Irresistible Grace: God Always Gets His Man
Let me frame it like this: If God has set His sights on you, you’re done for. He’s going to save you. Not maybe. Not hopefully. Not potentially. He’s not waiting for your permission. He’s God. He always gets His man.
That’s the doctrine of Irresistible Grace.
Also called efficacious grace, it’s one of the five points of Calvinism—what we call the Doctrines of Grace. And while some people struggle with this doctrine, I want to show you why this is not only biblical, but also the most hope-giving, glory-to-God truth for any Christian man trying to understand how and why he was saved.
Let’s dig in.
What Is Irresistible Grace?
Irresistible Grace means that God’s saving grace is effectually applied to the elect—that is, to those God has chosen to save. In His perfect timing, God overcomes the resistance of the human heart and irresistibly brings His elect to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
It fits logically within the other Doctrines of Grace:
Total Depravity: We are spiritually dead and unable to choose God.
Unconditional Election: God chooses whom to save, not based on foreseen merit.
Limited Atonement: Jesus died specifically for the sins of God’s elect.
Irresistible Grace: The grace God extends to His elect cannot be ultimately resisted.
Perseverance of the Saints: Those whom God saves, He keeps.
If God has chosen you, He will regenerate you. If He regenerates you, you will believe. And if you believe, it’s because He gave you the new heart to do so.
The Objection: "Isn't That Coercion?"
Some will say, “But wait—if God’s grace is irresistible, then doesn’t that mean God forces people to believe against their will? Isn’t that unloving?”
That objection assumes we’re somehow spiritually neutral in our pre-salvation state—as if we’re standing at a fork in the road, carefully weighing our options. Choose God or don’t. Fair choice, right?
But Scripture tells a different story.
“The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God; for it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).
“No one seeks for God” (Romans 3:11).
It’s not that God is dragging you into the kingdom against your will. It’s that your will, apart from grace, would never choose Him. You don’t want God. You don’t love God. You don’t seek God.
That’s why God must act first.
Regeneration Comes Before Faith
As R.C. Sproul put it: Regeneration precedes faith.
Jesus says in John 3:3:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
That’s a one-time, past-tense event. Until you’ve been born again—until God regenerates you—you can’t even see the kingdom. You’re blind to it. You don’t want it. Your will keeps you away.
Paul writes:
“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
The whole package—grace, faith, salvation—is God’s gift.
Three Objections (and How to Answer Them)
1. The Arminian Objection: “God gives prevenient grace so we can choose.”
Arminians say God gives resistible grace—“prevenient grace”—to everyone, restoring our ability to choose or reject Him. But again, John 3:3 says that unless we have been born again, we can’t see the kingdom. And Ephesians 2 says we were dead in our sins—not injured, not sick, but dead—until God made us alive (Ephesians 2:1–5).
Dead people don’t choose. God must act first.
2. The Eastern Orthodox Objection: “Love must be free to be real.”
Orthodox critics say Calvinists overemphasize sovereignty and downplay love. They argue that real love must be chosen freely, without compulsion. But here’s the thing—Scripture says we do choose God… after He gives us a new heart.
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26).
“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Yes, we choose—but only after God sovereignly enables us to.
3. The Roman Catholic Objection: “Salvation requires cooperation.”
Catholic theology teaches that salvation is a cooperation (synergism) between man and God. They say we must “freely cooperate” with God’s grace.
But Scripture says:
“It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).
Jonathan Edwards nailed it: “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
No Room for Boasting
Here’s where this doctrine becomes incredibly practical. It humbles you. It leaves no room for spiritual pride.
Why are you saved while your friend or your cousin isn’t? Is it because you were smarter? Better? More spiritually sensitive?
No. It’s because God said, “I will.”
“I will put enmity between you and the woman…” (Genesis 3:15).
“I will take you from the nations…” (Ezekiel 36:24).
“I will put my Spirit within you…” (Ezekiel 36:27).
God gets all the glory. Not 99%, but 100%. You didn’t climb your way into the kingdom. You were dead, and God raised you.
But Don’t We Have Free Will?
Yes, in a sense. You have the ability to choose between Coke or Pepsi. You can pick which socks to wear.
But when it comes to salvation, your will is not free in the ultimate sense. You don’t have autonomous free will. Only God does.
RC Sproul made this distinction clear. God has autonomous freedom—we don’t. We make choices, but those choices are shaped by our nature. And apart from Christ, our nature is hostile to God.
What most people want when they talk about free will isn’t just the ability to choose. It’s the desire to be sovereign. But there can only be one Sovereign.
The Only Alternatives: Grace or Chance
If you reject Irresistible Grace, you’re left with two options:
God helps, but it’s ultimately up to us (which undermines grace).
Everything is random chance (which undermines meaning).
But Scripture gives us a better picture: God is sovereign, and yet we’re responsible. We make real choices, but God is the one who grants us the new nature to make the right choice.
That’s not contradiction. That’s mystery. That’s divine transcendence.
Why This Matters for You
Christian man, you want to raise your kids in the truth, lead your family well, and walk in boldness. But here’s the truth: if it were up to you, you never would’ve believed in the first place. None of us would.
That means your salvation isn’t precarious. It’s not on the edge. It’s not “as long as you hold on tight enough.”
God grabbed hold of you. God gave you faith. And God will finish what He started (Philippians 1:6).
Final Thoughts: Is This Really the Most Biblical View?
When I discussed this with the members of the Hammer & Anvil Society, he remarked that, when he first came to Reformed theology, it wasn’t from reading Calvin. It was from reading the Bible—specifically, Romans. Over and over. Ten times in. And it clicked.
The gospel isn’t about me. It’s not about how spiritual I am or how sensitive I am to God. It’s about what God has done—for His name’s sake (Ezekiel 36:22).
And when you think about it, that’s the best news in the world.
Watch the Full Teaching
This blog post was adapted from a live cohort session in the Hammer & Anvil Society. To watch the full conversation—packed with insights from the brothers, challenging questions, and deeper dives—click here:
👉 Watch the full video on YouTube
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