TULIP or BEERS: Irresistible Grace

Irresistible Grace

The grace that God extends to the elect cannot be refused. God puts into the hearts of the elect an irresistible desire to turn to Him and accept His salvation. This implanted desire is so overpowering that it cannot be resisted or refused. This irresistible desire insures that everyone who has been elected will go to Heaven.
(according to biblehelp.org)

Response to Grace

We are created to know and respond to our Creator. Sin did not remove the inner desire to seek and know God. Yes, we have blindness and deafness that must be overcome, but the Spirit of God relentlessly pursues and reveals God to us. The Spirit is at work drawing all men to the Father. However, because love requires choice and response, we have the ability to respond to or reject the drawing of the Spirit. Rejection of the Spirit’s invitation leaves us in our broken condition, alienated from the love and grace that is readily available to us.

Conclusion

The obvious issue in this point, besides election which we covered in previous points, is the question of choice or free will.

Also, I would like to see the discussion re-framed from attempts at clearly defining who is in or out with the focus on the afterlife, and instead emphasize the idea of process and journey.

People are in a growing journey with and toward God. Eventually there is choice or response, but that choice is about what will God be in my life now, today, rather than a choice of itinerary between heaven or hell.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this.