Post by Jesse Morrell on Aug 20, 2008 17:34:26 GMT -5
THE DOCTRINE OF SYNERGISM
Mal. 3:7 “…Return unto me, and I will return unto you”.
Jas 4:8 - Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
1Pe 1:22 - Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.
In regards to conversion, I believe in the doctrine of synergy:
* Jesus has given us an "example" as to how we should live - John 13:15
* The grace teaches us to live holy and to deny sin - Titus 2:11
* God calls us to repent - Acts 17:30
* The Spirit convicts us of sin - John 16:8
* The instrument used in setting us free is truth - John 8:32.
* But we ourselves need to voluntarily repent (cleanse ourselves) - James 4:8; we ourselves need to voluntarily obey the truth (thus purify our souls) 1Pet 1:22.
Jesus, God, the Spirit, the Truth, God's grace, and freewill have a role in a sinner turning from sin (being cleansed from sin).
Jesus gave us an example, we must follow. God calls, we must obey. Grace teaches, we must listen. The Spirit convicts, we must yeild. Truth reveals, we must believe. And repentance is an act that we ourselves do, (it is not forced) and repentance is brought about by Jesus - God - Grace - Spirit - Truth.
These all influence us to repent (turn from sin, cleanse ourselves) and we ourselves must yield to or obey that influence.
And if we do this, if we obey by repenting, then the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin - 1John 1:7 - that is, the blood of Jesus Christ justifies us, God pardons us because of Christ's blood upon condition of repentance - Luke 13:3
Justification by the blood (cleansed from all sin) is upon condition of our own repentance, which is brought about by Jesus - God - Grace - Spirit - Truth. The blood cleanses (justifies) those who "walk in the light" and who "confess" their sin - 1John 1:7, 1:9
So we must repent and then the blood justifies us.
More on Synergy
The doctrine of synergy defined, as I understand it: God saves man, by influencing man's free will with truth, and man voluntary obeys the gospel.
NEW HEART
- God says He gives man a new heart:
Eze 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
- God commands man to make his own new heart:
Eze 18:31 - Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
RECONCILIATION:
- God reconciles the world unto Himself:
2Co 5:19 - To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself
- God commands men to reconcile themselves unto God:
2Co 5:20 - God did beseech you by us: we beg you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
BEING SAVED:
- Jesus saves men:
Mt 1:21 - JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
- God commands men to save themselves:
Ac 2:40 - And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
PURIFICATION
- God purifies men through revelation:
Eph 5:26 - That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
- Men purify themselves through obedience to revelation:
1Pe 1:22 - Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
PURGING:
Men purge themselves:
2Ti 2:21 - If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
1Co 5:7 - Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
God purges men:
Heb 9:14 - How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
SALVATION REQUIRES THE CO-OPERATION OF MAN! God wants all to be saved, but man must make a freewill decision to turn from all his sinning and put his faith in Jesus Christ.
All of these scriptures simply go to prove the biblical doctrine of synergy, and are utterly opposed to a Calvinistic monergism. God calls men, convicts men, pleads with men, all to influence their free wills to voluntarily surrender their lives to Him, so that they give their hearts voluntarily to Jesus Christ.
GOD WANTS ALL TO BE SAVED, BUT IT ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON MAN'S FREE WILL:
Isaiah 30:15-16 - For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In repenting and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. And ye would not: but ye said, No”
Also consider:
If it were God's choice, everyone would repent and be saved, God's will is not that anyone should sin or continue in sin:
Acts 17:30 - And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
2Pe 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But it's man's choice to repent and believe:
De 30:19 - I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;
Jos 24:15 - And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
Mt 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Lu 7:30 - But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
Lu 13:34 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
John 5:40 - But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Ac 7:51 - You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Revelation 2:21 - And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent.
Re 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
God's Holy Will is not for any man to live in sin, die in sin, and go to hell for sin. God's Holy Will is that all men give up their sinning, trust in Jesus, and spend eternity with Him - a loving God.
