Come to Christ – A Promise! (Bunyan)

 Jesus often called people to come to him for help, salvation, healing, and hope.  And the Lord promised that those who come will not be heavily burdened or cast aside: whoever comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37 NIV).  Sometimes people might be hesitant to come to Jesus for various reasons.  They might be afraid that for some reason Jesus will not welcome them.  John Bunyan had an excellent discussion of this topic in his book, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ.  

“I will in no wise cast out.” For had there not been a proneness in us to “fear casting out,” Christ needed not to have, as it were, waylaid our fear, as he doth by this great and strange expression, “In no wise;” “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

There needed not, as I may say, such a promise to be invented by the wisdom of heaven, and worded at such a rate, as it were on purpose to dash in pieces at one blow all the objections of coming sinners, if they were not prone to admit of such objections, to the discouraging of their own souls. For this word, “in no wise,” cutteth the throat of all objections; and it was dropped by the Lord Jesus for that very end; and to help the faith that is mixed with unbelief. And it is, as it were, the sum of all promises; neither can any objection be made upon the unworthiness that thou findest in thee, that this promise will not assoil [absolve].

But I am a great sinner, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I am an old sinner, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I am a backsliding sinner, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I have served Satan all my days, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I have sinned against light, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I have sinned against mercy, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

But I have no good thing to bring with me, sayest thou.
“I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

Thus I might go on to the end of things, and show you, that still this promise was provided to answer all objections, and doth answer them. But I say, what need it be, if they that are coming to Jesus Christ are not sometimes, yea, oftentimes, heartily afraid, “that Jesus Christ will cast them out?”

 John Bunyan, Come and Welcome, to Jesus Christ, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2006), 279–280.

Shane Lems
Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Hammond, WI, 54015