THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus As The Source of Life

Read John 6:27-47.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of Life. The focus in these verses is predestination.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ...No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.37, 39, 44‬)

Let us not avoid a doctrine clearly taught in Scripture because some have taken this doctrine to extremes.  Some emphasize the freewill of man to the neglect of God’s sovereignty, while others stress predestination to the neglect of human responsibility. We must choose both, for both are taught in Scripture—and in this text for one.  They are not contradictory, but complementary—two sides of the same coin of salvation.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ...All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.’” (v.35, 37, 47‬). God calls, but I must come. God speaks, but I must believe.

You may argue, “I can’t reconcile the two ideas.”  The great Baptist Pastor of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, was asked how to reconcile these and he answered, “I never try to reconcile friends.”

These ideas have been the source of debate among theologians for 2000 years of church history, and so we won’t solve the puzzle today.  The issue is that God is God and we are not.  We are not omniscient.  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut.29:29)

Here’s what is revealed—Salvation is of the Lord.  The Bible portrays us as spiritually blind.  The Spirit must open our eyes to see.  We are scripturally deaf—and God must enable us to hear.  We are dead in sin, and God must give us life.  Lost sheep cannot find their way home, but the Good Shepherd seeks them.  Jesus came down for us, when we could not go where He was.  He is the Bread from Heaven.

Bread is made when living grain is cut down, crushed, and the flour thrust into an oven.  So, Jesus suffered for our salvation.  But God doesn’t cram the bread down my throat.  I must receive it.  Have you?

BLESSED ASSURANCE!

Read Romans 8.

This is a chapter the commences with, “no condemnation,” and concludes with, “no separation.”  It highlights the precious promise of the perseverance of the saints.  “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (v.25‬).

This doctrine underscores the faithfulness of God that undergirds the fruitfulness of God’s children. It is rooted in His character and assures those who are truly born again of the grace we need for transformation—that the God who calls us, changes us, and confirms His work in us.  From start to finish, it is all of grace.  Paul puts it like this, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (v.29-30‬). In the all-knowing mind of God, and according to His almighty power, He saves us to the uttermost.

We will make it home.  God will hold us fast. Far from being an excuse to sin, this love and grace is the motivation and means for holiness. Even, these bodies of ours will be redeemed.  Our environment, now under the curse, will be liberated as Eden blooms again!

This is a chapter that contrasts groans with glory. We are not home yet.  There are groans (v.22,23,26). Those groans will—some golden daybreak—yield to glories (v.17,18,21,30). God is even using the things that make us groan to accomplish the glory He intends, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (v.28‬)

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.” (Fanny Crosby)

CHOSEN

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:3-12)

To be chosen—someone selects us to be on their team, an employer calls to say we have been hired, we hear our name called to win a prize—being chosen is a wonderful feeling.  To be chosen by God—now that is an indescribable blessing!  Yet, it is true for all God’s children.

We are not His because we were randomly born into His family.  We are not an accident, but we have been adopted—chosen.  God has reached out to the abandoned and accepted us.  He has sought the loveless and bestowed His love.  It isn’t that we deserved such honor, for what He has done is to His honor.  While we were only fit for Hell, God has made us fit for Heaven!  That is the grace of God—amazing seems too feeble a word, but is perhaps the best we can do.  It is an astonishing adoption!

Our adoption, from our viewpoint, has happened when the Holy Spirit called us to Christ at a moment in time, but actually happened because we were already chosen in eternity.  The all-knowing God had His heart set on us long before we were born.  Before the first man was fashioned from clay and named Adam, God already knew my name, and had predestined me to be His son!  Two thousand years before I sinned against Him, the price was already paid by the Lamb of God for those sins.  Indeed, He is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.

God has a plan for your life—a purpose He will fulfill, and not all the power of Hell can thwart it for it is wrought be an all-powerful Being.  God is up to something—and it will be glorious!  That is the hope we have—steadfast and sure.  It is not a fantasy, but a reality, for that hope of glory rests in the finished work of Christ.  My life will bring Him glory—here and hereafter.  Someday all His chosen ones will stand before Him complete—trophies of His grace, objects of His love, subjects of His glory!

So, all this being true—and we have only scratched the surface—how should we live?  Being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, we ought to think and behave as those who are children of the King!  His name that I bear ought to be honored by my life.  His image that has been imprinted on me, should be manifested by me.  Since He has a purpose for me, I should move with purpose.  My hope should be evident and lead others to inquire of the reason for it—and have a ready response to explain it!  I have been chosen in glory, for His glory and ought to lead others to give Him glory for His work in and through me.  What a destiny!  Let us live out that truth today. This is the Word of God—and may that Word be made flesh as I manifest His glory.