God would be just if no one went to heaven.  None of us deserve the grace of God.  We must not allow the biblical teaching on election (for which I think the term “unconditional election” is a poor choice of words), to diminish God’s just nature.  God is just.  He elects and man responds.  He chooses and man chooses.  He elects and man has free will.

I thank Jerry Seagle for this quote from C. S. Lewis, “I think we must take a leaf out of the scientists’ book.  They are quite familiar with the fact that for example, Light has to be regarded both as a wave in the ether and as a stream of particles.  No-one can make these two views consistent.  Of course reality must be self-consistent; but till (if ever) we can see the consistency it is better to hold two inconsistent views than to ignore one side of the evidence.  The real inter-relation between God’s omnipotence and Man’s freedom is something we can’t find out.  Looking at the Sheep and the Goats, every man can be quite sure that every kind act he does will be accepted by Christ.  Yet equally sure, we all do feel sure that all the good in us comes from Grace.  We have to leave it at that.  I find the best plan is to take the Calvinist view of my own virtues and other people’s vices; and the other view of my own vices and other people’s virtues.  But tho’ there is much to be puzzled about, there is nothing to be worried about.  It is plain from Scripture that, in whatever sense the Pauline doctrine is true, it is not true in any sense which excludes its (apparent) opposite.  You know what Luther said, “Do you doubt if you are chosen?  Then say your prayers and you may conclude that you are.”

No.  Scriptures is clear that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Romans 10:9).  Salvation is conditioned on man’s response.  If man does not respond to the Gospel, he will not be saved.  For God to save everyone would mean that He was saving some against their will–which goes against God’s character.

Question:  I have heard irresistible grace to be:  at the moment of your salvation, it was impossible to turn away from His grace.   Is this understanding correct?  It seems like there were times in the NT when Jesus called and some rejected…how then was God’s call irresistible?

First of all, I think irresistible is a poor term to describe God’s grace in the salvation experience (and the word’s hard to type too!  Try it!).  I think overcoming is a much better word because it shows how God goes to great lengths to overcome our objections to him.  Having said that, one only need to listen to Jesus’ lament in Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”  Here, it is clear that Israel rejected God’s messengers–His prophets.

Second, this question requires us to delve into God’s general call and his effectual call.  Check out the first question in this series: “Does God woo all?”

Because not all respond to Jesus’ invitation to be saved.  “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  John 1:12

No.  That would go against God’s nature.  He has created us with choice.  God does not violate that in saving us.

Question:  If God chooses those who will follow after him and those who will accept the Holy Spirit into their hearts, then why does He leave the evangelistic duties for Christ followers?

He does this for the same reason He gives us choice in our response.  God’s sovereignty (His control) does not rule out man’s responsibility.  Man is responsible for responding which includes man’s responsibility to share the Gospel with the lost.  God’s electing does not negate man’s responding.

Nothing.  When God saves you, He does a complete work, completely preparing you for heaven.  Jesus made clear in John 10 that no one would snatch the sheep out of his hands.  God’s work on the cross is completely sufficient to get you to Heaven.

Question:  I’m struggling with 1 John 2:2 (He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world).  If Jesus was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, why then is the cross not effective for the whole world?

Just because something is offered doesn’t mean it will be enjoyed.  For example, my wife may cook a wonderful meal with five different recipes that I think are all good.  However, my daughter may choose to eat only three of the five recipes.  Did Wendy prepare enough for our whole family?  Yes.  Did every member of our family eat all five dishes?  No.  Does this make Wendy’s cooking ineffective (I’d better be careful here!).  No!

Effectiveness is not determined, in salvation, by how many receive it.  Jesus death on the cross was sufficient for all, but only efficient for those who respond in faith.

Question:  Do you think that God’s overcoming grace can ultimately fail to overcome in an individual?  Does it necessarily overcome the elect?

I think God’s overcoming grace always overcomes the elect.  However, this is a question of perspective.  When we look forward toward salvation, we think of choosing God.  When we look back, it always seems that God chose us.  C. S. Lewis said this, “Everyone looking back on his own conversion must feel—and I am sure the feeling is in some sense true—“It is not I who have done this.  I did not choose Christ; He chose me.  It is all free Grace which I have done nothing to earn”.  That is the Pauline account; and I am sure it is the only true account of every conversion from the inside.  Very well.  It then seems to us logical and natural to turn this personal experience into a general rule, “All conversions depend on God’s choice”.  But this I believe is exactly what we must not do; for generalizations are legitimate only when we are dealing with matters to which our faculties are adequate.”

To make this into a law is perilous.  I don’t think God’s grace can ever fail–if an individual does not come to Christ it is not a failure on God’s part, it is a failure on the part of the individual to not respond to the grace of God.  We can never attribute failure to God.

Christians struggle with sin often–every day.  Different Christians have different struggles.  The key word is struggle.  If you can sin and not struggle with it, meaning that it doesn’t bother you to sin, then you must examine your relationship with Jesus Christ.  If someone as great as the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, He will convict you of sin.  If there is no conviction, there is great reason to think that the Holy Spirit is not living on the inside–and that you do not have a genuine relationship with God through Jesus Christ.