Does God force you to believe or can you resist? Irresistible Grace -- Not a Bible Teaching.

According to the Canons of Dordt (Third & Fourth Heads of Doctrine -- Article 11), "But when God accomplishes His good pleasure in the elect, or works in them true conversion, He not only causes the gospel to be externally preached to them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by His Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God; but by the efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit He pervades the inmost recesses of man; He opens the closed and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises that which was uncircumcised; infuses new qualities into the will, which, though heretofore dead, He quickens; from being evil, disobedient, and refractory, He renders it good, obedient, and pliable; actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions."

Article 12 states: "And this is that regeneration so highly extolled in Scripture ... which God works in us without our aid. It is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable. All in whose heart God works in this marvelous manner are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe."

Article 22 of The Belgic Confession states: "We believe that, to attain a true knowledge of this great mystery, the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts an upright faith, which embraces Jesus Christ with all His merits, appropriates Him, and seeks nothing more besides Him."

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, writes that God "has given the true knowledge of Himself in an internal manner, by the illumination of His Spirit, without the intervention of any preaching."

Calvinism teaches that those who are not of the elect "cannot believe, even though he hears the external preaching of the Word and perhaps reads it for himself many times!" In the elect, however, "the Holy Spirit works IRRESISTIBLY, regenerating him so that he understands fully that he is a sinner and needs God, and, therefore, wants to be saved and to believe" (Dr. Edwin H. Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 48).

"Thus, the once dead sinner is drawn to Christ by the inward supernatural call of the Spirit who through regeneration makes him alive and creates within him faith and repentance. The special inward call of the Spirit never fails to result in the conversion of those to whom it is made. This special call is not made to all sinners, but it is issued to the elect only! The Spirit is in no way dependent upon their help or cooperation for success in His work of bringing them to Christ. It is for this reason that Calvinists speak of the Spirit's call and of God's grace in saving sinners as being 'efficacious,' 'invincible,' or 'irresistible.' For the grace which the Holy Spirit extends to the elect cannot be thwarted or refused, it never fails to bring them to true faith in Christ!" (Steele & Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 49).

Is Calvinism's doctrine of Irresistible Grace a valid teaching in light of God's Word? Let us again ask some important questions and seek their answer from the inspired Scriptures.

This doctrine teaches that the Holy Spirit gives faith to the elect even before they have heard the gospel. Indeed, it maintains one cannot either understand or accept the gospel unless he has first been given faith to do so. Is faith something imposed irresistibly upon the elect, or does it come from hearing and accepting the Word of God?

Romans 10:17 ..... "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." "But many of those who had heard the word believed" (Acts 4:4).

John 20:30-31 ..... "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

John 17:20 ..... "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word." "Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household" (Acts 11:13-14).

Acts 18:4, 8 ..... "And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized."

James 1:18, 21 ..... "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth .... Therefore, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you" (I Corinthians 15:1-2).

Romans 1:16 ..... "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Luke 8:11, 15 ..... (The Parable of the Sower) --- "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

I Corinthians 1:21 ..... "God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

Calvinism's doctrine of Irresistible Grace teaches that you cannot resist the grace of God, nor can you resist His Spirit. What does the Bible say? (Can you resist the grace of God and can you resist the Holy Spirit?)

Revelation 3:20 ..... "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me." The Holy Spirit is a gentleman! He knocks at the door of your heart, he doesn't kick it down! Man has the choice to hear and open, or to refuse Him entrance.

Matthew 23:37 ..... "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling."

II Timothy 3:8 ..... "And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose (resist) the truth." "Thou didst bear with them for many years, and admonished them by Thy Spirit through Thy prophets, yet they would not give ear" (Nehemiah 9:30). "The angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, and fought against them" (Isaiah 63:9-10).

Acts 7:51 ..... "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" (Ephesians 4:30). "Do not quench the Spirit" (I Thessalonians 5:19).

Does God give His Holy Spirit to the elect before they have heard, believed and accepted the gospel (as Calvinism teaches), or does He bestow His Spirit only upon those who have accepted Christ?

John 14:17 ..... Jesus promises to send to His disciples "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him."

John 7:38-39 ..... "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' This He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive."

Acts 2:38 ..... "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." "God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32). Peter says that the Gentiles received the same gift (the Holy Spirit) as the Jews did, "after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 11:17).

Galatians 4:6 ..... "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"

Ephesians 1:13-14 ..... "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance."

Galatians 3:2 ..... "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"

Galatians 3:13-14 ..... "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Calvinists would say that we receive faith through the Spirit; God's Word says we receive the Spirit through faith! Nowhere in the Word of God does it teach that the Holy Spirit directly, miraculously, and irresistibly opens and enters the hearts of unbelieving and unrepentant sinners and regenerates them against their will.

