Hello again, my apologies for not posting the Doctrines of Grace for a while. We took a couple weeks off, one to have the Lord's Supper and another because Pastor David decided he wanted to preach a message instead. That got me out of the routine and I got quite busy so I do apologize and we'll pick up with the doctrine of Irresistible Grace now.
The doctrine of Irresistible Grace states that Saving Grace accomplishes what God intends to accomplish by it; that the grace of God is so powerful it can and does Overcome our natural Resistance to it.
A better term for Irresistible Grace is Effectual Calling because its effect is to save the elect. In other words, Effectual Calling is supremely exercised in God's call to His elect. The saving outcome of God's effectual calling is clearly taught in Scripture:
Rom 8:29-30 - "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified."
2Tim 1:9 - "...who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."
2Tim 1:9 - "...who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."
Lets take a closer look at this passage of Scripture. First, the word "foreknew" is a Greek word which literally means to "know intimately." So, before the foundation of the world, God already knew His elect intimately.
Next, to predestine means to pre-determine. So, God already chose those whom He was going to save. Then as they go through life, at God's specific time, He calls them. Many today in American Christianity will complain that this negates man's free will. Well actually it does just the opposite. In our fallen state, using our free will, we will always turn away from God because we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Eph 2:1 Instead, think of God's calling as a removing of blinders. I heard a great example of this once that may help to clear this up a bit.
If you saw a dozen people running down the road toward a pit of fire and they all had blindfolds on wouldn't you try to warn them? Suppose you call out for them to stop and you tell them they're heading for a pit of fire. They in turn tell you, 'no no, we're heading for the beach, we can feel the nice warm sun just ahead.' Now how do you convince them? If you grab one of them and remove his blindfold so he can now see what's ahead, he'll stop dead in his tracks and turn a different way. Now, would you call that interfering with his free will or saving his life? The same holds true when God removes the blinders on our hearts. He shows us that we have sinned against Him and that we need to repent and believe on Jesus in order to avoid the wrath to come - the fire pit ahead.
Some Clarification:
1) Though Irresistible Grace refers to God's call which always leads to salvation, it does not mean that God's common grace cannot be resisted.
2) Apart from Irresistible Grace, man always resists God's demands of obedience and offers of mercy - Acts 7:51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit..."
R.C. Sproul puts it this way: "The history of man is a history of resistance to God's grace."
Irresistible Grace as it relates to Regeneration:
Next, to predestine means to pre-determine. So, God already chose those whom He was going to save. Then as they go through life, at God's specific time, He calls them. Many today in American Christianity will complain that this negates man's free will. Well actually it does just the opposite. In our fallen state, using our free will, we will always turn away from God because we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Eph 2:1 Instead, think of God's calling as a removing of blinders. I heard a great example of this once that may help to clear this up a bit.
If you saw a dozen people running down the road toward a pit of fire and they all had blindfolds on wouldn't you try to warn them? Suppose you call out for them to stop and you tell them they're heading for a pit of fire. They in turn tell you, 'no no, we're heading for the beach, we can feel the nice warm sun just ahead.' Now how do you convince them? If you grab one of them and remove his blindfold so he can now see what's ahead, he'll stop dead in his tracks and turn a different way. Now, would you call that interfering with his free will or saving his life? The same holds true when God removes the blinders on our hearts. He shows us that we have sinned against Him and that we need to repent and believe on Jesus in order to avoid the wrath to come - the fire pit ahead.
Some Clarification:
1) Though Irresistible Grace refers to God's call which always leads to salvation, it does not mean that God's common grace cannot be resisted.
2) Apart from Irresistible Grace, man always resists God's demands of obedience and offers of mercy - Acts 7:51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit..."
R.C. Sproul puts it this way: "The history of man is a history of resistance to God's grace."
Irresistible Grace as it relates to Regeneration:
The effectual calling of God is to be distinguished from a General Conviction or Persuasion that may attend the hearing of the Word of God which does not result in salvation. This is illustrated in the statement by Jesus in Matthew 22:14, "Many are called but few are chosen."
This effectual call of God and regeneration of the spirit is best illustrated in the Old Testament in Ezekiel's valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 and in the N.T. by Christ physically raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11.
1) "Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord." Ezk 37:4 = Effectual Calling
2) "I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezk 37:5-6 = Spiritual Regeneration
3) Jesus cried, "Lazarus, come forth." = Effectual Calling
4) Lazarus was raised from the dead. = Spiritual Regeneration
A Closer Look at Regeneration:
If there is one point that divides reformed theology from other theological perspectives it is the question of the relationship between regeneration and saving faith. The most common view today is that Faith precedes Regeneration: In other words if you believe, you will be born again. Or you may have heard it put this way: "Just believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and you will be saved." This thinking, however, is backward and is actually contrary to what Scripture teaches.
The Biblical teaching and the Reformed view state that Regeneration precedes Faith: In other words, if you believe, its because you've been regenerated. And if you think about it, salvation must be this way because in order for us to realize we're sinners and come to the Lord in repentance and faith we must first be raised from the dead because the Bible teaches that we are spiritually dead by nature. Writing to the Ephesian Christians, the Apostle Paul tells them in, Eph 2:1 "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins..." Also see Romans 3:10-12
The primary issue relates to the Extent of a lost man's true condition:
1) Is he sick or is he dead in sins? (Eph 2:1-3)
2) Is he free or is he in bondage to sin? (Gal 4:3)
The Depravity of the human heart necessitates regeneration preceding faith since man is dead in sins and in bondage to sin and blinded by the adversary:
Jesus says in John 6:44 - "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." Do you notice who's doing all the action here?
Paul gives us the order of salvation in Eph 2.
1) We were dead. (verses 1-3)
2) We were made alive. (verses 5&6)
3) We believed. (verse 8)
4) We were prepared beforehand (predestined). (verse 10)
Without the Effectual Calling of God in his soul, a person will never desire to come to Christ. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor. 2:14
Regeneration is monergistic; it is the work of God alone, because He alone has the power to change the disposition of the heart. Why is this so hard for man to accept?? Because in our pride and arrogance we feel there must be something we have to do to help in earning our salvation. This is what makes other religions so palatable. They play right into man's pride by telling him that salvation is part God and part man. "If you live a good life, help 20 little old ladies across the street and work in a soup kitchen once a month and believe in God, you'll get to Heaven." Although these are good things, we are to do them in honor of Christ and the great gift He has given us.
Salvation is not 90% God and 10% you. Its not even 99% God and 1% you. Actually, and not to offend any one, salvation is 100% God! Period. The greatest work you can do is to believe in God. And who gives you belief? - God.
Until next time, God bless
Rob
