Can Grace Be Resisted?
Question: Can grace be resisted? How can we relate the election of God with the condition of repentance of man to get saved, as both are needed, and yet God not to be forcing his will upon humans?
Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name!
Not only grace can be resisted, but it can be wasted (Rom 9:19; Exo 10:3;11:9; Jam 4:6; 2 Cor 6:1-2). When God smells pride, he knows beforehand that the grace of God will be wasted. Obedience to God not because of voluntary willing submission but because of forced submission because of the irresistible power of God displayed in resistance against one's pride, which He does to show forth His glory will shut the hand of the grace of God that has the power to save that same person from sin and death (Exo 14:17-18).
Yes, in a simple language of understanding to our limited capacity of brain, grace simplified is God's election received in repentance with humility in the heart, grace rejected is God's election resisted in pride with rebellion in the heart which will waste the grace of God. Grace exemplified is, God wants all to be saved from sin (1 Tim 2:3-4), but at the end of it all only those who receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord of their lives in humility are saved (Acts 16:30-31; 2 Thess 3:2).
In other words, those who choose God will become Chosen by God, those who reject God will become vessels of dishonor (Matt 22:14; 25:24, 25, 26-27, 28-30; Rom 9:16, 21). God is like a drama director who shows to all on the first show what it is like to experience the story he has designed, but that doesn't mean all those play actors on the stage are forced to take part to perform, rather by their own will and wishes they take part to fulfill the story in which God has decided in His will and in His time to finish it with a high note for all those who have willingly chosen to take part in it as volunteers by rewarding them. Others do the play with the motive of getting money for themselves, fame for themselves and a name for themselves and even some want to fulfill their own lust, these are unsaved vessels of dishonor who will become condemned by their own works. But those who partake in the play drama believing that the director will at the right time decide what to give and what not to give because of His goodness and grace (Matt 20:15-16), will end up becoming vessels of honor with salvation by their faith and will be rewarded by God for their voluntary work of love (Eph 2:8; Heb 6:10; Matt 19:29-30; 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17, 19). Just because the director know the end of the story does not mean that he influences his will upon people and forces them to do it the way he wants them like robots. Choices are given by God to all humans and people are invited to take part in God's election, but ultimately it is man who chooses the right or the wrong thing either by accepting God's way or his own way, to be saved from sin for heaven, or remain unsaved in sin for hell.
Grace is not a forceful violation of the will of the recipient, but rather a free gift of God that empowers a individuals will to bring a change that transforms their life without their own effort of keeping the law to please God. Irresistible grace is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save and, in God's timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to faith in Christ. But the name 'irresistible grace' is very much misleading people to make them think, that God's sovereignty is able to work without man's availability, that will be a violation of man's free will, but actually the fact of the matter is, God works in us and through us when we open ourselves for Him and co-operate with Him by asking Him and praying to Him to work by His grace and mercy. In other words, humans cannot save themselves from sin and death without God, God will not save any human without human cooperation in asking Him to save by their free will. But when it comes to God's children, God chastises them to build them more and more spiritually in to the image of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ which is His call towards them to get conformed and thus be transformed eternally (Heb 12:6; Rom 8:29-30; 12:2). But the unbeliever whom God knows as elect in His foreknowledge is drawn supernaturally by his Holy Spirit and wooed to willingly seek for Him (John 6:44).
While Calvinists believe that you didn’t choose to be saved, God chose to save you. And since He chose you, you can’t lose your salvation. Arminians believe that anyone can choose to be saved, but since salvation is our choice we can, by our bad decision or wrong behavior, we can lose our salvation. The Bible does support neither Calvinism nor Arminianism, rather the Bible says God election is not dependent upon man's work but rather by His own grace, through which He has planned to save all those who choose His way rather than their own way (Prov 14:12). God initiates, but man has to respond. The apostles who wrote the Scriptures believed that God's sovereign choice will get invoked to fulfillment in salvation only when man chooses what God has provided, then they believed that once man chooses what God provided for salvation in Christ Jesus, God takes over their lives to keep them in His way, truth and the life through what Jesus has completed for them to be kept safe for eternity ahead (John 14:6; 10:27-30; 19:30). So it is neither the left nor the right, but the center point between both Calvinism and Arminianism that truly gives us the right picture of the New Testament view point of election by grace and salvation through faith (Eph 2:8).
