Monergism states that the regeneration of an individual is the work of God through the Holy Spirit alone,
as opposed to Synergism, which, in its simplest form, argues that the human will cooperates with God's grace in order to be regenerated.
What view do you hold and why?
The Calvinist doctrine of efficacious grace and the Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace are both false doctrines.
The Calvinist doctrine of efficavious grace presumes that God's grace is given before the foundation of the world to those that He predestined for salvation.
The Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace presumes that God's grace is given to otherwise irredeemable people to grant them the ability to choose between good and evil.
However, the Bible shows that God's grace is individuals finding favor in the sight of God through the individual's faith (choices of beliefs and actions).
In other words, God's grace does not precede and enable an individual's choices (Synergism), nor does God's grace predetermine an individual's choices (Monergism), but God's grace happens as a result of God being pleased with the individual's choices (faith).
God alone chooses whether He is pleased with an individual's choices and whether that individual's choices pleases Him enough for Him to grant that person eternal life.
Therefore, it is up to us to try to please God and avoid displeasing God, but whether God is pleased with us or not is up to God alone.
John 8:29
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. |
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. |