SYNERGISM & THE ATONEMENT
Christ died for all men (Isa. 45:22; 53:6; 55:1; Eze. 18:30-32; Matt. 23:37; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 2:10-11; Jn. 1:29; 3:16; Rom. 2:11; 5:15; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Tim. 2:11; 4:10; Tit. 2:11; Heb. 2:9; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Jn. 2:22; Rev. 3:20), and He died for all specifically because all men have chosen to become sinners of their own free will (Isa. 52:3; 53:6).
There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; 2 Pet. 1:17), God wants everyone to repent and be saved (Ps. 145:9; Eze. 18:32; 33:1; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Pet. 3:9).
The atonement makes salvation possible and available to all men, it is a gift that God offers to all to accept and receive (Jn. 1:11-12; Lk. 14:16-24; Rom 5:18) through a decision (2 Cor. 5:20) to repent and believe, though many reject God’s gracious offer (Isa. 65:2; Lk. 7:30; 14:16-24; Jn. 1:10-11; Rom. 10:21; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17) and resist His grace (Gen. 6:30; Matt. 23:37; Lk. 7:30, 13:34; Acts 7:51).
God is trying to save all men (Jn. 3:16, 6:44-45, 12:32; 16:8; Acts 17:30-31, 2 Pet. 3:9). God gives light to all men (Jn. 1:9), God is convicting all men (Jn. 16:8), God is drawing all men (Jn. 6:44-45, 12:32), God is calling all men (Matt. 11:28, 22:9; Lk. 5:32; Acts 17:30; Rev. 22:17).
A revelation of the suffering of Christ should subdue our hearts and bring us to complete surrender unto God (Rom. 2:4), repenting out of a motive of love, not selfishness (1 Jn. 4:19). God is drawing all men through the atonement (Jn. 12:32), and it is His loving kindness which draws us (Jer.. 31:3; Rom. 2:4).
Transformation, liberation, or regeneration is through spiritual revelation, when men obey the gospel of Jesus Christ from the heart (Jn. 6:45, 63; 8:32; 15:3; 17:17; Acts 9:4-6; Rom. 2:8; 6:17; 1 Cor. 4:15; Tit. 2:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; 4:17; 2 Pet. 1:2-3; 2:20; Jas. 1:18; 21-22).
That is why we must publicly preach Christ (Acts 5:42; 9:20; 17:3; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 2:12; 4:5; Eph. 3:8; Php. 1:15-16), why we must preach the truth of the kingdom of God (Lk. 4:43; 9:2; 9:60; Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23; 28:31), why we see Paul publicly reasoning with men (Acts 19:8; Acts 19:9), particularly reasoning about the Christ (Acts 28:23). Men are in the bondage of deception (Lk. 2:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Tim. 2:26) so they need liberation through the preaching of the truth (Jn. 8:32; Lk. 2:18; 2 Tim. 2:24-25).
Sacrifices are useless without a change of heart, without a deep moral change inside the transgressor for whom the sacrifice is made (Ps. 50:7-23; 51:16-17; Prov. 15:8; 16:6; 21:3; 21:27; Isa. 1:10-17; 56:6-7; 66:3-4; Jer. 7:21-26; 11:14-17; 14:10-12; Hos. 6:6-7; 8:11-14; 9:1-6; 12:9-11; 14:1-3; Joel 1:9;, 13; 2:12-14; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-27; Jonah 1:15; 2:9; 3:5-10; Mic. 6:6-8; Zeph. 1:7-13; 3:10-11; Hag. 2:14; Zech. 14:21; Mal. 1:6-14; 2:10-14; 3:3-4; Matt. 9:13; 12:7; Heb. 10:8).
Laws have penalties to secure obedience to the precept. If the atonement is to substitute our punishment, it must just as equally secure obedience to the precept as the punishments would have. So the atonement is designed to deliver us from a life of sinning, to turn sinners into saints (Jn. 1:29; Acts 3:26; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 5:25-27; Col 1:21-23; Titus 2:11-12; Heb. 9:26; 10:10; 1 Jn. 1:7; 3:5). Jesus is a Savior from sin (Matt. 1:21). Christ died so “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4) Christ died “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). Christians are saved unto obedience (1 Pet. 1:2) and unto good works (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14).
This is because the atonement breaks and subdues our hearts, so that the cross brings us to repentance unto obedience (Rom. 2:4; 1 Jn. 4:19). The atonement so affects our hearts that we turn from our disobedience in humble, sincere, and deep repentance.
