IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

Now we start our look into the fourth point of Calvinism - Irresistible Grace.

As is usual in Arminianism verses Calvinism this fourth point directly counters its counter part the fourth point of Arminianism which they call - OBSTRUCTABLE GRACE - Meaning that one can refuse the call of God.

Calvinist insist that salvation is based on the FREE WILL of GOD, NOT - the FREE WILL of MAN - and since God is omnipotent His grace cannot be resisted.  

The Arminians on the other hand insist that salvation IS based on the free will of man - that he IS capable of rejecting the sovereign will and call of God even when whooed by the Holy spirit.

The Arminian believes himself to be powerful enough to obstruct - or resist the grace (the influence of God working in us) who desperately wants to save all mankind.

Let's make sure we have a proper understanding of grace. Like most words it has multiple meanings. The basic meaning of grace is what you have probably heard from different sources - that is "unmerited favor". But that is only a very shallow meaning. What does it tell us? Not much. A deeper meaning as explained by "STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE" is: "THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT LIVES IN US CAUSING US TO DO GOD'S WILL."

I agree wholly with this explanation judging from what I know of Bible teaching as a whole.  

What is it that is unmerited from God? Everything. We do not deserve any kind of favor from God in our depraved, sin filled heart that is so far from God we can't even want to identify ourselves with God. We deserve nothing from God from His electing us, to His seeking us out and saving us to upholding us in salvation once He has brought us to Him. We deserve none of this - it is all done strictly because He wills to show favor on certain individuals out of mankind - His elect.

What kind of favor do we merit (deserve) from God? None what-so-ever. For the same reasons mentioned above.

He shows those He intends to show favor to through another meaning of Grace - The influence of the Holy Spirit that lives in our heart.  

This meaning of Grace is really much more significant than just Unmerited Favor, for as He works out His grace (the influence of the Holy Spirit working in us) this is the CAUSE of our change of direction. Unmerited favor is God's intention of doing us a favor in the design of God's plan - the influence of God working in us causing us to do God's will is the means to how God carries out His plans.

But Grace is unmerited favor - we deserve nothing God does for us. If we did then we have earned God's favor and receive it as a reward - not a gift - which scripture makes plain salvation is from God and of (by) God.

Salvations is a gift that is in no way merited - or deserved. Works earn reward - but he who has no works to condition God's favor must cry out for mercy and grace.

This is the function of the law and God's Holy Spirit working in us - to open up our understanding that we have nor works of our own so must turn from our own works to what Jesus did for us.

This is Paul's meaning when he says in:

ROMANS 4:4-5 -- To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt! But to him who worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, His faith is imputed for righteousness.

Since faith is a gift of God - not a work on our part - it must be an act of grace - the influence of God working in one whom He wants to bestow His unmerited favor to.

If faith is the work of man then God is indebted to him. However - if faith is God's work and His gift to man, then man possess absolutely no condition in himself that deserves salvation as a reward.

2 Timothy 1:9 -- God hath saved us - not according to our works, but according to HIS purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

What do we mean by irresistible Grace? First let's determine what it is not. Irresistible grace is not God forcing His will up on us to do what we don't want to do in the sense that He drags us kicking and screaming against Him in rebellion to what God is doing to us. We may  resist at first - but God's will will prevail - no doubt about that.

God does not have to force us against our will to do His bidding. God works from within us - in our minds causing our minds to accept what God is doing to us. This is what we mean by irresistible GRACE - the influence of God's Holy Spirit working in our hearts and minds - making us willing. This is put plain in:

Psalms 110:3 -- Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,

God does not force us against our will - He just makes us willing through the work of His Holy Spirit in us. True - if God had left us alone and had not changed our will to suit Him we would have continued on in rebellion - but aren't you that are saved glad God took the initiative and changed what you are willing to do? I sure am - I just hate to think of the alternative - an eternity in hell. God at times does come very close to urging us on to do what was ordained of him to do - like Jesus' nudge to Judas to "go do what you must" just before Judas did just that and went to the authorities to betray him. Something that had been ordained to happen to Jesus as the result of what had been ordained that Judas do.

Another way God works is that He has planned all the events at His determinate counsel which includes all the circumstances which in the end would result in God's will that had been planned being fulfilled. This plan included how He will make us willing - The circumstances that brings about our first hearing the Gospel and the entering into our heart and mind and this influence of Him in our heart and mind causing a change in the way we think - the change that brings us to God rather than rebelling against Him.

