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exactly what you said it's not. that man working with God is man getting out of God's way, and God working through man.
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Okay. What do the terms mean?
exactly what you said it's not. that man working with God is man getting out of God's way, and God working through man.
I understand legal theology is a western thing, but can you explain what the councils understood about synergism, this might help me understand where you are coming from?
simply put, man was created to submit to God, freely but totally. we can in Christ, Whose humanity was fully united with His Divinity. by grace, we become like Christ. Christ is the prototype in Whom we are all created, so we are created to freely let God work through us. even the freedom to say yes is a grace given by Christ.
Hm, but doesn't this sound like God's grace only enables us to choose, and when we choose we credit God for the enablement?
His grace also sustains us. it's impossible apart from Him.
Wait, is this similar to the RCC belief of infusing grace makes us gradually more "righteous"? I'll put Maximos on the list.
In that same line of thought, what about monergists that say that a synergist is claiming God only does part of the work in saving you?
in a sense, because we ever deeper commune with Christ, Who is our righteousness.
What's wrong, if I may ask biblically, with understand salvation as individual aspects (regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, etc), instead of conflating them as one aspect? I agree with the phrase that we are being saved, being conformed, becoming holy (sanctification)...but this is different than the legal aspect of salvation (justification). What's wrong with viewing that as different aspects of our total redemption in Christ?
I read a good article decades ago that address some of this problem from Calvinists. The ending of the article, I think really gets at what your talking about.
FJ: God predestines according to foreknowledge and His eternal purposes. Part of His eternal purpose is that Man would love Him of his own free will, and not by any necessity. Those that respond to God's grace are foreknown and predestined to be heirs of Salvation, according to God's eternal purposes. Those that reject God's grace, are foreknown, and are accordingly appointed unto damnation. Those that reject God's grace are therefore, justly condemned.
For some reason, you think that this cooperation would mean that man merits his salvation. But if some ransomed prisoners choose to stay with their captors, while other choose to be free, no one would say that those thus freed had merited their release.
Dialogue on Free Will & Determinism
nothing, depending on how you understand it
Are we justified legally, or is it some gradual point we must attain? I'm off topic, I'll end it here...
My problem, though, is where is this understood biblically?
My problem, though, is where is this understood biblically? It sounds similar to a form of Arminianism (or Semi-Palgianism) that suggests that we are sick, not dead, and God's grace is the medicine that heals us. Whereas, Scriptures speaks of us as dead who needs a one way resurrection to do and act.
My problem, though, is where is this understood biblically? It sounds similar to a form of Arminianism (or Semi-Palgianism) that suggests that we are sick, not dead, and God's grace is the medicine that heals us. Whereas, Scriptures speaks of us as dead who needs a one way resurrection to do and act.
What's wrong, if I may ask biblically, with understand salvation as individual aspects (regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, etc), instead of conflating them as one aspect? I agree with the phrase that we are being saved, being conformed, becoming holy (sanctification)...but this is different than the legal aspect of salvation (justification). What's wrong with viewing that as different aspects of our total redemption in Christ?
Though we don't choose to be born, how we live our life is ours to choose. Being "born again" is only the beginning of our spiritual life.How does that work when Jesus called regeneration, for an example, an act of being "born again" (John 3:5-8)? I don't understand the parallel if we cooperate with God. We don't necessarily choose to be born, so wouldn't rebirth capture this aspect of the new creation?
While bodily circumcision is impossible (or maybe difficult) to undo, the circumcision of the heart, which is the cleaning of our inner house can easily be undone if we don't struggle to maintain it after our regeneration (Matthew 12:44-45).What about circumcision of the heart? This is another description for regeneration (Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 2:11 etc). If I recall, circumcision was normally performed when an infant was eight days old by their parents (Genesis 17:12). I see this as part of the imagery we are suppose to understand, besides the putting off the "foreskin" of our most private part (a heart is private too).
Lazarus did many things to gain Christ's affection so as to raise him from the dead.What about when regeneration is paralleled with a resurrection (Ephesians 2:1-6; etc)? I don't see people raising themselves from the dead; I don't recall Lazarus doing this. I don't understand the parallel if we cooperated with God.
In choosing to obey their master or not.What about the imagery of slavery (Romans 6:17-22)? I don't think slaves frees themselves, nor do they choose their preferred master. Where is the parallel of our cooperation with God in this?
Sheep are not dumb, they are guileless and meek - virtues which the world sees as foolishness - and they offer their shepherd wool, milk and meat. Wool is our efforts to practice God's commandment, which He takes and weaves for us the garment of righteousness. As for what milk and meat symbolize if you are wise you will figure it out."...you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish." (John 10:26-28).
Lost sheep don't look for their shepherd, that's another parallel. Interesting connection too, sheep are dumb (in the stupid sense) and cannot look out for themselves. We are sheep.
It can happen, which is why Christ offered the following medicine:I usually hear monergists saying that believing in faith alone makes you not wanting to boast on yourself or "on your works". Do you ever feel like this has happened to you?
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