In the past there have been many discussion about the possibility man being good. When we look at the world today it seems not much has changed. Along all sides we can see people who do not want to share the luck they have with others. This has come to a high point with the refugee crisis. It is understandable that people want to protect their own goods and culture, but often they are too much afraid that their way of living would be in danger by others from far away coming to live in their regions.
Several people are convinced that people who are fleeing from war-zones can not be good and trustworthy people. According to several Christians it is even impossible for a human being to be good from himself and as such no one can be reliable.
A17th century Calvinist print depicting Pelagius. The caption says “Accurst Pelagius, with what false pretence Durst thou excuse man’s foul concupiscence, Or cry down Sin Originall, or that The love of God did man predestinate.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The controversial British monk Pelagius in the fifth century had taught that man’s nature was essentially good. This was not to the liking of the Catholic Church leaders who found that because of Adam’s sin all men were born with a strong tendency to sin. It is even for that reason that lots of Christians do say it is impossible for Jesus to be a man. Because he was without sin he should be God, according to them. This naturally is not at all true and makes of God a horrible Creator, having created human beings who can not decide for themselves to do good or bad. Worse it would also mean that God gave man commandments He knew they would never be able to follow.
Pelagius rightly said that an individual had the power to do right by choosing to do right and by beating the body into submission through ascetic practices. Traditional Christianity said that men could defeat their tendencies to sin only by the working of God’s grace in their heart. According to the churchleaders Pelagius‘s ideas meant that Christ‘s death on the cross served more as a moral example than as an atonement able to transform the soul from within by divine force, which meant against going their doctrine of sola fide.
Those who think that Old and New Testaments alike teach us that we cannot change ourselves have not very well read the Holy Book of books. In the many books which form the bible we do have many examples of people who have gone from bad to good but also from good to bad and sometimes returning to good.
Saint Augustine from a 19th-century engraving
The Christian philosopher and theologian St. Augustine or Augustine of Hippo (354-430), best known for “The Confessions” and “The City of God” was responsible for the excommunication of Pelagius.
While in Rome, Pelagius first heard of Augustine through his reading of a prayer from Augustine’s Confessions: “Give what Thou commandest and command that Thou wilt.” To Pelagius, the philosophy expressed in this prayer sounded like the total abandonment of human responsibility and a denial of the ethical dimensions of the Christian faith. If all moral action, thought Pelagius, depends solely on God — both the commanding as well as the ability to obey — God is either an arbitrary tyrant or else man is a creature deprived of free will. Pelagius conducted his teaching along these lines while he was in Rome, and it was to this teaching that an able lawyer, Caelestius, responded, leaving his profession of advocacy and becoming Pelagius’s disciple, companion, and the popularizer of his views.
Caelestius’s Pelagian views continued to spread, and soon Augustine was preaching and writing with intense fervour against this what he called a new heresy, arguing that the whole lump of humanity is infected with sin and that only the grace administered in baptism can wash away the guilty stain.
In spite of these admonitions from the Doctor of Grace, the controversy continued, and it was not long before the articulate bishop of Eclanum, Julian, stepped in to argue the Pelagian cause, forcing Augustine, by the clarity of his logic, into positions regarding the doctrines of grace and predestination that have been burdensome to Western Christendom ever since. {Encyclopedia of World Biography | 2004}
Today we still find many who do not want to see that man has a lot in his own hands. Today there are still lots of Christians who think it is impossible for man to live according to God’s Wishes and that he does not have to do any good works to enter the Kingdom of God because it is just impossible for him to do such good works.
According to Augustine it is not possible to lead a sinless life, with (for whatever reason, probably she had to carry the god son according to the Catholic Church) the exception of the Virgin Mary. For Augustine divine grace must precede every virtuous act and today many Christians are also still convinced we are all saved whatever what we have done and whatever we do in our life.
For such Christians who try to put sand in the eyes of searching people, the saying that we need works to enter the Kingdom of God is heresy. For them it is not only possible for man not to sin, they are not able to bring any change in the salvation of themselves.