So grace can be resisted based on the response of humans to God's initiation of his goodness towards them (1 Cor 15:10). Repentance in humility opens up God's hand of grace to give salvation to the humble. Resistance in pride closes God's hand of grace to deny salvation to the proud. In other words, even though grace is given by God for free, it is not cheap enough to be thrown away by Him for those who do not want it, because God paid the life of His only begotten Son to provide it all to those who need it, and ask Him in humility towards Him through their belief (John 3:16; 1 Cor 6:20), God saves only those who willingly come to Him in faith and humility. The election of God shows his concern for all humanity, the foreknowledge of who will be saved and who will not be saved shows his omniscience which is the all knowing ability that makes Him as God Almighty who can only save (Isa 43:11; Jer 32:27; Matt 19:25-26). Man's availability by his own choice to empty himself of his self and receive God's grace through faith shows human responsibility and accountability to the all powerful omnipotent God Almighty who calls all humans to repentance through election (Matt 4:17; John 3:3, 5; Luke 13:2-3; Rom 8:29-30). The ability of God to save all sinners and lead them heavenward towards Himself all the time, in all generations, and in His will shows the omnipresent [i.e. present everywhere] nature of God's availability always to show the Almighty nature of His ability to save any moment when humans are willing to come to Him in humility and faith (Matt 11:27, 28-30; Luke 15:1-7). God wants and desires to save all humans (1 Tim 2:3-4, 5-6; Ezek 18:20, 23, 24, 26-27), all the time, till the end of the world, but are the humans willing to hold on to God by faith to get saved (Luke 18:8)?
Much Blessings...
Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name!
Not only grace can be resisted, but it can be wasted (Rom 9:19; Exo 10:3;11:9; Jam 4:6; 2 Cor 6:1-2). When God smells pride, he knows beforehand that the grace of God will be wasted. Obedience to God not because of voluntary willing submission but because of forced submission because of the irresistible power of God displayed in resistance against one's pride, which He does to show forth His glory will shut the hand of the grace of God that has the power to save that same person from sin and death (Exo 14:17-18).
Yes, in a simple language of understanding to our limited capacity of brain, grace simplified is God's election received in repentance with humility in the heart, grace rejected is God's election resisted in pride with rebellion in the heart which will waste the grace of God. Grace exemplified is, God wants all to be saved from sin (1 Tim 2:3-4), but at the end of it all only those who receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord of their lives in humility are saved (Acts 16:30-31; 2 Thess 3:2).
In other words, those who choose God will become Chosen by God, those who reject God will become vessels of dishonor (Matt 22:14; 25:24, 25, 26-27, 28-30; Rom 9:16, 21). God is like a drama director who shows to all on the first show what it is like to experience the story he has designed, but that doesn't mean all those play actors on the stage are forced to take part to perform, rather by their own will and wishes they take part to fulfill the story in which God has decided in His will and in His time to finish it with a high note for all those who have willingly chosen to take part in it as volunteers by rewarding them. Others do the play with the motive of getting money for themselves, fame for themselves and a name for themselves and even some want to fulfill their own lust, these are unsaved vessels of dishonor who will become condemned by their own works. But those who partake in the play drama believing that the director will at the right time decide what to give and what not to give because of His goodness and grace (Matt 20:15-16), will end up becoming vessels of honor with salvation by their faith and will be rewarded by God for their voluntary work of love (Eph 2:8; Heb 6:10; Matt 19:29-30; 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17, 19). Just because the director know the end of the story does not mean that he influences his will upon people and forces them to do it the way he wants them like robots. Choices are given by God to all humans and people are invited to take part in God's election, but ultimately it is man who chooses the right or the wrong thing either by accepting God's way or his own way, to be saved from sin for heaven, or remain unsaved in sin for hell.
