Other

---

1) Common View---teaches that even though man is separated from God because of sin, he can (by his own ability, unaided by God's grace) reconcile himself back to God if he wants to.

Illustration

Imagine God and Man separated by a bridge. Man, if he wants to, can cross that bridge to God anytime.

2) The Half-Way View---teaches that even though man is a spiritually dead sinner, he still has the ability to come to God by so much. God meets him half-way and he is saved.

Illustration

Imagine God and Man separated from one another. The bridge is halfway complete from the side of man. Man has to do his part, he must traverse that bridge toward God. And God, on His part, will meet him in the middle.

3) The Irresistible Grace View---teaches that man is totally depraved. He is spiritually dead, his will is in bondage to sin, his mind is darkened, his desires are corrupted by sin that only by the IRRESISTIBLE grace of God can man be reconciled to God. God initiates salvation and then completes it.

Illustration

God and Man are separated. There is no bridge whatsoever. God has to erect and build the bridge and come over to man on the other side and apply irresistible grace. Being irresistibly drawn, he willingly comes to God to the other side eternally saved.

This view states that God only applies irresistible grace to people whom God elected to be saved from eternity past.
"Why is it that not all are saved?" The answer must be: "Because God did not apply His irresistible grace to all. He could have applied it resulting in the salvation of all, but He did not. And so that is why not all are saved."

4) The Biblical View---teaches the same thing as number 3 only with one exception: God's grace can be resisted. God applies His grace to a spiritually dead man whose mind is darkened, whose desires are corrupted and whose will is in bondage to sin, if man does not resist His grace, eternal salvation is guaranteed.

God's grace initiates salvation and then completes it but it can be resisted at the point when it is offered.
In this case, God applies His grace towards all men but only those who do not resist His grace are eternally saved. In this scenario, it is man's fault why he goes to hell. God applied His grace but he refused.

Grace being resistible does not make God less omnipotent. God could save any sinner irresistibly, but God's love decided to give man a free choice to receive His love or reject it. Forced love is a contradiction in terms. For a person to be able to love, he has to be able not to love. Man being able to choose freely does not mean that man has natural free will. Man's will only becomes free when God frees up his will to make a free choice.

Constant and stubborn rejection will result in God leaving the sinner to himself in his former spiritual condition with the will in bondage to sin.

"Why is it that not all are saved?" Because many resist God's drawing grace.

Illustration

God and Man are separated. There is no bridge whatsoever. God has to erect and build the bridge and come over to man on the other side and apply convicting and drawing grace. If Man does not resist God's drawing, he will be able to come to the other side eternally saved.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE