Questions and Answers

Question: What did Jesus mean when He said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44)? Does this mean there are some whom God is not drawing to Him?

Answer: Many people misunderstand this verse, because they do not realize that God is not calling everyone to salvation now. Certainly, God will eventually offer salvation to everyone who has ever lived (Romans 9:15; 1 Timothy 2:3-5). He desires that all would receive eternal life and that no one would perish (John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:9). But Scripture makes it clear that there is "no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). So how can God keep His word, yet save the billions who have lived and died without even hearing His name or hearing His true message?

The Bible tells us of a future time when all will hear the true Gospel, and will receive God's calling (Revelation 20:5, 11-12). That time is known as the "Great White Throne Judgment." It will not be a "second chance"—it will be a time when billions of people are resurrected to physical life and for the first time given the opportunity to hear Christ's name and teachings.

However, God is drawing a few people to Him in this present age. These are called the "firstfruits" (James 1:18). These Christians—individuals who in this present age have been given God's Holy Spirit to help them overcome their human nature and live God's way—have been fighting to overcome not only their own sinfulness, but also the sinful influence of society, and of Satan, whom Scripture calls the "god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

By contrast, those whom God calls at the Great White Throne Judgment will be able to compare their former lives—lived in this age while influenced by Satan, society and self—with the Millennial environment in which God will have resurrected them, and most will surely accept God's offer of salvation and eternal life.

Because these firstfruits must "overcome" in a more difficult environment, God even promises them a "better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35). They will become members of God's Family at Christ's second coming, and will assist Him in ruling this earth during the Millennium, the thousand-year period when the world will live in peace and harmony under Christ's rule in preparation for the Great White Throne Judgment, which will occur after the end of the Millennium. After the Great White Throne Judgment, all human beings will have heard the true Gospel, and those who have rejected it will be burned up in a lake of fire, destroyed forever in the "second death" (Revelation 20:14-15).

God expects His people to be preaching the true Gospel until Christ returns (Matthew 24:14, 46). Even so, we understand that most people who pick up a copy of Tomorrow's World magazine are not being"drawn" by God in this age. For them, the articles they read will merely serve as a "witness," so that in the future they cannot say, "Nobody told me! God isn't fair!"

God expects us to act on what He has taught us. Even after baptism, we retain our free moral agency. Salvation is a gift we cannot "earn"—but we can reject that gift if we willfully rebel against our Savior. So if you are understanding what you read in this magazine, do not squander the amazing opportunity God is giving you, to become one of His firstfruits who—as kings and priests—will have the unique privilege of ruling under Jesus Christ in the Millennium. Keep reading Tomorrow's World magazine, and comparing what you read here with what you find in your Bible. If you think you may be ready for baptism, please write for your free copy of Christian Baptism: Its True Meaning, or contact one of our representatives at one of the addresses listed on page 30 of this magazine.