#free grace soteriology

[thinkingonscripture]

Salvation is Free and Simple

Eternal salvation is both free and simple. It’s free because Jesus Christ paid the full price for our sins through His death on the cross, offering us forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a gift. God requires no works or effort from us to receive t

God has made our eternal salvation free and simple. It is free to us because the Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our sins when He died on the cross in our place, bearing the punishment that rightfully belonged to us. Isaiah prophesied this truth, saying “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and…

[eli-kittim]

Easy believism

By Eli Kittim 🎓

Before the reward there must be labor.

You plant before you harvest. You sow in

tears before you reap joy. ~Ralph Ransom

Christians typically debate over the nature of the godhead (e.g. modalism vs. the trinity), the best English Bible translation (KJV only vs. Critical edition), the rapture (pre vs post-tribulation), and many other different doctrines that are peripheral to soteriology. However, the topic that we’re about to discuss is a salvation-issue of the utmost importance.

Easy believism holds that only belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation. Nothing else is required in order to be saved. Proponents of this view teach that no commitment to Christian discipleship or spiritual formation is required. In other words, no efforts whatsoever are necessary on the part of the believer in order to be saved. It is certainly very appealing, particularly to those who are lazy and who dislike efforts and commitments. Plus it allows you to indulge your carnal desires to your heart’s content!

There are only two categories in the spiritual life: the “saved” and the “unsaved”; the “saint” and the “sinner.” By that I mean the Christian and the nonChristian. That is to say, the person who has been born-again in a Holy Spirit experience versus the person who has not yet been regenerated. The topic of “easy believism” only concerns those people who have not yet experienced a rebirth. It refers to those people who are interested in salvation and want to know what they have to do to attain it. By contrast, those who have been reborn have received the Holy Spirit and are already saved!

Just because Jesus is said to die for our sins doesn’t mean that we should continue to practice sin, whether it be pedophilia, adultery, murder, or the like. The idea of making an effort to align our behavior with God’s will doesn’t mean that we are saving ourselves or that we reject Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. It is true that only Jesus can regenerate us. It is a gift of God. But those who are not yet regenerated need to purify themselves in order to receive God’s gift of salvation. Just like the farmer ploughs the field, prepares the soil for planting, and then plants the seeds and waits for the harvest, we, too, must prepare the soil of our heart in order to receive the harvest of God’s gift. It takes much time and effort. Not that rebirth itself has anything to do with us, but the preparation towards it definitely does. Once we receive it, God then does all the work inside us through his Holy Spirit!

Scriptural verses should be read in **canonical context,** not in isolation. The notion that we must do certain things (beyond just believing) is quite obvious throughout scripture. For example, Jesus says I know about your “deeds and your labor and perseverance” (Rev. 2.2), but you need to “repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2.5)! Notice that Jesus doesn’t say “continue to sin because you will be saved as long as you believe in my death, burial, and resurrection.” No! Jesus doesn’t say “sit back, relax, and do nothing because I will take care of all the details.” Rather, he says:

To the one who overcomes, I will grant to

eat from the tree of life, which is in the

Paradise of God (Rev. 2.7).

This is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. We have to struggle against sin so as to overcome. According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, to overcome means to “defeat (an opponent); prevail.” We do not defeat anyone or anything if we don’t exert any effort at all. In Revelation 3.3, Christ commands the believers to stay alert and vigilant and to repent:

remember what you have received and

heard; and keep it, and repent. Then if you

are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you

will not know at what hour I will come to

you.

Proponents of easy believism claim that *repentance* and *avoidance of sin* are practices based on “works” and are, therefore, not required. Yet 1 John 1.6 declares:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him

and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do

not practice the truth.

Similarly, 1 John 3.4 says:

Everyone who practices sin also practices

lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

In 1 Timothy 6.11-12, Paul addressed the believers and issued a categorical imperative to actively flee from sin. He pronounced a solemn exhortation:

flee from these things, you man of God,

and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,

love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight

the good fight of faith; take hold of the

eternal life to which you were called, and for

which you made the good confession in the

presence of many witnesses.

Paul is urging us to actively flee from sin and to practice righteousness. Just like Jesus, Paul is not telling us to do nothing except believe. On the contrary, he’s urging us to fervently fight against evil thoughts, against sinful emotions & desires, and against temptations to disobey God. If no efforts were required, then why would Paul say that we must fight and struggle against sin, against falsehood, and against everything that opposes the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10.5)? In Ephesians 6.10-14, Paul writes:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the

strength of His might. Put on the full armor

of God, so that you will be able to stand firm

against the schemes of the devil. For our

struggle is not against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the powers,

against the world forces of this darkness,

against the spiritual forces of wickedness in

the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the

full armor of God, so that you will be able to

resist on the evil day, and having done

everything, to stand firm. Stand firm

therefore, having belted your waist with

truth, and having put on the breastplate of

righteousness.

