Everyone Believes This Doctrine…A Recap of Study–>See–>Savor! #3

 

Study #3 ( June 1 )

Everyone Believes This Doctrine (from R.C. Sproul’s DVD series, “Chosen By God”)

Introduction:  Many of you who have been coming to this study may have the sensation that you’ve just jumped into the deep end of the pool and you are not sure you know how to swim.  There are plenty of offers of help.  Many viewpoints that sound attractive.  How do you know what will keep you afloat?  The only source of real TRUTH is the Bible, and we MUST remember that the Bible has final authority in our lives.  If we are confronted with Scripture that challenges what we believe, hang on tight to Scripture, for God’s Word alone is the genuine life-saver.  All other sources of truth will turn out to be false hopes.  Vain philosophies. Empty thoughts.  We must come humbly to God, pleading with Him for understanding. As Bible-believing Christians we must place the Bible above all systems of theology. We must be patient with others who are “swimming in the deep end” with us. All the grappling to understand what the Bible teaches about God is worth it. John Piper says, “God is a rock of strength in a world of quicksand. To know him in his sovereignty is to become like an oak tree in the wind of adversity and confusion. And along with strength is sweetness and tenderness beyond imagination. The sovereign Lion of Judah is the sweet Lamb of God.”

Many Christians view predestination as a doctrine that has no relevance to them, personally, or in relation to their participation in a church body.  Is it an obscure doctrine?  Can we just ignore it, hope it will go away?  Is it a private matter that shouldn’t be a conversation topic?  Is this discussion to be avoided because Christians historically have taken different views on  this doctrine?  What ARE the different views?

Most theologians and most denominations have wrestled with this doctrine.  Why?  Because predestination is a biblical term, a biblical doctrine.  We cannot just ignore something that we read repeatedly in Scripture. The issue is not WHETHER God predestines, but HOW (on what basis) He predestines.

Because the Bible teaches us that God predestines us, every Christian has to deal with the question, “What does this mean?”  Ephesians 1:1-5, 11 states, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,  To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:  2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Every church or denomination that has historically formulated a doctrinal statement has also written some kind of statement about predestination.  Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, and others all have a view on predestination, but it is the Presbyterian version that is usually associated with the concept of predestination.  Another “ism” associated with this doctrine is “Calvinism.”

In this DVD session, R.C. Sproul explained that historically there have been three basic views of the doctrine of predestination.  I have added some definitions found at a website that calls itself the “Encylopedia of Biblical Christianity,” Theopedia. 

1.  Pelagiansim taught that God’s grace assists, but is by no means necessary for us to be saved. This is the basis for liberalism and is considered to be unchristian.

 Theopedia defines it this way: “Pelagianism views humanity as basically good and morally unaffected by the Fall. It denies the imputation of Adam’s sin, original sin, total depravity, and substitutionary atonement. It simultaneously views man as fundamentally good and in possession of libertarian free will. With regards to salvation, it teaches that man has the ability in and of himself (apart from divine aid) to obey God and earn eternal salvation.  Pelagianism is overhwhelmingly incompatible with the Bible and was historically opposed by Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, leading to its condemnation as a heresy at Council of Carthage in 418 A.D. These condemnations were summarily ratified at the Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431).”

2.  Semi-Pelagiansim teaches that we can’t be saved without God’s grace, but we (in our fallen, sinful state) must cooperate with God’s grace before God will save us.  In other words, prior to regeneration, we have the power to accept or reject the grace that could save us.

Theopedia defines it as “Semi-Pelagianism, a moderated form of Pelagianism, taught that man has retained the ability to seek God in and of himself apart from any movement of God’s grace. Pelagianism denied any real effect of original sin on human nature. Semi-Pelagianism, admitted that man’s nature was “injured” by original sin, but maintained that man still has free will and the ability to cooperate with God’s grace in the salvation process.

Although the church generally agreed that Pelagius’ teachings were not correct, Augustine’s teachings were not universally accepted either. Whereas Pelagius was condemned for being too positive in his views concerning human nature, Augustine was said by some to be too negative.

Vitalis of Carthage and a community of monks at Hadrumetum, Africa (about 427 A.D.), contested some of Augustine’s principles, asserting that they destroyed freedom of the will and all moral responsibility. The issue became heated in the fifth century when some monks in southern Gaul, led by John Cassian, joined in the controversy. These men objected to a number of points in the Augustinian doctrine of sin and grace, namely, the assertion of the total bondage of the will, of the priority and irresistibility of grace, and of rigid predestination. Hence a compromise was sought, leading to what later became known as “Semi-Pelagianism.” On three primary points of issue, Semi-Pelagianism settled for the following positions:

• Human nature is neither good nor bad, but injured. Just as an injured person can’t quite do whatever he’d like to do, so likewise because of original sin, man’s moral abilities became restricted. His free will remained, but was weakened by the Fall. Man, then, can still decide to seek and receive help.

