Session 5: Irresistible Grace

The Speaker’s Background and the Conference Introduction

Of Hope Reform Baptist Church here in Coram. He has served as pastor at Hope for 23 years. Prior to his calling to the gospel ministry, he served with the Suffolk County Police Department. He retired after 20 years service as a detective sergeant in the Homicide Squad.

He also served as a hostage negotiator. I think that's helped a bit here, I don't know. That wasn't written. During the early years of Hope, Pastor Jensen served as the headmaster of Grace Christian Academy, a Christ-centered and classical school.

He's also a board member of Ambassador Ministries, which is a biblical counseling ministry in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania. He's also a visiting professor at the Reform Latin America Seminary in Medellin, Colombia, teaching pastoral counseling.

He and his wife, Ginger, have celebrated their 54th anniversary. They have seven grown children. They're awaiting the arrival of their 14th grandchild and their first great-grandchild in March. Gives me great pleasure to introduce to you, Pastor Jensen.

Just before I begin, I just wanna let you know that on the table in the back, there is a pad. If you would like to be on the Spurgeon Fellowship mailing list so that you would be aware of any upcoming conferences, just put your email address on there, and then as things come up, you will be on our mailing list and you can find out about those things.

Calvinism, the Doctrines of Grace, and the Meaning of TULIP

Well, it's been quite a few years now that I was ordained to the gospel ministry. In fact, one of the things that I think has become abundantly clear is that Calvinists do have a sense of humor, but I think that's because God has a sense of humor.

When I was ordained, the council that examined me was a very, very eclectic group of men. There were 12 of them, and only three would be considered reformed in any sense whatsoever. And the church that I was a member of was not reformed either.

That was before we founded Hope. So when it came to defending the doctrines of grace, let me just say the discussion was rather lively. They were more opposed to the doctrines than those who affirmed them.

And in the midst of this discussion, I looked out into the gallery. There was a gallery set up where members of the congregation could watch the examination. And I saw my wife sitting there, and she was talking with her girlfriend, and they were smiling and almost giggling and laughing and looking in my direction.

And so I immediately, I start wondering, what is something wrong? So at the next break, I went to her and I said, what did you find so funny? And then she pointed out the irony of the situation. While I was defending the doctrines of grace to the council, I was surrounded by all the church flowers from Easter.

They were all tulips. So I believe God definitely has a sense of humor. Just to mention the word tulip. In most churches, and you are probably in for some sort of a discussion, if not an out and out fight.

If you dare call yourself a Calvinist, that just piles on the condemnation. You will often hear this question, how can you hold to the doctrines of a man who was a murderer? Now that's a loaded question, and it really misses the point, doesn't it?

And I don't want you to fall into the same trap. We're not here to explore the doctrines of John Calvin. We're here to explore the doctrines of grace as given to us in the inspired and the inerrant word of God.

And while you may hear various theologians quoted, and that's rightfully so, that's only to give clarity to a very difficult topic. But the doctrines of grace, as we prefer to call them, were not codified even into five points by John Calvin.

They were so called by the Synod of Dort who was formed to refute the five points of Jacob Arminius. And the word tulip has become a useful tool in explaining those doctrines of grace. Now, so far you've heard of the necessity for these doctrines based upon the condition of mankind after the fall, the T.

Man is totally depraved. He's incapable of helping himself to any degree whatsoever. You heard 10 cannots last night, 10 things that man cannot do. Then you heard about the U, in God's sovereignty, he has unconditionally elected certain men to salvation.

It's a necessary action based upon the condition of mankind. Then you heard about the L. Jesus Christ came to earth and takes upon himself human flesh in order that he might be the sacrifice for the sin of all those whom the Father has given to him.

Irresistible Grace as Effectual Calling

Now that brings us to the fourth letter, I. Irresistible grace. And you might say that this is in one sense that the methodology that God uses to actually save those whom he has given to Jesus Christ.

Christ paid the price for their sin on the cross of Calvary. But how does he apply that sacrifice to his people in time and in history? The simple answer is he draws them effectually. And that's what we're going to examine this afternoon.

Now this doctrine is known by various names. And unfortunately, sometimes the names can mislead people. R .C. Sproul, for example, he prefers the term effectual grace because the grace of God brings about the desired effect that God has in mind.

In fact, the 1689 London Baptist Confession uses the term effectual calling. In fact, I just want to read one paragraph of chapter 10, which is titled the effectual calling. It says this, "'Those whom God has predestined unto life, "'he is pleased and is appointed and accepted time "'effectually to call by his word and spirit "'out of that state of sin and death "'in which they are by nature "'to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, "'enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly "'to understand the things of God, "'taking away their heart of stone "'and giving them unto a heart of flesh, "'renewing their wills and by his almighty power, "'determining them to that which is good "'and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ.

