Heresies 9

Overview

Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism: Whose Work Is Salvation?

The Pre-Fall Picture and the Fall

Scripture begins with a perfect creation. In Genesis 1:31, God declares everything He had made "very good." Humanity, the crown of creation, was made for life without disease, death, or sin, in perfect knowledge of God and conformity to His will. Genesis 2:15–17 establishes the boundary between Creator and creature: to seize the prerogative of defining good and evil is death. With the fall, that death sentence fell on all of us.

Pelagius and His Modern Heirs

In the fifth century, Pelagius taught that we do not entirely need the grace of God in Christ for salvation—enough goodness remains in us that, by cultivating our inborn morality, our works can earn God's favor. The Council of Ephesus (431) condemned this teaching outright. But a softened version, semi-Pelagianism, has persisted: the claim that while we need grace, the human will retains the freedom to cooperate with God in conversion. Whenever we hear, "You just need to make your personal decision for Christ," semi-Pelagianism is at work.

Scripture will not allow it. Ephesians 2:1 says we were "dead through trespasses and sins"—and dead people exercise no will toward life. Romans 7:18 confesses, "nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh." 1 Corinthians 2:14 adds that the things of God are foolishness to the natural person. We have free will in things below—what to wear, what to eat—but with regard to things above, our will is bound. By nature we have already made our decision about Christ, and the answer is no.

How God Raises the Dead

Salvation, then, is not synergistic but monergistic—God's work from start to finish. Ephesians 2:4–6 uses resurrection language: God made us alive together with Christ and raised us up. The story of Lazarus in John 11:38–44 pictures it perfectly—a dead man called forth by the Word. The "dynamite" (Greek dynamis) of God's saving power is the gospel itself: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" Romans 1:16. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" Romans 10:17. As Paul reminds the Corinthians, planters and waterers are nothing; "only God who gives the growth" 1 Corinthians 3:5–7. And Jesus settles the matter: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" John 15:16.

Holding the Tension, Keeping the Gospel Pure

Scripture confesses two truths it never resolves: if you believe, it is wholly God's gracious work; if you do not, the fault is wholly your own. Resolve that tension one way and you land in double predestination; resolve it the other way and salvation hinges on a sliver of human will. Faithful preaching holds both together so the gospel can ring clear.

This matters pastorally. The moment we slip in, "Christ died for you—now all you have to do is accept it," or even, "all you have to do is not reject it," we have turned grace into law and made faith our contribution. Gospel speaks in because…therefore, not if…then. Faith is not a decision we manufacture; it is, as one early teacher said, like falling in love—something we discover has happened to us by the work of Another. The royal carriage has pulled up at the door; the King has chosen us. Our part is not to negotiate but to receive—and to give Him all the glory.

Transcript

Well, we pick up in our study on the heresies of old, last time that we were together, we studied 0s

about what is called a nosticism. Nosticism is the belief that God speaks to us apart from his 7s

word, apart from his written word. And we we saw what the consequences of this kind of teaching is. 17s

The consequences is that experience then replaces faith that there's no benchmark then. In 26s

other words, a doctrine isn't the rule, but it is whatever is the most experiential or whatever 34s

is elevated in terms of the experiential realm becomes elevated to the most true. 41s

You see divisions occur in churches where people will say, well, how come I'm not hearing the 48s

audible voice of God? What's the matter with me? That somehow there is then this elevation of those 56s

that are purporting to hear the word of God. And we see then that Jesus then takes back seat to 65s

our experience. We examine the formation of the canon of Scripture and that if we want to hear 74s

the voice of God, we hear the voice of God through the word, period, period. Well, today I want to take 80s

a look with you at Pelagians. Pelagians. And we'll see the modern day expression of a form of 89s

Pelagianism. But before we get to that, I want to say a little groundwork with you. Let's talk 105s

about what the Bible has to say with regard to humankind before the fall into sin. So let's start 110s

in the very beginning. Let's go to Genesis 1 verse 31. We just want to explore what it is 120s

that the Bible says about humankind before Adam and Eve's fall into sin. So chapter 1 verse 31, 129s

please. Chapter 1 verse 31. 139s

And there we read God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good. 147s

And there was evening and there was morning the sixth day. We see, of course, at the crown of God's 155s

creation, the crown of creation was humankind. We see that there is no disease or no death 162s

that our first parents were created and all of us, God's intention, were created to live forever 171s

on earth. Let's go to Genesis chapter 2 verse 15. Lord God took the man and put him in the 177s

garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man. You may freely eat of 189s

every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. 195s

For in the day that you eat of it, you shall die. In other words, the boundary between God and us 201s

is established. God is saying, you choose for yourself what is right and what is wrong. That's death. 208s

