John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Man’s natural helplessness and inability to repent or believe.
We find our Lord saying–”No man can come unto me, except the Father who has sent me draws him.” Until the Father draws the heart of man by His grace, man will not believe.
The solemn truth contained in these words is one that needs careful weighing. It is vain to deny that without the grace of God no one ever can become a true Christian. We are spiritually dead, and have no power to give ourselves life. We need a new principle put in us from above. Facts prove it. Preachers see it. The Tenth Article of our own Church expressly declares it–”The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God.” This witness is true.
But after all, of what does this inability of man consist? In what part of our inward nature does this impotence reside? Here is a point on which many mistakes arise. Forever let us remember that the will of man is the part of him which is in fault. His inability is not physical, but moral. It would not be true to say that a man has a real wish and desire to come to Christ, but no power to come. It would be far more true to say that a man has no power to come because he has no desire or wish. It is not true that he would come if he could. It is true that he could come if he would. The corrupt will–the secret disinclination–the lack of heart, are the real causes of unbelief. It is here the mischief lies. The power that we lack is a new will. It is precisely at this point that we need the “drawing” of the Father.
These things, no doubt, are deep and mysterious. By truths like these God proves the faith and patience of His people. Can they believe Him? Can they wait for a fuller explanation at the last day? What they see not now they shall see hereafter. One thing at any rate is abundantly clear, and that is–man’s responsibility for his own soul. His inability to come to Christ does not make an end of his accountableness. Both things are equally true. If lost at last, it will prove to have been his own fault. His blood will be on his own head. Christ would have saved him, but he would not be saved. He would not come to Christ, that he might have life.
J.C. Ryle 1816 – 1900
HT:Grace Gems
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Quote: “It is not true that he would come if he could. It is true that he could come if he would.”
What a way with words! I’ve just started putting a series of articles on the doctrines of grace, written by RL Dabney that goes into these things deeply. Sometimes when we first begin to embrace Calvinism, we can get such an overwhelming view of God’s sovereignty, we can overlook the fact that God still holds us accountable for our unbelief. I like the way Ryle makes it clear that our will remains unhindered, and as such we remain accountable. Yet it is precisely because our will is based upon sinful motives, unless we are first regenerated by the Spirit of God, that we are unwilling to surrender to the command to repent and believe the Gospel.
This article deals with this subject well: http://aletheuo.org.uk/2011/04/04/part-2-original-sin-total-depravity/