God Loves… Himself

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

We have been looking at what historical thinking has been regarding the depravity of human nature. The last two posts have looked at this in terms of evangelism. We will now move to position (c) and look at the ramifications this has for sanctification. After all, a Gospel that is by grace alone must be followed by some form of sanctification by grace alone if salvation as a whole is going to be by grace alone.

Let me restate position (c) above in an attempt to get at the heart of the meaning: For the performance of any and every good work even the renewed will is totally dependent on divine grace to prompt, direct, and enable it. To restate it in more of a negative way: the renewed will cannot perform any good work apart from the grace of God to prompt, direct, and enable it to do the good work. Surely the complete and total contradiction between this position and that of the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian can be seen. The will is not free in the sense that it is able to do what it wants to do (Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian), but it is free from the bondage of sin so that it now has the nature that can respond to the divine grace of God by the grace of God. When God moves upon the unregenerate person, that person responds according to their nature. When God moves upon and within a regenerate person, that person responds according to their nature in one sense though they are responding to grace in reality.

This teaches us to flee from any form of works for sanctification. It is true that a new heart will perform works, but we are not sanctified by the works. The works are a product of the grace and life of God in the soul and not the product of a soul that is doing the works in order to be made more holy. We are taught by Paul in Philippians 4:13 that we or “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” It is God in us who can do all things through us. John 15:4-5 show us the teachings of Christ on this: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Apart from the grace and life we receive from God in Christ, we can do nothing spiritually good.

Colossians 1:11 teaches us how we are to grow: “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience.” Paul then applies that to himself later in the same chapter of Colossians when he speaks of the power which works in him: “28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” We are taught in Ephesians 2 that salvation is totally of grace, not of works in the slightest, yet we are created for the good works which God has prepared beforehand: “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

As can be seen from the verses given above, position (c) is not just some dream that some over zealous Augustinians or Calvinists came up with. Even the believer with a renewed heart is still totally dependent on the grace of God to do anything good at all. It is the grace of God that must prompt and move the will to do good works because the works are those He has prepared the believer for even from before the foundations of the world. The believer is to live by what s/he receives from Christ by faith each moment of his or her life. The believer is to walk by faith and what does faith do but receive grace. The believer is to live by the wisdom of God which is Christ and so receive that wisdom of God which is more of His grace to His people. We can receive nothing but what is given to us above and surely that can be seen as all of grace to His people. It is only when sinners are chosen by grace, salvation accomplished by grace and then applied by grace, and then they are all sanctified by that same grace can salvation be said to be by grace alone. Underlying the positions above (a. b. c.) is the teaching of the grace and sovereignty of God. Sanctification also must be by grace through faith or it is by works.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

Last time we continued looking at the ramifications of the Augustinian view on evangelism. We looked at a couple of positions on evangelism and how those were really Semi-Pelagian if not Pelagian in practice. We began to look at position (b.) above. We will now continue to look at some more ramifications of position (b.), even some that are quite uncomfortable for Reformed people today.

Notice that position (b.) above teaches us that even with all the influences of divine grace upon the soul and will of man, no one can act “aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed.” This position, which is the historical position of the Reformed, totally destroys a lot of modern day methods of evangelism. Underlying this teaching, however, one can see the stress on the sovereignty of God and a salvation that is totally of grace. It is in direct conflict with any teaching that requires man’s will to be able to cooperate with the grace of God. It is in direct conflict with one who teaches that God draws all men and it is up to the person to respond or not to respond. This position stresses without equivocation that there is nothing in man that will respond even to the grace of God until that will is renewed and regenerated. Man hates God until God gives the person a new heart and the person loves God from that new heart.

We are told that there are means of grace and that is correct. However, nothing has grace in and of itself so that by a mere act of the will grace is given. The unbeliever is not cooperating with the grace of God when s/he reads the Scriptures and offers something called a prayer. No, that person is simply doing those things that God uses to save souls. God uses His Word as a means of grace, but the grace is still in His hand to show and not the sinner’s. By definition grace is that which is caused by God alone and not the sinner at all. Sinners are to hear the preaching of the Word because God saves through the Word, but this is not to be seen as cooperating with the grace of God. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and have compassion on whom He will have compassion. He never promises to save those who hear His Word, though it is by the Word that He saves as He pleases.

