Irresistible grace is the concept that those God elects for salvation have no means to resist His grace and therefore must believe the Gospel at the appointed time God calls them. Irresistible Grace represents the "I" in Calvinism's T.U.L.I.P. acronym, outlining five points of salvation (Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints).
Christians speak and sing about God’s grace all the time. Grace is God’s unmerited favor—God giving us what we don’t deserve. Sinners deserve death (Romans 6:23a), but by God’s grace we are saved by Him, from Him, and for Him (Ephesians 2:8). When we talk about his irresistible grace, we refer to how—by His favor—God calls us to Himself through Christ.
What Does Irresistible Grace Mean in Christian Theology?
Since Irresistible grace stems from a point of Calvinistic theology, we will give its definition based on that doctrine. According to Pastor and professor, Joel R. Beeke, “When Calvinists say that grace is irresistible, they mean that the Holy Spirit never fails to call, regenerate, and save those whom the Father has elected and Christ has redeemed.”
The term “elect” has spurred many controversies within the church, mostly with those who hold to the belief that men have free will to choose or take part in their salvation. This stark contrast to irresistible grace is called Arminianism, which instead, follows the doctrine of prevenient grace. A look at the differences will be spelled out below in the section titled irresistible grace vs. prevenient grace.
Does the Bible Support the Doctrine of Irresistible Grace?
The following are a number of passages which support the doctrine of irresistible grace:
- John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
God the Father draws all who will be saved to Himself through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the initiator, and Man has no power over God’s decrees.
- Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
God saw to it that those who were appointed by God to eternal life believed.
- Romans 8:29-30, “Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.”
A person’s salvation follows God’s specific sequence: predestination, election, calling, justification, and glorification. God predestines people to salvation and man is not free to choose his path to salvation (or not). Salvation is irresistible and sovereign.
- Ephesians 1:11, “In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”
God is sovereignly in control of history and men. Everything that happens is according to His will, including our salvation.
- Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.”
Salvation is God’s gift to us.
- 2 Timothy 1:9, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”
God has saved us by His holy calling and nothing we do merits His grace for salvation. His purpose is revealed in Christ Jesus and it’s a predestined plan that cannot be prevented.
Irresistible Grace vs. Prevenient Grace
As noted above, the two main contrasting Protestant belief systems with regard to God’s grace are Calvinism and Arminianism (whose founder, Jacob Arminius, developed the doctrine of prevenient grace). John Wesley (Methodism’s founder) was an early and influential proponent. While both agree that God’s grace is essential for salvation, they disagree on the outworking of His grace.
Calvinism (as seen above) firmly roots itself in irresistible grace, whereas Arminianism states God’s grace is prevenient.
Prevenient grace is God's unmerited favor given before justification. Author Ben Reichert says, “[P]revenient grace is the idea that God’s grace enables people to respond to him. Prevenient grace is the thing that enables us to respond to God despite being dead in our trespasses and sins.” This grace is extended to everyone, and it gives allowance for man’s free will to aid him in choosing (or not) God’s offer for salvation.
Those who promote prevenient grace (PG) use the following passages to undergird their belief:
- John 1:9, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.”
PG belief: Everyone will know Christ as He educates them.
Con: Jesus is the Light who came into the world, but not specific to everyone’s salvation. Look at John 1:10-13. Scripture tells us that only those who receive (believe in Him) will be saved. The passage also says the world did not know Him. The point is that Jesus reveals the truth about who we are (sinners, haters of God), and not that man is somehow disposed or drawn toward the truth.
- John 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
PG belief: Jesus will draw all men to Himself
Con: Only the elect will be saved by His atonement—His work on the cross as He was lifted to be crucified. The “all men” (literally “all”) refers to all kinds of people without distinction, especially because of the mention of the Greeks in this context (see v. 20 and also consider Galatians 3:28).
- Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,”
PG belief: All men can be saved (i.e., have the capacity to believe the Gospel).
Con: “all men/people” simply refers to all kinds of people, as the gospel makes no distinction among men. Anyone who does believe is indeed saved.
- 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
PG belief: God desires all people to repent; therefore, they must have the capacity to believe.
CON: The key is the phrase “toward you” (the body of believers), which refers to the elect. The verse continues expounding on God’s interaction with the “you” which will continue to the end of history. This phrase assures us that God will not lose a single person among His elect.
Is Irresistible Grace Forced Salvation?
Irresistible grace may be likened to the only chance to live. A few quotes will help us understand better:
Associate Pastor Jonathan Worsley writes, “I believed the gospel because the overwhelming mercy of a sovereign God drew me to himself and gave me the gifts of faith and repentance. His grace was unstoppable.”
From Joel R. Beeke, “The Westminster Confession (10.1) reminds us that God’s irresistible grace does not save people against their wills but by “renewing their wills . . . so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.” Unfortunately, the term irresistible can suggest capricious force or violence to a sinner’s will. If you are a believer, you know that when grace took hold of you, it brought you willingly and lovingly to what God had predetermined for you.”
In irresistible grace, God works within the sinners to prepare their hearts to come to Christ. John 6:44 uses the word “draw,” which has the meaning of an effectual (successful) power. An unregenerate person may resist the gospel at first, but God changes our will to receive it. God must offer sinners a special call—an irresistible call to a person’s inner being (Psalms 40:8; 139; 2 Corinthians 4:16) as well as the outer call found in the proclamation of the gospel (verbally or written). Our sovereign, compassionate, loving Father calls us to Himself through His Word—Jesus Christ our Savior. Sinners receive new hearts of flesh and are able to respond to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and conviction. Christians are transferred from darkness to light and from death to new life in Christ (Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 5:8), all because of God’s grace.
Which Denominations Believe in Irresistible Grace?
All Reformed tradition churches believe in Irresistible grace. Pastor Justin Perdue explains that the basic tenets of Reformed tradition churches have these distinctions:
- Calvinistic
- Covenantal
- Confessional
- Understand the ordinary means of grace in the context of the gathered church
- Hold to a distinction between the law and the gospel.
Specific denominations include Presbyterian PCA, Reformed Baptist, and Reformed protestant churches.
Trusting in God’s Sovereign Grace
God’s Word repeatedly tells us to trust Him (Ps. 4:5; 9:10; 25:2; 31:6, 14; 37:5; 56:11; Proverbs 22:19; Isaiah 26:4; Hebrews 2:13, etc.). To trust the Lord is to trust in His sovereignty, His name, His character, His holiness, His might, His prophecies, and His promises (among all the other wondrous things about Him). To Trust in Him is to trust the eternal Godhead—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—all Who work together to effectually call those He has elected to become joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 11:9; James 2:5).
God’s irresistible grace is an irresistible call of love to those He has chosen to adopt (Romans 8:15). The last stanza of John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” gives us the hope only our sovereign Father can instill:
“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.”
Because God has sovereignly elected the saints, we are assured of our eternal destiny once we surrender to Jesus and turn to Him in faith.
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