“Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.” John 6:37
I want to share a section I read recently in a book entitled “Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers” by Dane Ortlund. Ortlund comments on a book by John Bunyan (who also wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress) called “Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ”.
He says, “We no longer use the expression “in no wise,” but it was a seventeenth-century English way of capturing the emphatic negative of the Greek of John 6:37. The text literally reads, “the one coming to me I will not- not- cast out.” Sometimes Greek uses two negatives piled on top of each other for literary forcefulness.”
Bunyan meditates on this language and statement of Christ in John 6:37 and says to one uncertain of coming to Jesus:
But I am a great sinner, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a backsliding sinner, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
Ortlund expands on what Bunyan wrote with His own modern version saying:
“Fallen, anxious sinners are limitless in their capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast them out. We are factories of fresh resistance to Christ’s love. Even when we run out of tangible reasons to be cast out, such as specific sins or failures, we tend to retain a vague sense that, given enough time, Jesus will finally grow tired of us and hold us at arm’s length. Bunyan understands us. He knows we tend to deflect Christ’s assurances.”
“No, wait”- we say, cautiously approaching Jesus- “You don’t understand. I’ve really messed up, in all kinds of ways.”
I know, He responds.
“You know most of it, sure. Certainly more than what others see. But there’s perversity down inside me that is hidden from everyone.”
I know it all.
“Well- the thing is, it isn’t just my past. It’s my present too.”
I understand.
“But I don’t know if I can break free of this any time soon.”
That’s the only kind of person I’m here to help.
“The burden is heavy-and heavier all the time.”
Then let Me carry it.
“It’s too much to bear.”
Not for Me.
“You don’t get it. My offenses aren’t directed toward others. They’re against You.”
Then I am the one most suited to forgive them.
“But the more of the ugliness in me You discover, the sooner You’ll get fed up with me.”
Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.
Come to Jesus.