“O to grace how great a debtor!”
The main purpose of this site is to exalt God. The true exaltation of God necessarily requires that we humble ourselves. This truly edifys in His sight even though it requires us to be humbled. I intend to show conclusively from scripture that God’s sovereign grace alone is what was and is responsible for the understanding, insight, faith and predisposition to believe in and “want” to come to Jesus. Grace alone is responsible for our salvation itself. Our “choice” to follow Jesus was and continues to be a consequence of His grace in our lives, and never its condition. To that end, I intend to define what “sovereign grace” is, why it is necessary, how it alone honours God properly, and what its consequences, both theologically and practically are for us who believe. How true the words of the hymn, “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing”, especially the line which says,
“O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. And let Thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the One I love. Here’s my heart, Lord take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above.”
"I will give them a heart to know Me"
The Hymn writer here, correctly understood that God alone has the ability to do create in us a heart that is truly devoted to Him. That He alone can works such a work “in", "for" and "to" us, to make it certain that we will both come to Him in sincerity and faith, and not ultimately forsake Him. This hymn-writer was not promising God to never “leave” Him. Rather, like David requested in Ps 51: 10 and 86:11; he was seeking from God both the power to come to Him in true sincerity and stay with Him! David's request to God asking for a "clean heart", a "stedfast spirit" and an "undivided heart" (meaning a heart united in one purpose), clearly reveal that David understood that if such were to be found in him, then ultimately, it had to come from God! We only ask God to do for us, what by axiom is not able to be done by ourselves.
God promised to do precisely these things in Eze 36: 21 -31 and Jer 24: 7; 32: 39. In these passages, God makes it explicitly clear that the source from whence will come a true desire to come to Him, a sincere willingness to serve Him, a desire to be cleansed from all impurities and idols, the power to repent and the power to be faithful, all come from Himself! They do not therefore originate in or from human wisdom, willpower or works! If we could produce these qualities on our own, then manifestly, God would at best be merely "reinventing the wheel" here as it were, and at worst, be acting in an anticlimatic way! If the power to come to Him, to know Him, to even want to come to Him, to repent and to stay with Him is supplied or produced by human willpower or effort, then God's promises here are utterly without meaning! If the premise of the "free-will" model of salvation, which insists that the decisive decision over whether or not to come to Christ and serve Him in sincerity comes from ourselves, is correct, then these promises from God are incomprehensible!
Clearly, God did not and does not see that fallen human beings have the capacity to do any of these things by or of their own desire or power. Therefore, if such qualities as these are found in some ("whosoever" they may be), then it is manifest that such were, as David phrased it "created" in them; As Jeremiah and Ezekiel termed it "given" to them and as Jesus said it, "granted" to them (Jn 6: 37, 44, 65), and as Paul phrased it "God granted them repentance so that they could come to their senses, ackowledge the truth and escape the snare of the evil one who had them held captive to do his will" ( 2 Tim 2: 24 -26). Again I'll state it, if the power and ability to do all of these things is supplied from or by or originate within the human heart or will, then all of these passages are utterly without meaning. For they all explicitly teach that the desire, willingness and power to do them all comes fully and totally from God's sovereign-grace alone!
Peter’s denial of Jesus: The fallacy of self-dependent confidence:
While trusting too much in his own “will-power” or degree of commitment to Jesus, Peter debated with Jesus over whether or not he would deny Him or die with Him the next morning. Peter assumed he had "chosen" Jesus and thus, it was entirely within his own power to "stay true" to Jesus. Though he certainly meant well, Peter was quite wrong there. Profoundly wrong. All who trust in their own strength or will-power, or degree of commitment to Jesus, rather than in God’s grace alone to “keep them”, are equally wrong. They mean well, to be sure. But they are wrong. They are deceived about their own “spiritual strength”. Pride always “goes before destruction and a fall”, as the scriptures state. Like Peter, they can have a pretty strong “spiritual resume” which gives them reason for their self-confident trust.
