Paul was explicit. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9)." Why is salvation a gift? "That no one may boast." But if salvation is based on our making the right choice, isn't that something about which to boast?
Imagine the conversation you might have with yourself. "Why am I a Christian when others are not? Well, clearly I made the right choice and others did not. So ... why did I make the right choice and they didn't? Well, apparently I'm smarter than they are. No, wait ... that can't be right. No, it must be that I'm just more spiritually in tune. No, no, that's a problem, too. I'm more aware? No. Hmmm." You see, if salvation is based on your proper choice, it requires that there is something about you that is better than those who make the improper choice, and that is something about which to boast.
There is, of course, a volitional factor in salvation. We are required to place our faith in Christ to be saved. But is that a product of our choice, or not? The Bible says it is not.
All who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).John's gospel says that it is specifically not the result of the will of man. Paul says it is not our actions or our choices. We are not saved because we make the right choice. Instead, we are saved because God chooses to have compassion on some and to harden others (Rom 9:18). Yes, we make the right choice, but that's not the deciding factor. God alone is.
So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Rom 9:16).
4 comments:
But if salvation is based on our making the right choice, isn't that something about which to boast?
If a fella has committed a crime and the judge says, "You deserve to go to jail, but, IF you accept it, I'll give you a second chance..."
Does the fella who accepted the second chance have any reason to boast? OR, is it not the case that the only thing on which to boast was the judge's mercy and grace?
I don't see how our admitting we are sinners in need of grace and choosing to accept that grace is anything whatsoever to boast about.
You quote Romans 9:
So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy
and that is absolutely true. It DOES depend upon God. If we had the will to be saved but God did not have the mercy to save us, ALL our hope and will would be of no good. Thanks be to God for God's grace that he offers to those who accept it!
But we DO have to choose accept it or reject it and that verse does not say otherwise.
Similarly for your John passage, which says, "All who did receive Him..." ALL who did choose to receive God were saved. Hallelujah!
But it does not say that they did not choose to accept God's grace.
So, it is your position, then, that God says, "Ol' Stan ain't gonna make it, I'm not even going to give him the option of making a choice to accept my grace. POOF! There, I've hardened his heart and now Stan won't want to make that decision..." Is that sort of how you think it works?
Just asking the question and that's all for this post, UNLESS you have questions for me (or, I guess, if someone else has questions for me).
Dan Trabue: "I don't see how our admitting we are sinners in need of grace and choosing to accept that grace is anything whatsoever to boast about."
If God commands that we choose Him and we obey that command, it is what is called "obedience".
Dan Trabue: "It DOES depend upon God."
I suppose you're agreeing with something I don't see there. The term "it" in the context of Romans 9 refers to "the children of the promise" -- who will be the offspring of Abraham? Who is it that God chooses? God's choice does not depend on our works or our will. To make it more ... unpalatable ... Paul says this: "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" Paul's claim is that the potter (God) makes some vessels (people) for honorable use and some for dishonorable use. Honorable use is a reference to "vessels of mercy" and dishonorable use references "vessels of wrath". Paul's claim is that God makes these vessels as He chooses.
It's almost a chicken/egg thing. But I don't stress too much on whether I "chose" God or He "made" me choose him. I'm just happy to put my faith and trust in Him.
However, this question has been put forth as an excuse not to "tell other people what to think", or more clearly, not to preach to those who are clearly acting contrary to Scripture. One fella likes to tell me that it ain't up to him, that God will call the other dude to Him without the fella's help. Seems to me he's just using the concept as an excuse not to stick his neck out about sharing the faith. But he might be the mechanism by which God calls out to the other, if only he'd open his mouth and share.
I don't actually suggest that God "made you" choose Him. I think that the Bible teaches that He enabled you to choose Him. (Small item.)
I've heard people that argue, "If God chooses, why preach the Gospel?" Similar to "Let God tell the other guy what's right." Since both arguments are absolutely contrary to direct commands from Scripture, I'm fine with tossing them out as foolishness (at best).
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