Very, very smart move cause Charles Ryrie is
in error because he says:
"The only 'work' that a man can do that is
acceptable to God is to believe in Christ"
A careful reading of
John 6:24-37 reveals Jesus
never says
they "can do" this work of faith.
In fact, the passage depicts them as incapable
of performing this work-of-faith despite having
witnessed miracles and having been fed both
physically and spiritually !
"you have seen Me and still you
do not believe" (v. 36b NIV)
The doctrine in this passage which Jesus teaches:
a.) Faith is required, b.) It's a work, and c.) The
unregenerate -despite every external inducement-
are incapable of performing this work.
In contradiction of Ryrie, then, Reformed Theology
says and Scripture says, the Holy Spirit does this
work of faith in us.
It's NOT that we "can do" it (Ryrie), but that we
can't do it !
God does it in His chosen ones
for them. He
performs in them a work they are, themselves,
incapable of doing.
Thus...
"For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of
God -not by works, so that no one
can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
It's 100% grace. Not just in salvation itself, but
also in the faith by which we access that salvation.
This necessitated by the fact that Ryrie was wrong
when he said faith is a work "a man can do".
Which is why the Gospel is "Good News". Because
the required work we cannot perform God performs
in us.
In the passage Jesus gives the crowd the "law"
part of the Law-and-Gospel.
It
all starts here: We are
required to believe.
The unregenerate, like the rich young man in
Matthew 19:16-23 must walk away disappointed
because they are neither granted faith nor able
to perform it on their own.
The regenerate can't perform the work of faith,
yet the Most High
gifts them with it !