The events of Judas betraying Jesus that lead to Jesus' crucifiction was all planned and finalized at God's determinate council.

But God - or Jesus did not force Judas to do what he did. God just set up the circumstances of His living and dealing with Jesus those few years of Jesus ministry - along with the temptations from members of the world about him. (The offer of a large sum of money by the authorities to Judas to betray Jesus into their hands)

And in the end - not having the Holy influence of the Holy Spirit in him influencing him to accept Jesus and His teachings like the rest of the apostles - he instead succumbed to his own dead, sin corrupted, anti-Christ human nature and turned against Jesus, and we know the result - his betrayal of Jesus and Jesus ending up on the cross.

Jesus knew all this would happen. Jesus called Judas a devil at one point early in His ministry. It was planned to happen as it did. This is precisely why Jesus chose Judas as one of His disciples - because what Judas did was all part of the plan. Judas lived and ate with Jesus and in the end betrayed Him - just as God had planned. Poor old Judas probably never realized He was just a tool in God's hand being used to fulfill God's plan for Jesus and Christianity in the future. Let's read:

ACTS 2:22-23 -- Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain

We just had a look at what irresistible grace is not.  

So let's spend a little time in finding out what irresistible grace is according to how Calvinist view it.

Irresistible - when used of the grace of God toward His elect, means that God, of His own free will, gives life to whom he chooses. Once the living human spirit is "born of God" he finds the living God wholly irresistible - or impossible to refuse.

Just as a dead human spirit (one who is not born of God) finds the god of the spiritually dead (Satan) wholly irresistible. Those who do not have God may not realize they are a slave of Satan - but they are nevertheless.

The Lord quickens (makes alive or activates a new life in us) all whom He chose in Christ Jesus before the foundation fo the world.

It is this gift of the new nature that has just been made alive - or activated in us which makes us find Jesus Christ absolutely irresistible.  

A hog, because of its very nature just loves to wallow in the muck and mire.

A lamb on the other hand, because of its nature hates the mud - you won't find a sheep romping in any mud hole. Why - it's against their nature to do so - they are not built for it physically, nor are they interested mentally.  

You should take not of this point - how our nature within us controls our lifestyle - whether it is animals, birds, fish or us humans - our nature is what controls our way of life - and this nature suits perfectly our body style. In other words creatures built with wings do not roll around in the mud like a hog. Or visa versa.

Can you see the illustration? Those "dead in trespasses and sin" - the un-regenerate - the unsaved - are like the hogs - wallowing in sin and unbelief because it is their nature to do so and they cannot step outside or change their nature anymore than a hog could change his. That is depravity.

Things change though when God steps in and gives His elect - who are the direct objects of God's love and favor another nature - a second nature that lives in you alongside the old nature. These two natures living in us are always in conflict with each other. Our old human nature still wants to live as before - in total rebellion against what the Holy nature now in us wants to do. Read of this conflict in Romans and Galatians.

ROMANS 7:14-25 -- For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Galatians 5:17  -- For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

All mankind has this problem of a sinful nature in them that causes them to sin. Understand this - God does not change our old nature from a sinful nature to a Godly, sinless nature like many people claim. No - God does not touch that old nature - it stays there wanting to live the bad old life it always influenced us into. What God does do is give us a second nature . This second nature lives right alongside our old nature within our being. And they are by no means friends according to the scripture quoted above!!

With this new nature at work in us the old way of thinking, acting or doing things and talking pass away - all things are looked at in a new light. Not just the things of God are looked at in a new light but life in general - the way we look on the world and life  in general. The world and all its glamour does not seem to be as glamorous as it used to.

This new nature in us (since it is God's nature) finds God irresistible just as his former "dead" human nature found Satan irresistible. This only stands to reason that that new nature in us will respond to God's call - He is in fact responding to Himself!!

The Arminian, however - insists that the omnipotent God can be obstructed and His will refuted by finite man.