Grace is not a forceful violation of the will of the recipient, but rather a free gift of God that empowers a individuals will to bring a change that transforms their life without their own effort of keeping the law to please God. Irresistible grace is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save and, in God's timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to faith in Christ. But the name 'irresistible grace' is very much misleading people to make them think, that God's sovereignty is able to work without man's availability, that will be a violation of man's free will, but actually the fact of the matter is, God works in us and through us when we open ourselves for Him and co-operate with Him by asking Him and praying to Him to work by His grace and mercy. In other words, humans cannot save themselves from sin and death without God, God will not save any human without human cooperation in asking Him to save by their free will. But when it comes to God's children, God chastises them to build them more and more spiritually in to the image of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ which is His call towards them to get conformed and thus be transformed eternally (Heb 12:6; Rom 8:29-30; 12:2). But the unbeliever whom God knows as elect in His foreknowledge is drawn supernaturally by his Holy Spirit and wooed to willingly seek for Him (John 6:44).
While Calvinists believe that you didn’t choose to be saved, God chose to save you. And since He chose you, you can’t lose your salvation. Arminians believe that anyone can choose to be saved, but since salvation is our choice we can, by our bad decision or wrong behavior, we can lose our salvation. The Bible does support neither Calvinism nor Arminianism, rather the Bible says God election is not dependent upon man's work but rather by His own grace, through which He has planned to save all those who choose His way rather than their own way (Prov 14:12). God initiates, but man has to respond. The apostles who wrote the Scriptures believed that God's sovereign choice will get invoked to fulfillment in salvation only when man chooses what God has provided, then they believed that once man chooses what God provided for salvation in Christ Jesus, God takes over their lives to keep them in His way, truth and the life through what Jesus has completed for them to be kept safe for eternity ahead (John 14:6; 10:27-30; 19:30). So it is neither the left nor the right, but the center point between both Calvinism and Arminianism that truly gives us the right picture of the New Testament view point of election by grace and salvation through faith (Eph 2:8).
So grace can be resisted based on the response of humans to God's initiation of his goodness towards them (1 Cor 15:10). Repentance in humility opens up God's hand of grace to give salvation to the humble. Resistance in pride closes God's hand of grace to deny salvation to the proud. In other words, even though grace is given by God for free, it is not cheap enough to be thrown away by Him for those who do not want it, because God paid the life of His only begotten Son to provide it all to those who need it, and ask Him in humility towards Him through their belief (John 3:16; 1 Cor 6:20), God saves only those who willingly come to Him in faith and humility. The election of God shows his concern for all humanity, the foreknowledge of who will be saved and who will not be saved shows his omniscience which is the all knowing ability that makes Him as God Almighty who can only save (Isa 43:11; Jer 32:27; Matt 19:25-26). Man's availability by his own choice to empty himself of his self and receive God's grace through faith shows human responsibility and accountability to the all powerful omnipotent God Almighty who calls all humans to repentance through election (Matt 4:17; John 3:3, 5; Luke 13:2-3; Rom 8:29-30). The ability of God to save all sinners and lead them heavenward towards Himself all the time, in all generations, and in His will shows the omnipresent [i.e. present everywhere] nature of God's availability always to show the Almighty nature of His ability to save any moment when humans are willing to come to Him in humility and faith (Matt 11:27, 28-30; Luke 15:1-7). God wants and desires to save all humans (1 Tim 2:3-4, 5-6; Ezek 18:20, 23, 24, 26-27), all the time, till the end of the world, but are the humans willing to hold on to God by faith to get saved (Luke 18:8)?
Much Blessings...
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