• Man’s need for grace: Although Semi-Pelagianism believes in man’s need for God’s grace (for man is too weak to help himself), man by his own free will is able to decide whether he wants God’s grace. Whereas Pelagius taught that salvation is totally man’s own doing, and Augustine taught that salvation is totally from God, Semi-Pelagianism teaches that salvation is a combination of the efforts of both man and God. According to Semi-Pelagianism, salvation is accomplished when man decides to co-operate with God and accepts the grace God offers him. This is often viewed as asynergistic concept of salvation.

• God’s sovereignty: Semi-Pelagianism essentially maintains that the sovereignty of God is limited by man’s decision to co-operate with God or not. God’s gospel of salvation in Christ can be rejected by man and so return to God empty. Though God may wish to save someone, He can only do so if that person chooses to accept it and cooperate with grace.”

3.  Augustinianism says that we are completely and totally dependent on the grace of God, even for our initial response to the Good News of the Gospel.

Theopedia says “Augustinianism can be broadly defined as theology related to the teachings of Augustine (354-430), one of the early church fathers. However, the term Augustinianism usually has a more specific reference to Augustine’s doctrines of the depravity of man and the sovereignty of God’s grace in salvation. It was these views that were specifically opposed in the Pelagian controversy during Augustine’s later years. These doctrines of Augustine were later revived during the Protestant Reformation and reflected in the teaching of reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin. As a result, Calvinism in particular is sometimes referred to as Augustinianism.  Augustinianism holds that, after the Fall, mankind is unable to not sin. In other words, due to the corruption of human nature in the Fall, one’s will is not free, but rather a slave to sin. As such, every person is born sinful and justly under the condemnation of God. In order for a person to be delivered from this dreadful state (i.e. saved), God must intervene. This view of the natural state of humanity is often referred to as the doctrine of total depravity.

Grace also plays a significant role in Augustinianism. The grace of God is free, necessary, and comes before any righteous act of the sinner. Grace is usually also said to be irresistible and effectual in the sense that all who are given such grace will surely come to faith in Christ.

Futhermore, Augustinianism has a distinct view of predestination. Grace is given to those whom God has predestined before the earth began, and is not based on the foreknowledge of God. The predestination in a fully Augustinian system is without any merit in the sinner themselves.”

Dr. Sproul went on to explain that great Christian leaders are found on either side of this doctrinal issue.  Those following  an Ausgustinian view are Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Francis Schaeffer, Gordon Clark, J.I. Packer and others.  Those NOT following an Augustinian view are Pelagius, Erasmus, Charles Finney, John Wesley, Arminius and others. Sproul made a very important point to remember.  He said if Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and Edwards all agree on a certain doctrine (they disagreed on many doctrines), that doesn’t make it true, but it does make us pay attention and investigate why they all agreed on the doctrine of predestination. The final basis for knowing if something is true is the BIBLE, not a certain theologian.

The DEFINITION of terms is extremely important for a discussion of doctrine. The word “predestination” literally means “before” (pre) “where you are headed” (destination). There are aspects of this doctrine that everyone agrees upon.  God predestines.  God chooses.  

Where the disagreement comes is over the BASIS for God’s choice.  Is God’s choice based on His knowledge of WHO will actually accept Christ when given the opportunity?  Is salvation in our hands?  Or does God alone make that choice? What is our role in salvation?

We all believe that God is sovereign, but how does God’s sovereignty work in salvation?  This and other questions will be topics for discussion later in the summer.

Here is a list of the Scripture passages and questions that we discussed in small groups:

Ephesians 1:1-14 and 2:8-10

• List all the key words associated with “predestination”
• Who is credited for the work of salvation?
• When did salvation occur?
• Is our will mentioned?
• What is the purpose of predestination?

Romans 8:28-39 and 9:11, 16

• List all the key words associated with “predestination”
• Look at the verbs and see whether the tenses of the verbs indicate anything about predestination
• What does God foreknow in Rom 8:29?
• What part do we play in the chain of events in Rom 8:28-30?
• How is our security (Rom 8:31-39) related to God’s initiating and choosing?

Read the following passages, looking for key words and the role of God/man:

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
  
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
  
• 2 Timothy 1:9-10
  
• John 15:16