In 1 Corinthians 6.18, Paul’s caveat to “Flee sexual immorality” explicitly contradicts the doctrine of easy believism. So does John 8.11 where Jesus says “go, and do not sin again." Same with Ephesians 4.26: “Be angry but do not sin.” Are these verses teaching that only belief is necessary? In Romans 6.13, Paul issues a command: “do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness.” These proof-texts, therefore, expose the horrific errors of easy believism!

Paul never says “it doesn’t matter if you keep sinning as long as you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Paul never says “don’t worry if you’re having an adulterous relationship with someone’s wife, or if you keep robbing people’s homes, or if you keep molesting little children, as long as you believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ.” That’s like saying that the head of the mafia may have already killed many people——and may kill many more in the foreseeable future——but he’s actually *saved* because he believes that Jesus is the Christ. How crazy is that? In other words, Free Grace theology holds that “carnal Christians” and “unbelieving Christians” who even denounce their faith will, nevertheless, be saved. Obviously, there’s something seriously flawed with the doctrine of easy believism!

This is a perversion of the gospel. In fact, Romans 8.5-8 says that “those who live according to the flesh” are not believers. Salvation is a gift. No one is denying that. But the goal is to take up our cross daily and die to ourselves so as to become more Christ-like (Mt. 16.24). Without preparation and discipleship we are not heading towards Christ. Therefore, easy believism is a false teaching that deceives and misleads people by offering them a fake salvation that does not save! In fact, Zane Hodges and the Grace Evangelical Society have gone so far as to say that it’s not even a requirement (for salvation) to believe that Jesus is God, or that he died for sin, or that he was bodily resurrected at some point in human history!

Easy believism is a perversion of the Bible (see Mt. 7.14; Acts 2.1-4, 15; Rom. 6.3; 8.9; 2 Cor. 5.13; Eph. 4.22-24; Gal. 2.20; Rev. 3.20)! Bottom line, unless you’ve had an *existential experience* of rebirth (Jn 3.3), you’re not saved. If you think salvation is so easy that all you have to do is simply name it and claim it, then you’re only having an imaginary relationship with Jesus. Paul demonstrates that there’s far more to salvation than easy believism. He exclaims:

Work out your salvation with fear and

trembling (Phil. 2.12).

[brianchilton]

Amazing Grace?

By: T. J. Gentry, Ph.D., D.Min. | March 5, 2023 When former slave ship captain turned Christian clergyman John Newton wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace” in 1779, it didn’t make much of an initial impact in his native England. The familiar music associated with Newton’s words was not even added until about 60 years later. Who would have thought “Amazing Grace” would become so well-known, performed…

[ambassador1981]

Soteriology Debate | Is Free Grace Theology Biblical? - Charles Jennings vs. Lucas Curcio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vDncWsJnF4&lc=UgyL_RYR_fGSRsvnVX54AaABAg.9qVPJ-PdX9B9qXnyMDjCAS

[valerielynnstephens]

THE SALVATION THRESHOLD:

On God's Grace & Redemption

Is there a point where a person becomes morally irredeemable?

Or is there some transcendent mechanism, perhaps more numinous, which is allowed within the life circumstance & heart of even the most degenerate & hardened amongst us?

In a word: Can ANYBODY receive salvation at any time, no matter how far they may have strayed or fallen or how egregiously they may have transgressed?

Or is there a “salvation threshold” that an individual can breach, whereby they have become completely incapable of the humility necessary for true repentance & sanctification?

Is there a threshold that can be breached where a person can become so morally desensitized where they have become irredeemable?

Earnest theologians & philosophers are often reluctant to condemn anyone currently still living, as irredeemable from a soteriological perspective.

The main reason for this is that it is, in a sense, placing a boundary upon God's grace & God's sovereignty & God's providence.

In other words: Can't God do anything that He feels the need to do in order to fulfill His plan, both collectively for humanity & individually?

This, for true believers & followers, is an apt, Yes! He can & He does.

Of course, God can't impose upon the teleological necessity of “free will.”

Nevertheless, in some circumstances, we have to concede that even some of the most evil individuals can still exercise their prodigality & repent & turn back.

Will this be a rare instance? Yes.

Is it completely impossible? No.

Moreover, the humility required for such an undertaking could most likely only be primed through the workings of prevenient grace, aggressively prescribed.

That is to say, it would almost literally take a “miracle” or some kind of Divine Intervention to truly soften the heart & open the mind of a morally impoverished or bankrupt individual.

And herein, I suppose, is where the human intellect & perspective reaches its limits. It is spoken in Judeo-Christian Scripture that God looks at the “inner man” when discerning one's state of virtue or turpitude.

Perhaps this is why that same Scripture warns mere mortals against making any kind of rash or final judgment upon any naturalistic or humanistic affairs.

Or, spoken plainly: We are not God.

In the end, we must also concede that God's wisdom, dispensed to us through the special revelation of His Word, is superior.

Furthermore, we must concede that His commands are both sound & foolproof.

Thus, if He tells us to await His final judgment of all things in Heaven & Earth, then we should do so.

