Given

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” (John 6:37-39 ESV). The action word we will consider from these verses is “gives” or “given”. Who are those who are given to Jesus by the Father? “. . . 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,” (Ephesians 1:4-5 NKJV).

Those given are those the Father chose before the foundation of the world and at that time he predestined them to be adopted as his children. These are the ones Matthew refers to as the elect in Matthew 24:22 & 31. These had their names recorded in the book of life before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8). I believe these are known as lost sheep who have been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God (Hebrews 6:4 – 5). As these lost sheep grow spiritually, a point will be reached when they are ready to respond to the gospel in belief as the Father causes spiritual birth. Man does not determine that time of spiritual birth; the Father does (1 Peter 1:3). These are the ones given to Jesus. Not one lost sheep will be missing. All of them will be found and will come to Jesus.

These are verses used by those who believe that God in his sovereignty, according to his will, not the will of man, selects those who will receive the gift of salvation. This is a view of salvation as seen from heaven.

Prayer

Father, the more I study this topic of salvation the more convinced I am that spiritual birth is similar to physical birth in that there is a period of time between conception and birth. Each time I read Hebrews 6:4 – 5 I see those descriptors as describing that gestation period before birth. It appears that you choose and manage those chosen and then at the proper time cause them to be spiritually born. As believers, we are commanded to be involved with you in this process by building relationships and sharing the gospel. Father, it also appears that at the time of spiritual birth, these are given to Jesus and spiritual life, as a gift, is extended eternally.