We must shout to the skies the truth of position (b.) above that God saves by grace alone and not in accordance with the cooperation of man! This should teach us to preach to ourselves to always look to grace rather than what is going on. This should teach us in evangelism to teach unbelievers to seek the Lord for a new heart rather than to cooperate with the grace of God. Until a person has a new heart, there is nothing that a person can do to respond to the grace of God aright. Until a person has a new heart, there is nothing that a person can do that is spiritually good or will please God. Even when God is showing some form of “grace” to a person in many ways, that person cannot respond unless and until God gives them a new heart and new will.

This should teach us to always stress the absolute sovereignty of God in His showing of grace rather than depending on means of grace in salvation. The means of grace are to be taught, but they are means and nothing more while grace itself is a sovereign act of God. Grace can only be moved from within God or it is not grace at all. In the Reformed community there has been much stress on the means of grace. But, strangely enough, that has become a position where the means of grace has now become an agent of grace that a person may apply to him or herself. Baptism may be seen as a means of grace, yet that is still a far different thing than thinking that it confers grace of itself when applied. The Word of God is to be seen as a means of grace, but that is far different than thinking that the will of man may apply grace to himself by reading the Bible. All are to be done in accordance with the preaching of the Word of God and in complete submission to the sovereignty of God who shows grace as He pleases or it is not grace at all. If human beings can do something to earn or cause God to show grace, then grace is no longer grace at all. Instead, as position (b.) teaches, we are entirely in the hand of grace and not even grace itself will move the will of man to spiritually do anything until grace renews the soul and will. It is sovereign grace or it is not grace at all (Rom 4:16; 11:6). Grace never comes on the basis of a human work.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

In the last post we looked at evangelism in light of position (a.) above. We will look at this again with some of the different styles of evangelism in our day in mind. For example, there is the basic method of The Four Spiritual Laws. It begins by telling people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives. It then tells them that there is a chasm between them and God and that is because of their sin. However, they are told, Jesus has bridged this gap and can take us to God. All we have to do is pray a prayer and we will be saved.

There is FAITH evangelism as well. In it we are told to get people to admit that they are sinners and also that they need to pray a prayer or make a commitment of some kind. Regardless of the content involved, the issue comes down to the sinner’s choice, prayer or commitment. In many ways the Four Spiritual Laws and FAITH evangelism have a lot in common. The issues involved have people admitting to the fact that they are sinners, admit to the facts of the Gospel, and then to pray a prayer or make a commitment.

Regardless of the name and of the professed theological adherence, modern evangelism practice is based on passing information to a person, getting that person to admit to something and pray a prayer or make a choice. All of it is at a bare minimum an implicit denial of position (a.) above. If we truly believe that human beings are entirely depraved in their moral nature and so much so that they are totally unable to do anything spiritually good, and even to the point that they cannot in any degree begin or dispose themselves to spiritual things, then it is utterly self-evident that the above practices of evangelism are entirely insufficient and are in error. Any thing that is based on simply giving information to a person and then expecting that person to make a choice is error.

We can also look at ways of evangelism that focus on the Law. Now it is certainly biblical to focus on the Law in evangelism, but the way it is focused on is important as well. If we use the Law to show men that they are sinners, then that is well and good. But if we only show them that they are sinners, we have not gone far enough. What we must do is to use the Law to show them their utter inability to do anything morally good. It is not that we convince them that they are sinners and then they will see their need of Christ for a Savior, but they need to see their inability so that Christ will save them from their inability as well by becoming their ability or their power. If we use the Law just enough for people to see their need for a Savior, then we have done no more than convince them that they need a little help. What they need to see is their utter inability in the spiritual realm so that they will look entirely to God for grace and a salvation that is entirely by grace.

