gives to me come to me. And that suggests. that everybody who gets this necessary condition Then indeed do come, but that's not exactly how those two verses are related to each other. Uh see if we're sharp enough to see the difference. Jesus says All whom the Father gives to me come to me.
No one can come to me unless the Father gives it to him.
Now that almost sounds like That everybody that is given to him to come are those who are included in the ones that the Father gives to the Son. But remember, in the one case, the giving is to us. In the other case, the giving is to Jesus.
So we can't equate those two statements, even though I believe they are, in fact. parallel. But linguistically, we can't prove it.
So we're still left. with this ambiguity as to what must happen What is the nature of this necessary condition?
Well, notice that Jesus here. said that he had already told him that. that he's indicating that this is a repetition. He says For this reason I have said to you, So he's now repeating himself.
So let's see if we can find the earlier statement that is either identical or close enough to probably be the statement that Jesus is referring to.
Well, if we look earlier in the chapter. We have another universal negative. and another statement about necessary conditions and about man's moral ability. We find that in verse 44. No one Can come to me.
Does that sound familiar? No one can come to me unless. The Father who sent me draws him.
Now it's not quite as ambiguous. Here, the necessary condition that Jesus spells out is that the father draws somebody.
So can we say this categorically? Without any fear of being contradicted, that our Lord Jesus Christ taught. That it is impossible for a human being to come to the Lord Jesus Christ unless that person is drawn by the Father.
Now, I might add at this point that both those of an Augustinian persuasion and of a semi-Pelagian persuasion agree. That there is some kind of necessary condition that God must supply. God must draw people. But there's still a debate, and the debate is. What does it mean?
that God draws.
Now, the classical Arminian approach to this, or semi-Pelagian approach to this, is. that nobody can come to Jesus unless the Father entices him. or woos him. Again, that's usually tied into some notion of prevenient grace. or the influence of the Holy Spirit to woo and to entice.
And the word draw here is interpreted to mean to woo or to attract. Just as honey. Draws bees. and lights draw moths. But the idea is that the drawing that God does is still.
Resistible. And those who respond to the enticement, those who respond to being wooed. are then redeemed according to Arminianism. And those who do not respond to being drawn are subsequently lost. The Augustinian interpretation of the verse is that the word to draw means more than simply.
to entice or to woo.
Now, let's see how this Greek word is used elsewhere in the New Testament. If we would turn our Bibles here to James, Chapter 2, verse 6, we will find this same Greek word, used in the New Testament. I shall read the verse. But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you?
and personally drag you into court. I'm going to ask you to guess. Which word? Is used in this verse that is exactly the same Greek word that is translated by the word draw. in John six.
Does anybody have a guess? Drag.
Now, let's supply the semi-Pelagian interpretation. But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally woo you? into court.
Okay. Let's look at another one. Let's look at Acts chapter 16. Verse 19, which I will read. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, They seized Paul and Silas.
and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. Can you guess again which word in this text is the same Greek word? Again, it's the word dragged. Again, substitute, entice, or woo. they seized Paul and Silas and wooed them.
into the marketplace before the authorities. This text clearly indicates an act of force. in dragging Paul and Silas into the marketplace. That would make you wonder Why it is that the translators use the word draw rather than the word drag. And I can only guess, and I'll try to guess in a moment, but first, let me just go further.
Whenever we have doubt, as to the precise meaning of a word in the scriptures. The first thing we do is that we go to the Greek, but then After we go to the Greek, we we're still dependent. Upon The science of Linguistics and lexicography. In order to have an understanding. of the meaning of that term at the time it was used in the writing of the documents.
I think it's safe to say that in the academic world, The most highly respected Linguistic and lexicographical source that the Church has ever had for the meaning of Greek words is Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. In Kittle's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, the word that is being translated draw here in this text is defined. Bye, Kittle. As meaning To compel By irresistible superiority. I might add that the framers of the dictionary were anything But Calvinistic.
But they recognize that the Classical, that is the meaning in the Greek language of this verb. is to compel. The force of this verse. Is the force of divine compulsion. And if that is true.
Then I would say that verse and that verse alone is sufficient. to end the debate forever. With respect to man's ability or lack of it to incline himself to choose Jesus Christ. Because Jesus himself says that no man can do it. Unless the father, compels him to do it.
And that. is pure Augustinianism Only stated much earlier. Then sank. Augustine. But if that isn't sufficient with respect to man's Ability.
Let's look earlier in chapter 3. of John's Gospel. Where John describes the encounter that Jesus has. With the Pharisee, the theologian. Nicodemus In which he says in verse 3, Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless, what does that word indicate?
What's coming? A necessary condition. Unless One is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God.
Now, what has to happen according to Jesus? Before a person can see the kingdom of God. He has to be born again.
So regeneration Precedes Seeing the kingdom of God. Is that? a legitimate interpretation of this passage. In fact, nobody can see it at all. Unless they are first, what?
