All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
— John 6:37

This text touches on two controversial topics, election and evangelism.  Election is a controversial doctrine, especially for children of the Enlightenment and citizens of the greatest democratic republic on earth.  Evangelism is a controversial practice, because all Christians believe it should be done, yet so few actually engage in it.  

Election is a divine reality.  Evangelism is a human responsibility.  Election is one of the deepest teachings in Holy Scripture.  Evangelism is one of the simplest commandments in the Bible.  Election cannot be fully comprehended, inasmuch as no one knows the mind of God and exactly why He would choose and regenerate some unto eternal life, while passing over and reprobating others unto eternal death.  Evangelism is easy to understand, and can be done by every Christian who remembers what it is like to be lost, who has enjoyed an experience of salvation by grace though faith in Jesus Christ, and who evidences the changed life of a fully devoted follower of the Lord.

Election and evangelism are a seemingly contradictory pair of competing values.  They are a peculiar paradox, an apparent antinomy.  Is it God who chooses His own people to save forever, or do people make their own free and willing choice on the day they are forever saved?  

I have consulted with a lot of outstanding minds on this matter, none better than the great theologian Forrest Gump.  When pondering life as a fulfillment of divine destiny, or wondering if life is the summation of our own choices, he said, “I think both things are happening at the same time.”  

Election is a Matter of God’s Sovereignty

I interviewed a potential staff member and asked him what would he do if a person came into his office and said he wanted to become a Christian.  This prospect said he’d try to talk him out of it, at first, just to see if he was serious.  That’s a great answer!

In John 6, Jesus is trying to talk a crowd of people out of following Him.  His popularity had just peaked with the feeding of the five thousand.  Too many people were professing superficial, not saving, faith in Him.  In order to dissuade all but the most fervent of followers, Jesus started talking to them about the doctrine of election.  It served to run them off.  They must have been a group of Southern Baptists.

Election is God’s choice to give salvation to those He has personally chosen.  All the elect will come to Christ.  Only the elect will come to Christ.  Only the elect will experience the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.  Only the elect will repent, believe, and be saved.  Jesus said it this way:

    “All that the Father gives me will come to me …”
    — John 6:37

    “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him …”
    — John 6:44

    “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the 
    Father.”
    — John 6:65

Jesus was speaking to a bunch of freewheeling Pharisees, who thought they could work or decide their way into Heaven.  Their response to the doctrine of election is expressed this way: 

    “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 
    — John 6:60

They did not want to hear it, so, they simply walked away.

Serious Christians, however, are eager to learn serious doctrines.  Few are more foundational than this one.  Election is the profound doctrine that plainly states people are saved because God chooses them to be saved, grants them the requirements they need to be saved, and gives them to the Son as followers forever.  Stated another way, people are saved by God’s grace alone, through (the gifts of repentance and) faith alone, in Christ alone.  

Election is God’s foundational grace.

    “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world …”
    — Ephesians 1:4

    “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
    — John 15:16

Election is God’s irresistible grace.  

    “All that the Father gives me will come …”
    — John 6:37

    “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’
     The man who had died came out …”
    — John 11:43-44

Election is God’s permanent grace.  

    “… I will never cast out.”
    — John 6:37
    
    “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of 
    my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to 
    snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
    — John 10:28-29
    
Election is the serious doctrine of God’s sovereignty in salvation, from start to finish.  He loves us first, so we can love Him.  He chose us first, so we can choose Him.  He saved us, because we cannot save ourselves.  But, if we are saved by grace, we can be the means of grace to bring others to salvation.  

Election is God’s business.  Evangelism is God’s people’s business.  If you are one of the elect, God elected you to evangelize.  And the commandment to evangelize is every bit as serious as the doctrine of election.  

Evangelism is a Matter of Human Responsibility

Evangelism is a serious, human, Christian responsibility.  Evangelism is going to others with the evangel, the gospel, the good news of forgiveness of sin and eternal life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Evangelism is not a spiritual gift, only to be employed by certain Christians, such as Pastors or missionaries.  Evangelism is a sacred task, a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ, for every Christian. 

There are three ways to handle this awesome responsibility.  One is wrong, the second is impossible, and the third way is the right way.  One is the road most traveled; the second would be great if we could do it, but we can’t; so, the third way is the only way. 

The first way to tackle evangelism is not to tackle it at all.  Have any fellow football fans noticed the evolution of the modern-day cornerback?  They don’t tackle anymore.  They leave it for the safeties and linebackers.  They’re like the Christians who will read their Bibles, cover a worship service, but won’t tackle a lost or unchurched person with the gospel.  Obviously, this way won’t serve in any way to bring people to the Lord.

The second way would be cool, if there was any way to do it.  Having just studied the doctrine of election, we could take the gospel, only to the elect, and thereby be assured of great success.  The only problem with this is we do not know who the elect are, for this is known only to God.  Election is His business.  Evangelism is ours.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon once wished God would paint a yellow stripe down the back of all of the elect, then he’s find them and witness to them, like catching fish in a bucket.  Of course, God has done no such thing.  

This leaves us with only the third option.  We must witness to everyone.  We must take our text for today and look at it another way.  The first half shows election.  The other half begs for evangelism.

    All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast 
    out.
    — John 6:37

We have the authority of God’s word to go out and tell everyone in the whole wide world that “whoever,” anyone and everyone, “comes to [Jesus]” in repentance and faith “will never [be] cast out” or refused by God, but be saved and have eternal life.  

    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him 
    should not perish but have eternal life.”
    — John 3:16

Will you join me now, along with the great theologian Forrest Gump, and let’s do both things at the same time.  Let us acknowledge the biblical doctrine of election, knowing that God saves whom He chooses and no one can come to Christ apart from the manifold grace of God.  Let us obey the biblical commandment of evangelism and go to everyone we know with the sure promise of salvation found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Going to everyone means starting with someone.  It means caring for someone, enough to share with them an invitation to accept the gospel and become a fellow follower of Jesus Christ, a fellow Christian, a fellow member of Christ’s church.  Let’s start an invitation system at our church with the aim of seeing people saved, baptized, and added to the church.

I don’t mean the church invitation system of giving a so-called altar call at the end of a worship service.  Jesus did not do this, the Apostles did not do this, nobody did this until the late 19th and early 20th century, and after a hundred years it has almost destroyed the church by filling her rolls with weak, watered-down, wandering-away “Christians,” who are not real Christians at all.  

I’m talking about a personal invitation system, whereby you personally invite others to become Christians and members of Christ’s church.  Begin by inviting a lost or unchurched person into your life, into your home, into your heart.  Then, invite that lost or unchurched person to your church, where they will hear, see, smell the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then seize an opportunity to sit down and rehearse them this verse, among others:

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
— John 6:37

Ask them to give their life to God through personal commitment to Jesus Christ.  Tell them about  grace, which will forgive their sin and make them a child of God.  Tell them grace is received by faith, and ask them to have faith in God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Promise them, and you can promise, whoever comes to God through Christ will go to Heaven and never be cast out.  If they are willing to commit, tell them to be baptized and join the church.  Then, by example and instruction, teach the to obey the word of God.  You have just fulfilled the great commission of Jesus Christ.  

Election is a wonderful doctrine because it glorifies God, humbles our pride, and is necessary for salvation.  Evangelism is a wonderful practice because it glorifies God, humbles our pride, and is  necessary for salvation.  Now you see how election and evangelism go together.  Both things are happening at the same time!