Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ³  As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

 ⁴  and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

 ⁵  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

 ⁶  but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

 ⁷  The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

 ⁸  Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

 ⁹  And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”  Acts 9:1-9.

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Irresistible grace is the cause of the conversion of Saul later known as the Apostle Paul.  Although our conversion may not be as dramatic as the conversion of Saul, irresistible grace is also the cause of our conversion.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:1-9. 

Who can resist God’s will?

“and he said, “O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens?  And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations?  Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.”  2 Chronicles 20:6. 

“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
         Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ ”  Job 9:12.   

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
         But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
         And among the inhabitants of earth;
         And no one can ward off His hand
         Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ ”  Daniel 4:35. 

Paul knew that God’s will was irresistible.  Paul knew that there would be those who would protest that it is unfair that God’s will was irresistible. 

“So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault?  For who resists His will?”

On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:18-24.

In  conclusion, “Irresistible Grace”, the “I” of “TULIP”, one of the Five Points of Calvinism, is the truth.  “Irresistible Grace” is our only chance for salvation, because we were hostile to God and dead in sin.  “Irresistible Grace” recognizes the sovereignty of God.  “Irresistible Grace” gives all glory to God for our salvation.