Theological Distinctives 3. Monergistic View of Salvation

Summary Major Supporters: Roman Catholicism/Eastern To have a Monergistic View of Salvation is to Orthodoxy/Erasmus/Joseph Arminius /John believe that man’s salvation is accomplished by God Wesley/Charles Finney alone. The debate between Monergism and Monergism describes the position in Christian continues to this day with Monergism typically being theology of those who believe that God, through the Holy associated with /Reformed theology and Spirit, works to effectively bring about the salvation of Synergism typically being associated with . individuals without cooperation from them. The Hospital Analogy Olive Drive Church holds to this position. To help understand the difference between synergism and monergism, think of two types of people in a A Brief History of Monergism vs. Synergism hospital.

Historically, there have been two major views on the First, hospitals have really sick people. roles God and man play in bringing about the salvation Their sickness is killing them, and they need help. So the of man:1 doctor prescribes them a remedy and they in turn cooperate with the doctor by agreeing to the take the Monergism prescription. Because of the power of the doctor’s Salvation is accomplished by God alone without remedy coupled with the patient’s cooperation, the cooperation from man patient is healed and can leave the hospital with a renewed lease on life. Monergism is the idea that because of the depth of our sin, we are unable to come to Christ on our own Second, hospitals have morgues full of dead people. without an initial work of God in which He imparts No matter what the specific problem was that they faced, spiritual life to us. Therefore, the new spiritual life the result was the same. They are all dead. If a doctor (i.e. our salvation) is entirely the work of God apart were to walk into the morgue and prescribe a remedy to from anything we do.2 help the dead person it would not work. Why? Because no matter how powerful the remedy, the dead person Major Supporters: Augustine/Martin Luther/John could not take it. They are dead, and dead people can’t Calvin/Jonathan Edwards/C.H. Spurgeon do anything, let alone do anything willingly. The only way a dead person is to find life again is if somebody Synergism miraculously gives the person a new life. Salvation is accomplished by a cooperation between God and man This is an analogy of the essence of the debate between synergism and monergism. Both views believe that our Synergism is the idea that God gives us spiritual life sin is a serious problem that we cannot fix on our own, if we first choose, by a free act of our will, to exercise and if left unchecked, will leave us dead. However, there in the Gospel. Salvation is the result of a is a major difference between the two views, and it cooperation between God (who offers the Gospel), centers around a pivotal question: and man (who in turn freely chooses to place his faith in the Gospel). How deep does our sin go? On the one hand, if our sin has left us really sick, and we simply need to take a prescription to help us with the 1 A third view, supported by Pelagian, was “Human Monergism” where problem, then it is conceivable that in the same way we man alone works his own salvation. Almost universally, this view has would need to cooperate with a doctor’s prescription, we been rejected by orthodox Christianity since the early 5th century. would need to cooperate with God to take the remedy He 2 Typically, monergism is associated with . While the has prescribed in the Gospel. On the other hand, if we nuances of what is meant by regeneration are outside the scope of this believe we are utterly dead in our sin, then just like a brief position paper, it should be noted that whether regeneration person in the morgue, we are left with no hope but for precedes faith (A.W. Strong), or whether faith is viewed as the result of the of the Holy Spirit and precedes regeneration God to be the one that gives us a new life. The spiritually (Millard Erickson), both views support a belief in monergistic dead person can do no more to restore themselves to regeneration (i.e. the new birth is entirely the work of the sovereign spiritual life than the physically dead person can do to God) since in both views faith is the result of the initial and irresistible restore themselves to physical life. work of the Holy Spirit. Cf. Demarest, pg. 289-91.

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Why Monergism is the Preferred View Without monergism, then we must say that not only does God get credit for contributing to our salvation, There are several reasons why monergism is the but at some level we must get credit as well. Even a preferred view. Here are five key reasons: tiny bit of sharing the credit with God robs Him of glory He rightfully deserves.4 1. Monergism is the only way man can be saved if he is truly “dead” in his sin. 3. Monergism has overwhelming Biblical support.