Born again. Born again. Regenerate.
Alright.
Now he goes on to say. Nicodemus is puzzled. How can a man be born when he is old? He can't enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born, can he? Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water in the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
So regeneration is a prerequisite. for entering and seeing the kingdom of God. Semi-Pelagians have people choosing Christ. Before they are regenerate. Semi-Pelagians have people in their human nature cooperating with provenient grace, responding to this wooing and enticing.
and attracting of God the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is not yet in them, having regenerated them.
So, the bottom line is: the Armenian position has people who are not yet born again. Seeing and choosing. The king of the kingdom of God. Boggles the mind. Doesn't it?
That's why the axiom. Of Augustinian Theology is this. Regeneration Precedes. Faith. Regeneration is seen.
As a necessary condition for faith. Even as Paul elsewhere teaches in Ephesians 2. When he says that while we were dead in sin and trespasses, God has quickened us, that is, made us alive in Christ.
Okay. When we were dead. And then tells us. that therefore it is by grace you are saved. Through faith, and that is not of yourselves.
But is the gift of God. And so we see five. Faith is the gift of God that is the result of the Spirit's work of regeneration. within us. that God Himself supplies the necessary condition.
To come. to Jesus. That's why It is sola. Grazia. By grace alone.
That we are saved. Yeah. Jesus says that which is born of the flesh. is flesh. And that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.
Do not marvel. Then I said to you, That you must be born again. Jesus is saying, why should this surprise you? You're a theologian. Nicodemus?
Don't you understand? The fundamental point of man's fallen nature. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And elsewhere he tells us that the flesh profits what? Nothing.
But if We believe That God entices us to Christ. And all we have to do in the flesh prior to our regeneration. is cooperate or assent to that if we can in fact Cooperate and assent to prevenient grace. To the end that we enter into the kingdom of God and are redeemed forever. And we're doing that while we're still in the flesh.
Then I ask you. What would the flesh profit? Not just something. Everything. Your eternal salvation.
Oh, Paul. Speaks about this himself. In chapter 8, let's start at verse 5. For those who are according to the flesh. Set their minds on the things of the flesh.
But those who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit, For the mind set on the flesh is death. But the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God. for it does not subject itself to the law of God. for it is not even able to do it.
Now, here the apostle tells us something about man's moral inability in the flesh. He says that man in his Fallen state. In the flesh, is hostile to the law of God. And he does not obey the law of God. He is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed what?
Can he be?
So that Fallen man The Apostle is saying here, is he not? Cannot. Obey. The law of God. And those who are in the flesh cannot.
Please God. I might add to you. that if God only wooed us to Christ. and left it to us. to make the final decision.
I can't think of anything. that would please God more. than that we would respond positively. to that enticement and to that willing. But the apostle here tells us that in the flesh there's nothing that man can do.
to please God. But now here's the crushing point. Verse 9 However, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. How do we know if somebody's in the flesh or in the spirit? You are not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
The next word is crucial. If What does if indicate? A necessary condition. That's right. If Indeed, the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now How many regenerate people have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. All of them.
Okay. So if you are regenerate. Then you are no longer in the flesh. If you are in the flesh. You are not regenerate.
Is that clear?
So when he speaks about those in the flesh. He is speaking of unregenerate people. And it's unregenerate people who cannot please God. Who cannot? obey God, who cannot be subject to God.
who experience this dreadful situation of moral inability. about which we have been speaking. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, but if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. He goes on to say, however, if anyone does have the Spirit of Christ, Then he He does belong to Christ. And so that the crucial prerequisite.
For salvation. is a work of the Holy Spirit. That is the necessary condition, the prerequisite. for faith. to be present.
That's why we insist that the first step of our justification. That which quickens us from spiritual death and enables us. to come to Jesus at all. is the gracious work of God. the Holy Spirit and is never The fruit.
of the flesh. The crucial prerequisite for salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. That was R. C. Sproul from his classic series Chosen by God.
There are so many implications when you discover what the Bible teaches about God's sovereignty. not just over salvation, but over all things. It brings the believer comfort and encourages evangelism.
So if you have never heard this series before, or you have never read the book, I encourage you to respond to day and take the time to carefully work through this subject. You can request this resource bundle when you give a donation at renewingyourmind.org. or when you use the link in the podcast show notes. And if you've heard the series and read the book, like I have, respond today so that you can give away the anniversary edition of Chosen by God that we'll send you. Help someone else discover these truths, and your donation will help these truths to be proclaimed on Renewing Your Mind and through the global outreach of Ligonier Ministries.
visit Renewing Your Mind. org or call us at 800-435-4343 to give your gift. And for our global listening audience, the series and study guide are waiting for you at renewingyourmind. org slash global. Thank you.
Since God predestines those who will be saved. Does that mean he creates unbelief? That's the question RC Sprol will tackle tomorrow. Hia on Renewing Your Mind.
