A Lightbulb Needs the Switch

When you walk into a room at night and need light what do you do? Unless you are living off of the grid you flip a switch. You send electricity to the light so that it lights up. An energy is sent to the dorment lightbulb so as to make it function as it was meant to. In contrast to the lightless dormant bulb unscrewing itself, crawling over to the switch, and turning itself on.

If this is one of the first posts you have read from my blog than you may be wondering what the point of the analogy is. To catch you up or recap for those who have been following we have seen how humanity is so broken and corrupted by sin that the Bible speaks of our hatred for God and our spiritual condition of death. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. Numerous passages speak of the inability of man to come to God of his will because his hatred for God is so strong and he is spiritually dead.

In light of this we looked at the eternal plan of God to mercifully put his love on an elect number of sinners without partiality (Titus 3:3-7). His love was manifest in the sending of the Son to die as the sacrifice for the people God had chosen to be redeemed and reconciled.

The order of that summary follows the recent acronym T.U.L.I.P. (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, and Limited Atonement). Before us today is the “I” representing Irresistible Grace.

As I have said with the other blogs which engage the concepts presented in T.U.L.I.P. I do not appreciate, nor do many theologians, the wording used in the acronym. I affirm the concepts, which we have already and will continue to discuss, but not the words themselves.

Now you may still be wondering about the lightbulb and the switch. Here it is. Saying that a person begins to love Jesus on their own without the grace of God is like saying a lightless and dormant lightbulb can crawl down a wall and flip the switch. The switch must be acted out on by a stronger outside force, so also must the human heart. The creature needs the Creator to create in them a new heart. The source and giver of life must give life for the spiritual corpse to respond.

Regeneration consists in a radical change of heart, for there is implanted a new disposition as the foundation of all holy exercises; the mind being renovated, the affections elevated, and the will emancipated from the bondage of sin.

A.W. Pink (from book: “The Holy Spirit”)

Outline

• “Irresistible Grace” = Regeneration or New Birth
• A Fundamental Question
• Be Consistent

“Irresistible Grace” = Regeneration or New Birth

Although the concept of “Irresistible Grace” (here on referred to as IG) is best understood by looking at what the Bible says about regeneration or the new birth I do not want to discredit the phrase all together. Some misuse the phrase in their arguments against this doctrine to make it sound as though God is forcing people to act against their will. It is said that this Reformed perspective of God’s salvation makes God out to be a monster dragging people kicking and screaming into conformity to what he wants them to be. However, the concept, as we will see from scripture, places the emphasis on the grace, not irresistible.

This about this for a minute. We deal with irresistible grace every year from Thanksgiving Day until 12am on January 1. It is not a grace connected to salvation, but it is what is at times is called common grace: aka really good things in life that God has given for benefit and beauty. In the case of Thanksgiving and holidays it is the delicious carbs and warm pies. The never ending chocolate and snack mixes scattered at every holiday celebration you attend. Then all of the sudden January 2 roles around and you step on the scale (if you are that brave) and find there is 15 more pounds of you than there was before Thanksgiving. This is the result of “Irresistible (common) Grace”. You tasted so many good foods that keep you coming back for more and more and more…it was irresistible.

Now this only explains how the phrase IG operates within the acronym; it is not an explanation of Regeneration and New Birth (here on referred to as R/NB). We will look to the scriptures for that.

We will begin with Titus 3 and use it to branch out to other helpful passages.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:3-7

This passage is worthy of much attention, time, and energy to meditate upon it and hopefully memorize it. It is rich with revelation of what the Triune God has done to justify us. However, for the purpose of the moment let us look at the underlined part, most of which will walk us through the cause and effect of God’s work.

• “We ourselves were once” – Do not miss the lengthy and full list Paul gives us of who we were before our justification (being made righteous before God). Also hold this in your mind and consider how Paul nor any other prophet ever gives us a list of how good or pure we are as humanity. We find lists like this in many places (Rom. 1:28-32; Gal. 5:19-21) but never ones expressing our goodness. Texts like these are the foundation for the doctrine of Total Depravity. Notice Paul puts it before us prior to explaining God’s work of salvation. He puts the need in view then shares how the rescue occurred.
• “But when” – But when we made new habits. But when we turned over a new leaf “he saved us.” No. As a matter of fact Paul has nothing to say about you, me or humanity at this point except for bringing our attention to The Man: Jesus. Jesus is the “appearance” of the “goodness and loving kindness of God.” It was at and in the appearance that “He (the Father) saved us.” Why or from what motive did he do this?
• “Not because” – It was NOT (Paul’s emphasis not mine) because of “works done by us in righteousness” as proven in 3:3. In 3:3 we discover what we contributed to the working out of salvation: the sin and guilt that desperately needed to be dealt with. So if God saving us was not due to something helpful or beneficial put forward by us then what was it?
• “but according to” – That is to say: In contrast to it (our salvation) being because of our deeds it was in keeping with “his own mercy.” My brethren allow me to step aside form this explanation for a moment. It was because of mercy. Not me but Mercy! Our hope is not build and resting on our identity or deeds. What sort of hope would that be. You and I know how week and inconsistent humanity is. There is no hope that lasts found in us: identity or deed. Praise God our justification is based on God’s mercy, His abundant, unchanging, and all powerful mercy. Glory to God and joy to our soul is intertwined like a vine intertwining throughout this text and truth. Let us not allow pride to enter in and say we must have credit for choosing God. But let us praise God for his mercy in choosing to save us!
• “By the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit” – Here we come to the portion of this passage which gives ground to “IG” or “R/NB”. In the Father’s mercy he sends the Spirit to wash us by regeneration. Regeneration is the act and work which cleanses and thus simultaneously makes us new. The word can be taken to mean “new birth” likened to that of John 3:1-8. The Greek word was also used by ancient writers to described the newness of spring. Therefore Paul does not tell us to form new habits in light of 3:3 but instead he tells us the Spirit forms in us new hearts. Here in is where IG makes sound and biblical sense. Prior to this washing and renewing all things from God, grace included, were repugnant to our sinful mind. Now all things, by his grace, are irresistible. We have been transformed by the Spirit’s work of washing and renewing. Now we are NEW creatures (2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! [NIV]). Creature…men, women, and children who not only can love God where they once hated him or be at harmony where they were once enemies, not only can these things be done but we want to.