That's the death sentence. And of course, we see that that's exactly what our first parents did. 215s

But in creation, we see that it's very good. Humankind is the crown of creation. We see 222s

there's no disease or death in the garden that indeed we were created to live forever. The spiritual 227s

relation of humans to God was perfect. There was blissful knowledge of God. That's Colossians 310. 236s

There was perfect righteousness and true holiness of life. That's Ephesians 4 and Ecclesiastes 7. 246s

There's no evil. There's no sin. Adam and Eve knew the will of God and was able to conform to it 255s

in thought and in word and in deed. But then comes the fall. Then comes the fall. 262s

Pelagius comes along in the fifth century. 274s

And Pelagius maintained that it's not entirely necessary to rely on the grace of God in 283s

Jesus Christ for salvation. Well, the heresy bells start ringing with that statement. 292s

So he said it's not entirely necessary to rely upon the grace of God for salvation. He maintained 301s

that there is enough goodness left in us. That if we just cultivate and develop that inborn 308s

morality in us, we can through our good works gain God's favor. So you've got the pre-fall, 317s

but then you've got the fall into sin, right? Pelagius comes along and says, you know, there's 329s

enough goodness left in all of us. We just have to cultivate it enough, develop it enough. 336s

It's kind of the self-improvement program here to redeem yourself. And that through our works here, 344s

through cultivating our inborn goodness, then God will look upon us with his favor and we will 350s

receive salvation. That was condemned by the counsel of Ephesus in 431. And they said, no, 358s

Pelagius, you are absolutely wrong on that. But a modified form of Pelagius' thinking 368s

has maintained throughout the centuries. And that is what is called semi-Pelagianism. 379s

semi-Pelagianism. So remember, Pelagius said there's an inborn morality, 388s

you cultivate it and through your good works, you earn your way into the goodness of God. That's 392s

rejected by the Church. But this form of Pelagianism exists throughout the centuries and it's what's 399s

called semi-Pelagianism. And that is that there is not the denial of free will with regard to things 406s

above. What do I mean by that? All of us when we got up this morning, we have free will with regard 417s

to things below. In other words, you have free will absolutely of what you ate this morning for 424s

breakfast. When you went to the closet and you said, what am I going to put on today? So I look at 431s

the closet and I go, is it going to be gray or black today? All right? Okay. Let's go with black. 437s

All right. That is a free will that you have. Those are all things below. When it comes, however, 447s

to our relationship with God to coin a great book by Luther, our will is bound, the bondage of the 454s

will. In other words, we want nothing to do with God. Semi-Pelagianism says that free will with regard 462s

to God still exists and that the human must cooperate with God in the salvation process. And so when 471s

you hear the phrase of the television preacher that says, you need to make your personal decision 484s

for Jesus Christ. You know what that is? That's semi-Pelagianism. And it's an offshoot of 494s

Pelaegius and the teaching of Pelaegius back in the fifth century. Let's look at why that statement 504s

doesn't match up with Scripture. And let's look at why our salvation is not synergistic. In other words, 515s

we cooperate synergy, but it is monogistic. In other words, God is the one who does the acting and 525s

the transformation of the heart. So let's look at our condition after the fall. After the fall. 532s

Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 540s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1. 549s

And notice here, as we work through some Scripture passages, how Scripture describes us. 558s

And it is not complementary here. So chapter 2 of Ephesians, verse 1. 566s

You were dead through the trespasses and sins. You were dead through trespasses. 576s

And sins. Now just think about that a little bit in terms of freedom of the will. 587s

How much freedom of the will does a dead person have? Right? There is no freedom of the will. 593s

So when it says here, we are dead through our trespasses and sins. Let's go to Romans the 7th chapter. 603s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans chapter 7, verse 18. 611s

Romans 7, verse 18. 623s

And here this verse in the backdrop of palegias in the 5th century that said, 631s

what you need to do is you need to cultivate your moral goodness. 638s

Romans chapter 7, verse 18. 643s

For I know that nothing good dwells within me. That is in my flesh. I can will what's right, 646s

but I can't do it. Now just here, a palegia saying, you don't really need to rely totally on 651s

the grace that is ours to the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to cultivate your inner morality 659s

and therefore, through your works, God will redeem you. Absolutely rejected. 665s

