Is God Irresistible?

Friday's Edition

of

What Does the Bible Say?

Gospel-driven Disciples

A-Z Bible Resource

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This question was submitted to the

 Gospel-driven Disciples A-Z Bible Resource:

Can human beings or any entity

 for that matter resist God?

The answer is very simple. Yes, of course any human being or entity, such as Satan, fallen angels, etc. can resist God. One does not have to look very far or for very long to see people resisting God. For example we read in Romans 13:1-2:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (ESV – emphasis mine)

There is no doctrine or teaching in the bible that says that God cannot be resisted. God is resisted every day in innumerable ways by both non-believers and believers. The confusion comes when one tries to understand and reconcile the biblical teaching of irresistible grace. 

Irresistible grace is the understanding that once the Holy Spirit begins to pursue an individual whom the bible calls the “elect” the Holy Spirit will overcome the resistance in the sinner’s heart and will successfully apply the benefits of the atonement to said heart rendering the sinner willing to submit to God thus ending that sinner’s resistance.

What needs to be made very clear is though God permits resistance to Him and His Holy righteousness it is only for a limited time. God will permit you or any entity to resist Him until He determines to end the resistance. There will come a day, by judgment or chastisement, death, the overcoming by the Holy Spirit, or the end of this present age that any and all resistance will end. We can see an example of this in Genesis 6:3:

“My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (ESV)

God allowed sin, unrighteousness, and resistance to Him from Adam’s sin until He told Noah to build the ark. There was a limit to the resistance – man would have 120 years longer to resist God but then that resistance would be ended by a worldwide flood that would kill every living thing except those eight (8) souls whom God safely hid in the ark.

Resistance has been rampant since Noah came off the ark and he and his little family re-populated the earth. Sometimes God ends resistance with the death of the resister, sometimes God end the resistance with the conversion of the resister. Mark it down, God will not always be long-suffering and permit His will to be resisted. Judgment is coming and He will return to this earth to put down all resistance.

So, what is the biblical answer to the question can human beings, or any entity for that matter resist God? Yes, human beings and any entity can resist God for as long as God chooses to permit the resistance. Take warning, dear soul, when God determines according to His own purpose and good pleasure to end your resistance, He will definitely, conclusively, ultimately end your resistance.

[Be sure to read in tomorrow's post of the tragic murder of a national figure]