Purpose: To show that God’s grace is a gift of God and is an irresistible gift. We do not come willing to salvation. God seeks us out and we do not seek Him. If it wasn’t for Him convicting us, then none of us would ever be saved.
As was shown in previous lessons, God’s call to salvation is unlimited but His redemption is limited to those who believe from the heart. Matthew 22:14. “The gospel call extends a call to salvation everyone that hears its message. It invites all men without distinction to drink freely of the water of life and live. It promises salvation to all who repent and believe . . . men are by nature dead in sin and under its power. They are of themselves unable and unwilling to forsake their evil ways and to turn to Christ for mercy.” David N. Steele & Curtis C. Thomas, both are Baptist ministers in Arkansas. The Holy Spirit’s conviction and drawing is what drags us to God. We do not come willfully. When I was saved, I fought the conviction of the Holy Spirit for a while, but He won. He will always win. The Holy Spirit is a member of the trinity, so He is God. John 6:44 the word Draw is the Greek word, helkuo, which means “to draw, to draw out or towards” literally to drag. Side note the same word is used in Acts 16:19, the same word is translated “dragged” in the NKJV, Amplified Version, NASV and the NIV. Whenthe Holy Spirit draws us He literally drags us. We do not go willingly.
Before salvation we are dead in our trespasses and sins. A dead person is lifeless and not able to do anything. If you wish to move a dead person without any assistance, from one end of a place to another you must drag them. That is exactly what the Holy Spirit has to do to us to bring us to Salvation. We cannot resist it and win. Why? because we are dead. The Holy Spirit drags us to Salvation. Thus once again Salvation is all of God and not of man and He deserves the praise and glory. God’s grace is irresistible.
Grace is unmerited favor. Webster’s Dictionary uses the following words to describe grace are Mercy, Pardon, and Reprieve. We obtain God’s approval and favor via his grace which is our unmerited pardon and reprieve. He has mercy on us. He forgives us even though we do not deserve it. God imputes the blood Christ in our stead.
On death row, who is in control of the sentence? The convict or the governor? The governor can issue the pardon, but the convict cannot pardon himself. The same is true of salvation. God can pardon us, but we cannot pardon ourselves. Even as a governor chooses out the convict to a pardon, God chooses us out to redemption. As in previous lessons Ephesians 2:8,9 is a key scripture. Salvation is not of ourselves it is the gift of God.
At salvation God forgives our sins, but it’s a continuous forgiveness.
I John 1:5-2:1. Verse 9 Amplified, “If we [freely] admit that we have
sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature
and promises] and will forgive our sins (dismiss our lawlessness) and continuously
cleanse us from all unrighteousness--everything not in conformity to His
will in purpose, thought, and action.” Even after we are saved
we sometimes will slip into sin, we cannot remain there. God will
continually forgive us when we confess and repent. We do not lose
our salvation, but we do lose the joy of our salvation when we sin.
Even as grace is irresistible in salvation, grace is irresistible after
salvation. God will drag us back to himself when we stray.
He
will not allow us to stay in sin and enjoy it. He will chastise
us. Proverbs 3:11,12, Job 5:17, Hebrews 12:5-8,12. God
will chasten us and not allow us to remain in sin. His grace in forgiving
our sins after salvation is just as irresistible.
Conclusion: God’s gift of grace is all of Him and not of us. He is the one who drags us out to salvation. He is the one who draws us away from sin. God deserves all the credit for salvation. Man has nothing to do with the gift of God. Man is just merely the recipient upon whom God’s grace is bestowed. Salvation is all of God and not of man.