This in effect renders God impotent rather than omnipotent. The belief that God can be obstructed in His will to save everyone by the puny, impotent will of an individual is absolutely scandalous. It is about the greatest insult to God to lower this magnificent, sovereign being, the creator of all that exists including man himself to a position lower than man - one of God's lowest class creations - who has to ask his creation permission to do something for him!! How anyone can do this is beyond me - how they think they can have any sort of blessing from God coming out of this sort of thinking is just beyond common sense - and is a perfect example of how low man thinks without the aid of God's Holy Spirit in him giving him light. (Spiritual inteligence)

As I said this renders God impotent to impart life, if it is in the mind of the sinner to reject Christ and resist the work of the Holy Spirit and His influence on our thinking. This is contrary to the words of Jesus as is recorded in:

JOHN 5:21 -- The Son giveth life to whom he will.

A clear statement - but we have those who just will not believe the plain teaching of the Bible - who by their unbelief and their own teaching that in their mind overrules the plain teaching of the Bible demonstrates that they think God does not know what He is doing - that they know better so make up their own doctrines that are better than God's. Some day they will find that is not so - let's hope it is while they are still in this world and can change their attitude toward God and become a truly born again person!!

Nowhere does the Bible teach that a man chooses eternal life of his own will.

On the contrary - the Bible states very clearly that whoever the Father gives to Jesus his son WILL come because it is GOD's WILL that they come.

JOHN 6:37 -- All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no way cast out.

Who is it God promises never to cast out? Very clearly it says - see the first part of the verse - all that the Father giveth me - those determined by the Father that should come to Him.

That is irresistible Grace!! No if ands or buts. No question mark - just a clear plain statement of His intentions and no doubt those intentions (plans) will be carried out.

Let's be logical in our thinking concerning this matter of "will". There is the will of God which is clearly demonstrated in:

DANIEL 4:35 -- All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou?

Now that is the sovereignty of God!! A far cry from what the average person of this world believes. Of course this man who made this statement was not an average man. He had been until God put him through an unusual experience. (I am not talking about the fact he was a king) This was the result of that experience. The same result that will happen when God puts anyone through his own experience designed by God to bring that person to Him - Just like king Nebuchadnezzar.

Then we have the will of Satan - who is the most powerful creature of God's creation.

Remember God is not a creation - so Satan is the most powerful of those God created.

Satan is the arch enemy of God and is far more powerful than man who was created a little lower than the angels.

Satan is powerful - but still far less powerful than He who created him - God.

This is clearly seen in that God puts strict limits on what He will allow Satan to do.

The record of Job gives several examples of the boundaries established by God that Satan could not cross as he carried out his job.

Therefore, even though Satan is very powerful - even more powerful than the general run of angels, he is not omnipotent like God. Neither is he omniscient or omnipresent as God is.

Satan is a second rate power - after God. Man would be a third or possibly even a fourth rate power after the angels which would be third rate after Satan.  

Since man is a fourth rate power he is unable to resist Satan because his will is inferior to the will of Satan. Paul says that the unregenerate:

2 TIMOTHY 2:26 -- And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Man thinks he is so good and powerful and yet unknown to him he is maneuvered about by powers he doesn't even know about - including Satan.

How does Satan ensnare lost man "at his will"? Very easily. Since man without the Holy Spirit in him, is an inferior power to Satan and cannot resist the most powerful creature God ever made.

This is why those who are still "dead in trespasses & sin" - the unsaved - are controlled by the counter plan of Satan the evil power of this world who as stated in:

EPHESIANS 2:2 -- Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The reprobate are maneuvered by Satan by his will at his will because they are the "children of wrath" under condemnation by God.

The lost have "bound wills" to Satan, for they are irresistibly drawn to and controlled by the god of the dead

- UNLESS

- the God of the living sees fit to give them the gift of life and faith - save them in other words.

The reprobate non-elect are never seen as the objects of God's grace unto salvation. Only the elect are - those whom the Father willed to give to His Son as a bride is ever spoken of as being the recipients of God's saving grace. If you remember in another lesson we saw that God gives fleshly blessings to all mankind - saved or unsaved - but not salvation.

I will try not to tire you by pointing out that His love was not based on some imagined condition of good in us.

Paul says God loved us when we were still "dead in our sins". How can this be? Because God being God, He never changes. If He loves us now, He has always loved us from way back in eternity. So He loved us even before we were born the first time in the flesh into this world - if so then He had to love us before we were born the second time into salvation, and since His love is eternal He would have to have loved us in the interval in between our being born into this life and when He sought us out and saved us. In other words - as Paul says - while we were still dead in our sins He loved us. God's love did not start when we started believing. His love started way back in eternity and is what caused us be elected in the first place, then sought out and caused to believe. He knew all along, even when we were still in our sins that we were to be the objects of His eternal grace.  

