What Is Irresistible Grace? - by Joel Beeke

Found here. Our comments in bold.

-------------------

These Ligonier articles are represented as trustworthy, but we have found cause to not trust them. We have examined various articles here, here, here, here, and here, and have been continually surprised at how lacking these teachings are. 

In the below article the author references a number of Scriptures, but manages to quote only two verses and one snippet, none which come to bear on his premise. He is able to quote statements of faith at great length, but not Scripture in any meaningful way. Again and again we are astonished at how it can be possible to teach the Bible without quoting it.

The author intends to explain irresistible grace, but fails. One might think that he would explain grace generally, but he doesn't even bother with that.

Most sad to us is the author's claim that understanding the doctrine of irresistible grace is sorely needed today. But he never tells us why this doctrine is so crucial. Why is it important to know grace can't be resisted? How does such knowledge come to bear on getting saved, becoming mature in faith, or living a life of holiness, obedience, and worship? What difference in our lives does this knowledge make?

The answer is, it doesn't matter. That's correct. These doctrines of Calvinism do not come to bear on living one's Christian life in any meaningful way. 

------------------
The doctrine of irresistible grace says that the Holy Spirit never fails to bring His own to faith. A clear grasp of this doctrine is sorely needed today. The contemporary church is in the midst of a crisis of confidence concerning biblical preaching and the diligent use of the means of grace by which the Holy Spirit works irresistibly in the lives of sinners. The church needs to reaffirm her faith in the invincible power of the Spirit-applied Word of truth.

Grace teaches us that the salvation of hell-deserving sinners is the work of the triune God alone. (An oddly-constructed sentence. The author is supposedly going to to teach us about grace, but opens with a statement about what grace teaches. How can grace teach us anything until the author teaches us about grace?

His assertion is that salvation is the work of the triune God alone. It is a bare assertion, and perhaps it is true, but the author will not document this from the Bible.)

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. (Several claims here, again undocumented with Scripture.)

The efficaciousness of this grace is defined in the Canons of Dort (Head III–IV, Art. 11):

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 mind 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, pervades the inmost recesses of the 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.

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.” (This seems like a distinction without a difference.)

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. (This is the matter under discussion, and is yet to be demonstrated.)

God must work within the sinner to make him willing to come to Christ. John 6:44 says that unless the Father “draws” him, a sinner will not believe the gospel. (Let's quote the verse: 

Jn. 6:44 No-one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

There is nothing about God being irresistible here. Instead the verse speaks of the beckoning of the Father. The word "draws" is helkýō – induce (draw in), focusing on the attraction-power involved with the drawing. The same word is also used in Jn. 12:32:

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.

This particular helkýōis refers to "all men." The Son does helkýōis and the Father does too. Unless the author thinks that Jesus will save every person, irresistible grace is not implied here.) 

The original word for draw implies an effective power (John 21:11; Acts 16:19; James 2:6). (Depending on the the context, this can be true.)

We may kick against the gospel before we are made willing to receive it, but not after our wills are so changed. (Whoa. The author pulls an assertion out of thin air. Where does the Bible say this? This again speaks to the author's central premise, which is why he wrote his article. Again, it is the matter to be demonstrated, not to be presumed as correct.)

Another term for irresistible grace is effectual calling. Two calls need to be distinguished. With the outward call, the gospel is preached and a call to salvation is extended to everyone who hears the message (Isa. 45:22). But this outward call will be resisted (Acts 7:51). (Sigh... Let's quote the passage: 

Ac. 7:51-53 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him — 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The author horribly violates the context of this. Stephen was standing before the High Priest, having been accused of blasphemy. Stephen was speaking to Jews. He recounted the history of his people, which lasts all the way from verse two to verse fifty. He then turns it to his accusers, Jews, and blasts them with the above quoted statement.

This has nothing at all to do with an "outward call." This is Stephen's prophetic accusation against the Jewish people for their continual stubbornness evilness, leading to the actual murder of their savior.

