“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill all your good pleasure for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
John 6:39-40
“Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
– John 6:39-40
Main Thought: This section of Scripture begins with one of the “I am” statements of Christ, that being “I am the bread of life.” In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is continuing to proclaim to the Jews that He has been sent by God the Father as the way of salvation. In John 6:26, Jesus proclaims that God has set “His seal” on Him, indicating His approval of Him. In John 6:29, he says to His listeners that the “work of God (the Father) is that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” In John 6:33, Jesus again speaks of Himself as “the bread of God (the Father)… which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Finally, our Savior speaks of the will of God, the Father who sent Him, is to give eternal life, to lose none of the ones given to the Son by the Father in eternity past (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-6; John 17:1-2). What a great realization this is, a realization of the grace of God, that if you have believed on Christ you were a gift of God to the Son. You and I who have believed were not some afterthought or part of “plan B” because Israel rejected Christ; no we have been part of God’s plan before the world was ever created before there was the earth, sun, moon, stars, or the vast expanse of space. What a marvelous and tremendous thought this is, that we were given to the Son by God the Father. And the plan of God promised that none of those given to the Son would ever be lost (John 6:39), and that God’s will was that all those given to Him would see Him, hear Him, believe in Him, have eternal life in Him and be raised by our Lord and Savior when He returns again. This truth removes all reason for pride and pompousness, because all the glory for our salvation goes to God, and it also gives us great trust and security, knowing surely that what God has started in us will be brought to finality on the final day, the day of Christ’s return. May every one of us be humbled in the knowledge of this truth, the truth of the grace of God found in the person of Jesus Christ.
David Webber
David Webber is married to Mary with four children and four grandchildren, and serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Longview, TX. He obtained a BS in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, TX, and pursued studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX. Throughout his ministry, he has been an invited preacher and educator in numerous churches and various Bible conferences. Surrendering to the gospel ministry’s calling in 1972 at the age of 16, he received preaching licensure from Little Flock Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, in 1974. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1978, he was ordained in December of 1980 by Faith Baptist Church. Following this, he contributed his services to Faith Baptist in Longview and subsequently engaged with Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he instructed Sunday School and delivered sermons as needed. In February of 1994, Faith Baptist invited him to lead as their pastor, a role he has faithfully held to the present day. David writes a blog for the church website and is a writer for The Art of Worship.
More from David Webber
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Matthew 16:6
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Matthew 16:6
Philemon 1:7
“For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” – Philemon 1:7
Hebrews 12:5-7
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the LORD, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He flogs every son whom He receives.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” – Hebrews 12:5-7
Isaiah 28:15-16
“Because you have said, ‘We have cut a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overflowing scourge will not reach us when it passes by. For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have hidden ourselves with lying. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” – Isaiah 28:15-16
Psalm 84:11-12
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” – Psalm 84:11-12
Psalm 84:1
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!” – Psalm 84:1
Hebrews 2:1
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” – Hebrews 2:1
John 4:13-14
“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him, will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” – John 4:13-14
Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17