We see an entirely different focus between the views above and what position (a.) requires. The evangelistic views above focus on getting sinners to see things about themselves and then to pray a prayer. Position (a.) would require us to teach the sinner that nothing that comes from him or herself will help him or her at all and that the sinner needs a new nature in order to receive something from God and then do something. Jesus taught very clearly that a person must be born from above before he could see or enter the kingdom. It has been stated that the new birth logically precedes faith though they happen at the same time. However, we must state unequivocally that the new birth must be stated as necessary for faith in evangelism or sinners will think that believing is something they have the power to do. They will mistake it with an intellectual act.

The paragraph immediately preceding this one is looking to position (b.) above. Even under the work of divine grace no one can act in cooperation with grace until the soul is renewed. The ways of modern evangelism lead people to despair and deceive them about conversion because they do not tell them that they cannot do what they are commanded to do apart from the grace of God which renews the soul. The vast majority of professing Reformed people today do not practice evangelism in accordance with the doctrine of depravity. They practice evangelism in a way that is more in line with Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

In this post we will consider another massive ramification of the many from (a.) above. Last time I tried to look at a few ways that this teaching should change our preaching. This time we will ask and then try to answer a question on evangelism. How should and would it change our evangelism if we really believed these things as true and a necessary truth or background for the Gospel? First, let us reflect just a moment on the difference this view of human beings has with the other views. It tells us that the people we are talking to are totally unable to do anything spiritually good and cannot in any degree dispose themselves to do so either. Other views all think that a person can do something to some degree that is good spiritually or at the least can dispose themselves to do so. The other views would encourage us to speak to people and try to persuade them to do something of themselves so that they would be saved. What are we going to tell people to do if they are totally unable do anything spiritually good? If we tell them to do something in their own power, then obviously they are doing it from their own sinful nature. They might do something in their own strength and be deceived into thinking that it was spiritual.

If we really believe the Augustinian or Calvinistic view of the depravity of man it simply must change our evangelism. The methods and content of evangelism cannot be the same as the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian systems. It simply is not possible. This should change what we do in telling unbelievers to believe, repent and obey. Not only does the unbeliever not believe, s/he is unable to do anything spiritually good. Even more, the unbeliever cannot “in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto.” Surely we can see that if this is the case with the unbeliever, we cannot approach people with the same methodology as those who think that a person can do what is commanded or that a person can dispose him or herself toward doing what is commanded in order to cooperate with the grace of God.

What does the unbeliever need to see? All humans are commanded to repent and believe to be sure, but if they cannot do so of their own strength we are not to hide this information from them. If people are totally unable to do what is commanded by God, then in order for that person to do what is commanded he must know where to go to obtain what is needed to do so. In order for salvation to be all of grace, the unbeliever needs to see that it is grace that must bring him or her to Christ and not his or her own efforts. John 6:44 gives us one example of Jesus teaching this: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” Romans 4:5 is an example of Paul teaching this: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Jesus was not afraid to teach people that they could not come to Him apart from the Father drawing them. Paul told people that a person must not work in order to believe in Him who justifies the ungodly. The unbeliever needs to see his or her inability in order to see his utter need of Christ to save from beginning to end. The Gospel is not Christ purchasing salvation and then all who will apply it to themselves will be saved. The application of the Gospel has been purchased by Christ and it must be applied by the Holy Spirit. The command to repent and believe is not a command of what fallen man has the ability to do, but what He must have the Holy Spirit give him the ability to do. We are also commanded to be perfect, but apart from Christ that cannot be done. We are commanded to love God, but apart from the Holy Spirit we cannot do that. Neither can we repent and believe unless it is granted to us by God and given to us as a gift by grace.

