Irresistable Grace

Driving home: Why is it, we ask, that one person believes and another one does not? Two people may hear the identical message from God's word, may be challenged by the same promises of the gospel, and yet one gladly embraces the good …

Examples from Acts 2 (Pentecost) and Paul's missionary journeys illustrate that the same gospel message elicits different responses: some believe, others mock or reject, setting up the problem irresistible grace addresses.

Thirdly, what in the first place does the doctrine of irresistible grace mean? Perhaps we can best get at it by looking at some biblical and present-day events. In Acts, the second chapter, the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter preached a dynamic sermon in which he told his listeners to place their trust for salvation in Jesus Christ, the one whom they had crucified.

0:28 - 0:53 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He dismisses the idea that conversion depends solely on external circumstances or human spiritual vitality, arguing such views lack biblical basis and contradict Scripture.

A hypothetical story of a man converting due to job loss and family problems, while another rejects due to tiredness, illustrates the unbiblical view that conversion is based on external human circumstances.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain this. Some view it strictly from a human perspective. The individual who accepted the gospel may have been right for the occasion. He had recently lost his job, had run into some serious family problems, and had been in a lot of trouble.

2:22 - 2:39 Read in full sermon

Driving home: While the Armenians claim that people can actually and effectively resist the Spirit's operation and turn down the wonderful grace of Christ, we claim that no matter how strongly we may resist the Spirit's work, He wins …

Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus is used as an example of God's grace overpowering strong human resistance, making his efforts to resist 'in vain'.

We have an illustration of this in the life of the Apostle Paul. He battled against God's grace. He had devoted his life to persecuting and murdering Christians. But in a dramatic moment, while journeying on the road to Damascus, he was halted in his tracks by the loving voice of the Lord Jesus. At that point, all of Paul's efforts to resist were in vain. God's grace so overpowered

9:40 - 10:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: While the Armenians claim that people can actually and effectively resist the Spirit's operation and turn down the wonderful grace of Christ, we claim that no matter how strongly we may resist the Spirit's work, He wins …

The story of St. Augustine's youthful rebellion and eventual conversion through Ambrose's preaching illustrates how God's grace melted away his resistance.

him that he gladly responded to the Lord and faithfully served him for the rest of his days. Or take the example of St. Augustine, who as a young man had no use for Christ. He engaged in rebellion and immorality. How this man resisted the work of the Spirit. But God, through the

10:06 - 10:27 Read in full sermon

Driving home: While the Armenians claim that people can actually and effectively resist the Spirit's operation and turn down the wonderful grace of Christ, we claim that no matter how strongly we may resist the Spirit's work, He wins …

The analogy of a stubborn mule resisting coaxing but being moved by a tractor and rope illustrates that while humans resist God's grace, His power is invincible and ultimately overcomes all resistance.

God's grace is invincible. In the end, it cannot be resisted. The Lord's grace wins out. When I was a boy living out in the country, our neighbor had a mule. It was an absolutely

10:59 - 11:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: No one is a child of God against his will. The Lord changes a person's will to want to be his child.

The analogy of a child initially terrified of water but gradually eased in by his father, eventually loving it, illustrates how God's grace changes the will, making individuals desire what they once resisted, rather than forcing them against their will.

reluctantly, relent. God has changed his will. And he gladly responded to the Lord's grace operative within him. Perhaps this mundane illustration may help us. A small child is petrified of the water. He's deathly scared of it. He resists

15:05 - 15:24 Read in full sermon