Mal. 3:7 “…Return unto me, and I will return unto you”.
Jas 4:8 - Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
1Pe 1:22 - Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.
In regards to conversion, I believe in the doctrine of synergy:
* Jesus has given us an "example" as to how we should live - John 13:15
* The grace teaches us to live holy and to deny sin - Titus 2:11
* God calls us to repent - Acts 17:30
* The Spirit convicts us of sin - John 16:8
* The instrument used in setting us free is truth - John 8:32.
* But we ourselves need to voluntarily repent (cleanse ourselves) - James 4:8; we ourselves need to voluntarily obey the truth (thus purify our souls) 1Pet 1:22.
Jesus, God, the Spirit, the Truth, God's grace, and freewill have a role in a sinner turning from sin (being cleansed from sin).
Jesus gave us an example, we must follow. God calls, we must obey. Grace teaches, we must listen. The Spirit convicts, we must yeild. Truth reveals, we must believe. And repentance is an act that we ourselves do, (it is not forced) and repentance is brought about by Jesus - God - Grace - Spirit - Truth.
These all influence us to repent (turn from sin, cleanse ourselves) and we ourselves must yield to or obey that influence.
And if we do this, if we obey by repenting, then the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin - 1John 1:7 - that is, the blood of Jesus Christ justifies us, God pardons us because of Christ's blood upon condition of repentance - Luke 13:3
Justification by the blood (cleansed from all sin) is upon condition of our own repentance, which is brought about by Jesus - God - Grace - Spirit - Truth. The blood cleanses (justifies) those who "walk in the light" and who "confess" their sin - 1John 1:7, 1:9
So we must repent and then the blood justifies us.
More on Synergy
The doctrine of synergy defined, as I understand it: God saves man, by influencing man's free will with truth, and man voluntary obeys the gospel.
NEW HEART
- God says He gives man a new heart:
Eze 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
- God commands man to make his own new heart:
Eze 18:31 - Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
RECONCILIATION:
- God reconciles the world unto Himself:
2Co 5:19 - To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself
- God commands men to reconcile themselves unto God:
2Co 5:20 - God did beseech you by us: we beg you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
BEING SAVED:
- Jesus saves men:
Mt 1:21 - JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
- God commands men to save themselves:
Ac 2:40 - And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
PURIFICATION
- God purifies men through revelation:
Eph 5:26 - That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
- Men purify themselves through obedience to revelation:
1Pe 1:22 - Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
PURGING:
Men purge themselves:
2Ti 2:21 - If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
1Co 5:7 - Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
God purges men:
Heb 9:14 - How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
SALVATION REQUIRES THE CO-OPERATION OF MAN! God wants all to be saved, but man must make a freewill decision to turn from all his sinning and put his faith in Jesus Christ.
All of these scriptures simply go to prove the biblical doctrine of synergy, and are utterly opposed to a Calvinistic monergism. God calls men, convicts men, pleads with men, all to influence their free wills to voluntarily surrender their lives to Him, so that they give their hearts voluntarily to Jesus Christ.
GOD WANTS ALL TO BE SAVED, BUT IT ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON MAN'S FREE WILL:
Isaiah 30:15-16 - For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In repenting and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. And ye would not: but ye said, No”
Also consider:
If it were God's choice, everyone would repent and be saved, God's will is not that anyone should sin or continue in sin:
Acts 17:30 - And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
2Pe 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But it's man's choice to repent and believe:
De 30:19 - I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;
Jos 24:15 - And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
Mt 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Lu 7:30 - But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
Lu 13:34 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
John 5:40 - But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Ac 7:51 - You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Revelation 2:21 - And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent.
Re 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
God's Holy Will is not for any man to live in sin, die in sin, and go to hell for sin. God's Holy Will is that all men give up their sinning, trust in Jesus, and spend eternity with Him - a loving God.
SYNERGISM & THE ATONEMENT
Christ died for all men (Isa. 45:22; 53:6; 55:1; Eze. 18:30-32; Matt. 23:37; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 2:10-11; Jn. 1:29; 3:16; Rom. 2:11; 5:15; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Tim. 2:11; 4:10; Tit. 2:11; Heb. 2:9; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Jn. 2:22; Rev. 3:20), and He died for all specifically because all men have chosen to become sinners of their own free will (Isa. 52:3; 53:6).