"The doctrine of the Direct Operation of the Holy Spirit in the conversion of man, sometimes referred to as 'special' or 'saving' or 'irresistible' grace; teaching that man is inherently depraved and cannot respond to the gospel without the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit; is man's doctrine, not Bible doctrine. If the Direct Operation of the Holy Spirit is true, then the logical implication is that the Word of God is insufficient in the conversion of the sinner. If the doctrine of Irresistible Grace is true, then it places the responsibility of salvation entirely upon God and destroys the responsibility of man to act. If Irresistible Grace is truly 'irresistible,' it destroys the 'free moral agency' of man" (David Gibson, Calvin's TULIP Theology).

Allow me to summarize your points.

Texas says:
1. The bible sometimes has apparent contradictions.
2. Scripture citing resistance to grace is one of those contradictions.
3. You cite Ro 9:14-15 as meaning that human will is not a component in God's mercy.
4. You cite Ro 9:18 to mean that God prevented Pharaoh from doing God's bidding. You cite Ro 8:30 to mean that the predestinated cannot resist.
5. You cite John 6:37-39 to mean that the predestinated can do nothing but come to Jesus.
6. You cite Ro 9:20 to support total inability.
7. You summarize by saying that the elect cannot resist and that the non-elect are hardened.
8. You conclude saying that arminians finding verses that teach resistance is only a partial picture.

So, have I summarized your post fairly well? What would you modify in my summation?

Are you planning another chart Xzins?

I have asked you several times in the last few days if in your opinion /doctrine the blood at the cross has no effect? Is it simply a potential salvation? Is it a blood in the bank?

You have in the past expressed that pas means all men without exception.

So I am trying to figure out what is it you really believe

Did Christ die on the cross for the sins of all men every where without exception? ( a universal salvation for all men that is complete)

Or do you believe as you now seem to be saying believe that he actually did not die for anyone at all..that the cross was simply an opportunity for salvation?

42 was a real set of questions xzins..you have said you believe that Jesus died for all men. That is Universalism

Now you say that the cross is like money in the bank..not effective untill withdrawn.That in effect ino man was really saved on Calvery

So you move from a Universal atonment to a non atonement and you act insulted when some one asked you what it is you really believe about the atonement.

Was it for all on that day on Calvery? Was it only potential or was it actual?

For months now you have ragged on the Calvinists tell us all means all..now you say all means none..

It is a legitimate to ask is it all means all? Or is that just an expression ?

1. The bible sometimes has apparent contradictions.

The Bible contains statements that would appear to be contradictory, but they cannot be because God is not a God of confusion. Any apparent contradiction can and must be harmonized using other passages of scripture.

2. Scripture citing resistance to grace is one of those contradictions

No, the scriptures you cite indicating that one can resist the grace of God would appear, without the introduction of other truths, to present an apparent contradiction. The problem with your posts however is that you don't attempt to reconcile the apparent contradiction. For example someone who advocates the fact that God is a spirit must attempt to harmonize those verse indicating that God has body parts. That person cannot insist that those verses do not belong in the Bible or cannot be true.

3. You cite Ro 9:14-15 as meaning that human will is not a component in God's mercy.

Romans 9 v.15 says ...but I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I ill have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth of him that runneth, but of God who shows mercy." Therefore, it is clear from the text that one cannot become a child of God based on the strength or exercise of their will.

4. You cite Ro 9:18 to mean that God prevented Pharaoh from doing God's bidding.

No. You misstated the point. God did not prevent Pharoah from doing His bidding. God hardened Pharoah and that was his bidding. God hardens whom he will harden for his own glory. And shows mercy to whom he will have mercy for His own glory. Therfore God is glorified not only in the salvation of sinners, but also in their judgment and punishment.

You cite Ro 8:30 to mean that the predestinated cannot resist.

Romans 8:30 says "For whom he did predestinate, them he also called (called through the preaching of the gospel):and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Again, there is no hint here that anyone chosen by God will be able to successfully resist Him, all will be called, justified and ultimately glorified.

5. You cite John 6:37-39 to mean that the predestinated can do nothing but come to Jesus.

Simply read the text and don't attempt to rephrase it. It doesn't say that the predestinated can do "nothing but come to Jesus." That implies fatalism. Here we go again. "All that the Father hath given me shall come to me; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." "And this is the father's will which he hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." The scripture says that all that the Father hath given unto the Son will come unto the Son. If all come, and as we saw in Romans that all those predestined will come and ultimately be glorified, that leaves absolutely no room for a predestinated person being able to successfully resist the grace of God.

6. You cite Ro 9:20 to support total inability.

No. Romans 9:20 is cited to show that the non-elect cannot make any claim of unrighteousness against God for making them a vessel of dishonor. Again, look at the verse. "Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? v.21: Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel of honor and another unto dishonor. All this is that he might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory. v. 23.

7. You summarize by saying that the elect cannot resist and that the non-elect are hardened.

8. You conclude saying that arminians finding verses that teach resistance is only a partial picture.

Because of God's predestinating love for the elect and the immutability of the covenant of redemption made between the Father and the Son, the elect person will never be able to successfully resist the will of God. That person will be brought to God. All those given by the Father to the Son will come to the Son. Because God has not bestowed His compassion on the non-elect, the non-elect rejects God. However, that rejection is not so much a reaction to His gracious calling as a statement of his native depravity. No man seeketh after God. As that man continues in his rejection of God, God sovereignly can choose to harden him as part of his judgment.

