Calvinism: Irresistible Grace

The fourth point of Calvinism is summarized by the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics as:

The result of God's Irresistible Grace is the certain response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God. Christ, himself, teaches that all whom God has elected will come to a knowledge of him (John 6:37). Men come to Christ in salvation when the Father calls them (John 6:44), and the very Spirit of God leads God's beloved to repentance (Romans 8:14). What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 5:10)!⁷⁹

Examining scripture easily refutes this fourth point of Calvinism, Irresistible Grace. We will use the parable expressed by Jesus in Matthew chapter 22 to illuminate this:

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 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. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:1-14)

Clearly from this parable we can see that not everyone chosen by God answers the call. Many of the Jews—the elect of God—rejected Jesus as Messiah; thus, because of their unbelief, the Jews, the firstborn of God under the law, may come into the kingdom of God last. "And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again" (Romans 11:23). Zephaniah speaks to this as well: "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel" (Zephaniah 1:7-8). Moreover of the Gentiles (heathen), which were given the choice of life last, many have already come into the kingdom of God: "many that are first shall be last; and the last first" (Mark 10:31). The parable also shows that not everyone called by God that answers, prepares themselves by fulfilling the requirements of righteousness. "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 15:34).

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. (Hebrews 10:26-30)

Some even, walk the path of righteousness for a season; however, they go astray. "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2 Peter 2:20-21). Thus, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel" (Ezekiel 33:11)? God, not willing that any should perish, repeatedly calls all—Christians and heathens—to repentance. He, however, does not force or conscript any to respond to his call: he does not take their choice away from them as he did under the Old Covenant (Romans 9:17-18). "And for this cause [Christ] is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called MIGHT receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15). As a result, though God calls all, only a few choose to answer the call—called—and even fewer choose to prepare themselves—chosen. Thus, "many are called, but few are chosen." "For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him" (John 6:64).

As we discussed in the previous "The People" section, in the parable of the Sower and the Seed (Mark 4:14-20), the seed—the Word of God—was sown in all fields (the way side, stony ground, thorns, and good ground). Only the seed sown on stony ground, among thorns, and on good ground, was received; that is, these represent Christians in various states. Only the Christians, however, that are "good ground" are preparing themselves for the upcoming marriage of the Lamb (Hosea 2:19-20; Revelation 19:7). They "bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred"; "being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:11). The other Christians, those on stony ground and those among thorns, plus the heathens—the way side—have elected not to be chosen. They have resisted the grace of God: the heathens (the way side) have rejected the grace of God and the Christians (stony ground, thorns) have received the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1). Besides, if indeed God's grace is irresistible, why then are we encouraged to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5) and to win souls: "he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30)? Thus, while many are called Christian and partake in the "common salvation," few are transformed because they choose not to fulfill the requirements stipulated for righteousness: few "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 1:3). Few choose to deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow Jesus Christ; few believe and "continue in [his] word" (John 8:30-36). Hence, Jesus reminds us to "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:23-24). And John reiterates: "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:7-8). Those Christians that turn back to sin will be cast out of the kingdom of God (Ezekiel 18:24; Hebrews 6:4-6) much like ten of the twelve tribes of Israel—God's elect—were cast out:

But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. (Jeremiah 7:12-16)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Notice, we are saved by grace through faith: God plays a part and we play a part. God saves us by grace and in turn we "save ourselves" through faith. This is akin to the fact that God feeds the animals (Job 38:39-41; Matthew 6:26), however, if an animal does not leave its den or nest to get the food that God has provided, it will starve. God draws us with a twofold offer: 1) deliverance from evil; and 2) eternal life. We respond to the first offer with faith, which also has two components as stipulated in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Moreover, faith requires Jesus Christ—the Word of God: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). To respond to the second offer of salvation—"being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9)—requires that we pursue (diligently seek) righteousness through study of, belief in, and obedience to his Word. Righteousness is defined as doing always the things which please God (John 8:29). Jesus asked the question, "when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? Will he find diligent Christians "who through faith and patience inherit the promises" or will he find Christians that have been slothful (Hebrews 6:12) and that are still carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)? Will he find Christians like the five foolish virgins that "took no oil with them" for their lamps and were shut out when the bridegroom came (Matthew 25:1-13)? Will he find Christians that have received "the grace of God in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 15:10)? If we examine ourselves, the answer is most assuredly yes. As a withered branch, these slothful and foolish "Christians" that have resisted the grace of God (Acts 7:51; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 12:15) will be gathered, cast into the lake of fire, and burned. For thus says the Lord, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ... If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:2, 6).

Four down, one to go; the T.U.L.I.P. of Calvinism is fading like its namesake. Tulips, though beautiful to look at, fade and erode like all flowers. Only the bulb of the tulip remains for the next season; however, Calvin's bulb needs to be plucked up by the roots and burned (Acts 19:19-20). The last and final point of Calvinism, Perseverance of the Elect, is what is commonly termed "Once Saved, Always Saved." There is no such thing. Just like God did not force anyone to be saved, he does not force anyone to stay saved. We will further explore this last point in the next section.

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