There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; 2 Pet. 1:17), God wants everyone to repent and be saved (Ps. 145:9; Eze. 18:32; 33:1; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Pet. 3:9).
The atonement makes salvation possible and available to all men, it is a gift that God offers to all to accept and receive (Jn. 1:11-12; Lk. 14:16-24; Rom 5:18) through a decision (2 Cor. 5:20) to repent and believe, though many reject God’s gracious offer (Isa. 65:2; Lk. 7:30; 14:16-24; Jn. 1:10-11; Rom. 10:21; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17) and resist His grace (Gen. 6:30; Matt. 23:37; Lk. 7:30, 13:34; Acts 7:51).
God is trying to save all men (Jn. 3:16, 6:44-45, 12:32; 16:8; Acts 17:30-31, 2 Pet. 3:9). God gives light to all men (Jn. 1:9), God is convicting all men (Jn. 16:8), God is drawing all men (Jn. 6:44-45, 12:32), God is calling all men (Matt. 11:28, 22:9; Lk. 5:32; Acts 17:30; Rev. 22:17).
A revelation of the suffering of Christ should subdue our hearts and bring us to complete surrender unto God (Rom. 2:4), repenting out of a motive of love, not selfishness (1 Jn. 4:19). God is drawing all men through the atonement (Jn. 12:32), and it is His loving kindness which draws us (Jer.. 31:3; Rom. 2:4).
Transformation, liberation, or regeneration is through spiritual revelation, when men obey the gospel of Jesus Christ from the heart (Jn. 6:45, 63; 8:32; 15:3; 17:17; Acts 9:4-6; Rom. 2:8; 6:17; 1 Cor. 4:15; Tit. 2:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; 4:17; 2 Pet. 1:2-3; 2:20; Jas. 1:18; 21-22).
That is why we must publicly preach Christ (Acts 5:42; 9:20; 17:3; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 2:12; 4:5; Eph. 3:8; Php. 1:15-16), why we must preach the truth of the kingdom of God (Lk. 4:43; 9:2; 9:60; Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23; 28:31), why we see Paul publicly reasoning with men (Acts 19:8; Acts 19:9), particularly reasoning about the Christ (Acts 28:23). Men are in the bondage of deception (Lk. 2:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Tim. 2:26) so they need liberation through the preaching of the truth (Jn. 8:32; Lk. 2:18; 2 Tim. 2:24-25).
Sacrifices are useless without a change of heart, without a deep moral change inside the transgressor for whom the sacrifice is made (Ps. 50:7-23; 51:16-17; Prov. 15:8; 16:6; 21:3; 21:27; Isa. 1:10-17; 56:6-7; 66:3-4; Jer. 7:21-26; 11:14-17; 14:10-12; Hos. 6:6-7; 8:11-14; 9:1-6; 12:9-11; 14:1-3; Joel 1:9;, 13; 2:12-14; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-27; Jonah 1:15; 2:9; 3:5-10; Mic. 6:6-8; Zeph. 1:7-13; 3:10-11; Hag. 2:14; Zech. 14:21; Mal. 1:6-14; 2:10-14; 3:3-4; Matt. 9:13; 12:7; Heb. 10:8).
Laws have penalties to secure obedience to the precept. If the atonement is to substitute our punishment, it must just as equally secure obedience to the precept as the punishments would have. So the atonement is designed to deliver us from a life of sinning, to turn sinners into saints (Jn. 1:29; Acts 3:26; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 5:25-27; Col 1:21-23; Titus 2:11-12; Heb. 9:26; 10:10; 1 Jn. 1:7; 3:5). Jesus is a Savior from sin (Matt. 1:21). Christ died so “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4) Christ died “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). Christians are saved unto obedience (1 Pet. 1:2) and unto good works (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14).
This is because the atonement breaks and subdues our hearts, so that the cross brings us to repentance unto obedience (Rom. 2:4; 1 Jn. 4:19). The atonement so affects our hearts that we turn from our disobedience in humble, sincere, and deep repentance.