THE CROWD TURNS BACK

    By A. W. Tozer

    From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked
    no more with him.    John 6:66

        Our Lord Jesus Christ called men to follow Him, but He
    plainly taught that "no man can come unto me, except it
    were given him of my Father"    John 6:65

        It is not surprising that many of His early followers,
    upon hearing these words, went back and walked no
    more with Him.  Such teaching cannot but be deeply
    disturbing to the natural mind. It takes from sinful men
    much of the power of self-determination.  It cuts the
    ground out from under their self-help and throws them
    back upon the sovereign good pleasure of God---and that
    is precisely where they do not want to be!

        These statements by our Lord run contrary to the
    current assumptions of popular Christianity.  Men are
    willing to be saved by grace, but to preserve their
    self-esteem, they must hold that the desire to be saved
    originated with them.

        Most Christians today seem afraid to talk about these
    plain words of Jesus concerning the sovereign operation
    of God---so they use the simple trick of ignoring them!

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    Yours in Christ,
    Paul N. F.