No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

— John 6:44

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

— John 15:16

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; 
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

— Jeremiah 1:5

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

— Ephesians 4:23-24

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

— Hebrews 11:6

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and peace be with you. 

God’s ways are inconceivably bigger, higher and more perfect than humans can comprehend. We easily miss the harmony between the twin truths of divine election and human responsibility. Let’s not dismiss infinite truths we cannot fully understand. God’s choice in eternity past does not remove personal responsibility for unbelief in the present. The seriousness of rejecting Christ remains a sober warning.

The wonder of salvation humbles and amazes us. God imparts life to dead hearts. Knowing this truth compels us to confidently share the gospel with others. Salvation, from start to finish, is God’s work. All glory belongs to God. However, the responsibility to turn to Christ for salvation is ours. Let’s trust our great God who loves perfectly and always acts righteously! For us, to actively trust is to see and to own the immense grace of Christ and the salvation He has accomplished for us!