Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 06:1 (Fall 2019)
Article: The Fourth Heading: “Both Delightful And Powerful” The Doctrine Of Irresistible Grace In The Canons Of Dort
Author: C. J. Williams

RPTJ 6:1 (Fall 2019) p. 39

The Fourth Heading:
“Both Delightful And Powerful” The Doctrine Of Irresistible Grace In The Canons Of Dort

C.J. Williams

Professor of Old Testament Studies

Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 117

Introduction

Psalm 117 is curiously short, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth. Sitting juxtaposed to Psalm 119, which uses its sheer mass to emphasize the power and purity of God’s Word, it makes a fascinating contrast. This tiny Psalm uses its brevity to isolate and accentuate its single most important teaching. When sung, it is a Psalm that keeps us singing for just a moment, then leaves us in silence to ponder the central truth it most emphasizes. That truth is the doctrine of Irresistible Grace. The first verse is a call to worship and the second verse simply gives us a reason to praise the Lord: “His merciful kindness is great toward us” (NKJV). The Hebrew verb in this sentence is gābar, which means “to prevail over,” or “be mighty.” It is used to describe the floodwaters “prevailing” over the earth in Genesis 7, and it is used to describe a stronger army “prevailing” over its enemy in 2 Samuel 11. This is a verb that describes one thing overwhelming another. In Psalm 117, the thing that overwhelms and prevails is the “merciful kindness” of God, or hesed in Hebrew, which denotes the unmerited grace of God toward His people. The object that is overwhelmed is – us. This verse may be translated as: “For His grace overwhelms us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Psalm 117 pictures the grace of our God as an irresistible force that subdues His people and effectually redeems us. One does not find a more succinct and powerful statement of the doctrine of irresistible grace in all of Scripture, but one does not have to look far to see this truth reiterated again and again in God’s Word.

But while God’s grace is irresistible, the doctrine of irresistible grace has often been resisted throughout the centuries, forcing the church to articulate and defend this Biblical truth. One of

RPTJ 6:1 (Fall 2019) p. 40

the most important, orthodox affirmations of this Biblical truth co...