God's Irresistible Grace

"Sonne bricht durch"  by Chris

If we really grasp the Bible’s teaching on the nature of sin then we would understand how dire our situation truly is.  We, apart from God’s grace, are incredibly lost men and women.  We are not simply unable to change our preference for our own self-rule in favor of the created design of joyful submission and worship that we should give to our rightful Creator, we are unwilling to do so.   We are actually hostile to God.  We do not submit to God’s law, indeed we cannot.  (Romans 8:7).  We are darkened in our understanding.  We are alienated from the life of God due to our ignorance of Him and spiritual realities.  They make no sense to us whatsoever. (1 Corinthians 2:14).  This is due to the hardness of our hearts. (Ephesians 4:17-19). The heart is at the very core of who we are.  We live from out of our hearts.  The heart is also the sanctuary of the soul for it is with the heart that we worship (Matthew 6:21). We can’t help but worship – treasure realities from which we seek to draw meaning, happiness, fullness and life.  Yet our hearts are hardened.  This means that we do not worship the true and living God but other things which are simply idols or false gods.  Further our sin leaves us dead to God.  We are blinded by the god of this world who works in the sons of disobedience.  Hence we are by nature children of wrath. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 and Ephesians 2:1-3).   We are truly lost in sin.  Our sinfulness infiltrates every facet of our personality and leaves us unable and unwilling to seek after God. 

If we understand this then we will marvel at the nature of God’s sovereign and saving grace.   We will understand that God’s grace is more than his favorable disposition toward the undeserving but it is also his power to bring us from sin’s death grip to life in Christ Jesus!   In order to be saved from our sin – from its guilt, pollution and enslaving power over us every aspect of God’s sovereign gracious saving work must be granted to us from election, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the present life-giving and heart changing ministry of the Holy Spirit.  We are just that incredibly lost in our rebellion and addiction to our own wayward and cussed independence and self-rule. 

But as bleak and extreme the effects of sin are on our hearts, minds and wills God’s grace is greater.  His grace is greater than sin!   God’s grace is able to overcome in a superabundant way the death producing, hardening-of-the-heart power of our idolatrous bondage to our autonomy (independent self-rule).  God’s grace is able to do battle with the machinations of the prince of the power of the air and cast off his blinding influence over our minds so we can begin to see the truth.  God’s sovereign and saving grace is nothing short of the eternal life secured by the Lord Jesus Christ bursting into people’s hearts and minds with transforming power.   God’s grace saves us by making us alive with Christ by united us with him through faith.  (Ephesians 2:4-9).  Even the repentance and faith necessary for us to take hold of Christ and his saving virtue are God’s gifts of grace (See Acts 11:18; 13:48; 16:14; 18:27; Ephesians 2:9; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 2:25-26). 

This irresistible saving grace of God for the elect turns that free offer of the Gospel into the effectual call of God.  Those whom the Father calls through the Gospel offer will indeed respond to that offer.   The offer goes out in the preaching of the Gospel to all who would hear - to the world.  It is issued to the entire human race.  Yet that free offer of the Gospel will only be effectual upon the hearts of those whom the Father calls (1 Corinthians 1:9, 23-24; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 2:9; 5:10 and 2 Peter 1:3) and draws (John 6:44), who are taught by the Father and thus hear him and learn from him (John 6:45).  Those whom the Father effectually calls respond because with that calling the Holy Spirit works through the Gospel to regenerate their hearts or cause them to be born again (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:3).  Paul also describes this work of the Holy Spirit upon the dead heart of an unbelieving rebel as resurrection – as being made alive together with Christ; being raised and seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:12-13).  The Holy Spirit is the agent of this new life (new birth; spiritual resurrection) but he uses the Word as his instrument to bring this new life into dead hearts (1 Peter 2:23-25).

So one of the ways that you know that God is working his grace in your life is that you find Jesus attractive – you find this tug and pull taking place within your heart.  You see the bread and wine of Jesus and you begin to eat and drink.   If this is the case then you are being drawn by the Father.  This drawing is a powerful but not an oppressive work that the Father does in one’s soul.  He works by the agency of the Holy Spirit who uses the instrument of the Word of God – the Gospel message to issue a very clear and gracious call to your heart.  God the Father is not forcing you or violating what you want, rather He is divinely wooing you toward His Son and in so doing powerfully and graciously is changing what you want.  You begin to want Him and the salvation offered to you in Christ!

It is God speaking by his call.  The Gospel offer goes deeper than just the hearing of the ear.  It penetrates into that hard place in the soul and through the agency of the Holy Spirit using the word the Father calls and that call comes to you like a light going off inside.  You begin to see how much you need Christ.  It may entail a deep conviction of your sin, guilt and sinfulness.  You are grieved and you begin to acknowledge for the first time that you are indeed a sinner.  Your soul is famished.  You are hungry for true food and not simply the junk food options of this world.  You are learning from God – the darkness surrounding your thinking is leaving and you see with your entire heart how precious Jesus and his offer of salvation is

Simultaneous with this hearing and learning from the Father – this efficacious call of God on your soul – the Holy Spirit causes you to become born again and you likewise are given saving faith and repentance that unite you to Jesus Christ. 

Faith in Christ is your final and permanent move toward Him and this is not your doing but the work of God’s grace.  Saving faith sees the Bread of Life. Saving faith knows that this is true food for the soul.  Saving faith begins to actually trust in Christ, which is like eating the bread.  Saving faith tastes this bread and can’t get enough.  Saving faith exclaims that this is the best food of all.  This is where true life is found.  Saving faith keeps repenting and turning away from the junk food of this age and stays feasting on Christ and does so with joy.  Here is true life and saving faith clings to Christ and feasts upon Him. 

God’s grace is indeed irresistible and it is a good thing indeed! John Piper writes of this by saying, “irresistible grace refers to the sovereign work of God to overcome the rebellion of our heart and bring us to faith in Christ so that we can be saved. If our doctrine of total depravity is true, there can be no salvation without the reality of irresistible grace. If we are dead in our sins, totally unable to submit to God, then we will never believe in Christ unless God overcomes our rebellion.”  This is what God’s saving grace ultimately accomplishes in the heart of those he elects. By this irresistible grace God overcomes our hardness and rebellion against him and brings us to repentance and faith in Christ.  Marvelous grace of our loving Lord!