Okay. Now hear that in light of semi-pilagianism. Because remember, a whole chunk of 671s

of palegias' thought was just condemned by the church. Here it in terms of semi-pilagianism 678s

back in Romans 7, 18. I know that nothing good dwells within me. That is in my flesh. I can will what's 684s

right, but I cannot do it. See that gets at the pervasiveness with regard to our sinfulness. 693s

We have made our decision about Christ and by our nature, our decision is no. No. 704s

Let's go on. Let's explore some more. Let's go at first Corinthians, the second chapter. 715s

Keep turning toward Romans. You bump right into a revelation. You bump right into a first Corinthians. 721s

Chapter 2, verse 14. 728s

Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit. They're foolishness to them. 742s

They're unable to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. 748s

You see, our heart has to be changed. Our heart has to be transformed. We need a heart transplant 756s

from God because by nature, the proclamation of what God has done in Jesus Christ, 762s

by nature, it's foolishness to the person. Even the need of someone who has to die to redeem us, 769s

that is the foolishness with regard to our sinful nature. What is our sinful nature understand 781s

by nature? It understands good works. It understands good works. 788s

Prevent me to use an example that I've used in the past. If you eat your peas, you get your ice 794s

cream. We get that. We get it because we were probably all told that. You work hard, you can work 802s

your way from the lowest rungs of the company to perhaps the top rungs of the company. But 814s

any CEO of any corporation doesn't say, boy, I got this from the Board of Directors by sheer grace, 823s

by sheer grace because I know absolutely nothing about this business. But yet by the sheer grace of 833s

God, I know the CEO. No, we understand works righteousness. We understand how that works. We understand 841s

then that since there is a God, then we need to appease that God, impress that God, to get to 852s

whatever form of eternity we want to put on it. Every major religion outside of Christianity 863s

is based upon a system of works righteousness. Every single one. That's one of the reasons why 870s

you can look at Christianity and say in our sinfulness we would never, ever invent Christianity. 881s

You never would. Because what do we get? We get works righteousness. We don't get by nature grace. 886s

For to us. It's foreign to our thinking. So we're dead in our sins and trespasses. There's nothing good 895s

that dwells in us. The Scriptures don't make sense to the natural person in our sinfulness. 904s

Let's go back now to Ephesians 2 again. So keep turning toward revelation, second Corinthians, 912s

Galatians, and Ephesians. Here's the passage again about being dead through our trespasses. 917s

Verse 1, you were dead through the trespasses and sins. Jump down to verse 5, even when we were dead 933s

through our trespasses, made the reference there is in verse 4 to God, that God made us alive 940s

together with Christ by grace you have been. Say, by grace you have been saved. Then notice verse 6, 949s

and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. 960s

So that's resurrection language, right? We need to be totally transformed. We need to be 972s

raised up because by nature we've made the decision and we want nothing to do with God. Nothing to 978s

do with God. Let's go to John the 11th chapter. Here's the story of Lazarus. John 11, verse 38. 988s

Then Jesus again greatly disturbed came to the tomb. It was the cave and the stone was lying against it. 1017s

Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord already, 1022s

there's a stench because he's been dead for days. Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if 1028s

you believed you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone and Jesus looked upward 1034s

and said, Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said 1040s

this for the sake of the crowd standing here so that they may believe that you sent me. When he had 1047s

said this, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come out. The dead man came out his hands and feet 1054s

bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, unbind him and let him 1060s

go. Lazarus awoke from the dead by the power of the Word and we are awakened unto faith by the 1068s

power of the Word. There is no exercise of the will in becoming the Christian. There is only the 1080s

miraculous gift of faith that is given to us. I've used the example, at least I've used it in 1089s

confirmation, so I might have used it here, but I'll go ahead and use it again if I could. 1097s

When Denise and I started to date, I thought to myself, I like her, like her a lot. Then that turned 1104s

into really, really like. Then that turned into really, really, really liked. Then one day I realized 1113s

I was in love with her. I was in love with her. I did not wake up that morning when I realized it 1122s

in my seminary dorm room and say, I am going to decide to love Denise today. Yep, today is the day. 1131s

I am making my personal decision to love Denise. No, I realized that I was in love. A 1143s

ghost who had a early church father had a great impact on Luther. He said, a ghost that's the best 1155s

analogy for faith. Faith isn't that which you say, I'm going to make my decision today, but faith 1163s

is that which one falls into and you realize you are in love. That's what God does to us. 1171s

