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Historic Christianity vs Calvinism  /  Lecture 7: Interpreting Favorite Calvinist Passages  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
In John 6:44, Finny said “No one can come…unless the Father draws” is a “pretty amazing” description of prevenient grace, then raised John 12’s claim that Jesus will “draw all people”; how do you reconcile God’s universal drawing with the reality that not all are “raised up,” and what does that tension imply about human resistance and God’s intentions?
Another way to ask: Finny said the Father “draws” people (John 6) and Jesus will “draw all people” (John 12), but not everyone is saved. How do you explain that, and what does it suggest about human resistance and what God wants?

Direct Answer Finny doesn’t fully resolve every detail, but he implies that God’s drawing is real and broad (even “all people”), yet people can resist that grace; therefore not everyone ends up “raised up.” The tension suggests God intends to enable and invite widely, while human refusal remains a serious factor.

Support from Transcript:

  • Finny says John 6:44 should not bother us: “No one can come…unless the Father draws him…a great description of…prevenient grace…enabling grace.”
  • He immediately raises the key question: “Who are the ones that are drawn?”
  • He cites John 12: “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself,” noting it uses “that same word.”
  • He acknowledges the tension: “If that’s everyone…is everyone raised up at the last day? Well, we wouldn’t say that. It seems like there’s got to be a little bit more to unlocking this passage.”
  • Later, he argues unbelief is due to resistance, not lack of God’s work: “their inability…was…because they were resisting that working. Clearly, Jesus is still trying to reach them.”
Discussion Follow-ups If drawing can be resisted, how should we speak about God’s sincerity in invitation and the seriousness of rejecting truth?

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