I now come to the “I” in TULIP.  It is “Irresistible Grace” and the London Baptist Confession of Faith states it like this: “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the word of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened”.  Simply stated, this means that men cannot resist the grace of God if they are one of the elect.   Just because the gospel goes to all men and all men can hear it, doesn’t mean that they will be saved by it.  Only the elect will respond and repent of their ways before God. 

 

      Even though people reject the gospel, even if they are elected, the Holy Spirit will convert them one way or another.  It is ONLY the Holy Spirit that leads us to God: not works or thoughts or anything (Romans 8:14), (1 Corinthians 12:3), (2 Corinthians 3:6).

 

      After the Spirit calls us, He makes us reborn by giving us a new heart (John 3:3-8), (Titus 3:5), (Galatians 6:15).   Then the Holy Spirit raises the sinner from his spiritually dead state and makes him alive in Christ (John 5:21), (Ephesians 2:1, 5), (Colossians 2:13).  This is how irresistible grace works in the heart according the Scriptures.