Some believers sincerely deny irresistible grace, wrongly assuming it makes God look like a despot and we are merely robots. If it wasn't for the grace of God, none of us would believe! It's grace all the way; God saw no merit in us to warrant salvation, neither presalvation work nor preparation to qualify us, and nothing that merits it, which would be the beginning of salvation by works, as the Catholic adds works to faith and merit to grace, distorting the way of salvation, by grace alone, through Christ alone, in Christ alone and only God getting the glory--"Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9).
Rome erroneously sees faith as a work (the Council of Trent declared in 1546 that sola fide or through faith alone, was anathema), but we are not saved by works! Man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation (cf. John 6:28-29, "...What can we do, to do the works of God? This is the work of God, to believe in Him whom He has sent"). Faith is God's work in us, but our act, God doesn't believe for us.
Now if you object to God being overwhelming or irresistible, think of a young lad who vows never to like girls or a monk who vows not to marry and suddenly God has other intentions or plans! The change their tune pretty quickly: They cannot deny acting willingly even though it wasn't their plan; it was like getting an offer they couldn't refuse. Celibacy is a gift of God and not everyone can make it without a mate to help them ("The LORD will create a new thing on earth--the woman will protect the man," says Jeremiah 31:22).
The Scriptural support is given in Romans 5:21 that says, "grace reigns through righteousness." Grace is sovereign and God will save whom He desires to save according to Romans 9:16 saying, "Not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." Zechariah 4:6 also says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD." If salvation is a monergistic or one-way, unilateral endeavor or work, and not a cooperation or synergistic work, then it has to be irresistible in effect. God gives us an offer we can't refuse! Rome claims man merely "cooperates" with God to get saved (making room for some merit that we deserve to be saved in effect), or what is ultimately making man able to save himself! [Our calls can be effective or noneffective but when God calls it never falls on deaf ears--do you think Lazarus had a choice in being raised from the dead?] It can be called the efficacious calling of God that quickens or kindles faith in us as we are regenerated in the Spirit.
Arminians believe that faith precedes regeneration and is the cause of it. The Reformed position is that we are elected "unto faith" and not because of it. They believe that God elects us because He merely foresees who will believe. Romans 8:29-30 militates against this view and clearly demonstrates that this so-called "prescient" view is erroneous. 1 John 5:1 in the ESV says that those who believe have been born of God (past tense) and this verifies the doctrine. 2 Thess. 2:13 also militates against Arminianism: "...He has chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit [N.B. coming first!] and belief in the truth." John 6:44 says, "No man can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws [woos] him." If you came to Christ on your own, you probably left on your own too! The word to woo (Elko in Greek) in the verse means to drag and not just to entice or lead. God can make even make the unwilling willing!
God doesn't offer to save us--He saves us! Anything less would be limiting the plenipotence (omnipotence) of God. "Who makes you to differ? What do you have that you didn't receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). We were no more worthy, sincere, nor moral to merit salvation, but were chosen "according to His purpose and grace." Jesus declared our helplessness to believe in our own strength, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (cf. John 15:5).
In conclusion, we should, therefore, affirm the primacy of grace, which is the sine qua non of faith (without which it doesn't exist or necessary and sufficient). Rome believes grace is necessary, but not sufficient to work regeneration--we merely cooperate and are made able to save ourselves by merit added to grace. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11) and we have no claim on God--He didn't have to save anyone and our destiny is ultimately in His hands (Eph. 1:4). "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." (John 15:16). "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). Soli Deo Gloria!
Rome erroneously sees faith as a work (the Council of Trent declared in 1546 that sola fide or through faith alone, was anathema), but we are not saved by works! Man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation (cf. John 6:28-29, "...What can we do, to do the works of God? This is the work of God, to believe in Him whom He has sent"). Faith is God's work in us, but our act, God doesn't believe for us.
Now if you object to God being overwhelming or irresistible, think of a young lad who vows never to like girls or a monk who vows not to marry and suddenly God has other intentions or plans! The change their tune pretty quickly: They cannot deny acting willingly even though it wasn't their plan; it was like getting an offer they couldn't refuse. Celibacy is a gift of God and not everyone can make it without a mate to help them ("The LORD will create a new thing on earth--the woman will protect the man," says Jeremiah 31:22).
The Scriptural support is given in Romans 5:21 that says, "grace reigns through righteousness." Grace is sovereign and God will save whom He desires to save according to Romans 9:16 saying, "Not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." Zechariah 4:6 also says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD." If salvation is a monergistic or one-way, unilateral endeavor or work, and not a cooperation or synergistic work, then it has to be irresistible in effect. God gives us an offer we can't refuse! Rome claims man merely "cooperates" with God to get saved (making room for some merit that we deserve to be saved in effect), or what is ultimately making man able to save himself! [Our calls can be effective or noneffective but when God calls it never falls on deaf ears--do you think Lazarus had a choice in being raised from the dead?] It can be called the efficacious calling of God that quickens or kindles faith in us as we are regenerated in the Spirit.
Arminians believe that faith precedes regeneration and is the cause of it. The Reformed position is that we are elected "unto faith" and not because of it. They believe that God elects us because He merely foresees who will believe. Romans 8:29-30 militates against this view and clearly demonstrates that this so-called "prescient" view is erroneous. 1 John 5:1 in the ESV says that those who believe have been born of God (past tense) and this verifies the doctrine. 2 Thess. 2:13 also militates against Arminianism: "...He has chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit [N.B. coming first!] and belief in the truth." John 6:44 says, "No man can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws [woos] him." If you came to Christ on your own, you probably left on your own too! The word to woo (Elko in Greek) in the verse means to drag and not just to entice or lead. God can make even make the unwilling willing!
God doesn't offer to save us--He saves us! Anything less would be limiting the plenipotence (omnipotence) of God. "Who makes you to differ? What do you have that you didn't receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). We were no more worthy, sincere, nor moral to merit salvation, but were chosen "according to His purpose and grace." Jesus declared our helplessness to believe in our own strength, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (cf. John 15:5).
In conclusion, we should, therefore, affirm the primacy of grace, which is the sine qua non of faith (without which it doesn't exist or necessary and sufficient). Rome believes grace is necessary, but not sufficient to work regeneration--we merely cooperate and are made able to save ourselves by merit added to grace. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11) and we have no claim on God--He didn't have to save anyone and our destiny is ultimately in His hands (Eph. 1:4). "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." (John 15:16). "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). Soli Deo Gloria!
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