As noted in the analogy above, if man is totally Monergism can be seen virtually throughout the depraved in his sin, then he would be incapable of Bible including examples from the Old Testament doing anything to save himself. This means even his and the New Testament.5 In particular, monergism is faith in the Gospel is only made possible by God’s found throughout the writings of Paul and John life giving work in him. where they make several direct statements about the concept that man’s salvation is the work of God The Bible describes us as being “enslaved” to our sin alone. (Rom. 6:5-6; 16-20; John 8:34), blinded by our sin and incapable of “seeing or hearing” the Gospel 4. Monergism has been supported historically in the unless God opens our eyes and our ears first (Mark church as the best way to interpret what the Bible 8:22-26), and ultimately “dead” in our sin (Eph. 2:1). says about God and man’s roles in accomplishing In understanding the depth of man’s sin, Chuck man’s salvation. Swindoll rightly concludes: The list of people who have supported monergism in “Salvation is God’s work… and God’s work the history of the church is substantial, and therefore alone. We can’t do enough good deeds, make the doctrine of monergism is not something that is enough sound decisions, or muster enough new, or something that is only for one fringe group determination to earn eternal life.”3 within the larger Christian community.6 Instead, people from various theological backgrounds have All of these images of the depth of man’s sin, along historically defended monergism as the only with numerous other places throughout the explanation for what the Bible says about God’s role Scriptures, suggest that our sin is so deep, and we in man’s salvation. are so hopelessly enslaved to it, blinded by it, and dead in it that we will not do anything good unless 5. Monergism makes Jesus’ work on the cross God first sets us free, opens our eyes, and gives us completely necessary and therefore truly merciful. new life. The essence of Paul’s argument for monergism can 2. Monergism gives to God the credit and glory He be seen in passages like Galatians 2:22 where he rightfully deserves. essentially says that if Paul is responsible for anything in terms of his salvation (i.e. synergism), If our sin runs so deep that we are incapable of doing then that would mean that Jesus really didn’t need anything good, and God is the sole contributor to our to go to the cross for him. Jesus might have salvation and the only one who gives us life, then accomplished quite a bit on the cross, but He didn’t anything good or loving that we do must be because accomplish everything on the cross. And if Jesus of God alone. didn’t accomplish everything on the cross, then He essentially died for nothing. The Biblical support for this understanding of the supremacy and centrality of God’s glory is Monergism makes Jesus’ work on the cross overwhelming. One of the best examples of how this completely necessary because without it, we have no idea was understood practically was in the life of hope but are instead destined to rightfully receive Paul. He could have been a famous superstar during God’s wrathful justice in response to our sin. his day because of the amount of work he did in helping to establish churches throughout the Roman 4 There are some who argue that synergism can still give God all the Empire. Instead, Paul refused to ever accept any glory, however the point is usually made about our spiritual growth, not credit for anything good that was done through him. our role in our salvation. For more on the role of synergism in our relationship with God, see the section below. He understood the depth of his sin, and the sheer mercy God had given him in the Gospel. And rather 5 Cf. especially passages like Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; John than taking credit, Paul instead always opted to 1:3; 3:5-8; 6:44; 6:65; Ephesians 2:4-5; Galatians 2:20-21; 1 credit God for everything. (cf. Gal. 6:14; Acts 14:11-15). Corinthians 2:14; Colossians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Acts 16:14 to name just a few of the passages that promote monergism.

6 The list of people who have supported monergism includes Augustine, Martin Luther, , Ulrich Zwingli, Jonathan Edwards, C.H. Spurgeon, John Piper, John Hannah, Chuck Swindoll, Wayne Grudem. For a more exhaustive list, see 3 Swindoll, Charles, Learning to Walk by Grace: A Study of Romans 6- www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/monergism_history.html#more 11, Insight for Living: Anaheim. 1999.

