I – Irresistable grace (Five Points of Calvinism, Part 4)

I – Irresistable grace (Five Points of Calvinism, Part 4) December 2, 2004

Here we are coming almost to the coup de grace of these five points. I g you have understood all of the others and can accept them then this will be as sweet to you as reaching the very sight of the top of the mountain you are climbing. It is not quite the peak for the believer, as that comes in the last point.

Of course, if you find that the system makes you angry at the thought that your will may not be entirely free then this point may make your blood boil. But perhaps more than any of the other points the strongest explanation of this comes from the lips of Jesus in the scriptures. Argue with me all you like, but argue with Him at your peril.



In John 6, Jesus begins by saying “All that the Father gives me will come to me” and this in itself surely makes it clear that not only is God’s choice in saving us is an effective one, and therefore even if we are initially unwilling, if our will clashes with Gods will, then his will wins.

If you are one of those who the father has given to his son, then you WILL come to him. But, notice the assymetry. For Jesus does not say “and those who are not given to me by my father I will cast out” but instead he goes onto say ” and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Thus the call is going out “whoever comes” may come. But, even if they dont want to come whoever the Father gives to the son will come. If someone doesnt come because they chose not to does that make God responsible for that choice? If God drags some almost against their will to be saved then what does he owe those he passes over and leaves to their own freely expressed will not to come. No one should ever say, but what if I come to Jesus and he says “but you aren’t one of the elect” for he clearly says here “whoever comes” will always be accepted. Jesus goes on as follows.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

Thus the will of God is that none of those given by the Father to the son will be lost, and thus the enabling that God must give for any to be saved must indeed be irresitable grace.

It is grace that will not take no for an answer. It is probably whay many Calvinists considering whether someone is saved are slightly less concerned about a publically expressed “decision” for God and more interested in evidence that this irresistable grace has been at work in a life in an ongoing manner.

Irresistable grace quite simply means that God woos those who he would such that they have an offer they quite simply cannot refuse.


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