Faith and Grace

 

Systematic Theology

Steve Rowe

May 10, 2003

 

I.                    The Calvinistic System of Irresistible Grace

a.       Three Pillars of Calvinism

                                                              i.      Men are unable to seek God on their own.  They are unable to even recognize their own sinfulness. (Total Depravity)

                                                            ii.      God chooses, of his own free will, without reference to any human actions, who will be saved and who will go to hell.  (Unconditional Election)

                                                          iii.      To save totally depraved (totally unable) sinners in compliance with his divine election, God must regenerate said sinners to allow them to recognize their sin and come to believe upon Christ. (Irresistible Grace)

b.      Irresistible grace then rests upon the foundation of God’s total decree, the lack of free will in man, man’s total inability, and God’s particular election and reprobation.  If any of these points falters, the whole house of cards falls.

II.                 Teaching Irresistible Grace

a.       Unregenerate man is like Lazarus when he was dead in the tomb.

b.      God calls man like he called Lazarus, “Come Forth.”  He regenerates man’s spirit which allows him to become alive and believe. (John 11:40-45)

c.       Faith is a meritorious work and cannot come from man without God.  (no verses)

d.      Faith comes after regeneration.  They use 1 John 5:1 to make this point.  “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of him.”

                                                              i.      “Whoever believes” is a present tense participle and better rendered “Every one believing.”

                                                            ii.      “is born” is a perfect passive verb better rendered “has been born.”

                                                          iii.      Thus, to believe in God requires that you previously were born of God.

e.       God acts upon a person’s heart like he acted upon Lydia when “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)

f.       God gives each person the faith they need to accept him.  “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Philippians 1:29)

III.               Unregenerate Man Can Recognize His Sin

a.       The Holy Spirit convicts the whole world:  “He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)

b.      Man has a conscience which convicts him of his sin.  “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them…” (Romans 2:14-15)

c.       Lazarus is not a good example of salvation. 

                                                              i.      The bible does not link this miracle to salvation.  The purpose of the miracle was to prove that Jesus was God, not to give an example of salvation.  John 11:42 says the reason for the miracle was “so that they may believe that you sent Me.”

                                                            ii.      Unregenerate man is not literally dead.  He can walk, talk, reason, resist, etc.

                                                          iii.      A better example of salvation was the bronze snake.  “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15).  The serpent didn’t make anyone look at it but saved all who did.  Indeed, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32). 

d.      See a full discussion in the lesson on Sovereignty and Free Will.  Also, the lesson on Total Depravity.

IV.              Faith is not a meritorious work

a.       Faith is never said to be impossible for the unregenerate.  Instead, it is only inferred because man cannot earn salvation and faith is said to be a work.

b.      Paul explicitly labels faith as a non-work.

                                                              i.      Romans 4:1-5 makes this clear.  It says in part, “’Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor but as what is due.  But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 1:3-5)

                                                            ii.      Faith is juxtaposed to works.  The one who works is credited as debt.  Alternately, the one who does work but instead believes, is credited as righteousness.

c.       Faith, by itself, is not salvific.  Faith is strong belief (in the unseen).  The object of faith gives it its power.  The act of faith is worthless.  Faith on Allah, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Baal or human ability will not save someone.  Faith on Christ is different because the object has the power to save.

V.                 Faith leads to Regeneration

a.       Faith is the conduit through which grace can flow.  Romans 5:2 is explicit, “through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

b.      Over and over, faith is said to be the action which allows for salvation:

                                                              i.      “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)

                                                            ii.      “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

                                                          iii.      “He who believes in Him is not judged.” (John 3:18)

                                                          iv.      “He who believes in the Son has eternal life;” (John 3:36)

                                                            v.      “He who believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47)

                                                          vi.      “If you confess with your mouth Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

                                                        vii.      “But as many as received Him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” (John 1:12)

c.       Any system which has regeneration preceding faith is contrary to the Bible.

d.      1 John 5:1 is not a verse about how salvation happens but rather a verse about how to identify those who are saved.  It is saying that all who are saved (“born of God”) believe.  If believe is the way to salvation, this is certainly true.

                                                              i.      Preceding verse:  “And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4:21)

                                                            ii.      Next verse:  “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe his commandments.” (1 John 5:2)

VI.              God does not act irresistibly on a person’s heart

a.       The Holy Spirit convicts people (John 16:8) but he can be resisted.  “You men who are stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (Acts 7:51)

b.      When people are not saved, it is because they will not come to God, not because God won’t come to them.  “You refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:40)

c.       Paul ministered so that people might choose the Lord.  It wasn’t a sure thing.  He ministered so he might save others.

                                                              i.      “if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.” (Romans 11:14)

                                                            ii.      “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak, I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”  (1 Cor 9:22)

                                                          iii.      “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27)

d.      Lydia was listening before God acted upon her.  She was also a worshiper of God and thus already a follower, if not a Christian.  She was the sort Christ was talking about in John 6:37 when he said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  She was already God’s, and now she was becoming Christ’s as well.

VII.            Is faith from God?

a.       There is no verse which clearly says so.

b.      Eph 2:8 is most often cited, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

                                                              i.      “Faith” is feminine while “that” is neuter thus faith is not the object of that, instead is it the entire phrase. 

                                                            ii.      It is the salvation that is the gift.

c.       Faith certainly can be a gift.  It is listed among the spiritual gifts but these are things given to some and not all.  This is extraordinary faith to achieve for the Lord, not faith unto salvation.

d.      Romans 12:3 may indicate that God gives faith to all, “God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

e.       Faith is always referred to as something had by men to allow them access to Salvation.  Whether God gives it to all or whether, through his grace, he allows all to exercise it without specific intervention, is not terribly important.  All can exercise it.  Thus, all can be held accountable for their lack of belief.

f.       Philippians 1:29 is saying that the Christians at Philippi would be given not only the opportunity to believe in him and thus be saved, but also the opportunity to suffer for his sake.

VIII.         Another view of Faith and Grace

a.       Grace is God’s providing a way for sinners to be saved.  He is under no obligation to do so but does anyway because of his love.

b.      Men are sinful by nature and cannot fail to sin.  Man can, however, recognize his position and repent.  The Holy Spirit helps to convict all people.

c.       Salvation comes through faith that Christ is God, recognition that you are a sinner, and that Christ’s death is payment for your sins.  It is available to all.

d.      Upon salvation (justification), the Christian begins the process of becoming more like Christ (sanctification).