Rejected. Cast out. These are depressing and sad words. No one wants to think that they apply to themselves. Unfortunately there are some who feel these words really do apply to them. In school they were never accepted, and when they tried to join the popular clubs, they were told to get lost. At work they never really fit in. Perhaps their spouse walked out on them, saying they weren’t good enough. They go through life desperately trying to never mess up so that they will not be rejected again and thrown out.
There are Christians who fear the same thing from God. They fear that if they mess up even just once, if they commit a sin, God will cast them out of His family. They fear that if they do anything worse than a little white lie they will lose their salvation. These poor souls go through their lives coming to Jesus for salvation dozens of times, only to fear they will lose their salvation again, and hoping when that when it is time to die, they will be on the right side of grace.
Such thinking is contrary to what Scripture teaches, and one of the verses supporting eternal security is in today’s passage (vs 37). Jesus will never reject someone who truly believes in Him. We do not earn our salvation. Scripture is very clear that it is not through our works that we obtain salvation, but that it is through the grace of God, a gift He gives to those who accept His Son (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Since we have not earned our salvation through what we do, neither can we lose our salvation through our actions, once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior.
This promise is forever! Jesus will never, ever cast out a sinner who comes to Him, not even if that person commits a sin after they came to Jesus. We all will commit sins after we’ve been saved. When we do, we can go to Jesus for forgiveness. He is our Advocate with the Father (I John 2:1-2). A repentant backslider can always find forgiveness from God (Hosea 14:4). Though unconfessed and unrepented sins in a believer will hinder our relationship with God, it will not cause us to lose our salvation. Jesus promised that no one, and nothing, can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27-29). Jesus has promised that He will never lose a single one of His children (vs 39), nor let us lose our salvation (John 17:12; Philippians 1:6).
The religious leaders in Jesus’s day refused to believe that He was God’s Son (vs 41 - 43). They were not tolerating His message. Jesus responded to those who would listen that the Father would draw to Himself those who were open to coming to Him (vs 44). There are some people who have closed their hearts and minds to God, blocking out the words of anyone who try to convince them otherwise, even the words of the Lord Jesus. Others are open to Him, and willing to hear the Gospel message. God creates a longing within us for His love and presence. Sometimes He allows difficulty in our life so that we can open up to Him. Those the Father will draw to Himself. Whoever will come to the Lord for salvation is safe, and Jesus will raise them up on the last day.
Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life (vs 48 - 51). God has provided everyone with literal bread to physically keep us alive. Jesus has come to provide spiritual and eternal life to those who accept Him. To “eat” the living bread means to accept Jesus into our life and become united with Him.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you can rest assured that you can never lose your salvation, and that you are eternally safe and secure in His hands. If you have yet to ask Jesus into your heart, do not hesitate another day. Do not let your heart be hardened, but let the Father draw you to Himself. Come and eat of the Bread of Life.
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