The Gospel of pure grace must never be presented to men as if it depended on their will rather than grace alone. Romans 9:15-16 makes this point without qualms or hesitation: “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION. 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” If God has compassion and grace on whom He will, then the logic of verse 16 is seen. Therefore, it does not depend on the will of man of the running of man. It depends on God and His mercy alone. This must be part of our evangelism or we are not presenting a true and whole Gospel of grace. Men are saved by grace, not by grace and man’s will.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

We should take more time and consider the massive ramifications of (a.) above. I hope to have shown that this is biblical and is the historical teaching of Reformed people. This is not just a wild idea that a few had in history, but it is the dominant thought among the Reformed. We cannot be Reformed without these teachings. If anyone denies these teachings, that person is not a Reformed person no matter their words. This teaching on depravity is at the heart of what the Gospel teaches is salvation from sin. This is a necessary teaching that is at the very heart and is one of the foundations of Reformed and biblical teaching. How would it change our preaching if we knew and taught that man is so depraved that he is totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto? How should and would it change our evangelism if we really believed these things as true and a necessary truth or background for the Gospel? These are the two questions that I will deal with in this blog and the next. Today we will look at the difference this should make in preaching.

The question again: How would it change our preaching if we knew and taught that man is so depraved that he is totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto? The first thing it should change is what we preach about man. We would not preach on the value of man and his worth. Instead, we would preach about the inability of man and of his need of grace. We must always hold out grace as God being motivated by God Himself rather than anything in man. When men esteem themselves and value themselves, they tend to think of those things as reasons why God would show them mercy and grace. Instead of telling people that they can do things to please God, they should hear that they cannot please God and that they need grace in order to do so. Believers and unbelievers alike need to hear that they cannot please God in and of themselves. They need to hear that God does not meet them part of the way there, but that they need grace to be disposed toward God at all. God does not need or want any help from human beings to do things for Him that He cannot do, but instead human beings need to be humble in order that God would work through them instead of them doing it themselves. Galatians 2:20 shows us how it is the life of Christ in us that moves to obedience rather than the life of self.

It would change the way we preach by how we inform people of what they need to do. We would recognize and teach them that their outward works are no sign of grace at all. We would desire for them to do certain things, but we would recognize that they can be very deceived by their outward behavior as the Pharisees were. In giving application to our sermons we would be careful not to give people things they can do in their own strength without stating the truth of the whole situation because that would deceive people. This would be one way that we would go around crying peace, peace when in fact there was no peace for these people with God. We must remember that no one is disposed from him or herself to do spiritual actions. The change, then, would be utterly enormous. Instead of pleading with people and giving instructions on how to do things, we would tell them that they first needed to pray and seek God for grace in order to do what they need to do by His strength and grace.

The Gospel is also for believers and it must be preached to them as well. Believers need to know that they must repent by grace and believe by grace too. We would preach the Law differently. We would preach repentance and faith differently. The Law is not to be preached in order for people to keep it, but it is to be preached so that people see that they cannot keep it in their own strength. They must see that they cannot keep it apart from grace. Indeed faith is beyond the power of the unbeliever to exercise, but it is also beyond the self-strength of the believer as well. The believer must have faith but faith is what receives grace in order to carry out the demands of God. The object of faith must be there for there to be faith and the believer must have grace in order to love and trust Christ. Boiled down, the believer must constantly be reminded of his or her own inability in order that true obedience would come from faith in grace alone which works in the believer for true obedience. Without the life of Christ working in the soul there is no true obedience. Yet until a person has seen his own inability and utter helplessness in the spiritual realm, s/he will do external actions and think they are spiritual. That is being deceived.

Preaching must take into account those that hear and of their ability to do the commands of Scripture. We do that when we speak to young children and to those in nursing homes. We speak differently when we speak to those of different intellectual capacities. If we are going to be faithful to Scripture, we must learn to preach in a way that is consistent with the spiritual capacities of human beings as well. If we do not tell them that they cannot do the commands of Scripture and need the grace of God to do so, they will become like the Pharisees and water the commands down to their abilities and capacities. That is one thing that is going on in America today. We have some really nice people who are very concerned about being gracious and so have departed from the truth. This has led to external creeds of Reformed theology and to the practices of the Pharisees. This has led to a truncated Gospel and a truncated and self-willed form of sanctification. It is vital that we get back to the teachings of the glory of God, but it is also vital that we see, believe, and then do what we do in light of the biblical teaching on the depravity of man. If not, we will do nothing but further the kingdom of the Pharisees and of darkness.

