JOHN 6:44-45, C. H. Cayce “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
The primary meaning of the word here translated “draw” is to drag. That is in the passive voice. The one, then, who comes to the Saviour is not active, but is passive, in the work. Hence, he is brought to the Saviour; and this is the only way that they can come. It is not the work of men to bring them, but it is the work of the Father. Men have nothing in the wide world to do with that work.
The backslider is one who has life, and he can repent — turn from his wrongs, come to a throne of grace, return unto the Lord in service, and is commanded so to do. God’s regenerated children can render service unto Him, and they are commanded to do that. No man is commanded to do something in order to be born again, or to be born from above, or to become a child of God— no more than one is commanded to do something in order to be born of his natural parents.
In verse 45 the reference is to the language of Isa. 54:13“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.” The “they” in John 6:45 are the same as “thy children” in Isa. 54:13. They belong to Jesus — they are His by choice, by gift and by redemption; and they shall be all taught of God. To be taught of God and to be taught about God are two different things. If one is taught of God, God is the teacher. This is a teaching that is not done by men, but which is done by the Lord alone and by Him only. It is OF the Lord, not ABOUT the Lord.
“Every man therefore that hath heard”— heard whom? Heard the Father. It is the Father they hear in this work. It is a work the Father does. “God is a Spirit.” It is the office work of the Holy Spirit. They hear the Father and learn of the Father, and all of them come. Many who hear the gospel do not come. Therefore, the teaching in this text is not gospel teaching, or the teaching that is accomplished in the gospel. It is the teaching which the Lord does in the heart by the Holy Spirit. If you have ever realized in your heart that you are a poor sinner, and have been made to hate sin, it is because you have been taught of the Lord. If you have ever been given the sweet assurance in your heart that Jesus is your Saviour, and have had the sweet peace which follows such assurance, it is because you have been taught of the Lord; for that is the teaching which brings peace to the poor soul; and you are a child of God. May the Lord’s richest blessings rest upon our readers. The Primitive Baptist, January 1, 1925.