What the Calvinist says about Irresistible Grace: (Taken from: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1985/1487_What_We_Believe_About_the_Five_Points_of_Calvinism/#Grace)
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The doctrine of irresistible grace does not mean that every influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. It means that the Holy Spirit can overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible.
The doctrine of irresistible grace means that God is sovereign and can overcome all resistance when he wills. "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases" (Psalm 115:3). When God undertakes to fulfill his sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist him.
More specifically 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.
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Now we come to two huge issues with Calvinism’s view of God: First, God’s sovereignty dictates and empowers every action of man, and second, God’s call to salvation, because of His sovereignty, is irresistible.
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Before we delve into these two issues let me again draw your attention to their claim. They said, “If our doctrine of total depravity is true, there can be no salvation without the reality of irresistible grace.” As stated, the tulip of Calvinism must contain every petal or it does not exist. There is no three-point or four-point Calvinist. If you agree with the Calvinists on just one of their points, in the Calvinist way of understanding, you have bought the whole tulip.
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Back to the issues at hand, the sovereignty of God and God’s irresistible call to salvation. One more clarification is necessary here. It is impossible to read the Bible and believe God is anything less than totally sovereign. God is totally sovereign. God is completely sovereign. God does whatever He pleases anytime He pleases.
Scripture is abundantly clear about God’s sovereignty. I have no issues accepting the fact of God’s sovereignty. I do not accept the Calvinist version of God’s sovereignty. Calvinism defines God’s sovereignty as God’s complete control over every thought and movement of every living being at all times.
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To the Calvinist, especially John Piper, if God is not controlling and directing every person, every animal, every dust mite, and the direction of every hair on your body, then God is somehow less than completely sovereign. John Piper likes to say there is only one will of God, the perfect will of God and everything happening is at the center of His will. This is not a scriptural view of God’s sovereignty. Need some proof?
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Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
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Did you notice the phrase, “to see what he would call them”? As God made the animals He brought them to Adam to be named. Of course God knew what Adam would call them, but there is something God did to give Adam the ability of choice. Since God is totally sovereign, is He unable to give man the ability to choose? Is a King less sovereign when His subjects exercise the choice He gives them? Is one verse not enough?
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How about this passage:
Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
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When Lucifer rebelled did it make God less of a King? No. Was God less sovereign when Lucifer became full of pride and rebellion? Of course not. Actually this shows God’s sovereign power and how it remains in spite of rebellion. Did God’s sovereignty have to be the reason for Lucifer’s fall? By no means.
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According to the Calvinist view, God, because His sovereignty requires complete control of everything all the time, is the author of sin. How absurd. Calvinists believe God was in complete control of Lucifer’s thoughts and actions, even when Lucifer rebelled.
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Calvinists have a problem understanding the difference between being in control and taking control. Biblical sovereignty shows God is in control even when He does not control.
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When God allows another being to make a choice (and I did not use the Armenian concept of “free will” because it is just as wrong) God does not loose any of His power or authority. When I, as a Father, allow my children to make a choice, I am not any less of a Father. In fact, when my child makes a wrong choice, I am given the opportunity to show the strength of my authority and my “sovereignty” as the head of the family. Their disobedience is not my preference nor is it my will. In fact I am saddened by my opportunity to show my authority in the face of disobedience.
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The Bible has plenty of examples showing the total sovereignty of God does not require God to dictate every movement and every thought of man. Look at the three times Paul tried to go to
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With this understanding of God’s sovereignty, we are now ready to look at the Calvinist idea of Irresistible Grace. Look at what they say again, “More specifically 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.”
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Does God sometimes call a person in an almost irresistible way? Yes. The testimony of Paul will verify the near irresistibility of God’s call. Does the conversion of Paul prove the position of Irresistible Grace in the life of every believer? No.
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The only way for irresistible grace to conform to the Bible is to use it in a logical sense. For example, I am saved because I did not resist God’s grace. In fact, we are all saved because we did not resist God’s grace. So for us (the Christians) we can say we found God’s grace to be irresistible. Not because we could not resist, but because we did not resist.
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This is not the understanding of the Calvinist. According to the Calvinist, when God elects someone to salvation He will continually present Himself in ways and times the elect unsaved person will find impossible to resist. Man is considered to be so Totally Depraved God must make His grace irresistible or else man will not be saved. If there is one small opportunity for man to resist God’s grace, he will because of his Total Depravity.
The only saving grace for the Totally Depraved must be, according to the Calvinist, Irresistible Grace.
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What does the Bible say?
Matthew 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
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Matthew 22:2-3 - The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
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Proverbs 1:23-25 - Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
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Acts 7:51 - Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
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Isaiah 55:6-7 - Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
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Romans 1:20-21 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
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Scripture is clear on this issue. God’s grace is resistible. Man is responsible for his choice and man’s choice does not negate the sovereignty of God. God is sovereign and man is able to choose and bears the responsibility of his choice alone. When man chooses sin and bears the consequences of sin, God is still just as sovereign as He ever was.
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If you read the original statement closely there is a hint of contradiction. This opposing view is visible in their statement: “When God undertakes to fulfill his sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist him.” See it? “When God undertakes to fulfill his sovereign purpose…” So are they saying God does not always work to fulfill His sovereign purpose? In their understanding of things, if God does not control everything, He is not completely sovereign. This is simply not true.
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