“The Irresistible Love of God”

-In our previous article we established very clearly that salvation is all God’s work… 100%, in accordance with Ephesians 8:9-10, Romans 9:14-16 and John 1:12-13. Please read my first article on this series to connect the dots-

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:1-4 (NASB 1995)

If it is God’s will for all to be saved and not everyone gets saved, we can conclude that 1) Salvation is a human choice. 2) A human choice can be more powerful than God’s will. 3) God is simply not all powerful. Neither one of these answers are true. 

I want to establish today that my confidence in God’s power to save a life is higher than it has ever been. I trust that God will save every elect person in the world. I have that confidence because God’s number one evangelistic tool is love and, love never fails according to First Corinthians 13:8. Simply put, God’s love is irresistible. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:33-39, 

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

The salvation of the Elect is solid; nobody can successfully bring a charge against the elect or Chosen. (V.33) That is because we are justified by God himself; in other words, we are made right by God. (V.33) Nobody can successfully condemn us; that is, nobody can declare us guilty. (V.34) We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but we also know that we are made righteous through Christ (Romans 3:22). Furthermore, we have the assurance of Christ intercession for us. (Romans 8:34). Do you think that Jesus’ prayers will go unanswered? Paul tells us that neither angels nor demons (V. 38) “…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That is why Paul can say with confidence that we are more than conquerors. (V. 37) The idea that there are people who are chosen but, for some reason, God failed to save them, is not biblical. Beloved, every elect person will be saved with absolutely no exception and don’t think for minute that God has forgotten about his Covenant People Israel. In Romans 11:25-26 the Bible tells us,

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. (NIV)

Please don’t confuse what I am saying with the doctrine of inclusion and, don’t think for a minute that I am making the cross of Jesus vain. God is saving his creation through Christ. Elect or not, we all have one thing in common… SIN! First Corinthians 15 gives the true Apostle Creed and the answer for the sin problem,

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. First Corinthians 15:1-8 (NIV)

Now, it is clear and easy to accept the fact that we are the elect of God. As we dwell in his love, is inspiring and deeply touching to know that God loves us in such way. However, lets deal with those who are not elected. Where is God’s love for them? How does God determine who to save and who to send to the Lake of Fire? We know that God’s judgments are truth and righteous, but can there be a logical reason why God make such drastic determination to condemn some for all eternity? That is what we are going to deal with in our next and final article on this series.

To be continued…