A resume for self-righteousness and pride
Just consider Peter’s credentials leading up to his denial of Jesus: He had obediently “left everything” he knew and followed Jesus faithfully for over 3 years. He had been the very first to confess Jesus as “God’s Son”. He had even “walked on water” (even if only for a short time). He had been empowered to perform miracles on at least two occasions when sent out by Jesus. He was part of Jesus’ “inner circle” of trust. He was with James and John on the “Mount of transfiguration.” This guy had reason (in his own mind) for believing he was not capable of such a spiritual, moral failure. All who “trust in the arm of flesh” though fall under the rebuke of God. For the “arm of flesh” – even if it is our own, will fail us! And like Peter, all who do so need to be broken of self-righteous trust and confidence. And all need to be brought in total humility to the cross and full reliance upon grace alone to both save and keep us. (For an indepth treatment of this singularly telling example from scripture, and the implications for the relationship between Divine foreknowledge and human 'free will', see the two-part article herein, entitled "You Will Deny Me Three Times" )
This is the lesson Peter needed to learn. This is why God allowed him to be “sifted” by Satan. Satan will always exploit and overcome human strength. He will always deceive by self-righteousness, then seek to destroy by the same means. This is why Peter utterly failed that test, even though he had been personally forewarned of its imminent occurrence by Jesus Himself. Though he did not believe himself capable of such a failure, Jesus knew better and foreknew and foretold Peter’s denial before it occurred. He also forgave it before it even occurred, telling Peter He had already “prayed for the preservation of his faith”. He also foreknew and foretold Peter’s full return to Him again. Seeking something from God, which only He can supply, is much different than assuming it is within our own power and ability to supply it ourselves. That is the essence of “sovereign grace”, at least as I understand it.
“For without Me, you can do nothing”:
Jesus said, “For without Me, you can do nothing” (Jn 15: 5). He said this in the very context of stressing our need to “abide in the vine”, in order to be able to “bear fruit”, and not be “withered and burned”, (the “burning” there not necessitating a reference to hell-fire at all, but merely the “fire of judgment/refining and purging”). Since He said that in the very context of our need to abide in Him in the first place, then the “nothing” He spoke of, would include even our ability to “abide” in Him! Thus, we could not even “abide” in Him, apart from His own gracious enabling. It is not merely our own choice in the matter. It would at best be both His grace – which is always first, and then subsequently our choice. But either way, this statement is applied to those who are “in the vine” already! That is, they are already born-again, Spirit-indwelt believers. If this truth of our utter impotence apart from His own gracious enabling is true of us as saved, regenerate saints, how much more true was it while we were as yet, “powerless”, “dead in trespasses and sins”, and considered His “enemies”?
Will God ever rebuke us for giving Him too much credit and praise?
Consider this carefully as we proceed, for this point here sums up the entire practical basis of and for my understanding and purpose in writing this. Is there ever a danger that God will one day say to someone, “Stop it! You’re giving Me too much praise, glory and credit for all this. You’re actually embarrassing Me. You’re making Me bigger, more awesome and amazing and worthy than even I admit I am! We both know you deserve a large measure of credit and praise yourself for what your own will and efforts have done here too.” Will God ever say such a thing to someone? But contrariwise, how much danger is there for the one who assumes credit to himself, where none was proper and thus, either takes it all or equally errant, splits the credit between God and himself, and so comes to pride and self-righteousness? How probable is it that for that person, they will find themselves soundly rebuked and chastised by God for their arrogance? The story Jesus told of “The Pharisee and the Tax-Collector”, speaks profoundly and explicitly to just this point, as we shall soon discover.
A breakdown of “free-will” belief:
If they who assume and cling to the “free-will model” of salvation are consistent with what they so often dogmatically insist is true concerning their “free-will” and the role it played and plays in their salvation, it will become quite clear, that “I” is at least as much the basis of their faith and their trust as “He” is. For many of them though, as was true of the “Pharisee” Jesus illustrated in the story of ‘The Pharisee and the Tax-Collector”, the sad fact I fear, is that “I” is the primary basis of their faith and confidence. This then, has serious implications and consequences! I’ll explain this more as we proceed. Press them in conversation and it will become clear that their confidence is as much in they themselves as it is in God and His grace alone. Or at best, it is split between the two. They truly see that it was they themselves who played the most significant role in their being saved. To be sure, many of them will admit that God had to provide the option or possibility of salvation for them, and had He not done so, they would be lost. They will admit (some more reluctantly than others), that God had to “draw” them to Jesus, as Jesus plainly said. But since they insist that nothing God provided in the equation made it certain they would come to Christ, but only possible that they could, in the final analysis, credit has to go either entirely to their own “free-will”, or in some measure, split between themselves and God.
