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32 THE CONVENTION TEACHER

INTRODUCTION

Very early in His public ministry, Jesus passed through Samaria on His way to Galilee. At Jacob's well, He spoke with a Samaritan woman about the water of life, and explained to her how God expected true followers to worship Him. The woman said, "I know that the Messiah cometh, which is called Christ; when He is come He will tell us al things." To this, Jesus replied, "I that speak unto thee, am He." Here is a simple declaration, spoken in plain understandable words. Jesus told her that He was the Messiah of whom she spoke. The woman, at least, partially convinced, went back into the city and said to the men, "Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" And she led the Samaritans out to Jesus. He stayed and talked with them two days and they believed that He was the Messiah, for it is written that they said to the woman: "Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this indeed is the Christ, and Saviour of the world." These Samaritans saw Him, heard Him talk, and they believed his claim, that He was the Messiah, long awaited by the Jews and that He was Divine. 

EXPOSITION

I. CHRIST THE BREAD OF LIFE. (VV. 35-40.) (35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on my shall never thirst. When the Jews imagined that Jesus was about to lead them into victory, liberty, and dominion, they were ready to avow themselves His followers, and thought His miracles a sufficient proof that He was the Messiah; but when He demanded faith in Him, in order to obtain eternal life, they perceived that His doctrine did not accord with their worldly expectations, their strong attachment to the Mosaic Law, and the traditions of the elders, which were the law of none effect. Therefore they began to question His Divine mission. He had once fed a few thousand with barley bread and fishes in a miraculous manner, but what was it compared to the wonders performed in the days of their great law-giver when two millions of their forefathers had been fed with manna for the space of forty years, which both in respect of its excellency, and the manner in which it was given them, might be called "the bread which God gave them from heaven to eat?" To this, our Lord replied with His usual strong affirmation, that Moses had not given them that bread, he used no means to obtain it, further, much less did he create it, nor did it really come down from heaven, but merely from the upper region of the air. Whereas God even His Father, who gave their ancestors that typical bread for their temporary sustenance of their natural lives, never gave them the true bread from the heaven of heavens, for the eternal salvation of their souls, for the Bread of God, emphatically so called, was that which descended from heaven, to give life spiritual and eternal, to perishing sinners all over the world. Jesus clearly declared that by the Bread of Life He meant Himself and that by coming to Him, and believing on Him, they might receive and be sustained by that Bread unto eternal life - Shall never hunger. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. Coming to Christ means accepting His teaching, and believing in Him as the great Atoning Sacrifice. 

(36) But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. Jesus next plainly told the Jews that, though they had seen Him and his miracles and seemed to be zealous followers, yet they did not truly believe in Him. 

(37) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For all whom the Father had give Me in His foreknowledge and choice and by the covenant of redemption made with Him as their surety will come. That is all those that are drawn by the Father, all those who are influenced by His Spirit, and yield to these influences: for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God. Those who yielded were saved, those who did not yield were lost. I will in no wise cast out. That is, I will by no means thrust out of doors. I will not chase him out of the house. 

(38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. I am come, not to act according to human motives, passions, or prejudices, but according to infinite wisdom, goodness and mercy. 

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THE CONVENTION TEACHER 33

(39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. It is the will of God the Father that every soul who believes should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal. But He wills this continuance in salvation without purposing to force the persons to continue. God may will a thing to be, without willing that it shall be. Judas was given to Christ by the Father (Jno. 17:12) The Father willed that this Judas should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal; but Judas sinned and perished. Now it is evident that God willed that Judas might be saved, without willing that he must be saved infallibly and unconditionally. When a man is a worker together with the grace of God, he is saved; when he receives that grace of God in vain, he is lost - not through a lack of will or mercy in God, but through lack of his co-operation with Divine Grace. God saves no man as a stick or a stone, but as a reasonable being and free agent. Raise it up again at the last day. The Jews believed that the wicked should have no resurrection, and that the principle that led to the resurrection of that body in the righteous was the indwelling spirit of God. 

(40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Lest they should make a wrong meaning out of His words, as many have done since, Jesus tells them that, far from any person being excluded from His mercy, it was the will of God that every one who saw Him might believe and be saved. The power, without which they could not believe, He freely fave them; but the use of the power was their own. God gives the grace of repentance and faith to every man; but He neither repents nor believes for any man. Each must repent for his own sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus, through the grace given, or perish. And I will raise him up at the last day, this is several times repeated, that we may rest secure in it and be comforted. 

II. CHRIST'S FULLER KNOWLEDGE NEEDED. (VV. 9-14.) (9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Since the time when the apostle had heard about the Corinthian Christians, that they showed their faith in Christ and their faithfulness to Him, by their love to all saints, he and his fellow-laborers had not ceased to pray for them. Timothy and I, in return for your love to us and in response to this good news about you, we have not stopped praying for you that especially that ye might be filled or completely imbued with the knowledge of the will of God, both in respect of His method of savings sinners and of their duties to Him and to all men, as His redeemed servants. 

(10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Paul was very desirous that they might habitually behave in a manner worthy of that glory and of the Holy Lord, whose servant and worshipers they were, not dishonoring Him and His cause by any inconsistency or impropriety of conduct; but actually as becomes persons so highly favored and divinely instructed. The apostle says he wishes them to walk suitably to their Christian profession, exemplifying its holy doctrines by a holy and useful life. Unto all well pleasing. Doing everything in the best manner, in the most becoming spirit. Being fruitful in every good work. It not only brings forth fruit but multiplies its own kind; and every fruit containing seed, and every seed producing thirty, sixty or a hundredfold. 

(11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; That they might be able to walk worthy of the Lord, bring forth fruit. That they faint not for some were not well grounded in it, so the apostle advances a strong reason why they should be firm. You must become strengthened. According to his glorious power. According to that sufficiency of strength which may be expected from Him who has all power both in the heavens and on earth. Unto patience, believing, hoping, and enduring all things. With joyfulness. Feeling the continual testimony that ye please God which will be a spring of perpetual comfort. 

(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: The apostle gave thanks to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose special