Is Salvation Synergistic or Monergistic?
- John Hicks
- Feb 4, 2020
- 5 min read
Getting straight to the point, salvation is synergistic. This is foreshadowed as a spiritual truth during the passover. This will be explained below but first a quick defining of synergism and monergism is in order: Synergism is the biblical fact that salvation involves a cooperative effort between God and men through the saving blood of Jesus Christ, first and foremost, and then is followed by the obedience of men through a receiving and believing faith and of good works done willingly by men as they obediently endure and hold fast unto the end. Monergism is a false assumption that God predetermines the salvation of men with zero, zilch, nada, absolutely no works or efforts on the part of men at any time during the process. The blood absolutely does all the actual saving but this can only happen if a man does the work through obedience in killing the lamb and placing it's blood on the doorpost. If there is no work of obedience on the part of man then no life in the house is saved from death. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. [23] For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Exodus 12:22-23 And being made perfect,👉 he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him👈; Hebrews 5:9 James also explains the truth of synergism through the obedient works of God's righteous friend Abraham. This is another clear example of a foreshadowing of man's ultimate opportunity of salvation and reconciliation back to God. Was not Abraham our father 👉 justified by works 👈, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? [22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? [23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. [24] Ye see then how that 👉 by works a man is justified, and not by faith only 👈. [25] Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? [26] 👉 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also 👈. James 2:21-26 Another who foreshadowed Christ was Joshua the son of Nun, whose name literally means Jehovah saves. It was Joshua who God used to take the people into the promised land, not Moses who, in a type, represented the law, was not able to bring the the people in to the promised land due to his lack of faith in God when he struck the rock for water. A believer in Christ ought to know that true believers cannot enter the rest of the Lord by provoking the Lord through disobedience and lack of faith (see Hebrews 3 further below). Joshua wholly followed God through his willful obedience to God. He lived in willful obedience to God as an example to the people and he challenged the people to do the Saturday as well. Joshua challenged the people to exercise their own free will to choose whom they would serve as their God. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have 👉 wholly followed the Lord 👈. Numbers 32:12 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, 👉 choose you this day whom ye will serve 👈; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but 👉 as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord 👈. Joshua 24:15 Further proof texts for the points made above: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:24-26 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Colossians 2:6 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Hebrews 3:6 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; [2] Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. [3] For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. [4] For every house is builded by some man ; but he that built all things is God. [5] And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; [6] But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. [7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, [8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. [10] Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. [11] So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) [12] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. [14] For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; [15] While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. [16] For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. [17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? [18] And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? [19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:1-19
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