SALVATION: Gift and Task Flashcards
Ordo salutis
order of salvation; What does God do, and what do human persons do in the process of whole salvation? In what order do these aspects or dimensions of salvation happen? NT does not lay out a clear, unambiguous plan
Gift and task
(Eph 2:8-9; Jas 2:24; Phil 2:12-13) Eph 2:8-9- “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”; Jas 2:24- “You see that a person is considered righteous [reconciled with God] by what they do and not by faith alone” (task); Phil 2:12-13- “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (task)
Synergism-
any belief that salvation is a cooperative project and process in which God is the superior partner and the human person begin saved is the inferior but nevertheless crucial partner /
monergism
any belief that God is the sole sovereign agent in salvation and that even the task side of salvation is secretly and entirely the work of God in the person being saved; often associated with Calvinism;
TULIP
S(sovereignty- all describe salvation in a way that protects the sovereignty of God; it is a defensive argument) TULIP- total depravity- every part of the human person is tainted by sin (will, appetites, noetic affects of the fall- our mental rational capacities), unconditional election- salvation is entirely dependent on the free choice (will) of God (single vs. double predestination), limited atonement- Jesus only dies for the elect and not a single drop of Christ’s blood was wasted, irresistible grace- if God has elected you one cannot resist, perseverance of the saints- see grace of Christ to the end
Prevenient grace
a Christian theological concept rooted in Arminian theology, though it appeared earlier in Catholic theology. It is divine grace that precedes human decision. In other words, God will start showing love to that individual at a certain point in his lifetime.
Pelagius
North African bishop, and church father who penned the prayer, “O God, command whatever thou wilt, but give what thou dost command”; denied original sin and taught that humans have a natural ability to live sinless lives apart from any supernatural assistance of divine grace
Pelagianism
a heresy rejected by all Christian churches; belief that humans can save themselves apart from the supernatural work of God’s grace within them; elevates our responsibility in synergism; atomistic- did not believe original sin trickled through the ages; did not believe in one’s inherent propensity towards sin; aescetic view
Semi-Pelagianism
associated in church history with a group of monks of Southern Gaul- especially around the city of Marseilles- who campaigned against Augustine’s strong belief in original sin and predestination and in the process fell into denial of the absolute necessity of grace for the beginning of the process of salvation
Apokatastasis / Universalism
two virtually synonymous terms; refer to belief in the ultimate, unconditional reconciliation of all humans (if not all creatures including angelic and demonic spirits)
Justification
viewed as a forensic or declaratory work of God in which God imputes Christ’s righteousness to persons being saved
sanctification
viewed as a process of being inwardly cleansed from sinful attitudes and actions by indwelling grace through the sacraments
Synod of Dort
met in the Netherlands in 1618-19; intended to clarify what the theologians and church leaders gathered there considered classical Reformed Protestant belief about salvation/ TULIP- total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints
