Coca Cola and God’s irresistible grace

[Pancho Frijoles]

About 25% of the 8 billion human inhabitants of this planet drink Coca Cola every year.
Perhaps more than 50% have drunk it at least once in their lives.
Yet Coca Cola is not essential for human survival, nor the cheapest drink you can get, nor the most delicious.
Then why do people drink it? Well, This almost unbelievable feat is achieved, mainly, by a good marketing.

Have you ever felt FORCED to drink Coca Cola, or do you think that your choice was a free choice and therefore, you are accountable responsible for your decision?

Well, now think: If other human beings can PERSUADE you to buy voluntarily their product, what do you think God can do?

God’s irresistible grace has nothing to do with stepping on your free will. It operates with your free will.
You can’t resist it because, as a human, you need it. Deep inside, you want it.
What God does is making you aware you need it and want it.

 

[Presby02]

About 25% of the 8 billion human inhabitants of this planet drink Coca Cola every year.
Perhaps more than 50% have drunk it at least once in their lives.
Yet Coca Cola is not essential for human survival, nor the cheapest drink you can get, nor the most delicious.
Then why do people drink it? Well, This almost unbelievable feat is achieved, mainly, by a good marketing.

Have you ever felt FORCED to drink Coca Cola, or do you think that your choice was a free choice and therefore, you are accountable responsible for your decision?

Well, now think: If other human beings can PERSUADE you to buy voluntarily their product, what do you think God can do?

God’s irresistible grace has nothing to do with stepping on your free will. It operates with your free will.
You can’t resist it because, as a human, you need it. Deep inside, you want it.
What God does is making you aware you need it and want it.


View attachment 1028

Amen!

 

[Biblelesson]

Effectual calling refers to a call of God that by His sovereign power and authority brings about His designed and ordained effect, or result. When Paul teaches that those whom He predestines, He calls, and those whom He calls, He justifies, the call to which he is referring is the effectual call of God.

The effectual call of God is an inward call. It is the secret work of quickening or regeneration accomplished in the souls of the elect by the immediate supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit. It effects or works the inward change of the disposition, inclination, and desire of the soul.

Before the inward effectual call of God is received, no person is inclined to come to Him. Everyone who is effectually called is now disposed to God and responds in faith. We see, then, that faith itself is a gift from God, having been given in the effectual call of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Effectual calling refers to a call of God that by His sovereign power and authority brings about His designed and ordained effect, or result. When Paul teaches that those whom He predestines, He calls, and those whom He calls, He justifies, the call to which he is referring is the effectual call of God.

The effectual call of God is an inward call. It is the secret work of quickening or regeneration accomplished in the souls of the elect by the immediate supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit. It effects or works the inward change of the disposition, inclination, and desire of the soul.

Before the inward effectual call of God is received, no person is inclined to come to Him. Everyone who is effectually called is now disposed to God and responds in faith. We see, then, that faith itself is a gift from God, having been given in the effectual call of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks for your post!
The problem I see with the term "effectual calling" is that it implies there is an "ineffectual calling" from God.
I don't think God has ineffectual calls, actions or plans.

"O shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

From our very limited human perspective, some calls from God look as if they were ineffectual, because not all people respond to God's call at the same time or in the same way. Paul touches on this issue when he talks about God's plan for Israel.

Paul was very worried not only about Jewish converts despising Greek converts (out of obedience to the law of Moses), but also about Greek converts despising Jewish (out of the rejection that led to Jesus' death, and the rejection of many Jews of that time).
Paul tried to convince Greek converts that the resistance of Jews to God's grace was temporary, part of God's plans in order to benefit the Greeks. So, they didn't have any reason to feel superior to Jewish.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own estimation, for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25,26)

Calvin was a giant who understood the absolute primacy of God sovereignty, but did not understand what since God loves all his children, good or bad, with an eternal love, God manages to save them, sooner or later.
Calvin observed (as Paul) that some people seem to resist God. But how can a man resist Almighty God? The answer he gave is that it is not God who gets frustrated, rejected or defeated, but what happens is that God did not love them in the first place. So, God never really tried to attract them with his irresistible grace.
Calvin's solution is not a solution. It is rather the source of a huge rational and ethical problem, that I can respectfully debate with you.

 

[TibiasDad]

About 25% of the 8 billion human inhabitants of this planet drink Coca Cola every year.
Perhaps more than 50% have drunk it at least once in their lives.

