The Enabler

Before we leave the topic of total depravity, we must ask how man can escape the state of spiritual death into which he plunged at the Fall. As we saw yesterday, the classic orthodox position is that man is unable to do anything to help himself. He cannot choose to have faith in Christ—unless he is first revived spiritually. Such a work only God can do. Therefore, the salvation of men and women, boys and girls, is completely dependent on God. It is all of Him.

Jesus teaches these twin facts of man’s inability and God’s enabling grace with striking clarity in John 6. He begins by telling the assembled crowd that whoever “ ‘comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ ” (v. 35). Later He says “ ‘he who believes in Me has everlasting life’ ” (v. 47). These verses are abundantly clear—all who come to Jesus in faith will be saved. But having seen that the doctrine of total depravity teaches man’s innate inability to come, we must ask who is capable of coming? Jesus goes on to say that “ ‘all that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out’ ” (v. 37). Now it becomes clear that the Father must do something before anyone will come to Christ—but if the Father acts on behalf of a person, that person inevitably will come to the Savior. As Jesus continues, He sheds even more light on the Father’s activity: “ ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him’ ” (v. 44). Here Jesus is clearly addressing the issue of ability. “ ‘No one can come … unless,’ ” He says. In other words, no person is able to come to Him if the Father does not act. And what does the Father do? He “draws.” Many take this to mean that God “woos” or “entices” men unto Himself. Actually, the verb means “to compel.” In short, the ability to believe comes from the Father, and whenever someone believes it is because He has made it happen.

Martin Luther said that the church’s erroneous teaching on the ability of man to cooperate with divine grace obscures the Gospel. If God simply stood aside and wooed people, none would come, because they are in a state of total depravity. But God makes dead sinners alive and thereby enables them to trust in Christ. This is the “Good News” that overcomes the bad news of universal human sinfulness, the first point of the Gospel laid out by Paul.