Sovereign grace – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Sovereign grace means that God’s saving call is effective—it goes beyond simply inviting one to salvation but actually ensures the sinner’s willing response. Sovereign grace is needed because, on our own, we are spiritually dead and unable to turn to God (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 8:7–8). Yet, when God calls, He gives new life, opening blind eyes and softening hard hearts (Ezekiel 36:26–27; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

This doctrine is seen in Jesus’ words: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Those whom God draws will come, because His grace changes their hearts and wills. Paul likewise describes salvation as grounded in God’s purpose and power: “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified” (Romans 8:30). Sovereign grace does not force belief against someone’s will but transforms the will itself, so that the sinner freely and joyfully turns to Christ.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Sovereign grace refers to God’s initiative in salvation, His free and effective work to change the heart so that a sinner can and will respond to Him. While it is in the New Testament that we most clearly learn about God’s sovereign grace, the Old Testament consistently shows God’s sovereign initiative in saving His people.
• Indeed, Israel’s history demonstrates the reality that, apart from God’s intervention, the human heart remains stubborn and blind. Moses, speaking to the Israelites after they had wandered for forty years because of their rebellion against God, said, “To this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (Deuteronomy 29:4). Moses understood that, in order for the people to rightly obey God, they needed a new heart, something that only comes from God.
• The prophets anticipated just such a day. Through them, God told Israel that “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26–27). Similarly,God said to Jeremiah, “this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). These promises revealed that a right heart required an internal change, something that God would have to do.
• For their part, the psalmists often confessed dependence on God’s initiative. For example, the sons of Korah sang, “Restore us again, O God of our salvation” (Psalm 85:4). They understood that sin makes a relational breach between God and His people and that the only one who can resolve that separation is God, Himself. That is, it is an act of sovereign grace that changes the heart.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament presents sovereign grace with greater clarity, describing it as God’s effectual call by which He brings sinners to saving faith in Christ. This grace is sometimes called “irresistible” because, rather than forcing belief against someone’s will, it transforms the will itself so that the sinner freely and joyfully comes to Christ.
• As one clear evidence of this doctrine, listen to what Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). He was saying that no one can be saved unless God draws Him. He then followed that with the confident statement that He would raise because “all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). Everyone throughout time who has been saved was saved because God gave them to Jesus.
• Paul develops this further, describing salvation as rooted in God’s effectual call—a call that is perfectly effective and cannot be denied. Notice what Paul says about this: “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). This “chain” of predestination leading to the certainty of glorification is often called the “golden chain.” Paul was saying that the chain is unbreakable because God’s calling is effective—it actually brings about the result.
• Similarly, in 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul says God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.” Notice that the call is a specific call and done for His glory (“his own purpose and grace”). Salvation happens because of God’s sovereign intention to save.
• This doctrine also explains the transformation of the will. In Ephesians 2:1–5, Paul said that the believers “were dead in the trespasses and sins … But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Notice that it is God’s mercy—as expressed through His sovereign grace—that causes spiritually dead people to become alive. That process (known as “regeneration”) is what enables faith so that the unbeliever is able to believe.
• We see an example of this in Acts 16:14. There, a rich woman named Lydia heard Paul’s preaching. As she listened, we read, “the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said.” See how the effective work of God in her heart was done before she believed. This is why this doctrine is sometimes called “irresistible grace.” It is not that God forces people to be saved, but that once He changes someone’s heart, he or she can’t help but repent and be saved. Thus, sovereign grace does not negate human choice; it changes the heart so that the sinner now freely chooses Christ.
• The New Testament contrasts this internal work with mere outward exposure to the gospel. For example, Jesus’ parable of the soils shows that people can even act like Christians for a while, but if the soil is not good (if the person does not have a changed heart), they will ultimately fall away (Matthew 13:18–23). These and other passages (see, for example, Matthew 7:21) are stern warnings against viewing salvation as merely confession.
• This is why Paul spoke about the fruits of the Spirit. We are unable to see whether someone has been internally changed, but we expect to see the type of external fruit that comes from an inward transformation. He said, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:22–24).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Sovereign grace is humbling! It is a stark reminder that our salvation was not the result of something we did. When we didn’t deserve to be saved, God stepped in and changed our heart so that we would love Him (1 John 4:10). You believed because God opened your heart and not because you were smarter or more spiritual than others. Allow that thought to cause you to worship and thank Him!

Not only does it humble us, but it also gives us assurance. Since God’s grace is sovereign, your salvation does not stand or fall depending on your feelings or behavior today. Rather, it is grounded on His unshakable power. The same grace that drew you to Christ will keep you until the end (Philippians 1:6).

Finally, sovereign grace is the engine behind evangelism. Though people are blind and resistant to the gospel, God is able to break through. You don’t have to save people—God did not give you that terrifying responsibility! Instead, you can joyfully share the truth with confidence, knowing that He will use His Word to call His chosen to Himself.

UNDERSTAND

• Sovereign grace changes hearts so sinners freely respond to Christ.
• God’s call guarantees salvation from start to finish.
• Sovereign grace humbles us and assures us of our salvation.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that your salvation is the result of God’s sovereign grace, not your effort, affect the way you live and worship?
• In what areas of your life do you need to surrender control and trust God’s transforming grace?
• How does understanding sovereign grace shape the way you respond to others who seem resistant to the gospel?

ENGAGE

• How might the concept of irresistible grace challenge or affirm our view of human free will and God’s sovereignty?
• How can we keep in mind God’s sovereign grace when we share the gospel with others?
• How does sovereign grace shape our understanding of assurance and security in salvation for believers today?