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IS GOD’S GRACE IRRESISTIBLE?

But will they be saved? These whom God has chosen and for whom Christ died, will they really be saved? All of them? Might not some resist God's call and continue on forever in their sin and unbelief? "No," Jesus says. "All whom the Father gives me shall come to me" (John 6:37). Not "most of them" and not "might" come. "They all shall come!" God's grace to them will prove irresistible. He will overcome their natural disposition to resist, and His overtures of love and mercy will not be unrequited. Why? Because they are sensible enough to see a good deal? No, but because Christ has secured these blessings for them in His death (Romans 8:32), and they cannot but be saved. O sure, they may well resist at first and perhaps for a while. They like all others are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). But God in mercy will bring them to life, and seeing their desperate condition they willingly come running "in the day of His power" (Psalm 110:3). Those whom God has chosen to save, He will save. From Why the Tulip? by Pastor Fred G. Zaspel

The old argument between Arminianism and Calvinism dates back to the Pleistocene age. It always seems strange to me that Calvinists are so intent on converting their Arminian brothers when they believe that God is going to arbitrarily choose His Elect anyway. However here is my six pennyworth, but if it causes heat I will take it off again, because in some respects it detracts from the main call of God to us to preach the Gospel.

------------ 1 John 2:2 ------------

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

The scope of God’s grace is universal

What is it that condemns some? Since God’s grace in propitiation (or the appeasement of God’s righteous, shocked, holiness, because of our sin) is adequate for the whole world.

------- 2 Thessalonians 2:10 -------

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

No other construction can be placed upon this verse (2 Thessalonians 2:10) than that, had they received the love of the truth (Jesus) they should have been saved.

Who were the ones who would be saved?

------------ Romans 8:29 ------------

29 � For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Those whom he foreknew. Foreknowing always comes before predestination. God is all wise, but even we humble humans employ this reasoning. If we had a bad experience with a curry pie because we can’t handle curry in our digestive system, on the basis of that foreknowledge we will predetermine which pies we will buy and which we will not.

In the case of salvation, free will has a part to play. ( I will deal with works in a moment)

A person who will refuse to receive Jesus at his call is not chosen on the basis of God’s foreknowledge. Note that foreknow comes before predestinate in Romans 8:29 and also in the stated reasoning of God as His criterion for electing us.

Now I hear some saying that this is impossible, for if God elects us on the basis of our decision to follow Him we are saved by a "good work," i.e our choosing to follow Jesus. Wrong.

A decision is not a work. Following Jesus (obeying His words) is work(s) but deciding whether or not we will do good works is not work, neither is it work to decide, whether or not we will receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.

---------- Matthew 21:28 -----------

28 � But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

The second son did no work though he made a fine decision.

We are saved unto good works not by them

---------- Ephesians 2:8 -----------

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

But we are saved because we responded to the call of the Father His call goes far and wide because God is not willing that any should perish.

----------- 2 Peter 3:9 -----------

9 � The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

---------- 1 Timothy 2:3 ---------

3 For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

If the election of God was decided by simply irresistibly calling whom He wanted, by His own confession all would be saved. Some believe this error, thinking that because the propitiation of God is universal that salvation also is universal. Wrong again.

The Bible teaches

---------- Matthew 20:15 -----------

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Bible truth is deliberately like a jigsaw puzzle. You can get he general picture without much trouble. You can see enough of the truth to make an intelligent decision to receive the call when it comes from God to your heart. But you only know you have the whole picture when there are no pieces left that will not fit the remaining places. If you still have some ill fitting pieces, you must have others in places they do not belong, even though it appears hat you have the picture complete. Those remaining bits are usually not crucial to the core of the the theme, but humans being what they are will not rest until every bit has its place --- Darling will you get my scissors of the dresser please???