We're all of a sudden we realize I'm in love with Jesus. I'm in love with Jesus. 1180s

Because if God doesn't get 100% of the credit for our faith, then our faith becomes the only work 1189s

that we have to do. If God does 99.99% and all we have to do is that point thousand or whatever it is, 1203s

once you start to say and all you have to do, that's law language. Because law language is if you 1217s

use the word, because Jesus Christ died for you, therefore you have been indeed. Because Jesus Christ died for you, 1234s

God has claimed you as his own in the waters of baptism. Gospel language is because therefore it's not if, then, that's law language. 1243s

What we need then is to be raised from our spiritual deadness. Let's go to Romans the first chapter. Matthew 1255s

Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans chapter 1 verse 16. 1266s

So how does God do this? How does God transform our hearts into lovers of the Lord Jesus? 1279s

It's not this act of will that we do as if we have this freedom with regard to God. No, our wills 1290s

are bound against him. We are by nature against him. We're enemies. We're blind. The scripture says, we're dead. 1297s

So how does he do it? Romans chapter 1 verse 16. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God 1304s

for salvation to everyone who has faith to the Jew first and also to the Greek. That word there, translated in 1314s

English power, the Greek word is dynamis. Can you get what, guess what English word we get from it? 1324s

Dynamite. So what's the dynamite then that God uses to transform and change our heart, but it is the 1332s

word of God. It is the gospel declared in all of its purity. The law convices of our sin and the gospel 1341s

is the glorious sweet word of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Let's go to first Corinthians. 1354s

The, or rather Romans 10, please. Romans 10 verse 17. Romans 10 verse 17. 1362s

So faith comes from what's heard and what has heard comes through the word of Christ. So what's the dynamite that we use? 1382s

It's simply the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ whereby the Holy Spirit brings people to faith 1392s

where and when it pleases the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit is the one that causes the growth. Let's go to 1398s

first Corinthians chapter 3 verses 5 to 7. First Corinthians chapter 3 verses 5 to 7. 1405s

Paul writes, what then is Apollo's? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord 1424s

assigned to each. I planted Apollo's water. God gave growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one 1433s

who waters is anything but only God who gives the growth. No one then can claim credit for his or her 1444s

salvation or for the salvation of others. The moment then that a Christian begins to feel as if they 1457s

possess something inwardly that they contribute to this equation. That's the moment that trust in 1465s

Christ begins to weigh. For it is not any kind of inborn goodness. Scripture says we are wicked 1474s

through and through and through. It is not any inborn goodness that we bring to the table and is not 1484s

our will that then decides. We then have freedom of things below but we don't have freedom with 1491s

regard to things above. Let's go to John chapter 15, John chapter 15, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. 1503s

John 15 verse 16. 1514s

Jesus says, you did not choose me but I chose you. You didn't choose me but I chose you. 1526s

Let's go to Romans the eighth chapter, verse 5. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1540s

Romans chapter 8, verse 5. 1546s

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who 1556s

live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 1561s

For this reason, the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God. 1567s

It cannot and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. It is simply the dynamite of His work. 1576s

All right then. So that then brings us to the crux of why semi-piligianism is still so very popular. 1585s

Because what is the problem that semi-piligianism resolves? It resolves the issue of unbelief, doesn't it? 1594s

You see, the semi-piligianists say, well some believe in Jesus Christ and some don't believe in Jesus 1603s

Christ and those that don't believe in Jesus Christ that have heard the gospel, well it's because 1609s

they have rejected it. If you take what Scripture says, where Scripture says, if you believe in the 1614s

Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord, it is totally the work of God. And if you don't believe 1623s

it's totally your own fault. And you know what? Scripture never, ever resolves that. It's an 1630s

antiniming. It's what's called antiniming. It's two truths. And I've said in classes before, 1638s

if you resolve that tension, you wind up being either a Presbyterian or a Baptist. 1648s

Right? Because they both resolve the tension. The Presbyterian says that some believe and some 1656s

don't believe and the reason why those don't believe is because they were destined for death. 1664s

God has simply not converted. That indeed God saves some and he lets others go and that is solely 1673s

in the in the prerogative of God to do. The Baptist says, well no, the word goes forth and then that 1680s

person has free will in them. And you often hear God does the majority of the work, however, 1689s

it's up to them whether or not to accept Jesus. And so if they don't accept Jesus, then it's 1696s

their fault. So if you resolve the tension, you either resolve, you wind up a Presbyterian or a 1703s

