Lesson Two

IRRESISTABLE GRACE

Welcome to Lesson Two of the Five Points of Calvinism. If you haven't studied Part One, take the time now to go back and read it over. It will help you to understand this lesson better.

Irresistable means that God has chosen some people to be saved and when He sends His Spirit to change them, no one can resist Him. To some this may seem unfair. Maybe they don't want to be changed. So, sometimes people would rather use the word "EFFECTUAL'. This means that God will be effective in changing those whom He has chosen.

All of the Five Points tie in with each other. If one is true, they all are true. And if one is false, then they all have to be false. To prove how Irresistable Grace is true, let's see how it works with the other parts of the Five Points.

If God has chosen people to be saved, then His Spirit must work in their lives to save them. Otherwise, because of their depravity, they would reject the offer of eternal life.

1. JOHN 6:37,44. Jesus says in these verses that the Father has given Him certain people and that every one of them will come to Him. There is no room for failure, not a chance that one might not come. This can only be if irresistable grace is at work.

2. JOHN 10:16. Jesus guards those who are His own. He calls them His sheep. And He knows who will be in His flock. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to bring these lost sheep into the fold.

3.ROMANS 8:29-30. Paul shows here in Romans that there is a course of action that takes place for the people whom God has chosen. There is a definite beginning and a definite end. Such certainty could only happen if irresistable grace does its work.

Through all of these things God is bringing His people into a saving relationship with Him. He saves them by the sacrifice of Jesus. But Jesus only dies for those whom the Father has chosen. Why would He die for those who will reject Him? What good does it do them? But by irresistable grace, God makes sure that those Jesus died for will come to Him. There is no "spilled blood".

We come to the last of the five points. This one describes how you who are saved(saints), can be assured of your salvation. Some people wonder if they are still Christians because of the way they act or the things they do. They wonder if Jesus really died for them. The perseverance of the saints can give them hope and comfort.

Perseverance means to stick it out or to see something through. When we apply it to our salvation, it means that God will make sure we get though this life and keep our salvation. Think of it this way-ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED.

One of the strongest supports for perseverance is the promise of eternal life. Look at these examples from the Gospel of John:

"He who believes in the Son HAS everlasting life"(3:36)

"..he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me HAS everlasting life..."(5:24)

Jesus is teaching that the believer HAS everlasting life. It is something in his possession right now. And when will it end? NEVER-because its everlasting or eternal. Now, if we could lose our salvation, then that means we never had eternal life. Maybe a temporary life, or a momentary life, but not EVERLASTING.

Look up these last verses:

John 6:39 John 10:28-29 Ephesians 1:13-14 1 Peter 1:4-5