Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: John 11-12
John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
He was and He does. He was lifted up from the earth on the cross, and in the ascension (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9-11). He does draw all men to Him through the testimony of the Holy Spirit and those that give out the gospel. He is a magnet. With an invisible power He draws all to Himself.
All means all. Nowhere is the word all limited in this context. It does not say “all Jews” or “all Gentiles,” or “all of this nation or of that nation.” It simply proclaims “all.” In every hour of the church age Jesus is drawing all to Him. This, based upon His being lifted up. There are at least three ways in which Jesus is lifted up.
He was lifted up on the cross.
He was lifted up to Heaven during His ascension.
He was, and is, lifted up every time He is preached, taught, or His gospel is given.
The Holy Spirit is that unseen agent of the new birth that draws all men unto Christ. Proof? II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. If His will is for all to come to repentance, then all must be given the opportunity to repent. II Timothy 2:25 speaks of God giving repentance to those that oppose themselves. This means that repentance is a gift of God, for it is something He gives. But, like all gifts it must be accepted or received, and can be rejected.
The Lord through the Holy Spirit draws all to Himself in that He was lifted up for all men that they may be saved. Preachers, teachers, and soul winners play a part. They are the mouthpieces by which sinners hear the good news of the gospel. In Romans 10:13 an astounding truth is given, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall they call upon Him? They hear of Him from a preacher (Romans 10:14-15). Yet not all will believe, But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (Romans 10:16). All were drawn, but not all believed.
That is where free will enters. Those who receive Christ were drawn to Him and received Him. Those who reject Christ were drawn to Him and received Him not.
Someone may say here. What about those who have not heard, have no preacher, teacher, or soulwinner to explain the gospel to them? Good question. First, since this question arose in the mind, there has been a responsibility given. The responsibility is to go find them and tell them. But then there is a greater answer to this question. One that we may not fully understand but can fully trust. It’s found in Romans 1:20, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:.
Herein we end where we began, of a truth, Jesus was accurate when He said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. He was, and He does.
Dr. William T. Howe
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