The caricature of Pelagianism found in many orthodox textbooks and devotional manuals is hardly one that Pelagius would recognize. He never, for instance, denied the need for grace or for infant baptism; he never accepted the position that man can, by his own moral efforts, achieve his salvation. On basic doctrinal issues, Pelagius was certainly orthodox; and on matters of Christian morality his chief concern was to foster among Christian people a right regard for the ethical responsibilities he saw as inherent in the Gospel message. {Encyclopedia of World Biography | 2004}
The Christian attitude is a very important issue which was been tackled by rabbi Jeshua (master teacher Jesus Christ) with a lot of delicacy. The Nazarene Jew, who was not afraid to bring others to see they had no right to judge others, told his listeners many parables in which he tried to get them to understand that we must be very careful not to loose the right to enter the Kingdom of God.
Lots of Christians are mistaken to think they do not have to do any good works to enter Gods Kingdom. It is true that they are saved and have nothing to do to get under the Grace of salvation. But what they forget is that, though they received salvation for nothing, they can loose it when they do not work at themselves. The leaders of the Protestant Reformation, 1,500 years after the last books of the Bible were written wanted their flock to believe that Jesus paid the full prize or penalty for our sins, so that nothing had to be done or paid any more. They added their human doctrine, which is nowhere written in the Bible, saying that
Jesus paid the punishment for our sins, he having fully atoned for our sins and by saying “it is finished” he did what no human could do, make up for their sins and made an end to everything what had to be done.
But it was not finished by having to come to God (a work) or to follow God’s commandments (again demanding works).
It is totally wrong to think once new born and/or being baptised, we are cleared and have a free way to enter into God’s Kingdom, or what some are thinking to go to heaven. In case a person has fund Christ and has come to God several works are needed. First of all before finding Christ work has to be done to come to know him and his God. Once a person believes in Jesus Christ, the son of God, that person has to convert to Christianity which again is a work to be done. But once baptised it is not finished. Than the person has to work at his or her character and try to stay on the right track, following God’s commandments, which shall require again some, not to say ‘lots’ of works.
Every Christian must work to control themselves. Once having become a Christian that person should try not to lie, to steal, to betray, to fornicate, to murder and many other things he or she should avoid doing (which demands work). If none of these works are needed for salvation the person could have sex with as many persons or animals as he or she wanted no matter the gender. If no works have to be done a person could also continue to do fraudulent actions, without having to worry.
It is for the reason having so many Christian preachers trying to convince others they do not need to do any works, and because of the reaction by Grow Pastor, Minister to Men, Ken Miller to us, at his article That’s the Spirit!, that we think it opportune to warn people of the lack of understanding of the given grace.
Christ Jesus died for all people, sinners or not. By the works of faith he has done, we received the Grace of Salvation, but when we ignore his calling or his heavenly Father’s calling than we shall not be allowed to enter the Kingdom of god when we did bad things and did not repent about them. It is not by works of justice that we had done, but, in accord with the mercy of God, Him willing to accept the ransom offering of His son. Through Jesus Christ our Saviour we are been justified by his grace and are we allowed to become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)
When Saul had become a follower of the Messiah he looked at the work of the master teacher and at the sacraments which were given to those who followed Jesus. The apostle wrote
Romans 3:27-31 The Scriptures 1998+ (27) Where, then, is the boasting? It is shut out. By what Torah? Of works? No, but by the Torah of belief. (28) For we reckon that a man is declared right by belief without works of Torah. (29) Or is He the Elohim of the Yehuḏim only, and not also of the gentiles? Yea, of the gentiles also, (30) since it is one Elohim who shall declare right the circumcised by belief and the uncircumcised through belief. (31) Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.1 Footnote: 1See 7:12.
and gave the Romans to know that they thought or hold that a man is brought into right standing with God by faith and that observance of the law has no connection with it.
Saying that he did not confirm that
“by faith apart from deeds of the law” as meaning, “by faith alone”
but him affirming that we then not through faith make null and void the law; instead, we confirm it. It is by our faith that we shall do certain works according to the faith. Pelagius considered that sacraments are elements believers should keep taking throughout their life. For him it was like it is for us, that faith should be expressed and perfected in works. Submitting to Jehovah His works in the proper disposition, which is that of faith, is an action or a work to be done.