We were not saved because He foreknew of a good work of faith resulting from our positive volition towards Jesus. No - because that would put God in debt to sinful man. Paul says it was all of grace - let's read that in:

EPHESIANS 2:4-5  --  But God - who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace we are saved)

God could not quicken us (make alive) if we were already alive could He?

Surely - even the hardest core Arminian must realize that when he claims that God wills that all men be saved but that will can be resisted and rejected, he is in fact stating God is not omnipotent. How can He be if finite man can reject or over power the will of God. It is a contradiction of terms.  

He is claiming man, a third or fourth rate power has such a fantastic "fee will" that he can break the will of the higher power of Satan to make his own decision and choose his way to heaven.  

Or - is it possible that the heavenly Father chooses to be permissive, and wills to allow the objects of His grace and love go their merry way to hell if that is their choice?? Possible - but VERY improbable. Again - this would be the scenario that God has created something then chose to just let it go free with Him having no control over it - to just let His creation do as it pleases no matter the consequences, and poor old God not able to step in and do a thing because He gave His word that He would give that creation "free will" to do as he pleases. That kind of thinking can only come from a heart so full of pride they can't think beyond themselves with any sense of common sense. A heart that is unbelievably proud and arrogant, a heart that shows absolutely no sign of being born "from above" - quickened. (They have NO spiritual inteligence) That would be like man making an atomic bomb with no controls or safety devises to it!! It's built - just let it bounce or roll - or explode - all by chance - and we'll take the consequences. How foolish!! Even man has enough sense to keep whatever he produces under control - whatever it is. Yet there are those who believe God has made man with such a 'free will' to do as he pleases. A person with such a free will would be much more dangerous than an atomic bomb with no controls to it. So this kind of teaching is just as foolish!!

OR - another thought. Can finite man resist the first rate power of Jehovah the magnificent, omnipotent, sovereign creator of our universe - because he the fourth rate power is greater than the first rate power!! God wouldn't be the first rate power if this were true - would He? These kind of thinking is just unbelievable - and yet there are those who do think like this - the Arminian with his natural man way of thinking.  

The truth is that mankind cannot come to Christ because he is bound up in the strongest of cords by Satan. He cannot resist the influence of Satan on him. Man may think he is so strong and free to act as he wills - but in actual fact - I wonder how much of our life is our own will. We are controlled by powers we can not see - and most of our activity is influenced by one of two powers - God's - or Satan's.

Mankind will not come to God because his nature is not compatible with God's nature.

but - man's nature is compatible with Satan's nature. In fact finds Satan irresistible - and God despicable.

Man does not have a free will. Instead man's will is a devil bound will.

Man does not have the power to resist God should He will to save him. Why?

Man is not only a fourth rate power under the power of the god of the dead, but he cannot even resist the bad habits and lusts of the flesh. But those habits come from the influence of the god of this world on us - and even when saved have a great difficulty giving our bad habits up. Only by God's influence on us that we can.

Man needs God to draw him - irresistibly by the influence of the Holy Spirit that is born in us. (That's called grace)

Otherwise - man will never take a single step in the direction of Christ and His salvation. This is why it is said in:

JOHN 6:44 & 65 -- No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (65) Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

An example - Lydia, after she heard the apostles preach the word of God - what happened? Go to:

ACTS 16:14 -- A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us; WHOSE HEART THE LORD OPENED, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

Who had opened her heart to understand Jesus? Does the Bible teach here or anywhere else that the sinner opens their heart to the Lord? Or does it teach that it is the Lord who does the opening? (give understanding to) - as is the case here in this example.

So we must conclude that the truth is that man is totally depraved - devoid of any inclination at all of doing good. He never, never has any sort of condition in of himself that would merit salvation.

Because of this depravity he is unconditionally elected to be the recipients of God's favor - of life and faith. God does not say you must do this, or believe that, or say this first, then I will give you salvation as a reward.  

Christ did not die for all mankind - but only for them whom the Father chose of His own free will - out of every nation and tribe on the face of the earth.

The death of Christ, and the shedding of His precious blood was designed specifically for those whom God determined should come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith passed on to us by means of His irresistible grace, through the influence of the blessed Holy Spirit's gift of life.

That completes our study of Irresistible grace.