We will now suggest at this point that the author is an incompetent Bible teacher.)

It will not bring sinners to Christ because men by nature are dead in sin and enslaved by the devil (Eph. 2:1–3). (Sigh again... Let's quote the verses:

Ep. 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

The author makes a two part claim based on this passage:

• The outward call will not bring sinners to Christ, and the reason is
• men by nature are dead in sin and enslaved by the devil

The reader should now review the passage to see if the author's statements are contained in the quote. A quick glance shows the first is not, but the second is. 

In fact, Paul continues on by contrasting what he just wrote with the other half of the equation:

Ep. 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

This is binary. Either you're dead or you're made alive. There is no intermediary step God employs in His process of salvation. This concept is just not contained in this passage.

Thus the author has yet to find a Bible verse that documents any of his claims.)

To bring sinners to salvation, the triune God must extend to them a special, inward, irresistible call in addition to the outward call contained in the gospel message. The electing Father is the great Inviter who does this calling. Romans 8:30 tells us, “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called” (KJV). (At last, an actual Bible quote. It's typical for Calvinists to quote this verse in support of predestination, but they misinterpret it. Let's quote a larger part:

Ro. 8:23, 29-30 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies... 30 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Paul is referring to a certain group of people. He calls them "firstfruits," or more specifically, he refers to himself and others as "firstfruits." Who are these firstfruits? Well, it is certainly true that the firstfruits of the crop is not the entire crop. Similarly, those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit cannot be everyone who has the Spirit.

We think the firstfruits refer to the first Jews saved, and those are the ones He foreknew:

Je. 2:3 "Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them," declares the LORD.

Ro. 11:2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.

Romans 8:30 is not about generic Christians, it is about the first Jews who were saved. They were predestined, but the rest of us were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Ep. 1:13

We discuss the "firstfruits" in detail here and here.)

But the effectual call is also God’s living voice in Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” And the Spirit is involved in drawing men to Christ through the Word (John 16:13–14). Scripture describes this Spirit-wrought change as a new birth by the Spirit (John 3:5), a passing from death to life (John 5:24), an opening of the heart (Acts 16:14), a spiritual resurrection from the dead (Eph. 2:4–5; Col. 2:13), and a regeneration by the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5). (All this is true, bt none of these verses mention or describe an effectual call, separate and distinct from an outward call.)

Two implications follow from irresistible grace and effectual calling. First, God’s gracious calling is monergistic, or one-sided. It is not synergistic, or two-sided, involving God and us (Gal. 1:15). (Oh, my. Again the author misuses Scripture. Let's quote it, since the author cannot manage to:

Ga. 1:15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace...

This is Paul describing himself, not Paul describing Christians.) 

Second, grace comes to us at enormous cost. The good news of the gospel is that the cost of our sin was paid by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not by us. (The author makes a troubling statement. This hints of heresy. If the cost of our sin was paid by all three members of the trinity, who received this payment? 

And by the way, where in the Bible does it say that God made payment for our sin? We discuss this in detail here.)

It is given at the expense of the Son of God’s incarnation in the womb of Mary and His obedience in suffering the law’s just condemnation on the cross. When God shows us grace, He is faithful and just to do so because of the saving work of Jesus Christ alone. (The author seems given to just spout off without documenting his claims. God shows grace and has shown grace apart from Jesus:

Mt. 5:45 ...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Thankfully, we are soon to arrive at the end of this, no more enlightened than when we began.)

Salvation is due to the spontaneous, extravagant love of God. If you are to be saved, it must be by the operation of God’s irresistible grace in your life. Pray that God would save you from your sins. Then, as He answers your prayer and you believe in Christ as He has commanded (Acts 16:31), you will recognize that your believing was because of His working in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Be encouraged, for “salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9, KJV). And give all the glory to God.

(For more information on irresistible grace, see Joel R. Beeke, Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, chapter 8, from which this article is condensed.)