Here is what the Westminster Confession of Faith says on this in part: “By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body…From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith says virtually the same thing. The Westminster Larger Catechism, in the answer to Question 25, says this: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilty of Adam’s first sin, the want [lack] of that righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his nature, whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; which is commonly called Original Sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions.”

The Synod of Dordt put it this way: “Therefore, all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin; without the grace of the regeneration Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform.” The Heidelberg Catechism, question 8, has the same story: “8Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil? A. Yes, unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God.”

James Ussher (1581-1656) wrote a Body of Divinity. In it he asks what is original sin: “A. It is a Sin, wherewith all that naturally descend from Adam are defiled, even from their first Conception; Infecting all the Powers of their Souls and Bodies, and thereby making them Drudges and Slaves of Sin. Q. Can Man in this Estate do no good thing to please God, to deserve at least something of his Favor? A. We have lost by this Sin and all the Righteousness we had in our Creation: So as now if God should say to us, Think but a good through of thy self, and thou shalt be saved; we cannot; But our nature is as a stinking Puddle, which in it self is loathsome, and being moved is worse.”

In the Minutes of the Kehukee Baptist Association of 1955 it shows that they have kept the beliefs of their forefathers of the Philadephia Confession: “We believe that it is utterly out of the power of men, as fallen creatures, to keep the Law of God perfectly, repent of their sins truly, or belief in Jesus Christ, except they be drawn by the Holy Ghost.” The Sandy Creek Association, organized by Shubael Stearns in 1758, had this as one of their Articles: “That human nature is corrupt, and that man, of his own free will and ability, is impotent to regain the state in which he was primarily placed.”

We can see that both Paedobaptists and Baptists alike have held to this basic teaching throughout the centuries. This is not to say that all have held it, but this is to get out the idea that what Hodge has given us in short form is an accurate representation of what those who have been Reformed through the centuries have said. If our theology is wrong at this point, we will be wrong in terms of the Gospel as well. If we are wrong at this point, then we have misunderstood the character of God and of the great evil of sin. But to restate an issue that was brought up in the last blog, it does little good to have a creed that says these things about depravity if we will not examine our own hearts and be broken from our own pride. It is far easier to give lip service to a teaching than it is to see how true it is of ourselves. It is also easier to teach these things in an intellectual way than it is to teach this to people in the church and to practice evangelism with this truth. No matter what we hold to in terms of our creed, if this truth is not deep in our souls and we do not live, teach, and evangelize according to it, then we do not hold to it in truth. If human beings are so depraved that they have no ability (cannot) to do one thing spiritual or to dispose themselves to do something spiritual, then we are grossly misleading them to teach or to evangelize in a contrary way. If we live as if we have the power in ourselves to do spiritual things, we deceive ourselves as well. This is important.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

We began to look at the Augustinian section (a) from above in the last blog. If this is scriptural it is a devastating article to all human pride and sufficiency and along with those things, it is equally devastating to Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism. If man is so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be unable to do any thing spiritually good and cannot even begin or dispose himself to anything spiritual, both the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian systems of thought come crashing to the ground. Not only that, but both systems of thought would then be seen as very dangerous to the Gospel and sanctification which are by grace alone. If those two systems are at odds with grace alone, then they are at odds with the true Gospel and biblical sanctification.

It would be hard to exaggerate the differences between the Augustinian position and the other two. A theology that is by grace alone is a theology that is built upon the infinite nature of God. A theology with the free-will and goodness of man is an infinite distance away from the theology of the infinite God. If justification is by faith alone in order to be by grace alone, then the teaching of Scripture on the depravity of man will be consistent with that. The teaching on the depravity of humanity as set out in the Bible, by Augustine, and then the Reformers was one that held to the total depravity of man and was consistent with the biblical teaching of grace.

