Featured Re: Does Paul's conversion prove Calvinism's teaching on Irresistible Grace?

I don't post on this forum to convince others of Calvinism. If God willed for you to be a Calvinist, you would be a Calvinist. Instead, I am here to provide lines of evidence in favor of Calvinism, so that fellow Calvinists will be strengthened in their Calvinism.

I have no reason to sling mud at non-Calvinists for their biblical and doctrinal inconsistencies, though I wish they would stop misrepresenting Calvinism and its doctrinal foundations.

 

Irresistible grace is one of the easiest to defend doctrines of the entire Bible. The problem is that too many people are unfamiliar with its meaning and its Biblical basis.

The only way for God's purpose of election or predestination to be fulfilled is through His irresistible (enabling) grace.

 

Irresistible grace is simply the teaching that saving faith is a divine gift, irrespective of our free-willed efforts to believe or disbelieve.

Luke 17:5, Mark 9:24, and numerous scripture passages already presented in this thread illustrate this doctrine.

God's enabling grace will, someday and somehow, overcome the stubborn resistance of God's elect ones, renewing their hearts and minds for the reception of saving faith.

 

For those looking for a brief, Biblical defense of the five points of Calvinism, here is the free ebook of Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace by John Piper.
https://document.desiringgod.org/five-points-en.pdf?ts=1446647340

 

Jesus would often say, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:43, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8, Luke 14:35

How does one receive the spiritual ears to hear the Gospel and respond to it? The answer is God's irresistible (enabling) grace:

Irresistible grace doesn't mean that God's elect will never rebel against or resist God's grace, but that God's grace is powerful enough to overcome the elect's rebellion, transform their wills and desires, and lead them to ultimate salvation.

 

Calvinism is based on the observation that Biblical facts don’t care about your feelings. Many Arminians have said they wouldn’t believe in a God who, in His own good pleasure, chooses to save some and not others.

It’s God’s grace alone which saves, and numerous passages of scripture demonstrate that God’s grace is bestowed upon His elect. If God were obligated to save everyone, that would be justice and not grace.

https://www.gotquestions.org/unconditional-election.html

Saving faith is a gift of God’s grace, irrespective of our free-willed efforts to believe or disbelieve. (Mark 9:24, John 6:44, Matthew 11:27, etc.) Christians have nothing to boast about, and this is very humbling. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

All have fallen short of the glory of God, and therefore God isn’t obligated to save anyone. (Romans 3:23) Rather than grumbling that God has chosen to save some and not others, we should be thankful that He’s saved anyone at all.

There is nothing unfair about God’s sovereignty in election.(Romans 9:21) No one who desires to be saved will be turned away. (John 6:37) If you sincerely care about your salvation, that’s a sign you are among God’s elect.

If you truly care about the salvation of the lost, you should support evangelism, since the preaching of the Gospel is the means God has ordained to awaken faith in His elect. Some of the greatest missionaries have been Calvinists.

 

Matthew 3:9 beautifully illustrates the doctrine of irresistible grace. If God can raise up children of Abraham from stones, then He can unfailingly turn the hearts of His elect ones from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh.

 

Jesus would often say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:43, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8, Luke 14:35

Who does God give the ears to hear Jesus' voice? His sheep, the elect. Jesus said to the unbelieving Pharisees, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep," not the other way around.

How do Jesus' sheep receive the spiritual ears to hear and respond to the Gospel? The answer is God’s irresistible (enabling) grace. Isaiah 50:5, Psalm 40:6, Job 36:10, Job 33:16, Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; 13:9

There is nothing unfair about God’s sovereignty in election.(Romans 9:21) No one who desires to be saved will be turned away. (John 6:37) If you sincerely care about your salvation, that’s a sign you are among God’s elect.

If you truly care about the salvation of the lost, you should participate in or financially support evangelism, since the preaching of the Gospel is the means God has ordained to awaken faith in His sheep, the elect. Some of the greatest missionaries have been Calvinists.

Irresistible grace doesn't mean that God's elect will never rebel, but that God's grace is powerful enough to overcome the elect's rebellion, transform their wills and desires, and lead them to ultimate salvation.

If you struggle with believing what the Bible teaches, I recommend praying that God opens up the ears of your mind and heart, and then start with reading John’s Gospel.

 

Calvinism doesn't need to be defended. It just needs to be clearly articulated, directly from the Bible, and whosoever has ears to hear will hear it.

There's no point to Calvinism if it can't be articulated from the Bible. There are numerous passages of scripture supporting the five points of Calvinism, and whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.

Calvinism is the teaching that God saves whoever He chooses (Romans 9:10-24), that even the most obstinate sinner can be transformed by God’s amazing grace (John 6:44). If you have a problem with that, you might have a problem with the Bible, and you might need to stop praying for God to save the lost.

 

I’m not here to convince non-Calvinists that they must follow Calvinism. I just want them to at least understand its Biblical and historical foundations, so that they will be less likely to condemn Calvinism for something that it isn’t.