"'Yet so as they come most freely, "'being made willing by his grace.'". Now notice what the confession says. The call of God is effectual by his word and his spirit. Those are the means that God uses to call his people.

The spirit of God enlightens their minds spiritually, gives them understanding of the things of God, and then using the analogy from Ezekiel 36, 26, he removes the heart of stone, replaces it with a heart of flesh.

The spirit of God renews the will of his people. And by his almighty power, he determines them to do that which is now good. And the result of that work of God in the heart is that it effectually draws the person to Jesus Christ.

Now notice, this is all the work of God. You've heard this is a consistent theme in every person who has stood up here. This is the work of God. But the confession ends up, this paragraph, with this clause.

While it is 100 the work of God, listen to what the confession says. "'Yet so as they come most freely, "'being made willing by his grace.'". That's interesting. You know, this doctrine is probably the second most offensive to the Arminian.

You heard Eli talk about how the limited atonement of particular redemption, those are almost fighting words. But this doctrine is not far behind it, largely because of a misunderstanding of what it says.

In fact, you might hear a Christian say, well, I'm a four-point Calvinist, or I'm a three-point Calvinist. In fact, I worked with a pastor who said he was a three-and-a-half-point Calvinist. He believed in half of this doctrine.

I still don't understand how he arrived at half a point, because God's call is not half effectual. If it is, then it's not really effectual calling, is it? So it's this point, this is often misunderstood.

I want to, again, begin with a quote from R .C. Sproul before we get into the scripture. He sums it up very well. He describes it this way. He says, irresistible grace does not mean that God's grace is incapable of being resisted.

Indeed, we are capable of resisting God's grace, and we do resist it. The idea is that God's grace is so powerful that it has the capacity to overcome our natural resistance to it. It is not that the Holy Spirit drags people kicking and screaming to Christ against their wills.

The Holy Spirit changes the inclination and disposition of our wills so that whereas we were previously unwilling to embrace Christ, now we are willing. And more than willing, indeed we aren't dragged to Christ, we run to Christ.

And we embrace Him joyfully because the Spirit has changed our hearts. See, the Holy Spirit resurrects us from spiritual death so that we come to Christ because we want to come to Christ. The reason we want to come to Christ is the work that God has done in our hearts.

Without that work in our hearts, we would never have any desire to come to Christ. That's the essence of this doctrine. Now, I've tried to explain it as simply as I possibly can. That's why I quoted from Sproul and the Confession.

But I'm not standing up here to ask you to believe this doctrine because it's in the Confession. Now, I love the Confession of Faith, but that's not binding on our consciences. And nor is the teaching of R .C. Sproul as much as I love R .C. Sproul.

In fact, I heard that he's a Reformed Baptist now. And I don't ask you to believe it because Calvin or Luther or Edwards or Owen, and not even the patron saint of Reformed Baptist Spurgeon believed it.

I'm asking you to believe it because this important doctrine is the clear teaching of the Word of God. The children of God come into His kingdom not for any other reason than for the work that God does in their heart.

The Apostle John explains it right in the prologue to his gospel in John 1, verse 12, he says, "'But as many as received Him, "'to them He gave the right to become children of God, "'even to those who believe in His name.'".

And then verse 13, "'Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, "'nor of the will of man, but of God.'. "'Those who are born again are reborn "'not from anything that man can do, "'but purely by the will of God.'".

And Jesus expands on this in His dialogue with Nicodemus, that most important chapter of John 3, Jesus speaking to Nicodemus, He says, "'Truly, truly, I say to you, "'unless one is born again, "'he cannot see the kingdom of God.'.

"'Nicodemus said to Him, "'How can a man be born when he is old? "'He cannot enter a second time "'into his mother's womb and be born, can he?'. "'Jesus answered, "'Truly, truly, I say to you, "'unless one is born of water and the Spirit, "'he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

"'That which is born of the flesh is flesh, "'and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.'". And then He sums up, He says, "'Do not be amazed that I say to you, "'you must be born again.'". Now, notice how precise Jesus is in His explanation to Nicodemus.

Spiritual birth is essential to salvation. You can't even understand the things of God unless you are born again. That's exactly what He says. You can't see, you can't perceive, you can't understand. So how does one receive this spiritual birth?

