Criticism of Irresistible Grace
🧠 Key Counterpoint to Calvinism: Faith Precedes Regeneration
Calvinists claim regeneration (being born again) must come before faith. But Scripture says the opposite:
1️⃣ Choosing to receive
🔷 Calvinist have always hated the idea of us having freewill as it goes against their man made theology. But we know that freewill is a word found in our KJV bibles 17 times showing that we definitely have freewill not only that they will take it further and say that God chooses who has salvation and the rest God sends to Hell? Pretty bizarre thing to say but let’s break down their arguments, first lets talk about salvation and freewill.
📖 Deuteronomy 30:19 – “I have set before you life and death… therefore choose life…”
Even in the Old Testament, man was expected to choose—which requires free will.
📖 Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV) – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
🔍 Calvinist Interpretation:
They argue:
"That not of yourselves" = the faith itself is a gift.
Therefore, man can’t even believe unless God gives him that ability supernaturally (i.e., regenerates him first).
💥 Grammatical Argument from the Greek:
In the Greek text:
The word for faith is pistis (feminine noun).
The word "that" (touto in Greek, meaning “that not of yourselves”) is neuter.
Greek grammar rules: pronouns match the gender of the noun they refer to.
✅ Therefore, “that” doesn’t refer to faith, because “faith” is feminine.
🧠 What’s the “gift of God” then? The entire package of salvation—being saved by grace through faith—is the gift. God offers salvation graciously; He doesn't irresistibly inject you with faith.
📖 Romans 10:13 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
📌 Its not your regenerated then saved? Its whosoever chooses from their freewill to accept the free gift that God paid for can be saved.
2️⃣ God draws all men!
John 6:44 (KJV) – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
🔧 Calvinist Claim:
They say: “See? Man is unable to come to Jesus unless God draws him. That proves total depravity and that only the elect are drawn.”
✅ Biblical Response:
Yes, the verse says God must draw—but it does not say He only draws a few. In fact:
John 12:32 (KJV) – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
Jesus makes it clear: He draws all, not just the elect. The problem isn’t that people aren’t drawn—it’s that many resist the drawing.
Also, the Greek word for “draw” (helkō) doesn’t mean “drag against their will.” It means to attract or pull, and doesn’t override free will.
📖 Acts 7:51 – “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost…”
Proof: people can and do resist God's drawing.
👉 Summary: God draws everyone. Some respond in faith, some resist. Calvinism reads “elect only” into a verse that never says it.
3️⃣ God uses us to get people saved
📖 2 Corinthians 5:18 (KJV) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
💥 If God gave us (the saved people) the reconciling of man, that means we can get people saved through the Holy Spirit that is in us, meaning that any unsaved person who hears the word of God through someone that is saved (because we have the Holy Spirit) that unsaved person now has the opportunity to accept that gift, because God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance.
📖 Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith is produced in man after hearing the Word, not through irresistible regeneration.
4️⃣ Jacob have I loved
Romans 9:13 (KJV) – “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
🔧 Calvinist Claim:
They say this proves unconditional election—that God chose Jacob and rejected Esau before they were born, just like He chooses the elect and reprobate.
✅ Biblical Response:
Paul is quoting Malachi 1:2-5, written long after Jacob and Esau were dead. It’s about nations, not individuals. “Jacob” = Israel. “Esau” = Edom.
📖 Malachi 1:2-5 (KJV) I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
📌 This is not about personal salvation, but about God's plan through Israel, not Edom, to bring the Messiah.
Also, keep reading:
Romans 9:30–32 – Paul concludes that Israel failed because they sought righteousness by works, not by faith.
5️⃣ Resisting God
Criticism: Scripture consistently shows that people can and do resist God’s grace, suggesting that grace is not irresistible.
📖 Acts 7:51 – “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost…”
Stephen is addressing the religious leaders of Israel, accusing them of resisting the Holy Spirit's work. If grace were truly irresistible, this would not be possible.
📖 Matthew 23:37 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
Jesus lamented over Jerusalem's resistance, indicating that the people had the choice to accept or reject His grace.
📌 There are many passages that speak of grace being rejected or resisted, which seems incompatible with the idea that grace is always irresistible.
📖 Luke 7:30 – “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”
If grace were irresistible, they wouldn't have been able to reject God's counsel.
📖 Romans 1:21 – “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Paul speaks of people rejecting what they knew about God, implying that grace was resistible and that their decision to reject God’s grace was their own.
💭 In conclusion, though God chose Israel through Abraham, Jacob, and David to be His people, they ultimately rejected His grace, seeking to establish their own righteousness. Despite God's great mercy and patience, longing for their repentance, they hardened their hearts. As a result, God gave them over to reprobate minds and extended the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, that the work of reconciliation might be fulfilled through them.
