36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Unfortunately, our sight does not necessarily equate to our embracing faith. These Jewish followers had been privy to the miraculous performed by the Messiah yet remained in unbelief; unchanged. A true encounter with the Savior will always leave one forever changed. Scripture tells us that sight was not the only thing by which faith was not secured. Earlier in John, our Savior also described those who diligently searched the Scriptures - which most assuredly pointed them to Jesus - yet they refused to turn to Him for salvation:
39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:39-40 (NIV)
“He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system, the true righteous Servant of Yahweh, the coming Prophet, the Son of Man, the Davidic King, and the promised Son of God and great High Priest. In spite of the clarity of the revelation, they refused to come to Him for life.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
While the evidence which demands from us a verdict is certain, we find in Scripture the following reason for our refusal or for our postponement of turning to the Savior:
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:19-21 (NIV)
Bottom line, we do not want to change. We like the darkness because it covers our selfishness and our evil deeds while the light exposes the truth and if exposed, our masks are removed. We have two choices – we can repent and turn to the Savior – walking in the light through His power so that He receives the glory or we can embrace our wills - displaying for the world to see what we truly are – lovers of the created rather than lovers of the Creator.
"We make our choices and then our choices make us. Our everyday choices reveal what we really desire. The essence of sin is pride. The heart of sin is independence and the core of sin is demanding my own way instead of God's." Pat Singleterry
Paul gives us the following grim description of fleshed out unbelief found in Romans:
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25 (NIV)
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32 (NIV)
..."The fact of the matter is that we cannot cast off restraint, run riot, please ourselves and be completely hedonistic without a price having to be paid. The human price is the destruction of relationships; the spiritual price is a breach with God." John Blanchard
“Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.” Abba Poemen
Just as certainly as holiness is a step by step progression – a long obedience in the right direction (sanctification), likewise, the spiral of sin is a step by step progression – a long obedience to the base direction. While at this time we cannot fully comprehend the glory and supremacy and pure bliss of God’s highest high, likewise, we cannot fully fathom the depth of depravity and disgrace and pure destruction of mankind’s’ lowest low. Yet all the while, Jesus, the God of all hope, woos us with His love stating, “Come to Me”. He tells us, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away ”- “I will not, no I will not ”. The promise being a pure gospel promise – He never rejects or drives away those who come to Him in faith – having had the eyes of our understanding awakened and enlightened from GOD, we willingly come.
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:46 (NIV)