Notice how the teaching of regeneration is not unto itself but is found interwoven with the explanation of the work of the Father and Son. The work of salvation is a work of the Triune God.

Divine sovereignty in salvation involves each of the three persons of the Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three work in perfect unity to rescue the same undeserving sinners. Within the Trinity, there is one saving purpose, one saving plan, and one saving enterprise. Those whom the Father chooses are precisely those whom the Son redeems and those whom the Spirit regenerates. 

Steve Lawson

A Fundamental Question

In my first blog post in which I really interacted with how we should begin to work through what we believe about salvation I posed three questions that must be considered. What do you believe about:

1. The sovereignty of God?
2. The sinfulness of man? and
3. The Spirit’s work of regeneration?

All three question relate to each other. In the previous posts we have directly and indirectly addressed questions 1 & 2. Here we have interacted with the third fundamental question. So let’s ask ourselves these specific questions:

• How sovereign do I believe God is? Can I say that I believe God is in complete control over all (Isaiah 46:8-10; Psalm 115:3)? Do I say: “God is in is sovereign over all, but…”? Do I believe God rules over all and that all things happening according to his plan?
• How sinful do I believe I am? Am I helpless unto myself because of my corruption, spiritual death, rebellion against God? Was I once a God hater whose only hope was in the mercy of God?
• What do I believe about the Spirit’s work in my life?

Be Consistent

A little history lesson here quick. The acronym TULIP is a modern expression of the Canons of Dort which came out of the Synod of Dort (1618-1619). In the Canons of Dort the order is a little different than TULIP. The order of the Canons is Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Total Depravity with Irresistible Grace, and concluding with Perseverance of the Saints. The corruption of man and conversion by the spirit (“TD & IR) are taught together for they are best understood in conjunction with one another (Section 3). If we believe man is utterly corrupted by sin to the point of be unable to come to God because his hate for God be so strong then we must consistently hold to the Sovereign work of the Holy Spirit as taught by the scriptures (Ez. 36 & 37; John 3).

Conclusion

The light switch must be flipped (regeneration) before the lightbulb function (faith). Life must be threatened into the nostrils of the corpse before it can walk. This is a God glorifying and hope filled doctrine. The believers new life is not given him earned based on something he did (believing), but is based on what the Spirit has done in leading and enabling the person to believe. The Triune God’s work is unchanging and without failure. In this is hope. hope we will see more clearly next week as we look at Perseverance of the Saints.

Further Reading:

• Does Regeneration Necessarily Precede Conversion by Thomas Schreiner
• The Spirit’s Work of Regeneration – John 3:8 by John Murray
• The Holy Spirit: Old Testament and Today by R.C. Sproul
• The New Birth by R.C. Sproul

Two Applications

1. Evangelize with Hope. To the contrary of now thinking that evangelism is impossible because no one can believe on their, instead we can proclaim the gospel with hope. Just as an example I was a few paragraphs away from being done with this post when my two-year-old daughter decided to perform a temper-tantrum that should get a 10 out of 10. After putting her in time out to cool down my wife and I prayed. We prayed for her heart to be changed by God. Human correction is only a tool God uses. It is God who must bring the change. In that we have hope to evangelize our children, neighbors, and nominal christians. God has elected a people for whom the Son died, and it is they the Spirit effectively calls into salvation. Remember Saul of Tarsus (later call the apostle Paul). He was wicked. An enemy of God and destroyer of the church with its saints. He was the definition of rebel against God. In Galatians and Acts the saints are shocked to hear he had come to faith. He was so wicked and opposed to Jesus before. This is an example of the powerful mercy of God in regeneration (1 Tim. 1:12-16).
2. Live in Hope. In Galatians 3:1-6 Paul explains that the same Spirit that began us in the salvation we enjoy is the very Spirit that continues the work of salvation. Knowing that my encouragement to you is to read John 15-17 and note the promises of Jesus concerning the work of the Spirit. The implications of those promises should make you hopeful on your worst day and humble on your best. On the bad days you know that the Spirit is still working and loving. On your best day you will be reminded that the only good and beneficial things in your life come from the Spirit. Read John 15-17 and embrace the personal hope there in.