Baptist. That's why Lutherans live in this area where you hold two things in intention and you 1709s

don't resolve it. Why? Because Scripture doesn't resolve it. And so if you believe it's totally the 1719s

work of God and God's gracious act in your life and if you don't believe, then it's totally your fault. 1725s

And you just hold those two things together. Holding those two things together allows you, 1732s

can I get you after Steve? I just have to wrap it. When when by holding those two things together, 1739s

it allows for the purity of the gospel to ring. Let me show you how long gospel can get mixed. 1746s

Jesus Christ has died for you on the cross. He loves you. He died for your sins. 1760s

Now all you have to do is accept it. What just happened there? But law and gospel got mixed, 1768s

right? Jesus Christ died for your sins. You are forgiven through for him. And now all you have to do 1776s

is accept it. You have then made faith your cooperation, the only work that you've contributed. 1783s

Why? Because if then language is what kind of language? It's law language. Now you'll hear in Orthodox 1793s

Lutheran sermons. You hear it from Pastor Maloneck. You hear it from me. You're going to hear the law 1803s

call. If you were here at first service, you heard the law and the law was the different methods that 1811s

we use to validate truthfulness. That was law that shows us our sinfulness. And then there was 1820s

gospel that all of our sins, including that, have been a tone for through Jesus Christ. 1830s

That then puts it in the category of because, therefore, what is the best way for people to come to 1837s

faith? The best way is to preach grace in all of its purity and not mix it with law. Luther said, 1848s

when you mix law and gospel together, then what you get, you get a muddy mess. You know, muddy mess. 1856s

And Luther said, if you separate law and gospel, there is correct, preaching. Okay, where does 1864s

semi-pollagenism sneak in the back door sometimes for Lutherans? It'll sneak in this way. 1874s

Jesus Christ has died for my sins. I've been claimed as his own in the waters of baptism. 1884s

Now all I have to do is just not reject it. Okay? Now what just happened there? You've just made 1892s

your not rejecting it, the only work you have to do. So there's Luther concerned about the word 1902s

except. And so then you move it into, well then I just don't have to reject it. Right? 1909s

And so when I was going through this process in seminary and after class, it was driving me nuts. 1918s

And I went up to the professor and I said, so are you telling me I can't say no? 1924s

And what was his response? He's, you've heard me say this before, right? What was his response? 1930s

He says, oh David, why would you want to do that? Any walks out of the room. 1935s

Hey, you know what he was doing, right? He was not going to compromise the gospel and turn 1941s

me back on the wall. Because what would have been terrifying to me if he would have said, 1948s

well of course David, you better not reject. Any walks out. Then what am I going to be thinking 1955s

about that night? I wonder if I've rejected. I wonder if I really believe. And that was Luther. 1961s

Let me give you a little quote in closing here from a professor of mine back in seminary. 1969s

He writes this, suppose there's a lowly pizant lad who has a secret love for a beautiful 1975s

princess. It seems hopeless, lost love. He fears he can't have her so he only worships her from afar. 1984s

In his hurt, he takes steps to defend himself. He can, strokes the kind of defense mechanism. He 1993s

tells himself that she is too vain or proud for her own good. She can sorts with all the wrong 1999s

people with princes, not with peasant lads. Yet he dreams that maybe he can make it somehow. He sets out 2007s

to show her. He sets out to become rich and powerful. He plans and plots and sets ideals for himself. 2014s

He dreams of himself as a potential prince. And then the topic all off he hears. She has already 2023s

been predestined for someone. She's already decided the matter. That of course would be a lasting 2031s

crushing blow. Then suppose one fine day the royal carriage comes clattering down the road and 2038s

pulls up at the door. The princess steps out and comes to him and announces, what in the world are 2046s

you doing? Don't you see? You're the one I've decided on. I love you and always have. Why are you 2054s

making such a fool of yourself? But we can say no, can't we? In the light of the concrete world, 2066s

the arrival of the royal carriage at your door, such questions must be answered differently. 2078s

What in the world do you want to do that for? The royal carriage arrives and you greet the 2085s

lover with a question like that. But I can say no, can't I? Can you? Speak for yourself. Take care. 2091s

The answer will be a confession. Holding out for the ability to say no can be just another mark. 2103s

Of the disintegration of the will. John 6, you did not choose me. I chose you. 2114s

And in his choosing, with heart-strants formed, we have fallen in love with him. To God, 2127s

He the glory. 2136s