Doctrines of Grace

Post by **_darin-houston** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:49 pm

Is it just me, or does it offend anyone else to hear Calvinists co-opt the term "doctrines of grace" as if only they appreciate or "embrace" God's grace in salvation.

Post by **_SoaringEagle** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:29 am

It's just you...

...just kidding. It is frustrating that they falsely equate grace with their teachings (TULIP). If they were right in their beliefs, then it rightly so be called doctrines of grace. There's just one small problem. These doctrines are flawed.

Post by **_Paidion** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:24 pm

Have not the Calvinist "doctrines of grace" made some pretty heavy inroads into the evangelical and fundamentalist understanding? Is this not reflected in the latter's definition of "grace" as "the unmerited favour of God?"

What happened to the understanding of "grace" as "the enablement of God" as Paul taught in Titus Chapter Two?

That understanding has persisted in the Catholic Church to this day, although the Catholics also define "grace" in other ways as well.

Post by **_Jim** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:38 am

Paidion wrote:Have not the Calvinist "doctrines of grace" made some pretty heavy inroads into the evangelical and fundamentalist understanding? Is this not reflected in the latter's definition of "grace" as "the unmerited favour of God?"

What happened to the understanding of "grace" as "the enablement of God" as Paul taught in Titus Chapter Two?

That understanding has persisted in the Catholic Church to this day, although the Catholics also define "grace" in other ways as well.

Grace as the enablement of God. I tend to think of grace not so much as God opening eyes forcibly but grace that is an attribute and function of love. I believe the Power behind Grace is Gods pure love. We can see how even our inperfect love can in power and revive people, how much more so when it is the Love of God.

It seems to me to many people see grace as some form of magic or a crow bar to open eyes.

Post by **__id_2618** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:45 am

Interestingly enough, I just read something on the doctrines of grace here.

Post by **_darin-houston** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:40 am

Is this not reflected in the latter's definition of "grace" as "the unmerited favour of God?"

Where does this definition actually come from?

I've always heard that "grace" is getting something you don't deserve, while "mercy" is withholding something (presumably bad) you do deserve.

Post by **_Rick_C** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:59 am

!!

Ooops, I double-pre-postinated, supra-laptop-sarianially!!!
(in other words, I goofed, of my own free will, unintentianally, I think?)

!!

Post by **_Rick_C** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:19 am

Darin,

(This is funny, ironic, and irenic).
The very minute I read your post on "doctrines of grace" I got an email from C. Michael Patton! He just wanted to say Hi, God bless, and hope to see you around. It seemed weird in a way but also, I felt God was reminding me that not every Calvinist on earth is un-irenic! Amen?

I admit that I have been, and could be, offended when the phrase "doctrines of grace" is strutted-around by some Calvinists (chip on shoulder-ish). I try to avoid these kinds folks. Which isn't always so easy to do, on the internet, anyway (click! new blog!)....

CMP acknowledges he's a Calvinist and I've heard him use "doctrines of grace" simply as a way to identify his beliefs. When he says it, I'm not offended in the least; I know he's just being descriptive and not flaunting anything around, so to speak.
_____________________________________

Grace.
The "unmerited" part in "unmerited favor" is a layover from basic Reformed (or Protestant) theology, imo. Probably a majority of both Calvinists and Arminians define grace this way.

Here's a pertinent copy & paste from a post I made on the Sabbath/Law Debate thread:
Theology and Biblical Studies blog:
N.T. Wright on Justification and Righteousness in Paul

excerpted

Christian theology, so Sanders and Wright argue, has seen Judaism as a legalistic religion that was somewhat akin to the heresy of Pelagianism, where human beings had to perform good works or keep a religious law in order to be acceptable to God, or to be ‘saved’. By contrast, Jesus comes and offers salvation and forgiveness by grace, as opposed to the Pharisees who insisted that one had to ‘earn’ salvation. This same hypothesis has also been read into Paul. Protestant exegesis has read Paul – especially Romans and Galatians – as being about justification by faith over against ‘earning’ salvation by performing good works.

Both Sanders and Wright (amongst others) have shown that this interpretation of Jesus, Paul, and historical Judaism is almost entirely without foundation historically speaking. The Jews did not believe that they ‘earned’ salvation by observing the law, and neither were Paul and Jesus offering salvation whereby one is justified freely by faith (as opposed to religious works.)

What the Jews did believe however was that keeping the law zealously was their part of the bargain as God’s covenant people. They had already been chosen by grace, and the keeping of the law was a response of gratitude to God. Keeping the law did not get you into God’s people, but you kept the law to stay in. This way of keeping the law was not a form of proto-pelagianism, but what Sanders termed ‘covenantal nomism’. As Wright puts it, “keeping the Jewish law was the human response the God’s covenantal initiative.”
___________________

This is the heart of Paul’s message in Romans. He is not proposing a system of righteousness by faith as opposed to a righteousness that is earned by good works. God’s righteousness is his covenant faithfulness, which is nothing less than his plan to defeat sin and evil once and for all. He has done this in Jesus Christ, and by raising Jesus from the dead God has vindicated him. Those who believe the Gospel and are faithful to Christ are likewise declared to be ‘righteous’, that is to say, God will show them to be in the right and also raise them from the dead. God does this from his own righteous status as judge, but this is not the same thing as God giving this status to human beings.
_____________________

And I commented:
(Wright does not deny justification by faith, or that God declares us to be righteous. He simply states that these things do not mean what Protestant theology has generally read them to mean).

I agree with Wright and don't see grace in a traditional Protestant way (as outlined above). Ever since I heard the phrase "unmerited favor" a long time ago, there was something about it that didn't settle in just right. My works-merits had nothing to do with my entering into the Kingdom {Eph. 2:8,9}. But right after I became a Christian, someone told me God's grace was his "unmerited favor" toward me. It confused me a lot. I thought, "Well, I've been saved but I guess God doesn't think I'm really worth it"...(HUH? Doesn't make sense! 'Depressing)!

John 3:16, if I might look at it this way, says "I do have inherit worth in God's eyes!" because we're made in His image: He loves me and you! If the Bible says we are worthy of God's love and favor, then so be it! Amen? Praise God!

Post by **_Steve** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:38 am

The Greek word for grace is "charis"—which is an ordinary word for "favor." The "unmerited" element is probably derived from the following verses—

"Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt." (Rom.4:4)

and

"And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace..." (Rom.11:6)

Post by **_Jim** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:35 am

I hope this helps to clarify my earlier post. I had written it on carm after question someone on how they understood grace.

Tell me what do you know about love and its power?

We know that God is Love and that grace is an attribute of love. To get a full picture of who God is just read 1 corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

In fact lets change a few words:

4God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. 5He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. 6God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8God never fails.
Even God's judgment is based on Love.

Grace is not a supernatural power, but it is giving people Love which in itself is inpowering and lifts the most wounded and desperate hearts. Haven't you ever given someone grace and see them flower? Yes, God created the heavens and earth and everything good in the world. Yet those pale in comparison to the Lord's love, that my friend is the true power and glory of God, pure, perfect love that inspires and changes individuals. So simple yet we make it so complex.

If you haven't tried loving others as the Lord loves you I suggest you give it a shot.

You ask what changes happen do to grace? It is God revealing His great love, the very essence to an individual and all it takes is for someone to believe and put their faith and heart into his care. He offers but we must accept his love.