This of course, does not mean that human evil should remain unchecked or unaccounted for.

It means that we should take up each our own cross of sanctification & allow God to guide us during times of persecution & conflict with other people.

It also means that we should indeed continue to pray for those who position themselves as our “enemies”, & that repayment of evil in the form of good is a much more efficacious strategy when attempting to influence one another towards truth & righteousness.

For even the most reprobate mind is not more powerful than a disciple equipped with the right spirit within them.

And even the most hardened of hearts may still soften at the touch of grace, painstakingly applied.

1 Corinthians 1: 4-8

(The Message)

Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s divine secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The Master makes that judgment. So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God. All I’m doing right now, friends, is showing how these things pertain to Apollos and me so that you will learn restraint and not rush into making judgments without knowing all the facts. It’s important to look at things from God’s point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay. For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you’re sitting on top of the world—at least God’s world—and we’re right there, sitting alongside you!

Acts 3:19

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Luke 5: 31-32

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

James 5:15

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jeremiah 3:23

Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

Luke 15:7

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Psalm 51:13

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Isaiah 55: 6-7

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Jeremiah 26:3

It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.

Ezekiel 18:21-23

But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

[locustheologicus]

The Active Contemplative

The documentary “Libres” shares an interesting study on monastic life. Those who know me know that I am drawn to the monastic ideal and structure. I believe that the ascetic lifestyle does free us from worldly attachment in order to focus on the ultimate meaning of life, our life in God. As I think about the monastic ideal I want to reflect on the contribution this has for social ministers and the mission of the Church. 

I have recently been enjoying a book that considers the voices of five patristic authors who struggled with this question as they developed their own form of pastoral care and leadership. In the cases of Athanasius of Alexandra, Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine of Hippo, John Cassian, and Gregory the Great we see them reflect on the right balance of leadership and their attempt to develop a sense of mission for the early Catholic/Christian community. The question of balance was between the contemplative lifestyle and the life of active service to the people of God. The underlying spirituality is one I had addressed before, divinization or participationist soteriology.

Athanasius maintained that “God became man so that man might become God.” According to Athanasius, human nature, like creation itself, is good. Through the Incarnation, the Logos restores the possibility of the divine-human communion that was blocked by Adam’s fall. But concomitant with that grace afforded by the Logos, it is necessary for humanity to participate in the process of salvation. Thus, for Athanasius, free will contributes to the ongoing relationship between the individual and God. (Demacopoulos, pg. 24)

So these authors believed that a soul was obligated to contemplate the nature of the divine but they were also obligated to be actively involved with bringing about the Kingdom of God here on earth. This was identified quite clearly as pastoral care or the service of charity. Jesus, as the Logos, opens the path to our salvation but in his ministry to the people (forgiving, healing, feeding, and teaching) he also shows us the way. Jesus invites us to take part of the Imitatio Dei which is expressed in both words and deeds, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). This was the participation that was expected of all good followers of Christ who choose to deepen their relationship with God. 

During the time of these authors (4th - 6th Century AD) The monastic movement had exploded on the scene, partly as a reaction to the political corruption of the clergy after Emperor Constantine brought Christianity into the center of Imperial politics. St. Gregory Nazianzen considers the question of the contemplative/active balance in light of this situation. 

My mind was in the midst of a noble conundrum because I was searching for the most excellent pursuits. I had long ago decided to cast aside completely all fleshy things, and now the resolution pleased me more. But as I considered the possible ways to holiness it was not easy to find the better or more serene.... Finally, after much wandering between the two [life of action and life of contemplation], I came to this solution because it brought a calmness to my soul. I had observed that those who enjoy the active life do good to some of the people they encounter but to themselves they do no good because they are twisted about by the anxieties that disorder their serenity. On the other hand, those that remain detached are somehow more stable and in noetic stillness see God. But being alone, their charity is lamentable since their lives are anti-social and harsh. I chose a middle way between [a life that was] unfettered and one that was integrated, one that combined the contemplation of the former with the service of the latter. - St. Gregory Nazianzen (Demacopoulos, pg. 64) 

Nazianzen’s solution is to insist on the balance as the proper way to fulfill one’s discipleship in Christ. As you can see, Nazianzen believed that the contemplative needs the active and vice versa. It’s not just a question of balance, for those of us who are active and dedicated to a life of service Nazianzen believes that contemplation is in fact necessary in order to not get caught up with the anxieties of the world. Pope Gregory the Great was very attentive to the pastoral care of a community in crisis. Charitable and healing ministries were in great demand during the pandemic and economic catastrophe of late 6th century Italy. With great detail St. Gregory the Great described his own personal experience of this form of social anxiety. 