Jesus answers that question in verse eight. He says, "'The wind blows where it wishes, "'and you hear the sound of it, "'but do not know where it comes from "'and where it is going. "'So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'".

In other words, there is nothing that you can do to get this spiritual birth. It is given by the Holy Spirit and the work of the Spirit is like the wind. It's a mystery to man. You don't know where it's coming from, where it's going.

We have no idea who the Holy Spirit is going to regenerate. It's nothing you can figure out on your own. And then Nicodemus proves the doctrine of depravity with his next question. He says, how can these things be?

Now, what's stunning about that is that here is Nicodemus who is a member of the most educated and biblically literate class in Israel in the first century. And he hasn't a clue regarding spiritual birth.

And so Jesus responds to him in verse 10 and then following, but in verse 10, he says, "'Are you a teacher in Israel "'and do not understand these things?'. That's some rebuke. The rulers of Israel had everything they needed to know intellectually in the Scriptures.

And they studied the Scriptures, but that wasn't enough. They needed to be born again. So in this exchange, you can see the absolute necessity for the effectual grace of God. Without a heart change, no matter how educated you are, you will not come to Jesus Christ because you don't understand the things of God and you have no desire for the things of God.

So God, through his irresistible grace, imparts new spiritual life to his own. John the Baptist preached the same message. Responding to a statement by one of his disciples, John said this, "'A man can receive nothing "'unless it has been given him from heaven.'".

See, John the Baptist knew he was the forerunner of Christ. He was preparing the way for him. Jesus is the life giver. And so John continues, and he says, "'For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, "'for he gives the Spirit without measure.

"'The Father loves the Son "'and has given him all things into his hand. "'He who believes in the Son has eternal life, "'but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, "'but the wrath of God abides on him.'".

See, one of the great truths of Scripture, especially revealed in the Gospel of John, is the role of the Holy Spirit in imparting this new life. In the last discourse of Jesus to his disciples, before his crucifixion, Jesus comforts and encourages his disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

In John 14, he says, "'I will ask the Father, "'and he will give you another helper, "'that he may be with you forever.'". There's that forever word again. "'That is the Spirit of truth, "'whom the world cannot receive "'because it does not see him or know him, "'but you know him because he abides with you "'and will be in you.'".

And then down in verse 26 of the same chapter, "'But the helper, the Holy Spirit, "'whom the Father will send in my name, "'he will teach you all things "'and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.'".

And then in chapter 15, verse 26, "'When the helper comes, "'whom I will send to you from the Father, "'that is the Spirit of truth, "'who proceeds from the Father, "'he will testify about me.'". So it is through the work of the Holy Spirit that life is given to those who are spiritually dead.

And it is these very same people that Christ gives eternal life to. Notice again the way Christ phrases his statements. Remember the woman, by the way, in Samaria? Remember Jesus comes and asks her for a drink of water?

And that engages her in discussion. And she says, who are you? You're being a Jew. You're asking me for a drink. And Jesus answered her. And this is what he said. If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

And then Jesus follows up on that with these words. Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I will give him shall never thirst. But the water I will give him will be in him in a well of water springing up to eternal life.

It's very clear that eternal life is a result of what God does in the heart of the sinner. And so who are these people that receive this gift? John 5 .21. For just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son also gives life to whom he wishes.

John 5 .25. Truly, truly, I say to you an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live. So what is the testimony of scripture? Eternal life is given by Christ to those whom the father has given to him.

They receive the living water. They are the sheep of his fold. The bottom line is they belong to him. And even though they have been given to him by the father, they are spiritually dead until the Holy Spirit quickens them.

He breathes life into them and they respond to the gospel. And so the question then is how does God accomplish this? By his irresistible grace. By his effectually calling them. You've heard this verse before in this conference but it bears meaning right now.

John 6 .44. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. His being lifted up, of course, is an allusion to the death. His death on the cross.

And through his death on the cross, by paying the price for sin, he would draw all of his own to him. Let me just summarize what the scripture teaches concerning who can come to Christ. Jesus taught that only those who are drawn by the father will come to him and be raised on the last day.

These are those who have been taught by God. Those who have heard and learned from the father. Jesus taught that the ability to come to him for life was a gift from the father. And then he very authoritatively says, all that the father gives me will come to me.

There is your irresistible grace. Your effectual call. The only way Jesus can make that claim is through the effectual calling and the irresistible grace of God. The believer, though, is not passive in this.

Now, don't get nervous. You can't add anything to the call of God. It is 100 his work, but that does not mean that you're passive. You know, I mentioned earlier that there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about the doctrines of grace, and that's especially true of this doctrine.