“Amazing Grace” from a ‘free-will’ viewpoint:
Here’s my satirical take on “Amazing Grace”, but from and with a “free-will” perspective, rather than a simple humble gratitude for God’s grace. While it is a “song” I’m sure none of them would sing, publicly at least, it does ironically reflect what many if not most who cling to the “free-will model” believe. At least deep down…if they’re consistent with their own view that is. I do not pen this to be arrogant, offensive or rude, but merely to illustrate just how unlike Paul’s attitude and understanding (as we will soon see), the “free-will model” actually is;
Amazing choice, how sweet it was, when I my Lord, chose Thee!
Though blind I was, deceived by sin, T’was I who chose to see.
Though full of sin’s accursed deceit, and wicked desperately,
Though I was lost and dead in sin, T’was I Lord, who found Thee
So while I truly thank You Lord, for the gift to choose,
Tis I, at last, who chose the right, and evil did refuse!
I overcame sin’s foul deceits, and Satan’s endless schemes,
By my own choice, and steadfast will, T’was I, chose to believe!
Most other men, foul as they are, Your truth rejecting still.
But by my wise and noble self, I chose to do Your will.
And now at last, Your righteousness, is what I long to do
Since me, it was, and my free will, hath brought me thus to You!
Though You had paid the price for sin, T’was I who chose to come
I’m saved , O Lord I know its true, by mine, not Your will done.
When after all is said and done, and glory has come down,
Tis me, I’ll thank, for my good sense, I chose to wear this crown!
Some could say, that this admittedly and purposefully satirical rendition is not a fair or valid outline of “free-will” thinking. But it most assuredly is! I know. Perhaps some who assume “free-will” do not or have not thought it through to its only logical and ultimate conclusion – which this “song” does accurately reflect. But that is simply because they are not consistent with their own unqualified, dogmatic insistences on the subject. “Free-will” thinking, if held to consistently, leads to pride – to self-righteousness. It has to! God knows, I do not say this to be rude, unkind, judgmental, or offensive. I know from personal experience of what I speak. I used to be “leading the charge” as it were on the “free-will” side. I have also spoken to numerous others over the years and read their works, and know what it is they, (if pressed), will and must admit to, (if consistent). That in the final analysis, it is neither God nor His grace alone which deserves all the credit for salvation. For the most He could be credited with was being gracious enough to provide the option of it. To be sure, they do give thanks for that. Some might even venture to give thanks to God for His having “drawn” them to Christ, which they understand to be merely a metaphor essentially meaning “nudged” in the right direction. But for everything else, which includes their “choice” to accept it, they must credit themselves. For they believe that ultimately, it was them and their “free-will” alone which was responsible for their being saved!
“Not that we are sufficient to think of anything as being from ourselves”
Paul said, “Not that are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency if of God” (2 Cor 3: 4). Paul did not feel that it was proper to assume that “anything” good in himself or the other apostles was “from ourselves”. The only other option therefore, is that it was “from God”. This however, is something that those who cling to an unqualified view of “free-will” cannot consistently admit to though. For it would make God responsible for the “goodness” in each one, rather than they themselves. You see, the “free-will” model has to be able to ascribe credit to they themselves, and it is almost impossible for them to simply acknowledge God and His grace, and leave all credit and praise where it ought to have always and only been, which is with God alone and His grace alone! That’s why for many of them, I suspect that this work will be met with criticism. But to myself, that only verifies just how entrenched “I” is in them, rather than “Thy” (as in “Thy grace alone”) is.
May God have mercy on all who read this, and truly open the eyes of our understanding, for His glory and our betterment in His sight.
In His grace,
Adapted from: "God I Thank You That I Am Not Like Other Men: Exposing The Pride Inherent In The Free-will Model Of Salvation", (c) 2007, by: John M. Platanitis
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