I am so shaken in this position by worldly cares that I am unable to steer into port this old and decaying ship that I have received by the hidden dispensation of God. Now the waves rush in from the front, now heaps of foamy sea swell up from the sides, now the tempest continues from behind. And disoriented by all of this, I am compelled to turn into the very face of the opposing waters, sometimes turning the ship aside to avoid a head-on collision with the waves. I lament because through my neglect the sea of vices increases and the storm attacks the vessel as the already decaying planks sound of a shipwreck. With tears I recall that I have lost my calm shores of stillness [quietis], and with sighs I see the land at a distance that I am unable to grasp because of winds blowing against me. (Gregory the Great, pg. 146)    

The social ministries of the Church are expressions of charitable actions. These are the expressions of actions that have been part of the Church’s mission since the time of Christ and the early Church. Certainly the Church sees this as essential parts of her mission but as we see from the patristics they advocated for this to be balanced with ascetic (contemplative) practices of prayer, fasting, simple living, and discernment. These spiritual practices would guide the active social minister to the fundamental meaning of why we do what we do. These practices also grants us the grace to have the necessary virtues of compassion, patience and hope, virtues necessary for us as we accompany the people we serve. Pope Francis advocates for us to strive for this balance in our own day. With perhaps greater distractions from prayer and contemplation he also suggests that we include a fast from technology as part of our contemporary ascetic practices. In his exhortation on Holiness, Gaudete et Exsultate, he, like Nazianzen above, says that contemplation is empty without charitable action. But in the same way Pope Francis also recognizes that our actions are deficient if not guided by a contemplative spirit.    

This does not mean ignoring the need for moments of quiet, solitude and silence before God. Quite the contrary. The presence of constantly new gadgets, the excitement of travel and an endless array of consumer goods at times leave no room for God’s voice to be heard. We are overwhelmed by words, by superficial pleasures and by an increasing din, filled not by joy but rather by the discontent of those whose lives have lost meaning. ....As a result, we come to resent our mission, our commitment grows slack, and our generous and ready spirit of service begins to flag.  - GE, #29 & #30

The name of the documentary is called “Libres” which means freedom. This is not the freedom that is typically understood here in the United States. The monastic/ascetic ideal of freedom is freedom from the material attachments of this world which distract us from finding meaning in who we are as sons and daughters of God. The question of the balance between the active and contemplative life continues to vex us (and maybe it should always do so) especially in light of the our technological habits. In the area of active social ministry we need to recognize the gifts that a discerning/contemplative can offer us before we grow swept away by the anxieties of this world. I will look forward to seeing this monastic documentary with an eye on how the monastic gift can help guide our charitable actions. 

[a-really-big-cat]

I would ask you this question to begin with: If Christ suffered so that we do not have to suffer, then why do we experience suffering in life?

The key to understanding the doctrine of redemptive suffering is to understand the difference between Protestant and Catholic doctrines of atonement.

Luther believed that one was justified by faith alone, and that Christ's sacrifice saved all the elect from the effects of all sin; both the eternal punishment (Hell) and the temporal punishment (physical evil; suffering), even if the sinner did nothing to conform their life to God; i.e. "like snow covering a dung heap". Good works, i.e. conforming yourself to God's Commandments, had nothing to do with salvation, because you are saved whether you obey the Commandments or not. But this goes directly against Scripture:

“On the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” - Matthew 12:36-37

And behold, one came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." -Matthew 19:16-17

And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. - Revelation 2:23

One of the problems of Luther's soteriology is that it gives no explanation for the reason for suffering; if our sins do not impute any temporal punishment, then why does suffering occur? John Calvin would provide one, but it would cause severe damage to the moral foundation of society, because he and his followers propagated the belief that those who suffer must be unsaved, and those who do not suffer are the elect. It perversely happens that those who suffer are often the poor and downtrodden, and those who do not are the rich and privileged (see also: Protestant work ethic and prosperity gospel).

The Catholic doctrine is different. Christ's sacrifice was in atonement for our sins, and this justification is effected via Baptism. But after that point, it is possible to lose that justification by the commission of further mortal sin. This occurs because all sin merits physical evil. God is the Absolute Good; He is the definition of Good and all happiness ultimately derives from Him. It follows that if one does not choose God, then one will not find happiness, but rather will find only evil. This is the source of suffering; it is the natural consequence of sin.

God made us as creatures of free will, and so He does not force us to be saved against our will, which means it is possible to lose our salvation if we commit mortal sin. God's grace is like a wind which an eagle uses to lift off into the air. If the eagle chooses to close his wings, then he will fall into the sea:

1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."38 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.39 1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals. 1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "justice") here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us. 1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:40 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.41 1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent: When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight.42

Through Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition, it was revealed to us that the suffering due to sin can be transferred from he who personally imputed the suffering, to another who offers himself as a scapegoat. Christ took the debt of original sin onto Himself through His Passion, and so made it possible for us to become united with God. We can do the same for personal sins through our own works; through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and other actions, we can take the punishment due to others for their sins and take it upon ourselves. This is what is meant by redemptive suffering; it is the holy servant of Christ imitating His Passion by taking on the sins of another. This doctrine is the foundation of Catholic belief in Purgatory as well: even if we have confessed all our sins and have are saved, if we have not yet performed full penance for our sins, the requisite temporal punishment must still be imparted and our souls purified of concupiscence.

