IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

My first impulse is to completely disagree. Then on the other hand I hear Jesus say in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This is one of the proof texts for Calvinists. Those who believe strongly in "free will" would then argue that while God does call everyone who is saved, not all who are called respond positively to the call.

However, I must go to the word of God and when I do I read Paul's words in Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified". Here it is made plain that all of those who were predestined were called and all of those who were called were justified. And in John 1:13 after saying that those who believed were given the right to become children of God, John says of them, "who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

I think of the Apostle Paul who was anything but a "seeker". He was a well educated Jew, well versed in the Jewish religion, and was working as hard as possible to imprison those who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus himself showed up and said to Paul, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:4b-5) Is there any doubt that Jesus tracked Saul down and did a work of grace on him and he became a mighty apostle for Christ?

I think of myself, at 15 years of age in the hills of North Carolina, I had no appetite for the things of God. I was interested in the things all the other boys my age were interested in. But suddenly, in the matter of a few days, I became fearful and strangely aware of my sinfulness and God put someone in my life to tell me about Jesus and I was saved. "Not by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" is my testimony. God called, He convicted, He made the gracious invitation, He granted repentance and faith, and I was born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit. I can only claim that I furnished one sinner. He did the rest.

Irresistible Grace? Absolutely.

Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle