Featured Salvation: A Gift or a Reward?

Calvinists and all Christians confess that salvation is a free gift. I am leaving out cultic teachings and beliefs that expressly believe that salvation is of works, i.e. Mormonism, Catholicism, SAD, JW's &c.

However, there are teachings that turn this gift into a reward that are outside of these cultic groups and thought of as orthodox in belief systems.

One specific theology, and other nominal belief systems that make this gift a reward is found within the teachings of Arminian theology and among some non-Calvinist theologies.

Arminian theology teaches a cooperative salvation, that is, that man cooperates with God, then chooses salvation, and then is rewarded salvation. They would call it gifted, but the actual teaching denies this.

Let's be clear that this does not show salvation as a gift, but as a reward for doing something, a reward for cooperating, and a reward for choosing.

Scripturally it is that God has gifted us faith, which is evidence of salvation, and we know Scripturally that He quickens us and we realize then we are saved. Nothing in our choosing makes it effectual or real, as it is really God that chose us, and our response is simply belief.

Yet even at the moment of salvation it is simply an acknowledgment that He called us, chose us, and saved us. We come to the realization that He did all of the saving, each and every part, thus we claim and hold to 'monergism' not 'synergism', and salvation is reckoned, truly, as a gift, not a reward for action, choosing, or cooperating.

When one claims it is by our cooperation, then it claims a person has done a thing, and in response are given salvation for cooperation. This shows that salvation is not soley dependent upon God alone, but that our decision is necessary, and only after we decide are we saved, rendering the gift a reward. I cannot see how salvation is a gift within this thinking and teaching.

 

Thus it is all a gift, not a reward for action. :thumbsup:

 

Paul differs with you in 2 Timothy 2:8-10, wherein he preaches for the sake of those who are elect, and these are a specific people, for whom he suffered.

Salvation is a gift, not a reward for cooperation. He saves His people from their sins.

 

Good assessment, as I have family members who were/are CoC.

My grandfather on his death bed requested to see me, a long time CoC who debated my belief for a while. I went to see him when he was about to die of liver cancer in a bed in his home. I asked him about how comfortable he was with baptismal regeneration and works, which I was emboldened to do. He said he wasn't comfortable in that, and wanted to trust only in Christ alone. In the other room sat family, all CoC, casting wicked looks my way, while he asked me to pray with him to confess trust in Christ alone. He squeezed my hand hard while we prayed his acknowledment for such. He died very soon after, I think it was the next day, but I cannot recall as this was well over 20 years back. The bottom line is, he left this world with faith in Christ alone.

We must be cautious with our teaching as it is so easy to say salvation is a gift within a statement of faith, while at the same time in our teachings showing it to be a reward because we cooperated, acted &c.

- Peace

 

Belief is a proof of salvation, not a cause. Grace is the cause.

He shows mercy to whom He wills to show mercy. Doesn't He know better than we?

 

Not at all. It's a Biblical 'spin.'

It's also a concise representation of the beliefs of others. The logical end of cooperation is reward, not a gift.

 

Not a problem at all, but I've lied about nothing. Thing is John, you've been out of control on many threads slandering others, name calling, pejoratives. You really need to hang all of that up. It's unbecoming of any Christian.

 

Sort of, but way off track. He chose us.

Salvation is a gift, not a reward.