“Mother Teresa established hospitals but when she got sick herself she went to much higher-end facilities,” yeah, and people who establish soup kitchens go to restaurants.

[principleofplenitude]

Soteriology refers to the question of salvation, and few thinkers made a greater contribution to it than John Calvin (1509-64), the founder of one of the stricter forms of Protestantism to emerge during the Reformation. Calvin’s theology is frequently summarized by the acronym TULIP. T reminds us that we are totally depraved. U stands for the fact that salvation is unconditional; God and God alone chooses the elect and we cannot influence his choice. Atonement, moreover, is limited; God saves only those so chosen. God’s grace, in addition, is irresistible; if he calls, we have no choice but to respond. Finally, the doctrine of the preservation of the saints reminds us that God is never whimsical; once he grants salvation, he grants it forever. Calvin’s deterministic, and highly pessimistic, view of human nature, Friedman argues, was destined to give way before a science insisting on the centrality of markets could emerge. As it happens, Calvinism attracted numerous followers in Scotland, the same place in which Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations.” Smith himself was indifferent toward religion and his close friend, the philosopher David Hume, was actively hostile. Nonetheless, it was the religious atmosphere in which they wrote, Friedman believes, that would shape their ideas, even if mostly as a foil: Inherently depraved people whose fates are predetermined by a Supreme Being need no “invisible hand” to coordinate their behavior, while the citizens of newly emerging market economies do. In contrast to Calvin, the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) found strict Calvinism insulting to God. Like their rivals, Arminius and his followers summarized their positions in five points; hence the term Quinquarticular Controversy. The essence of those points held that God’s glory could not be fully appreciated if the people who worship him lack the freedom to choose him. If humans have free will, it follows, the concept of predestination must be modified and the idea of a limited elect be expanded. Naturally orthodox Calvinists fought back against what they considered outrageously heretical ideas. The debates initiated by the Arminians were at first confined to Holland, but it was not long before they were exported to England and Scotland. Citing the writings of relatively unknown thinkers and hymnists, Friedman shows how Arminian thinking insisted on “the natural goodness of man in contrast to inborn depravity, the central role of free human choice and action in contrast to predestination and the design of the universe not solely for the glorification of God but to promote human happiness too.” Ultimately, Friedman concludes, the new science of economics secularized Arminian ideas, foreshadowing a world in which the market and other secular institutions would take over from God the task of improving human prospects.

“The Religious Roots of Our Free Enterprise System” from New York Times

[thinkingonscripture]

The Exclusivity and Sufficiency of Christ for Salvation

In Acts 4:1 Peter states that salvation can only be found through Jesus Christ. It is necessary to trust in Jesus alone for salvation, and this salvation is a free gift from God that cannot be earned through works.

In Acts 4:12, Peter states, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” And the name he’s talking about is the name of Jesus, the theanthropic Person who came into this world (John 1:1, 14), lived a sinless life (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:5; 1 John 3:5), and went to the cross and died a penal substitutionary death…

[catenaaurea]

The two quotes aren’t contradictory, they actually have very little to do with one another. One is talking about the virtue of charity being necessary for salvation (in addition to the virtue of faith) and the other is talking about the supernatural virtues being attainable only through the grace of God. Totally separate issue since there’s still debate about the exact relationship between grace and free will within orthodox Catholicism but not about the necessity of the supernatural virtues for salvation.

One should also address the apparent contradictions in protestant soteriology and explicit contents of the Gospel regarding the role of works in our salvation instead of posting an unrelated Augustine quote.

If it were possible without keeping the commandments to attain life by faith alone (per solam fidem), which without works is dead, then how would that be true which He will say to those whom He will place at His left hand: 'Go into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels'? He does not rebuke them because they did not believe in Him, but because they did no good works.

Saint Augustine, On Faith and Works

[eli-kittim]

Is Free Grace Theology Biblical?

By Award-Winning Author & Bible Researcher Eli Kittim

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he is none of his.

(Romans 8.9 KJV)

——-

Sola fide

Sola fide (meaning “faith alone”) is a theological doctrine which holds that believers are justified by faith alone. Originally, the purpose of this doctrine was to distinguish the Protestants from the Catholic & Orthodox Churches that relied on sacraments (such as the Sacrament of Penance, aka Confession) and “works” for salvation. By contrast, Sola fide maintained that it is on the basis of faith alone that believers are justified (pardoned) and saved.

However, the original doctrine of Sola fide (faith alone) didn’t mean to imply that nothing happened to the believer existentially, psychologically, or supernaturally *after* they were saved. On the contrary, many reformers emphatically stressed that *regeneration* should produce verifiable evidence of the spiritual life. As 2 Pet. 1.10 warns (cf. 2 Cor. 13.5), make sure your faith is real:

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give

diligence to make your calling and election

sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never

fall.