It is so hard for a human heart that is built upon self-love, pride, and self-sufficiency to hear that it is totally unable to do any thing spiritually good. Even more, it cannot even move itself to be disposed to do so. This is the application of Ephesians 2:1-3 that tells us that all human beings are dead in sins and trespasses and are by nature children of wrath. This takes Romans 8:7-8 seriously: “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” The natural man has no ability to be subject to the law of God and no ability to please God at all. All the natural man does is from a nature that is dead in sins and trespasses. All that comes from that heart is opposed to spiritual things. All that comes from that heart is at enmity with God and opposed to the true love of God.

Romans 3:10-12 gives another devastating statement upon the human condition as it quotes from the Old Testament: “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” This description of Jew and Gentile describes the aftermath of the fall and of the present state of all who are not in Christ. There is not one individual who is righteous. There is not one single person who understands. There is not one single person who seeks for God. All humanity has turned from God and has become useless. Not one single person does good. Surely these texts of Scripture begin to show us that the Augustinian position is not without scriptural evidence. When the Augustinian position posits its position at this point, it is simply a statement that takes into account what Scripture states on this issue. It is not pleasing to the proud human heart, but that does not negate its truthfulness. The opposition of the human heart to it simply shows the truth of it.

The teaching of the entire depravity of the human race is certainly in the minority in our day. But again, that should not surprise us as it should be expected that sinful hearts will deny the extent of sin in the heart. Those who are proud will not want to think that they are nothing before God. Those who are self-sufficient will hate the idea that they can do nothing to save themselves and that they have to totally rely on the good pleasure of God. One thing we have to be careful of in our day is those who claim to be Reformed but sneak human ability in the back door in disguise. Salvation by grace is glorious in its beauty, but the sinful heart does not want to rely only on God. It is easier to accept an intellectual system of thought that teaches the depravity of man than it is to recognize one’s own deep depravity and utter inability. It is also easier to teach the intellectual part than it is to tell people how wicked and depraved they really are. People still call names and ridicule those who really believe such things.

We have now arrived at the third position as set out by A.A Hodge in his Outlines of Theology. As noted in the first line, his position is that which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches. He is claiming that this is the pure stream of truth that flowed from the Reformation. As in the Bible, the truth is met with the disdain of depraved hearts. When the pure truth is taught, opposition arises and sets out other teachings. Those teachings are usually what people normally or commonly think and that in accordance with proud, depraved hearts. During the time of Augustine, Pelagius came out against the truth of grace alone. During the time of the Reformation when the teaching of grace alone flourished, others rose up to contend with the Reformers who taught grace alone. The writings of those who contended with them both while they were alive and after they died are many. What Hodge has set out here is a beautiful and short synopsis of Augustinian and historical Reformed thought.

3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.

The Pelagian does not think that the fall of man into sin had any real influence on human nature. Semi-Pelagians believe that the fall of man into sin weakened the will. But notice that the Augustinian view takes Scripture as it speaks when it teaches that man is dead in his sins and trespasses and by nature is a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). The statement here is a short but powerful teaching on the depravity of humanity. It is not just that human beings have almost no power, but that they are entirely depraved in their moral nature. Notice that human beings are entirely depraved (total depravity) in their moral nature. It is not that a human being has a sinful arm or foot, but that the moral nature which uses the arm or foot for its intents and purposes is entirely depraved. While the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian systems degenerate into a view where morality is determined by what a person does, the historical position of the Augustinian and Reformed do not fall into that. Jesus taught us this in Matthew 15:18-19: “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” It is not the actions in and of themselves that determine the wickedness of a person, but the person’s nature. When the moral nature is entirely or completely depraved, all that the person does is wicked even in the realm of religion and even in orthodox theology.

But the statement by Hodge gives even more explanation. Humanity is so entirely depraved that the human is totally unable to do any thing spiritually good. This is an accurate statement on what total depravity used to teach. By nature human beings are more than just unable to do things quite good enough, they are totally unable to do any thing spiritually good. Another way to state that would be to say that they cannot do the slightest thing that has the slightest bit of good in it no matter what it is. While it is a sign of depravity for a man to commit adultery, it is not the case that a person that does not commit adultery is not depraved. Both the adulterer and the one that does not commit adultery, apart from the regenerating grace of God, are totally unable to do anything spiritually good. One is outwardly moral and the other is not yet both of them are unable to do anything spiritually good.

