Expert: Bruce Gourley - 4/19/2007

Question
QUESTION: My question is simply: What is God's grace that saves mankind (Eph. 2:5).

More complexly, my question is:  Knowing that the definition of grace is "an unearned gift" or "unmerited favor", I would like to know what Baptists teach God's unearned gift to mankind was/is that saves us.

Thank you for your time and effort!

Kade
ANSWER: Hello Kade,

If you ask your question to 100 different Baptists, you would quite possibly get 100 different answers, in terms of minute details. Seriously. There is no one official Baptist position on grace. But generally and broadly speaking, some (a minority, known as Calvinists) Baptists generally root grace in an arbitrary act of God of choosing some to be saved; as such, grace is the act of God choosing. Other Baptists (a majority, likely) generally root grace in the atoning, substitutionary act of Christ on the cross; grace is thus the act of God in taking the sins of humankind upon Himself in the death of Christ. In Baptist life, both Calvinists and non-Calvinists often point to Ephesians to "prove" their respective points of view. However, as Paul in Ephesians anchors grace, election and being "chosen" in the act of Christ on the cross, I would say non-Calvinist views are most strengthened by the epistle.

I hope this helps.

Bruce Gourley
www.brucegourley.com
www.centerforbaptiststudies.org


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I know that some, rather than equating grace to salvation (or election as you say the Calvinists do) equate it to the plan of salvation.  Those that teach that grace = the plan of salvation indicate that the plan has two major parts to it, the foundation, which is Jesus on the cross like you stated, and the New Testament, the blue print which Christians must follow.  Without either of these two parts from God, we could not be saved because we would not know what to believe or do in order to be saved.  Could you provide your thoughts on those who would equate God's unearned gift to the plan of salvation (the New Testament and Christ on the cross)?

Thank you once again for your comments!

Kade

Answer
The concept of "salvation" is inherent in the idea of God's grace, whether it be expressed in election prior to the "foundations of the world," or effected in Christ's death on the cross and then realized when an individual trust's in Christ (i.e., place's his or her faith in the person and work of Christ). Either way, grace is unmerited, undeserved, etc. But others would point out that Jesus frequently equates salvation (i.e., being right with God) to more than simply an arbitrary act of God or mental assent on the part of man. He repeatedly equated rightness with God to an individual taking such-and-such an action (for example, the rich young ruler being required to give up all his possessions, or the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25). On the other hand, one could argue that God's grace is necessary in order for an individual to take such actions in the first place. As to those who equate grace to the "plan of salvation" (the cross and the NT), one could argue that knowledge of the NT is not necessary for salvation (many have been saved without knowing the New Testament as a whole), but that knowledge of Christ is necessary. But again, there is no official Baptist position on any of this, and in truth no one has a full grasp on the breadth and depth of God's grace.

Bruce Gourley