The evidence of conversion is a believer’s *new self* in Christ (his new identity cf. Gal. 2.20; Eph. 4.24), with proof of ongoing fruit in their life. Many people mistakenly think they are converted or born again but they show no evidence of a personality change (a recreation) nor any fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace). Alas, despite what they say publicly, they have not been converted; they have not been reborn! Read Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sudden Conversions Are Very Often False.”

The reformers knew the importance of John 3.7: “Ye must be born again.” This Biblical concept doesn’t refer to the time when, during a crusade, you decided to make a spiritual commitment to Christ, or to the time when you made a sincere profession of faith during an altar call at a Jimmy Swaggart rally, or when you decided to give your life to Jesus, in your living room one night, while watching Billy Graham or Joel Osteen. This “decision” is characterized under the category of “works” (since you decided the outcome by yourself), and it has absolutely nothing to do with Biblical regeneration or with God. Why? Because God had nothing to do with it, nor is there any evidence of a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in your life. That’s why 2 Corinthians 5.17 declares:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a

new creature: old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.

Unfortunately, the sinner’s prayer doesn’t save anyone. It doesn’t change your carnal nature into a new creature. Your sin nature remains the same and dominates your mind and heart. So how, then, are you saved? A saved person is dominated by God, not by his passions.

That’s why the reformers spoke of irresistible grace (monergism). Regardless of whether we agree with it or not, the point is that this soteriological doctrine teaches that God’s grace is effectually applied to the believer in order to save them, and that God overcomes their resistance and *changes* them from *within.* In other words, a transformation takes place on the inside. It’s not just faith alone. If they cannot deny it or resist it, then that means that God’s grace has a direct cause-effect influence in their lives. That’s why scripture emphasizes the need for a baptism of the Spirit (Matthew 3.11): “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16.16)!

——-

Free Grace Theology

Free Grace (aka Easy-believism) is a Christian soteriological position which holds that anyone can be saved and receive eternal life simply by believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31). The only condition for receiving the grace of eternal life is *faith.* Nothing else is required. In fact, one is not even required to stop sinning. They have completely removed Sola fide (faith alone) from its original Biblical and soteriological context, thereby isolating and distorting it to mean something entirely different.

By contrast, *Lordship Salvation* requires obedience to Christ. And this is the actual teaching of Scripture! The free Grace movement apparently forgot Jesus’ teaching which states: “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1.15). Grace is free, but it’s not cheap. Christ says in Mt 16.24:

If any man will come after me, let him deny

himself, and take up his cross, and follow

me.

Here are Jesus’ own words in John 14.15:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Besides, how can *mere belief* ALONE be sufficient for *salvation* if the demons believe just as much? (James 2.19):

Thou believest that there is one God; thou

doest well: the devils also believe, and

tremble.

In fact, 1 John 2.3-4 would call proponents of Free Grace “liars”:

And hereby we do know that we know him

[Christ], if we keep his commandments. He

that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his

commandments, is a liar, and the truth is

not in him.

And yet, *free grace theology* is constantly mocking Lordship Salvation, calling it evil and unbiblical. Therefore, we should take heed of Isaiah’s (5.20) stern warning:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good

evil; that put darkness for light, and light for

darkness.

In this paper, I’m only talking about the *regenerated* or *born-again believer,* and what their salvation consists of. I’m trying to demonstrate that a rebirth entails a new identity, a new creation, and a constant outflow of the fruit of the spirit. Just to be clear, Christian salvation is not based on the *works* of the law. Obeying the commandments of Moses doesn’t save anyone. We are not saved because we obey; we obey because we are saved! Nor is salvation an intellectual assent to the truths of Christianity (see Wayne Grudem’s “Free Grace” Theology). You don’t simply look at the facts, weigh the evidence, and conclude that Jesus must be the Messiah. Salvation is NOT an intellectual exercise. Rather, it’s an experience! In Paul’s “Participationist” model of salvation, we don’t merely stand afar off and believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. No! Rather, we *participate* “in Christ.” We share in his baptism (Rom. 6.3), death (Gal. 2.20), and resurrection (Rom. 6.8). Psalm 34.8 says:

O taste and see that the LORD is good.

—

[brianchilton]

S6E20 The Grace of God: Irresistible or Resistible?

By: Dr. Brian Chilton and Curtis Evelo | February 16, 2023 S6E20 The Grace of God: Irresistible or Resistible is today’s episode. Tonight, Brian and Curtis discuss the theological topic of divine grace. Can a person respond to God’s grace? Or, is the Calvinist right in saying that no one can resist the movement of God? We will dive into some deep waters tonight. So, put on your galoshes and tread…

[ambassador1981]

Please pray for my next debate which is in November 5th. It will be on SFT’s YouTube channel. Here is the thumbnail he sent.

