Doctrine III One Flashcards
Doctrine 9
We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
Conversion
the act of turning to Christ, including both repentance and saving faith.
Assurance
confidence in the reality of personal salvation, made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit
Backsliding
ceasing to obey Christ and so forfeit our hope of eternal life
Predestination
a belief of some Christians that God has already determined who will be saved.
Synergism
God is acting first with grace and man is responding or cooperating with that grace to be reborn or regenerated.
Continued Obedient Faith
When we live a life of continued obedient faith in Christ we will not fall from grace and be eternally lost. This life involves the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study and self-denial, as well as openness to the ministry of the Body of Christ through worship, teaching, caring and service. However, obedient faith, although dependent upon human commitment and action, also requires the continued inward working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer (Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:20, 21). Our salvation is assured as long as we continue to exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith is expressed in obedience to his leadings, will and commands. Obedience as a free will choice is a consequence of faith, and without it faith dies.
Our conversion inaugurates a journey during which we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness. Thus salvation is neither a state to be preserved nor an insurance policy which requires no further investment. It is the beginning of a pilgrimage with Christ. This pilgrimage requires from us the obedience of separation from sin and consecration to the purposes of God. This is why ‘obedient faith’ is crucial: it makes pilgrimage possible as we cooperate with God, allowing him to do his work within us. It is completed by God’s deepening action within us to make us holy.
Our Christian pilgrimage is a faith-journey inviting us to a life of discipleship which will be evident in our daily life. Through prayer and the study of God’s word, we grow in our relationship with him. By following Christ we learn to put into practice what we hear through the Spirit. We grow in obedience and faithfulness to God. We begin to discover that obedient faith is given by God’s grace, rather than achieved by our superlative efforts. We become aware of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
Calvinism v Arminianism
Calvinist Views Arminian views
Total depravity Total depravity
Unconditional election Conditional election
Limited atonement Unlimited atonement
Irresistible grace Prevenient grace
Perseverance of the saints Conditional preservation
Total Depravity
as a consequence of the fall all human beings have a disposition to sin, and no area of human nature is unaffected. People are inclined to follow and serve their own interests rather than God. Human freedom to respond to God is impaired. Although not all theologians subscribe to the doctrine of total depravity it is the major point of agreement between Calvinists and Arminians and is specifically stated in Salvation Army Doctrine
Unconditional vs Conditional election
This Calvinist doctrine asserts that God chooses those whom he will bring to himself. This is not based on any virtue, merit or good works, but only on his mercy and grace. Predestination is therefore related to the individual believer who is chosen by God. As with each of the five Calvinist beliefs, the seeds of this approach can be found in the teaching of Augustine. His emphasis on the supremacy of God’s grace led him to understand salvation as being given wholly at God’s discretion. God’s grace is a gift, which some may receive and some not. So, although sin is universal, grace is particular. Augustine called this ‘election’. This leads inevitably to the conclusion that some will be saved – by God’s grace – and some not. Some are ‘elected’ to be saved. John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion took this notion to the logical conclusion that some must therefore be elected to be damned: ‘All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation’.2
In contrast, for Arminians, election is conditional upon faith in Christ. God therefore saves all those who freely choose to fulfil the predestined condition of salvation. Predestination therefore becomes a corporate rather than an individual issue, ‘It cannot be said, “Faith is bestowed on the elect, or on those who are to be saved,” but that “believers are elected and saved.”’3 All people who have chosen faith in Christ are predestined to salvation. Salvation Army Doctrine 7 implies the Arminian belief in conditional election – those who choose salvation are the elect of God.
Limited vs Unlimited Atonement
A logical consequence of unconditional election is the belief that only certain individuals will be saved. Augustine uses the image of the potter, arguing: ‘The potter has authority over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel for honor, and the other for contempt.’4 This, coupled with an understanding that all those who are the elect will necessarily be saved, summarizes the Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement.
Arminian theology maintains the universal character and scope of the Atonement. The Salvation Army’s Arminian roots are shown clearly in Doctrine 6, which states that ‘whosoever will may be saved’.
Irresistible vs Prevenient Grace
The doctrine of irresistible grace argues that the saving grace of God will always be effective for those he has elected to save, so that in God’s timing any resistance will be overcome and they will be brought to faith. The Holy Spirit is able to overcome any resistance to salvation. While affirming the doctrine of prevenient grace, that grace which ‘goes before’ and prepares the human being for salvation, and acknowledging the role of the grace of God in all aspects of the experience of salvation,
Arminian theology denies the notion of irresistible grace and affirms the possibility of human choice and decision. For The Salvation Army, the phrases ‘whosoever will may be saved’ and ‘repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ… are necessary to salvation’ (Doctrines 6 and 7), clearly indicate the importance of human decision making and agency in the process of salvation.
Perseverance of the Saints vs. Conditional Preservation
This doctrine implies that our salvation is so ‘secure’ that it cannot be negated in any way through our personal behavior or response to God. It is supported by biblical interpretation of texts such as John 10:28, Philippians 1:6 and 1 John 2:19. Calvin believed that, in view of God’s election, it is impossible for those who have been truly saved to backslide, for that would be to deny the grace of God. Those who apparently fall away will either return, or were never truly saved.
In opposition to this, Arminians maintain that backsliding is possible. ‘Continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ’ (Doctrine 9). God graciously gives free will, so that we may respond to his grace and also, if we desire, turn away from it.
Backsliding
Throughout our lives we retain the ability to make our own choices. God’s gift of free will is never removed. If we disobey the revealed will of God we fail (Luke 6:46-49). Continual and unrepentant disobedience can result in loss of faith, and loss of our status in Christ. This is known as backsliding.
Assurance does not mean that our salvation is guaranteed to us against our free will. It is possible to cease to obey Christ and so forfeit our hope of eternal life. This is consistent with our understanding of the grace of God, who always leaves us open to respond freely to him. Freedom to live by grace includes freedom to turn away. This doctrine reminds us that the Christian life requires a combined commitment of faith and obedience (Jude 20, 21) and a willingness to be led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). The Gospel of John uses the image of the vine and the branches to signify the deep and sustained connection that is necessary between Jesus and his disciples.
When this relationship is broken, backsliding is possible even for true Christians. It can be described as an expression of human unresponsiveness or opposition to the will of God, and can occur through the deliberate rejection of Christ, or, more insidiously, when we drift from the way of discipleship or neglect our spiritual life. It may happen when we fail to do what we know to be right, or when we deliberately and continuously choose what we know to be wrong. This does not mean that every time we sin we slide away from the grace of God. A wrong action is not backsliding. What is important is the attitude which follows the act. Our many failures will not deprive us of the Holy Spirit’s presence if we turn to him for forgiveness and restoration. Yet this does not mean that we can be careless or complacent in our attitude to sin.
Ultimately, consistent backsliding results in loss of connection with Christ; this brings lasting consequences. To develop and nurture a life secured by a total trust in God’s grace, we should not be daunted by the possibility of being tempted beyond our powers (1 Corinthians 10:6-13). Our obedient faith, which enabled us to know Christ as Savior, will not be sustained by over-anxiety about staying saved, or by limiting our involvement with life for fear of backsliding. Our faith will be assured as in obedience to Christ’s call to serve we keep close to him: to risk our lives wherever there is human need, challenge sin and dare to live the Christian life in all its fullness.