There are those who characterize this doctrine by saying that God forces some people, drags them kicking and screaming into heaven, and leaving others to eternal damnation who are pleading with him to save them.

Nothing could be further from the truth. As you've already heard in the previous topics, no one is pleading with God to save them apart from the work of God. In fact, remember the words of Paul quoting the Old Testament.

We saw this last night. Romans chapter three, verse 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become useless.

There is none who does good. There is not even one. See why the T is necessary. If you understand the T, you'll understand the I. So the idea that God turns his back on someone who truly is calling out for salvation is bogus at best.

And apart from the work of grace, no one calls to God. But the idea that God drags others kicking and screaming is also not accurate. Let me quote the last phrase again of the London Baptist Confession, chapter 10, which by the way is the same, written is exactly the same way in the Westminster Confession.

And effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ, yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his grace. And again, the quote, last part of the quote from R .C. Sproul, the Holy Spirit changes the inclination and disposition of our wills so that whereas we were previously unwilling to embrace Christ, now we are willing and more than willing.

Indeed, we aren't dragged to Christ, we run to Christ and we embrace him joyfully because the Spirit has changed our hearts. So then what does it mean to be born again? Well, first it means that the sinner is no longer blind.

Remember, apart from Christ, we were blind, we couldn't see, we couldn't understand the kingdom of God. And now when the Holy Spirit draws us by his grace, we possess the true light of the world. John 8, 12, then Jesus again spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

The believer is no longer deaf, he hears the life-giving voice of the Son of God. Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, an hour is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God.

John 10, three, to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Notice when they hear the voice, they follow him, they're not passive. Following Christ is not passive, but active.

And then these words of Christ sum up very well. In John 8, 47, he who is of God hears the words of God. Notice, it's not the hearing first, it's you're of God first. And you hear the words of God. For this reason, you do not hear them because you are not of God.

Now, can anything be more clear?

Who hears the words?

Those that belong to him. Those who do not hear are those who are not of God. Third aspect of being born again is he's no longer spiritually ignorant. Remember, again, this Samaritan woman, she was spiritually ignorant when Christ met her.

She didn't know who Christ was. She didn't understand what true worship was. She had all kinds of misconceptions. Until she met the Savior. And what happened as a result of that brief encounter? Verse 39 of John 4 tells us, but from that city, many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified.

And remember how Jesus prayed in his high priestly prayer, John 17, verse three. This is eternal life, that they may know, that they may know you. The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

And in verse seven, now they have come to know that everything you have given me is from you. God enlightens the heart and you begin to understand spiritual things. And affections change. Before being drawn by God, no one loves God.

And even those who say they love God, don't because they don't even really know who God is. They may love an idea of a God, but they don't know the one, the true, the living God. And Paul says this in Romans chapter eight.

He says, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. For it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But once saved, he loves God.

And he's willing to do his will. Jesus assumes this fact because he tells them, he gives them the new commandment, which is not really new. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Tells them to love one another as he has loved them.

And then in verse 21 of John 14, he says, he who has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and will disclose myself to him.

See, and then what do we find? We find that the love the Christian has towards Christ, the love the Christian has towards God is extended to the body of Christ. Let me just ask you, how much do you love the body of Christ?

Are you working in the body of Christ? Are you willing to lay down yourself? I'm not even talking about laying down your life. I'm not even talking about martyrdom. Are you able to give of your time for the body of Christ?

That's a demonstration of love. But he's even willing to die for his Lord and Savior. Well, that's just a brief explanation. Of course, this doctrine is much richer, but you have heard the biblical doctrine of irresistible grace.

And far from being a doctrine that is denied or hated, it should be one that is believed, embraced, and loved. Why do I say that? Well, this is my second favorite doctrine of the five tulips. My favorite, of course, is total depravity because I live up to that perfectly.

But the reason this is my second favorite is I am a hard-headed Norwegian, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that had God not done a work of grace in my heart, if he had not drawn me effectually, irresistibly, I would not be standing before you today.

So I know that God has not drawn me frivolously or just made it possible, but he drew me effectually. And so I praise God that he calls his own to himself. Let's pray. Father, once again, we thank you for this call, for your grace, this irresistible grace, this effectual calling.

For Father, we know that apart from this grace, we would never turn to you. Thank you, Father, for loving us so much to send Jesus Christ to die for us as individuals out of every tribe, every tongue, every nation.

Thank you, Father, that this calling is not to a specific few but as we heard, to a vast multitude. But thank you for calling us. Help us to be faithful in defending our faith and always being ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.

To everyone who asks, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.