[be-ca-lm]

pls ignore just gotta get thoughts out of my brain

tw rape and sexual assault ok so i think it started very young when i couldn’t understand why the hell boys and men seemed more important to god and that god was always presented male - i was very young, like elementary aged when i reasoned: he made us in his own image, in order to create female he has to BE equally female, he has to have female image. i was told no no that is wrong and bad and heresy.

then i ALWAYS chafed at the idea of women being helpmeets to men, created as servants to them, their sole reason for existing being in service to better, stronger, smarter males (who cause all the problems like wtf) and that doesn’t seem right or just. the garden was perfect the world god created was perfect so why create anything as lesser than? do you hate women? but men came first - then woman to help, woman as decoration, as slave, as child bearer, as comforter, as mother, as scapegoat. woman as weaker. she fell for temptation in the garden, where was adam? See? Women are stupid, need protecting, incapable of rational thought, logic, reason. look how gullible. look how dangerous to be left unsupervised. all of humanity condemned to fiery torment because of woman. no responsibility of man. hate woman, blame woman, hurt woman, you have every justification to do so. she is trapped, hobbled, shackled, tied to you for her protection, existence, safety. she is prize, she is bounty, she is spoils of war. daughters are property. a woman who does not produce children is worthless, sons are currency for power, social capital, strength. daughters serve you. woman is there as punching bag, as masturbatory relief, as house slave, as decoration, worthless but worth stealing, dirty but rapeable, stupid but cunning, pure but deceptive, ruined but redeemable through birthing. a portal, a tool, woman as commodity, woman as vehicle of corruption and vehicle of salvation, simultaneously and never, all at once and at the same time, wretched and woman. not equal to, but a compliment. a complement. you are no equal to god’s masterpiece, the man. do not kid yourself.

god’s grand plan! look at his design. how perfect. how freeing. how it was meant to be. he created woman who would ruin it, but he is not to blame, it is his creation’s fault, but not the man who he likes better, no not his fault. she is saved through childbirth? she is worthy as ALWAYS depending on her proximity to a MAN to a husband father brother rapist captor buyer slaver son stoner judge jury executioner savior.

so why? why condemn me to this torturous existence, why give me the capacity to KNOW that I am intended to be Less Than, that I am the Weaker Vessel, that I am Not A Man but give me no comfort in that, no recourse, no ability to appeal this existence. Make me a man! I could do so much more for you! I could do your pillaging and raping, I could do your genocide, I could carry out your orders, sacrifice my children, I could spread your Gospel and praise your name, I could earn my place in your heaven by your side because you commanded that I Love You, I could invade your earth, slaughter your animals, impregnate your weaker washy women and fulfill your great commission, i could be the mulitiplier, the glorifier, the pastor preacher whitewasher brainwasher tombfiller father soldier conqueror profiteer leader ruler dictator sin hater. PICK ME CHOOSE ME all I wanted was to be LOVED by you to be told WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT am i not enough for you and since i so clearly am not, why did you create me this way. 

find peace in your role. you have purpose. then why does that not feel natural as young as five years old? at 10? at 14? at 18? at 27? at 33? jesus knows your sorrows he knows you- JESUS CANNOT RELATE TO ME. he was born a man. he was not asked to make himself small. he submitted to dying. no one asked me if i wanted to volunteer. could i come back a man? I do not want to be a man. I want to be a woman in an existence where that is not automatically a Bad Thing, automatically a disadvantage. I am born guilty of the fall of humanity on my shoulders and told my shoulders can never be strong enough to carry that weight. a man will save me. be submissive. men are leaders, you are not naturally a leader. 

men are logical. they can compartmentalize. women are emotional. they cannot compartmentalize, they are ruled by their emotions. men are waffles. women are spaghetti. men are from mars. women are from venus. pop psychology will explain why men are Better. they are better at math, geometry, women cannot visualize things in their brains like that. women are not good engineers. women are soft and kind and nurturing. THIS IS WHAT WAS TOLD TO MY FACE AS A CHILD. i nodded. ok this must be so, i do not see it, it is not true for me, it is not true of any of the women i know, but my dad is saying this IT MUST BE TRUE. how does he know how my brain is wired? 

an escape. i learned about biblical singleness. i do not have to marry, i do not have to trade one household bondage for another, one male protector for a new one. i have an option? I can be single, nay, a single MISSIONARY. i can escape america, the bible belt, i can really and truly help people. i can share my burdens with them so i do not have to carry them alone. it will please god. it will make up for my being born a useless woman. if i do not marry, i do not have to submit to a man. i can be free. i can find some type of comfort in this lifetime.

somewhere along the way, i put aside my ever-growing frustrations toward the treatment of women and the hypocrisy. husbands lead the wife, they are the Head of the Household. I never saw that enacted. Pastor’s wives planned events, spoke at bible studies, sat on committees - it was limited to women only events, yes, but they led? they spoke? they taught and preached and sang and witnessed? the cognitive dissonance was too much. they budgeted, they shopped, they wore clothes i wasn’t allowed to, they were showy. but not allowed to speak in church, not allowed to preach, to pastor, to shepherd. they could mentor. Oh! Perfect. call it a different name and then you can do it. You’re not a pastor, a mentor. Not a preacher, a Bible teacher. The pastor husbands walked around domineering their families and making all the decisions? No - their families would have imploded. They preached submission but in function they were a team. everyone’s parents were. so i guess we can get away with it, and that makes it ok. label it differently and suddenly the bible has nothing to say on that particular matter. they are playing theological gymnastics, but if they can, i can too. i can sleep at night now, i do not have to be angry at god. i can ignore it.