Hodge’s statement goes even deeper yet. Not only are human beings unable to do one thing spiritually good, but they are unable in any degree to begin or even dispose themselves to do so. This is a shot at the fortress of human pride. If you are reading this carefully with attention to the biblical ramifications, then shock waves should be spreading through your system. What Hodge is setting out is the historical view of Augustinian and Reformed teaching on what the Bible teaches. This is the historical teaching on the depravity of human beings. It is not just that a person cannot do anything outwardly good, but that the person is utterly unable to do anything spiritually good at all not matter what the outside is doing. It is not just that the person cannot do something spiritually good, but the person cannot move him or herself in the smallest degree to begin or dispose him or herself to do anything spiritually good. What does this do? It leaves human beings at the mere mercy of God who will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and will have compassion on whom He will have compassion. In other words, this leaves human beings in total need of grace. It is precisely at this point that Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism rises to defend its own ability so that it will not need to rely totally on the grace and choice of God.

2nd. Semipelagian.-(a.) Man’s nature has been so far weakened by the fall that it cannot act aright in spiritual matters without divine assistance. (b.) This weakened moral state which infants inherit from their parents is the cause of sin, but not itself sin in the sense of deserving the wrath of God. (c.) Man must strive to do his whole duty, when God meets him with co-operative grace, and renders his efforts successful. (d.) Man is not responsible for the sins he commits until after he has enjoyed and abused the influences of grace.

Today we will look at Semi-Pelagian thinking on sanctification. What we must know and never move from is that Scripture teaches us that Christ is our sanctification: “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (I Corinthians 1:30). Scripture also teaches us that Christ is our life (Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 3:1-4). The believer is told that grace reigns through righteousness (Rom 5:20-21). We are never told that grace is God’s co-operation with man. We are never told that man is sanctified by works, though man is to do good works. We are never told to work hard and strive to do all you can do and God will do the rest and your efforts will be successful. We are also told that if something is a work then it is not of grace (Rom 11:36). The believer is to live and walk by faith (Rom 1:17; II Cor 5:7; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). The reason that the believer is to walk by faith is because that which is of faith is by grace (Rom 4:16; 11:6). Faith is not a work of the soul, it is that by which we receive grace.

The Semi-Pelagian system is essentially sanctification by works. It does claim to have grace involved, but the grace it speaks of is a grace that helps man finish what man cannot do alone. It is man’s efforts and grace that take man to sanctification. It is the logical progression of the belief that man was only weakened by the fall and needs assistance from God rather than a person that is spiritually dead needed everything from the hand of the grace of God. It is also in line with the position “d” above which says that “man is not responsible for the sins he commits until after he has enjoyed and abused the influences of grace.” In other words, it is not that what man does is sinful enough to count against him but it is his abusing grace that is sinful. This position is simply full of a works mentality and opposed to grace alone.

We can look at this system from the position of a pastor. The pastor must strive to do his whole duty in order that God would meet him with grace and make his efforts successful. We would end up with a man preaching in his own strength working hard so that God would meet him with grace and make his preaching successful. But the true dependence is upon the pastor himself. He is working hard in his study and preparation. He is going to work hard in the matter of preaching. But why is he working hard to do that? He is working hard in order to do his whole duty so that God will meet him with grace. But notice that grace does not arrive until a person is working hard to do his or her duty. It is not grace that is prompting and strengthening the person, it is self and the motives of self.

The pastor and his works in preaching is a picture of how people would strive to be moral and do good works to the best of their ability so that God’s grace would meet them and make their efforts successful. What we see, then, is simply a sanctification based on the works and efforts of man. Indeed he will say that it is by grace, but in reality he is depending on his works to do what he can do and also so that God will show grace. Man has this burden to do to the best of his ability (whatever that may be) so that he will be met with grace. But this is again simply a way to earn grace which makes grace not to be grace, which is what Romans 11:6 so clearly teaches: “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” Works from the efforts of self show us that what we think is grace is not grace at all. God’s grace is moved within Himself and not by the efforts, merits or works of man. We are to labor and even labor hard, but that is not by our own strength. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (I Cor 15:10). “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col 1:29) and “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). The Semi-Pelagian system has no real resemblance to sanctification by grace.

