Chapter 1
Common Ground
As I start this book, I want to emphasize what the proponents of both free grace and free will share. There are so many differences among Christians. Some are of more importance than others. Some groups baptize differently, some understand the Lord’s Supper to mean different things, and some worship in a traditional style while others in a more modern or contemporary way. The differences are many. The issue of this book is one topic that is debated among Christians. However, those who believe in free grace salvation and those who believe in free will salvation share some of the most important beliefs in Christianity.
Within mainstream Christianity, both groups share the belief that our salvation rests on our repentance of sin and on faith in the glorious Son of God, Jesus Christ. Both groups believe that the unsaved man is lost in his sins and in need of a Savior. They agree that this salvation does not come about by our good works but by our faith in Jesus which should then produce good works.
There is agreement on the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless perfection, His miracles, the inerrancy of His Word, His redemption on the cross for our sins, His resurrection, His ascension to heaven, His return one day in power and glory, the resurrection of all mankind, and the judgment. In addition, both groups believe in eternal life and happiness in heaven for believers in Christ and in hell, the tortuous place designed for unbelievers who must endure everlasting punishment for their sins. With so many points of agreement then, what is the problem?
The problem is subtle and seems unimportant at first. Some would say as long as we are saved that is the most important thing. True. However, as Christians, it is imperative that we know the truth about our salvation, why we are saved and how we are saved. If our understanding on these key questions is flawed, how can we properly fulfill the Great Commission and teach family, friends, and others the truth about salvation? Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) He wants us to know the truth on all matters He reveals in Scripture, especially about His free salvation plan. Let me be clear about this free salvation plan. While His salvation to us is free, it cost the Son of God dearly in His life on earth.
Perhaps the most important reason to delve into this area is to make sure we give the complete honor, glory, and eternal thanks to God who so freely saved us. We must know why we should be so thankful. We must understand that we should give Him one hundred percent of the credit in our salvation, because we are saved totally by His grace without any help or assistance from ourselves. If our belief system gives any credit or glory to the unsaved sinner in his salvation, however unintentional, then that same amount of credit and glory is taken away from God. We must not let that happen. That is not God- honoring to Him who died for us and brought us to Himself by giving us our faith.
Some might say that we shouldn’t even discuss such a topic as this because they say it has nothing to do with the way we live our Christian lives. I would disagree with that conclusion. Doctrine, which is what we believe, does affect how we live our lives. What we believe on this issue impacts how we serve the Lord. It may cause us to try to use pressure tactics to bend the minds or wills of some to become believers. It has caused some pastors to blame Christians for the damnation of others because these pastors say these believers didn’t witness as they should have. It can become a gospel of guilt rather than a gospel of grace.
So, the issue described in this book seems to be insignificant and subtle to some Christians. However, it is very important. We must believe the truth about our salvation, teach its truth, and give all the glory and honor to our God who freely gave us eternal life. This is why I wanted to write this book.
Let’s us rejoice and be united in our common ground. However, let us search the Scriptures to make sure we understand the truth concerning the freedom or the bondage of the human will in our salvation.