No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God’. Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. (Jhn 6:44-45)
‘Drawing’ is explained happen after the human being ceases to trust only in his own reasoning and instead begins to listen to what God says to him.
Isa 54:13-14 All your children shall be taught of Yahweh; and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness shall you be established: you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not be afraid; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
We all are children of God and if righteous they receive the protection from violence and destruction. Against the tribulation of the last days, they receive the seal of God to guard them. When a person looks for God, then Jesus starts drawing him. Jhn 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. Heb 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
2 Tim 1: He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works but according to his own purpose and the grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, which he gave us before the eternal times in Christ Jesus. I.e. the purpose and plan of God was created before the world began, that He should save us with a holy calling in accordance with His plan and grace. Although Paul addressed the message to his student Timothy, it also touches upon us who have accepted the invitation.
All are therefore called, and when they remain faithful to Jesus’ word, they will also be chosen. But, even the chosen ones may be misled or else abandon their faith. Peter also stresses: 2 Pet 1:10 So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail.
Predestination supporters believe that humans do not have free will. If a human being had no free will, he could not resist God’s calling and could not abandon faith. Perhaps the most famous example of abandonment is Judas Iscariot. The Bible does not in vain warn those who, after being in steadfast faith, renounce it; there is no forgiveness for them. Such has also been interpreted to be so-called unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit.
Rev 17:14 They will wage war against the lamb, but the lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.
Jhn 6:37 All those who the Father gives me will come to me. Him who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 6:65 So he said: That’s why I told you that no one can come to me unless it be granted him by the Father.
If someone accepts the word of God, God will let him become Jesus’ disciple. Everyone has free will and choice in this regard, the freedom to abandon Christ too. God gladly gives each person access to his Son as a disciple, if only a man truly repents and believes in Jesus and His teaching. God says he wants (‘desires’) that all will come to repentance and be saved:1 Tim 2:4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.
Rom 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. – In the aforementioned verse 8:28, there is a question of living people who love God. Such hearts God is searching. If the fate of human salvation had been predestined, there would be no need to examine the human hearts. God’s calling and predestination takes place only at this later stage and is also conditional and requires that man remains faithful to the end. Jesus did not say to his apostles that they had chosen to become as Jesus’ followers, but Jhn 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you. Jesus did just what God wanted him to do. Had God in some way pre-determined with regard to each disciple that Jesus calls them as his own?
Jesus chose them at that moment. Others remained faithful except Judas. Surely God has been able to see the coming apostles beforehand, but has not predestined them to be faithful as Judas Iscariot’s fate shows.
Paul writes in Eph 1:13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, – Again, this verse confirms the above interpretation: first, you hear the gospel of salvation, then you become a believer, and finally you obtain the seal of the Holy Spirit. If these Ephesian believers would be predetermined as Christ’s own, Paul could write to them in this way: God has predestined you to receive Christ, and to obtain the seal of the Holy Spirit.