We are thinking through some of A.A. Hodge’s thinking regarding the three main theological positions in past BLOGS. The three positions can be seen in the post titled, A.A. Hodge on Human Ability. The first position has already been dealt with and we are now considering the second position below:

2nd. Semipelagian.-(a.) Man’s nature has been so far weakened by the fall that it cannot act aright in spiritual matters without divine assistance. (b.) This weakened moral state which infants inherit from their parents is the cause of sin, but not itself sin in the sense of deserving the wrath of God. (c.) Man must strive to do his whole duty, when God meets him with co-operative grace, and renders his efforts successful. (d.) Man is not responsible for the sins he commits until after he has enjoyed and abused the influences of grace.

How should we view the Semi-Pelagian view in light of justification by grace alone through faith alone? In reality, the biblical view of justification is not consistent with this view. If man’s nature is simply weakened and not dead, then man needs help rather than salvation by grace alone. When Romans 4:16 states that salvation is by faith in order that it may be by grace, we can conclude that it means that it is by faith apart from works so that it may be by God’s grace without man’s help. But if the nature of man is only weakened by the fall and so he has some ability left within him, then he is expected to use that ability in salvation which is not justification by faith alone in reality.

Romans 11:6 goes on with the same thought: “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.” When the Bible speaks of grace, it is speaking of the work of God apart from any merit or work of man at all. Salvation is all of grace and nothing but grace from the beginning to the end. Ephesians 1:6 is so clear on this point: “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” The Gospel is meant to display the beauty of His grace and be to the praise of the glory of His grace. To the degree that we ascribe merit or power to the will of man, we denigrate the grace of God and detract from the beauty of His grace. We should also note that at the end of Ephesians 1:6 it says that this grace was “freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Grace is freely given in order that it may truly be grace. If man has some ability and that ability is used in order to obtain salvation in any way, then salvation is not totally of grace and grace is not freely given. In this sense grace is freely given in that grace is free of causation in man. There is no cause within a human being to make God desire or want to show that sinful human being grace. When that basic and biblical truth is seen, we see that it is the Gospel that displays the beauty of His grace and it is freely bestowed on man in Christ.

Romans 3:24 makes the same point and teaches the same Gospel: “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Here we see that justification is a gift or as some translations put it, men are justified freely. The heart of the situation again is that justification is something that God does freely or apart from any cause or causation in man. For justification to be by grace it must be without cause in man. That is the beauty and the glory of the Gospel of grace alone. It is not that God saves man because man can do some little something toward his own salvation, but because God is God and God desires to shine forth the glory of His grace. It is at this point that the conflict between justification and the Semi-Pelagian system becomes obvious. As seen in point (c) above, this position says that man must strive and then God meets man with co-operative grace. The Gospel of grace alone knows nothing of co-operative grace but is by grace alone. The Gospel of grace alone is all about grace and not about the efforts of man. In fact, Romans 4 teaches us that a person must give up all hope in his own efforts and works in order to be saved. “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (vv. 4-5). Until a person gives up his own works and efforts, s/he cannot be saved by grace alone.

Even in such a short space it should be obvious that the Semi-Pelagian position is not consistent with the Gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Those who hold this position may indeed preach much of the cross and much of Christ, but their position is inconsistent with the Gospel as a whole. To preach the cross and of Christ in truth and in accordance with the truth of grace alone, there must be a denial of co-operative grace and of any and all works and merits of man. This should instruct us on how little the Gospel is being preached today and that in all theological circles. A true teaching of grace alone is necessary to teach and preach the Gospel. Semi-Pelagianism is not consistent with the Gospel of grace alone. In fact, its position utterly denies it.