Which means that 75% of 8 billion choose not to drink Coke, and 50% have never drunk it!

Ultimately, for all who have the legitimate chance to drink a type of soda, it comes down to a) what’s available to drink, and b) how the tastebuds react to the flavor. It doesn’t matter how much advertising is made. If the person doesn’t like the taste, they will not willingly drink it.

This doesn’t even take into consideration the many other factors that affect our choices regarding if we drink or what to drink. Ultimately, all other things being equal, our tastebuds are the determining determinants of our choices.

O taste and see the the Lord is good!

Doug

 

[mikesw]

Thanks for your post!
The problem I see with the term "effectual calling" is that it implies there is an "ineffectual calling" from God.
I don't think God has ineffectual calls, actions or plans.

"O shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

From our very limited human perspective, some calls from God look as if they were ineffectual, because not all people respond to God's call at the same time or in the same way. Paul touches on this issue when he talks about God's plan for Israel.

Paul was very worried not only about Jewish converts despising Greek converts (out of obedience to the law of Moses), but also about Greek converts despising Jewish (out of the rejection that led to Jesus' death, and the rejection of many Jews of that time).
Paul tried to convince Greek converts that the resistance of Jews to God's grace was temporary, part of God's plans in order to benefit the Greeks. So, they didn't have any reason to feel superior to Jewish.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own estimation, for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25,26)

Calvin was a giant who understood the absolute primacy of God sovereignty, but did not understand what since God loves all his children, good or bad, with an eternal love, God manages to save them, sooner or later.
Calvin observed (as Paul) that some people seem to resist God. But how can a man resist Almighty God? The answer he gave is that it is not God who gets frustrated, rejected or defeated, but what happens is that God did not love them in the first place. So, God never really tried to attract them with his irresistible grace.
Calvin's solution is not a solution. It is rather the source of a huge rational and ethical problem, that I can respectfully debate with you.

God's children are those who have received eternal life through Christ Jesus. You may notice that from the time that Paul wrote Romans that most people who call themselves Jews have also refused the message of Christ. There is one way to eternal life -- through Christ. Even if you push Rom 11:25-26 to some future time, everyone up till that time died apart from God for not accepting Christ Jesus.

These analogies fail to be convincing since they deny who Christ is and what he has done. Pancho Frijoles makes a grave error when assuming his logic is more important than what God has given us through Jesus.

 

[brightfame52]

Gods Grace is irresistible because its the exertion of Gods Power, now who can resist Almighty Power ? Not even Death Rom 5:21

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Grace, if it is God's grace, must be irresistible grace. Because God is an irresistible, sovereign God, His grace is an irresistible and sovereign grace. God and God's grace cannot effectively and ultimately be resisted by the most obstinate of sinners. Paul was changed, saved by Grace, the Effectual Working of Gods Power, yeah even the Chief of sinners Eph 3:7

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Basically he was made a believer, a servant, how ? By the Gift of Gods Grace, the effectual working of His Power.

 

[Dizerner]

God is not a product that is advertised to please our preferences.

God is a Holy Judge who will damn all sinners in their sin for eternity.

He grants FREE WILL and attempts to REASON with it, but will never override it.

23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; (Prov. 1:23-32 NKJ)


There are some on this very forum will find terror like a storm coming on them for rejecting the rebuke of God.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

God is not a product that is advertised to please our preferences.

You're right. Who thinks otherwise?

God is a Holy Judge who will damn all sinners in their sin for eternity.

Would you, Dizerner, like to see all sinners dammed in their sin for eternity?
I would not. You would not.

If you and me,, being so imperfect judges, wouldn't like to see that, do you think that God, The Supreme Judge, would like to see that?
"Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23)

God does not give up. His Anointed does not give up.
We can resist, but even when we resist, Christ, as a Good Shepherd, continues to run after the lost sheep, because it is in the nature of a good shepherd to do it. Such is his love.

If we die with Him, we shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Tim 2:11-13)

He grants FREE WILL and attempts to REASON with it, but will never override it.

I agree 100% with you.
God does not override our free will.
To persuade is not to force.

There are some on this very forum will find terror like a storm coming on them for rejecting the rebuke of God.

Well, you will not be one of them.
You will find joy and peace in the unspeakable love of God.