Sola Gratia
Ephesians 2:1-8
(1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
If in fact we as humanity are dead in our trespasses, and walk according to the ways of the world, then there is no opportunity for us to respond to the gospel, apart from Christ.
John 6:44
(44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Dead men are just that, DEAD. Dead men are completely unable to respond to anything, any touch, any word, any emotion. Like Lazarus, the unregenerate heart is unable to rise from its decay and decomposition unless God intervenes and makes what is dead alive.
Romans 9:15-18
(15) For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
(16) So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
(17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
(18) So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
The common evangelical view of synergism (the idea that the human will cooperates with Divine grace in the work of regeneration) stands against scripture. In reality, salvation is a Monergistic act, by God alone, as we looked at in the previous post"Faith: the Gift given". Not by works of righteousness or even a single act of obedience at an altar call, but solely by the sovereign choice and calling of God. It depends not on the will or exertion of the human will.
John 1:10-13
(10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. (11) He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (12) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (13) who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Not by a blood right, nor by the willing of OUR OWN FLESH, or the will of ANY man but only by the will of God.
"Merit is defined as what is earned or deserved. Justice demands that that merit be given were it is deserved. Merit is something due a person for a performance. If it is not received, than an injustice has been committed."
"The only merit we have at our disposal is the merit of Christ. The merit of Christ comes to us by grace through faith." -RC Sproul
That is what Grace is. It is the unmerited favor of God. Favor we do not deserve, and can never earn. Grace is received through faith, which we learned is a gift from God, a gift that only He can give.
It truly is Amazing Grace. If God choose only one person, or one nation to join Him in paradise, that would be grace, because in reality, ALL of humanity deserves Hell as punishment, not just for our individual sins but also for our innate sinful nature.
Eternal punishment is our due, our reward for our sins. Yet, there are those God has chosen to shower mercy upon, and draw them to Himself, regenerating and justifying them, declaring them righteous in His eyes.
8 years ago
