Did Jesus Teach Irresistable Grace? No

Let's look again at the teachings directly from Jesus's own words and see if he taught of believed that man must be Irresistably forced in order to believe in him.


Jesus taught that if man is willing he could find rest

 

Yes, the Almighty God draws us to himself through his Creation, his Word, the Gospel, Jesus' redeeming work on the cross, and through Christians who are his hands and feet, but again he does not need to force us to marry him.

Jesus on man's willingness.

Matthew 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

 

And again

 

John 7:17
17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

 

In the previous verses the words translated as Wishes and Willing are translated from the Greek word Thelo

 

G2309 – thelō - the'-lō - θέλω
to will, have in mind, intend

    1. to be resolved or determined, to purpose
    2. to desire, to wish
    3. to love

      to like to do a thing, be fond of doing

    4. to take delight in, have pleasure

Jesus on man's unwillingness.

John 5:39-40
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

 

And again

 

Matthew 23:37
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling

 

Jesus taught very clearly that man is also fully capable of being willing and unwilling to come to him or not.

 

This is the doctrine of Free Will that has been taught since the very beggining of the Church. You can see beyond a resonable doubt the that Church Fathers for the first 400 years clearly taught the responsibility of man.

 

The Early Church Fathers - Free Will