pardon my ignorance on the topic, but i am quite uneducated on reformed theology...
my original impression of Irresistible Grace was more of an "offer you can't refuse" - "too good to be true" - "too good to pass up"
but after reading chapter one of James White's [i:46d4f507c1]The Potter's Freedom[/i:46d4f507c1], my perception of Irresistible Grace seems it might be a little off or a bit shallow.
[quote:46d4f507c1]
[b:46d4f507c1]White says on page 40:[/b:46d4f507c1]
"I = Irresistible Grace: This is the belief that God is able to raise the spiritually dead sinner to life. This is an act of efficient grace. When God chooses to bring one of His elect to spiritual life, it is an act similar to when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead: just as Lazarus was incapable of resisting the power of Christ in raising him from the dead, so too the dead sinner is incapable of resisting the power of God that raises him to spiritual life. This is not to say that men have not resisted God's grace. This doctrine speaks specifically to the grace that brings regeneration, not to individual acts of sin committed by believers or unbelievers."
[/quote:46d4f507c1]
In this perspective, Lazarus was basically unaware of the goings on until after the fact that he was alive again. (though Scripture doesn't tell what his awareness was - God could have explained the whole plan to him while he was dead for all we know... but I would still suspect that Lazarus wouldn't have had any say in the matter...)
But this perspective makes good sense in that - a dead sinner is incapable and even unaware of God's work until after it has happened and his eyes are able to "see" the results.
Does this oppose the idea of a person being aware of the gracious regeneration "offer", and being so overwhelmed by such a great offer, that they can do nothing but accept?
Any expounding/clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
my original impression of Irresistible Grace was more of an "offer you can't refuse" - "too good to be true" - "too good to pass up"
but after reading chapter one of James White's [i:46d4f507c1]The Potter's Freedom[/i:46d4f507c1], my perception of Irresistible Grace seems it might be a little off or a bit shallow.
[quote:46d4f507c1]
[b:46d4f507c1]White says on page 40:[/b:46d4f507c1]
"I = Irresistible Grace: This is the belief that God is able to raise the spiritually dead sinner to life. This is an act of efficient grace. When God chooses to bring one of His elect to spiritual life, it is an act similar to when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead: just as Lazarus was incapable of resisting the power of Christ in raising him from the dead, so too the dead sinner is incapable of resisting the power of God that raises him to spiritual life. This is not to say that men have not resisted God's grace. This doctrine speaks specifically to the grace that brings regeneration, not to individual acts of sin committed by believers or unbelievers."
[/quote:46d4f507c1]
In this perspective, Lazarus was basically unaware of the goings on until after the fact that he was alive again. (though Scripture doesn't tell what his awareness was - God could have explained the whole plan to him while he was dead for all we know... but I would still suspect that Lazarus wouldn't have had any say in the matter...)
But this perspective makes good sense in that - a dead sinner is incapable and even unaware of God's work until after it has happened and his eyes are able to "see" the results.
Does this oppose the idea of a person being aware of the gracious regeneration "offer", and being so overwhelmed by such a great offer, that they can do nothing but accept?
Any expounding/clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!