God’s Work In Salvation
1. Semantics – The Meanings of Words
. Total Depravity
. Is man as bad as they can be?
. Is man as bad off as they can be?
. Is there Free Will?
. Unconditional Election
. Did God elect people?
. How was it done?
. Not Fair?
. Limited Atonement
. Did Christ die for the elect?
. Did Christ die only for the elect?
. Common Grace?
. Perseverance of The Saints
. . The Same as Eternal Security?
. . Once saved, always saved?
. . Who perseveres – Man, God, both?
. Irresistible Grace
. . We can’t resist God?
. . .God forces me to do something I don’t want to do?
. . What do you mean?
2. Salvation is fully of God
. Irresistible Grace – The work of God which effectively moves the sinner to believe in Jesus Christ the Savior
. God does the planning: Isaiah 46:10, Daniel 4:35
. God does the electing: Ephesians 1:4-5
. God does the sending: John 3:17, 1 John 4:9, 14
. God does the calling: Romans 8:30
. God does the drawing: John 6:44, 6:37
. God does the saving 2 Thessalonians 2:13, John 3:3-8
. . Through the Word
. . Through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit
3. Difficulties
. Irresistible is probably not the best term
. . Prefer efficacious grace/effectual call/saving call
. Contrary to human responsibility?
. . No person has a claim on God’s grace
. . Where efficacious grace is not experienced, common grace is received
. Which is first: Regeneration or Belief?
. . Believe and then born again?
. . . Problem: Non-redeemed believers?
. . Born again and then believer?
. . . Problem: Redeemed non-believers?
4. Conclusion
. Irresistible grace is the gracious act of God, where, at the time of salvation, God regenerates a person,
. which then means the person will freely receive and trust in Christ
. Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature
. God softens the heart so that sinners will gladly submit to Christ
. . None who are NOT softened will submit
. . AND
. . None who are softened will want to rebel