THE GRACE OF CONVERSION IS RESISTIBLE

By Gary Ray Branscome

Although the Bible tells us that God, “Wants all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” He does not force them to be saved (1Timothy 2:4). On the contrary, the words, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone those who are sent to you, how often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!” tell us that even though God reaches out to the lost, they resist His efforts to bring them to repentance (Matthew 23:37). The words, “You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you,” tell us the same thing (Acts 7:51). At the same time, the words, “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,” tell us that those who do believe, do so because they have been brought to faith by the power of God, not because of something in them (Ephesians 1:19). In fact, the words, “Who are not born of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God,” tell us that our own “will” plays no part in our salvation (John 1:13). “No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1Corinthians 12:3). And, the fact that our own will plays no part in our salvation tells us that those who are saved, are not saved because they did not resist the Holy Ghost, but because God chose to bring them to faith in spite of their resistance. We do not know why He chose some and not others, but the words “I know that nothing good dwells in me,” tell us that He does not choose us because of anything good in us, but solely because of His grace (Romans 7:18). As it is written, “You are saved by grace through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The words, “John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him: but the publicans and harlots believed him: and when you saw it, you did not repent, and believe him,” were spoken to the Pharisees, and the Pharisees resisted God’s call to repentance by excusing and rationalizing their own sins (Matthew 25:32). They did not repent because they had convinced themselves “that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9). That is why Jesus told them that they had, “Made the commandment of God of no effect” (Matthew 15:6). However, what we want to make clear is that God is not going to turn anyone away. His words, “Come to me, all you who labor and are carrying a heavy load, and I will give you rest,” extend to all men (Matthew 11:28). Those who resist are opposing “their own interest”. However, we should still instruct them “with gentleness… in the hope that God will give them repentance” (2Timothy 2:25). Knowing that, “It is God who works” in both you and them “to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).