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Monergism also makes Jesus’ work on the cross 10. Synergism means God is obligated to us based on truly merciful because it would not be as merciful for our decisions. Monergism means that we are Him to die on the cross for people who still could do obligated to God based on His glory. something to save themselves as it would be for Him to die on the cross for people who have no hope 11. Monergism produces confidence in the command to apart from His gracious and atoning work. preach the Gospel from the Bible without the need to add anything else because it is God alone who Practical Implications of Monergism persuades people’s hearts of the truth of the Gospel, not our professional rhetoric. The doctrine of monergism is more than just an intellectual exercise. There are several practical 12. Monergism produces effective lives of ministry implications in our lives that flow from a belief in because our motivation for ministry is a more monergism: powerful affection for God rather than a shallow and exhausting obligation to do enough good things 1. Monergism establishes the utter necessity and to warrant God’s favor. centrality of the Gospel in our entire lives, because without it, we have no hope for life. What Role Does Synergism Play?

2. Monergism causes us to give God all the glory for While synergism should be rejected when it comes to our lives because we did nothing to save God’s saving work in our lives, it seems like it is ourselves, and therefore can take no credit for reasonable to speak of a synergism between God and anything good we do. man in a much broader sense. It seems evident throughout Scripture and in our lives that God works 3. Monergism allows us to approach the mission of through our works to bring salvation to a lost world and making disciples with unwavering courage and works through us to accomplish His will in this world. genuine confidence, because we know God is the The fact that God works with us gives our work real one who saves people, not us. value, motivates us to stay on mission, and deepens our gratitude towards a God who didn’t have to work with 4. Monergism allows us to avoid the temptation to us, but in His grace, chooses to do so. live as if we have to do something to preserve our salvation because we know our salvation was Ephesians 4:15-16 speaks towards this kind of synergy. accomplished by God alone. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to 5. Monergism allows us to avoid a theology of sin grow up in every way into him who is the head, management which is the only logical message into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined for those who believe we must participate in our and held together by every joint with which it is own salvation. equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up 6. Monergism helps us avoid becoming overly in love. -Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV) reliant on big programs or church growth strategies because salvation is not the result of Jesus is the head of the church and is the one who causes our innovative techniques but rather a result of the growth. The church, who was made alive by the the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. monergistic work of God alone (see Ephesians 2), now willingly allows themselves to be instruments in God’s 7. Monergism allows us to have confidence in our hand to bring about the growth. progressive growth in the Christian life, even through periods of struggle, because we know This type of synergy is found throughout the mission of that once God has given us new life, we can’t do the church. Jesus says, “Go and make disciples,” Paul anything to lose it. relishes in the utter joy that God would allow him to participate in God’s mission. Throughout Acts, God uses 8. Monergism produces authentic humility in the willing obedience of faithful people to accomplish dealing with marginalized people because we His will. Peter, Paul, and others preach willingly and not know that we were no different than them in our out of compulsion, and God uses their words to sin, and the only reason we have life is because of accomplish the salvation in more and more people. the sheer grace of God. So while it is true that synergism has no place when 9. Monergism brings real value to our work because talking about God’s saving work in our lives, this does we know that His acceptance of us was based on not mean that in a more general sense it is wrong to His sheer undeserved grace, and yet He still chooses think of a synergism that God allows in using man to to allow us to participate with Him in His accomplish His purposes. restoration of all things.

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Conclusion

We believe that monergism is the clear teaching of the Bible when it comes to God and man’s role in the salvation of man. Simply stated, man’s salvation is accomplished by God alone. Based on the reasons mentioned in this paper, we believe that holding to and freely teaching monergism not only will allow us to stay true to the Scriptures but also will produce very practical and spiritually vital implications in our lives as together we seek to glorify God through lives transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

© Olive Drive Church, 2012. All rights reserved.

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