Excellent post...

One of the things that non Calvinists like to say is that the Irrestible Grace of God has turned us into robots , and that only a free will salvation has any value

What they fail to understand is that the Grace of God does not bind us and make us automatons, but His love has instead turned us into his friends.
(Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. )

That grace is "infallible and certain" but it is that way because God conquers our heart by" loving persuasion".

1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

The most amazing thing to me Tex is that every man that is saved was wooed by that grace and yieled to it..If my Arminian brothers and sisters asked thmeself what was different on the day they repented and believed..my guess would be an overwhelming presence of the love of God wooed and converted them

1. I agree with your #1 response.
2. We agree that the entire Bible is in harmony.
3. I disagree with your interpretation of scripture in #3.
4. You say, God hardened Pharoah and that was his bidding. Is the "his" referring to God or Pharaoh? That is, are you saying "God hardened Pharaoh and that was God's bidding?" Or are you saying, "God hardened Pharaoh and that was Pharaoh's bidding?"
5. all those predestined will come and ultimately be glorified. You say this is the interpretation of the John 6 verses. Is that correct?
6. You cite Romans 9:20 to say, non-elect cannot make any claim of unrighteousness against God for making them a vessel of dishonor. How is that not the same as total inability?
7. You left it intact, so I understood correctly. We disagree.
8. You leave 8 intact, agreeing with it, but adding that total depravity is the reason they are not able to seek God. We disagree.

Can you clarify #'s 4,5,6?

Did Christ die for all men?. Does all mean all of every kind?

Thanks for the real question.

Christ's death was sufficient to cover the sin of all men of all time AND God's desire was that all men be saved.

The terms of the covenant, however, were that men had to believe in order to appropriate the benefit of the sacrifice. The sacrifice was effective for believers only.

To God Believing is not a work of righteousness per Romans 4:5...In this scripture, on the one hand you have "work" and on the other hand you have "belief."

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

We read the Romans text differently xzings I think it is saying that the belief generated by the unsaved man by himself IS a work

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

I think we can agree that God has chosen His word to bring new life , and the fatih that follows it

Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But the question is , at least in my mind can a man without the grace of God believe the gospel unto salvation?

1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

And the gospel indicated further that there are some that can not hear it to be brought to new life

2Cr 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

1Cr 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

4. You say, God hardened Pharoah and that was his bidding. Is the "his" referring to God or Pharaoh? That is, are you saying "God hardened Pharaoh and that was God's bidding?" Or are you saying, "God hardened Pharaoh and that was Pharaoh's bidding?"

Well, in a sense, it was the will of God, because he did it. In another sense, it appears as though it was the will of Pharoah. In other words, Pharoah did not do what he did not want to do.

5. all those predestined will come and ultimately be glorified. You say this is the interpretation of the John 6 verses. Is that correct?

The Bible says that those that are predestinated will be called and eventually glorified. In addition, the Bible says that all those chosen by the Father will come to the Son. That is not my interpretation of these verses, it is what these verses say. If you disagree, please provide an alternative interpretation.

6. You cite Romans 9:20 to say, non-elect cannot make any claim of unrighteousness against God for making them a vessel of dishonor. How is that not the same as total inability?

I prefer to call it total depravity. All men are born dead in sin. Furthermore, by nature they do not seek after God as He is revealed in the Bible. This applies to ALL men, elect and non-elect. God so works in the heart of the elect to make them willing to embrace Jesus Christ. God does not so work in the heart of the non-elect. Hence, both can sit under the preaching of the gospel. One can be moved of God, the other will remain unmoved even though both hear the same message. God enables the one to receive and believe, God does nothing to enable the other. Hence they remain in their native state of rebellion against God.

It appears to me that you either believe that Christ came to save all men, which would make you a universalist or you are an Arminian, who believes that God's salvation depends somehow on the appropriate exercise of the will of men. Both would trample under foot the perfect sacrifice of Christ on calvary. If Christ died for all, there could be no punishment for sin. Therefore, no one could be judged for their unbelief and God must, lay aside His righteous requirements. If salvation depended on man's assent to it, then God is left wringing his hands after sacrificing His only son for the object of his salvation. Both are dangerous places to be. The problem to me is that you want to place man on an equal footing with God. Beware.

Well, in a sense, it was the will of God, because he did it. In another sense, it appears as though it was the will of Pharoah. In other words, Pharoah did not do what he did not want to do.

My 2 cents on this

All men are totally depraved. the only thing that keeps us all from being Jeffery Dalhmer and eating each other is gods restraing Grace . That grace keeps order in this fallen world and allows the elect to live with some peace and effective governmental order. All men benefit from Gods general grace

Scripture is clear that Pharoah kept hardening his own heart and God allowed it..then a point was reached where God had to give him over completely to his depravity so that His plan could be accomplished

God did not need to do an affirmative act to harden the heart of the Pharoah..He simply needed to remove what restraining grace he had previously give him

This is what I have been trying to clarify for a while here I am confused as to what he believes

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