Salvation Wanted

In the marketplace of ideas, there is a broad range of ideas on how one should respond to God for salvation. Scripture tells us things we are supposed to do—but we’re also told grace is a gift. Beyond this, clarity on the issue often seems elusive. Which path is most consistent with biblical teaching?

God intends for us to have assurance of His Grace if we are following and trusting Him according to the Scriptures. For Christians, there should be no uncertainty; there should be joy in the journey of the Christian life. We should be able to have confidence in our salvation because it is knowable.

In Matthew 9:9 Jesus told Matthew, “Follow me.” Paul instructs in 1 Cor. 11: 1, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”[1] These seem simple enough, but oftentimes doubt begins to settle in our minds, “Have I done enough?” and “How can I be certain?” Essentially, we’re asking the same question as those in Acts 2:37: “What must I do?” Sadly, many continue asking it long after becoming a Christian.

Personal response is the key to grace—it must be applied individually. When and how is grace applied? Is it forced? Is it obtained through works? Is it freely given? These questions point to three approaches man has historically pursued in attempting to reconcile back to God. However, not all approaches to grace are equal.

How do you fill in the blank: Will __________ for grace.

To help answer these questions, I propose three considerations church history has offered in trying to fill in the blank: coup-operation, co-operation, and cooperation. All options are not equal but are valuable in helping us better understanding our own position as we reach out to others with the Gospel.

Coup—operation

Will coup-operate (or work unnecessarily) for grace.

In this grace consideration, God is all-powerful and sovereign. Everything that happens only happens because God has decreed it. It can only happen the way God intends it; He wills it into existence. The logical implication is that God forcibly saves those He chooses and man is simply a staged actor with his entire existence predetermined.  If this is the case, there is nothing anyone can do to change God’s Will—God’s determination is inescapable.[2]

In this system, humanity is viewed as totally separated from God because man introduced sin into Creation. Going forward man has no path he can take on his own for reconciling back to God (aka Total Depravity). Therefore, God bestows grace by performing a coup de grace on whoever He desires.[3] In a spiritual sense, God usurps the will of the mortally wounded sinner and chooses to act on behalf of the sinner by enacting a coup of the will. Essentially, God forces grace on those He desires. Furthermore, He knew from before the foundation of the world whom He would force His Grace upon.[4]

This line of reasoning coincides with many thinkers of the Reformation. Often, Reformation thought is given the generalized term Calvinism.[5] In Calvinistic thought, God overthrows the will of those whom He unconditionally chooses for salvation (aka Unconditional Election). The accompanying result is that man has no power to choose otherwise—God’s grace is irresistible (aka Irresistible Grace). Ultimately, many Reformation thinkers are comfortable with explaining God’s coup-operation as part of His unsearchable mysteries.

The problem with coup-operation is that it removes human response and responsibility. Predestination and man’s free-will are incompatible. However, Calvinism is comfortable denying man the capacity of free will in exchange for God’s ultimate sovereignty. This makes God the Author of Salvation but equally makes Him the Author of Sin and Death as well as pain and suffering. Essentially, this system also makes Him the God of Evil. May it never be!

Co-operation

Will co-operate (or work meritoriously) for grace.

Humanity likes co-operation. It works like a job. In a job there are conditions for employment and periodic compensation for abiding by the terms of employment. When we attempt to relate to God in the same manner, the arrangement we have in mind is unmistakably clear—we do the things God tells us, and He is beholden to give us our due—His Grace. God owes us something in exchange for what we have done for Him. He owes us salvation—it is rightfully ours—we have a legal claim to it because we put in the work. We did it!

In a works-based salvation (e.g. sacramentalism), the idea is that salvation is attained and maintained through prescribed acts, rites, and rituals throughout one’s life. Salvation is based on one’s performance and leaves the believer with the unsettling thought, “I hope I’ve done, or am doing, enough.”

Grace is often said to be getting what you don’t deserve and not getting what you deserve. However, in this grace consideration, salvation and works are connected. However, man’s performance of works can never result in God owing anyone salvation. Attempts to gain salvation through merit will always fall short (Rom. 3:23).

For the works-based salvation seeker, he thinks along the lines of, “grace is getting what I deserve because I followed the rules and put in the time—now it’s time for God to pay up!” This sounds more like a business transaction.

Aside from what God has freely promised, may we never become so emboldened to think that God is indebted to us!

Steps Toward Resolution

These grace considerations all have deep roots in church history. Theological issues like these are often polarizing; discussing them sometimes resembles the swing of a pendulum. Is God the Author of Evil or is He the Great Merchant making sure we’ve paid the price required to earn our salvation. These grace considerations call into question God’s Holiness and His overall character. Neither consideration is appealing . . . especially when you go through life never knowing—never having assurance of—your salvation.

Certainly, there must be another option—one that harmonizes faith and works.

In James 2, faith is perfected as a result of works. In the same way, faith was reckoned to Abraham on the basis of placing his faith and trust in following God. Ephesians 2:8-10 relates that these works were foreordained.[6] Romans 4 harmonizes the ideas of faith and works as they relate to the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Romans 4:9-11 asks, “Who receives blessing and how is it given?”[7] The answer shown is that it is those who choose to cooperate with God’s Plan for Redemption. Our role is to cooperate with God’s Will.

Cooperation

Will cooperate (or serve the Lord) for Grace has already been given.

The Cross of Christ is the singular all-encompassing event in history bridging the separation between God and man. The faithful of the Old Testament looked forward in faith to a time when the Messiah would come and those of the New Testament and the Church Age look back to the Messiah’s Cross in complete trust and faith.

This bridge was built once for all and for all time. Jesus’s accomplishment on the Cross spans the entirety of human history: “The Cross looks both ways.”[8] However, grace bestowed is not the same as grace applied. We must individually choose to accept the grace that has been offered—and accept it within the terms it is offered. Therefore, it is only as each repentant believer comes to Christ, according to the plan of salvation, that grace is personally applied.

How do we operate within this grace consideration? We simply choose or refuse to participate in His Plan of Salvation. If we are in a right standing relationship with God—we are legally justified. After justification, the remainder of our life is dedicated to sanctifying behaviors—removing non-Christian elements from our lives to the best of our ability (with the help of Holy Spirit). These behaviors are not merit-building, nor has God forced anything on anyone. Rather, the Cross of Christ is for whosoever shall come (Acts 2:21).

In evaluating these grace considerations, all paths lead to man’s time of accountability, but not all paths lead to salvation. How do you approach God in seeking His Grace? How do you fill in the blank:

Will __________ for grace?