A thought. I believe it grew in the garden of my own mind, but it’s possible a wayward seed blew in from elsewhere but I don’t remember. I was all-in, I silenced my doubts, I screwed my courage to the sticking place, I said yes I believe this, yes I am a dirty sinner, yes I do not deserve grace or mercy or forgiveness, yes I believe that god can give me that anyway in return for my life, my love, my thoughts, my actions, my deeds, my affiliations, my comfort, my pride, my complete and total surrender of my Self, my personality, my person, my autonomy, my desires, my entire existence. I was fervent. I learned the most, I delved in deep, it was theology, soteriology, epistemology, apologetics, baptisms and trinities and divine mysteries. i knew nothing of secular science, i learned nothing of sex. I knew dead men - Calvin, Luther, Arminius, Aquinas, Origen, Augustine, Spurgeon, Bonhoeffer, Wycliff, Niemoller, Lewis, Piper, Paul, James, I knew creeds, doctrines, catechisms, doxology, councils, heresies. 

And I thought. I am all in. I accept all this. I evoke the proper response in myself when I learn these things. If I were born in any other time, any other place, into any other religion - I would accept those things just as eagerly and honestly. Would I not? How could I not? I earned the praise of adults, the admiration of youth group peers, I could exercise my intellect in a way not too offensive for a female to do, because it was always good to learn the bible, right? I was special, smart, serious. A student of the bible, i committed HUNDREDS of verses to memory, i competed in competitions that tested my knowledge of scripture against my peers, I was dominant. It nagged at me. I would have been the best anything, the best Muslim, the best Mormon, the best Hindu, the best Orthodox Jew (especially Orthodox Jew - there are so many RULES and ways to do it BETTER), I was completely lost in the swirl of religiosity that was my life. I did Christian ballet, Christian theater, watched Christian entertainment, listened to Christian music, went to Christian summer camp, had Christian friends, was in a Christian home school group, read Christian books, did Christian mission trips, and eventually chose to go to a Christian college. Not to brag, to sound so insanely arrogant - any religion would be happy to have me. I would give your cult a great name. I’ve got the resume and CV to join any believing army, just give me my marching orders. I swallowed my Self in the belly of the whale of god. My whole life and personality were these things and activities.

then - purity culture hit. and it brought back all the female trauma. the trauma of existing as a woman who THINKS in the subculture of christianity insanity.

[hymnofroses]

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[musicgoon]

Book Review: Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof

Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology is his magnum opus, deserved to be read by serious students of God’s Word. Originally published in 1958, Banner of Truth’s expanded edition contains Berkhof’s Introductory Volume, which was designed to be read together with the Systematic Theology itself.

Doctrine and Discussion

The 200-page introductory volume contains two sections: The Idea and History of Dogmatic Theology and The Principia of Dogmatics. Most interesting to me was the discussion on “The Seat of Religion.” Berkhof asks where the real seat of religion is in the human soul in order to understand its proper nature. He says that it has its seat in (1) the intellect, (2) the will, (3) the feelings, and (4) the heart. Berkhof sees the whole man as subservient to God in every sphere of life.

The Systematic Theology proper is divided into six parts: (1) The doctrine of God, (2) The doctrine of man in relation to God, (3) The doctrine of the person and work of Christ, (4) The doctrine of the application of the work of redemption, (5) The doctrine of the church and of the means of grace, and (6) The doctrine of the last things.

Pointed and Brief, Thoroughly Reformed

I found Berkhof to be characteristically pointed and brief. This is shown when he is able to give various viewpoints for different arguments. For instance, when speaking of "the so-called rational proofs for the existence of God," he is able to distill the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, the teleological argument, the moral argument, and the historical or ethnological argument to their main points.

To be sure, Berkhof is thoroughly Reformed. For instance, when speaking about common grace, Berkhof states that ��Reformed theology does not, like Arminian theology, regard the doctrine of common grace as a part of Soteriology.” His questions for further study help the reader to think through his arguments, and his referenced literature often finds Bavinck and Kuyper at the forefront.

Theological Depth and God-Exalting Delight

Aeshetically, this is a handsome cloth-bound book, presenting a distinguished and classic look that is iconic for Banner of Truth. With a page count of 1,048 pages, this is a hefty volume that will entice you to serious study.

Berkhof’s Systematic Theology is a self-contained work that is beautifully coherent and brilliantly cohesive. It is the first you will want to consult for brevity and breadth, and it is one you will want to return to for theological depth and God-exalting delight.

I received a media copy of Systematic Theology and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.