Too many Christians forget the importance of the feeling we should have about what we have done. If we do not feel bad by the wrong things we have done and do not repent for them, for sure the Bible shows us, we shall not receive an entrance in God’s Kingdom. Repentance and teshuvah demands a work. Staying a good person also demands work. All those that say we do not have to do any work of faith, are either forgetting what the Bible tells about it and are insinuating we can do whatever we want and shall still be saved.
On the other hand it is very strange that it are just such preachers who talk so ferociously about salvation and no works needed for salvation, who also preach about damnation in a hell, a place of eternal fire.
Luckily the Bible speaks about the end of our life by death, and that we once we die shall not be able to feel anything any more. No frustrations, no pain, no sorrow any more when we die. Then it shall all be finished, but then it shall also be too late if we did not choose for God and did not work at our own self.
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Please do find also to read:
- Salvation and Righteousness
- Elul Observances
- God’s wrath and sanctification
- A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
- Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
- Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
- Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
- Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
- Good and bad things in this world
- Establish your hearts blameless in holiness
- Myth 12: The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
- Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
- A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
- A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
- Humbleness
- A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong
- The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong
- Being of good courage running the race
- Bearing fruit
- To Soar In The Spirit You Have To Be Hard Core
- Our stance against certain religions and immigrating people
- Religion, fundamentalism and murder
- Daring to speak in multicultural environment
- As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
- 2014 Religion
- Disobedient man and God’s promises
- From pain to purpose
- Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
- God’s forgotten Word 5 Lost Lawbook 4 The ‘Catholic’ church
- Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
- Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
- When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church
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Further reading
- No one is saved by the law. Salvation is by faith through Grace.
- The Justification of Abraham
- St. Paul Didn’t Say Faith Alone
- The Law of Diminishing Returns
- A Call to Dare God
- The Tangible Presence of God
- Devotion for Monday After the Second Sunday in Lent, Year C (ELCA Daily Lectionary)
- Grace is a soft gospel for soft Christians & The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
- Did God really say “Prevenient” Grace
- Can someone who genuinely loves the God of Israel, prays to Him and trusts him go to hell? The New Testament says…
- I was wrong – but I am right – Calvinists preach a false gospel.
- The pain of radical grace
- The power of grace
- Seeing Christ
- (12/04/2015) By More Than Believing
- Faith Child – Forget the poor!
- (01/13/2016) How To Treat Unbelievers?
- Repent so that you can understand
- Faithfulness
- Faith Without Works (Pastor Joe Taylor)
- Faith without Works ??? (1 Way to live)
- Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life: Faith Alone Does Not Save
- The Works
- Faith in Action
- Put Your Faith Into Action
- Fashion advice?
- Intentional God
- The Sower of Seeds: A Parable of Jesus
- Matthew 23:23 [Coming Soon]
- Studies in Mark (Pt. 8)
- Galatians 5:4 [Unfinished]
- Galatians 6:7-9 [Unfinished]
- Ephesians 2:8-9
- Titus 3:5-7
- NT Reading – October 5
- James 1:14-20 — Faith that Works!
- James, Part 2
- The Book that Almost Wasn’t: Faith, Lists, and Works ~ James 2
- Tuesday Devotional: Revelation 2
- Faith Without Works Is Dead
- Putting Legs to Their Faith
- Are You a doer???
- Are You Willing to do more???
- Mincing no Words
- Epistle for September 6, 2015
- Tell it Tuesday w/ B.Parker|How To Pray When Life Isn’t Going Your Way
- Tell it Tuesday w/ B. Parker| It’s 2am and No One is Answering…Who To Call?
- Childish Thinking
- Are You A Weed?
- Sneaky Subjectivism
- What Future?
- Intentional Avoidance, Disconnected Ignorance, or Disinterested Forgetfulness?
- We Are All Damaged Goods…
- Just Sitting There
- The Subnormal Christian Life
- 14 How to Work Your Way to Hell
- Faith Life Congruence
- We pray and plead with you…”Do You Job!”
- Gospel Doctrine 2015 – Lesson 42 – “Pure Religion”
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