Basics and foundation of Christianity

Introduction 

The foundation of Christianity was always on divine grace, which entails accepting God's word as a whole without rejecting any part of it. This part raises questions over man's free will and the fundamental Christian truth of depending on God's grace. By the beginning of the 15th century, the rate of Christianity growth was exponentially increasing, leading to a breeding ground for different doctrines. 1 Questions emerged over the possibility of freewill and allowing people to decide whether they want to accept salvation and God as a supreme being. During this time, the Roman Catholic Church hoped to eliminate differences among the population of Christian followers to maintain the strength of true worship. 2 This paper discusses the old question regarding the implications of divine grace and human kind's free will. It explores how these aspects of man's inability and responsibility work together and the respect that free will has to the subject of divine action and God's grace. 

Christian theologians have formulated concepts of free will and divine grace in trying to explain the role of the human in accomplishing salvation. 3 The notion of freewill affirms that people play a role in salvation through their decisions as opposed people requiring God’s grace to gain salvation. This topic of grace and free will has, on many occasions, been discussed in religious doctrines when talking about salvation. One doctrine argues that grace is responsible for salvation as the free will does not play a role; while another argues that salvation is all on human effort. There are numerous scriptures in both the old and New Testament that explains the implications of grace and free will to humanity. 4 

Paul's writing in the bible is the basis of understanding grace and free will. He stated that no one could boast of being saved by his efforts without God's grace. He described God's grace as a critical aspect guiding Christianity in their way of life. In the bible, God accorded grace to all of humanity, intending to help people to accept salvation and God's existence. However, many patristic writers ignored the theme of predestination that was grounded in grace until Augustine of Hippo took up with the topic. Augustine discussed how both grace and free will could be understood in Christian doctrine in arguing against Pelagian heresy. He believed divine grace plays the role of inspiring people to love God and do what is considered excellent. 5 

St. Augustine on Divine Grace and Free Will 

One of the primary teachings on grace and free will was by St. Augustine, who makes notable reference to common grace and its value in providing people with freewill. Augustinianism describes the sin of Adam through which all punishment came into the world. 6 He believed the act of sin that Adam did by disobeying God affected the entire human race. In the process, people are not able to save themselves or will to have salvation unless through the grace of God. In this regard, Augustine suggested that the freedom of the human will was entirely lost by Adam's transgression and which redemption can only be achieved through grace. 7 He argued that human beings were created with the free intention to choose between good and evil, but Adam chose evil and lost humanity’s free will to salvation. 

Augustine teaches Christians to maintain grace while acknowledging the fact that human beings have a free choice of will. A person is saved by grace alone, and not by any rational decision, merits, or works. This is because man is under sin and are, by nature, the children of wrath. According to Augustine, there is no way humanity will change their sinful nature unless it is done by incorporating God's grace. 8 In most cases, God's will overpowers the free will of a person, influencing how they make decisions. 

St. Augustine aggressively disputed against Pelagianism with the support of his past religious struggles. He wrote against the Pelagians by teaching that God predestined to salvation some sinners through grace. 9 Furthermore, Augustine did his best in combatting the Pelagian heresy by discussing the role of grace and freewill, while denying the use of freewill alone for salvation. He claimed the free will of human beings was unable to do the good that God commands unless guided by grace. This is because God's grace rescued people from doing evil willingly, which was slavery to sin. Augustine argued that human beings are not in a position to initiate salvation unless through the help of the Holy Spirit. 10 

Pelagianism on Grace and Freewill 

Pelagius had a different view from Augustine regarding the concept of freewill and predestination. He rejected teachings on original or inherited sin by arguing that Adam's sin affected only Adam and is not inherited to his descendants. This means human beings are innocent in their birth and have a free choice to sin or to walk in God's ways. Pelagius was an advocate of freewill, arguing that human beings have the will to decide what they want to believe in and whether to receive salvation. Pelagius believed there was no need for divine grace since the man could do the will of God. 11 He argued that every person could accept or deny the existence of God's grace, depending on their free will. 

The Pelagian doctrines were developed after Pelagius teaching, arguing against the Augustinian teaching of predestination and divine grace. They placed the final decision of the outcome of an individual's life in the hand of the man himself. 12 The theology emphasized human responsibility in the process of salvation, countering the revival of Augustinian theology. Pelagianism argues that Adam injured only himself and his posterity, which means every man is born with the same condition in which Adam was created. In this regard, Pelagius believes that Man's will is free, and people have the power to will and do good or evil. 13 He also finds a man can choose to resist grace since only those who deserve it by the true empowerment of their powers are given. 

Pelagianism theology believes in free will for salvation rather than God's grace, and therefore preached against the existing doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. This heresy led to his excommunication as a way of maintaining the strength of the church. The views of Pelagius were observed as a threat to the entire Christian existence and its foundation. 14 St. Augustine defended the church against this heresy by Pelagius, stating that mankind cannot raise itself from spiritual death without the grace of God. He opposed the doctrine of Pelagius by stating that grace is not bestowed to man based on merit. 

Both Pelagius and Augustine pointed out to the bible as the source of truth when coming up with their doctrines. However, their approaches differed in terms of accepting God's grace concerning free will. For example, the Pelagian principle believes people do not need grace to receive salvation or trust. 15 They claim God is a loving God who gave human beings free will without predestining anyone to salvation or damnation. Pelagian theology did not consider predestination an important theme, instead of treating Augustine's teaching by focusing on other aspects of this thought. 16 

Grace and Freewill 

Grace and freewill have been important considerations when talking about salvation. There are arguments on whether salvation is determined by divine choice or personal self-determination. Freewill in this research refers to the willing and self-determination in the process of salvation. 17 Some people have considered free will contradictory to God's grace when discussing issues of salvation, yet the two can be complementary as opposed to being paradoxical. The compatibility of free will and divine mercy have been associated with Augustinian and Calvinistic theology in Christianity. They discussed the possibility of the two being compatible as opposed to ambiguous. The teachings of St. Augustine have been profoundly influential in explaining the relationship between Divine grace and human free will. 18 These teachings also emphasized the role that grace and freewill play in achieving human salvation. 

The teaching on the sovereignty of grace holds that no free act leading to salvation can be done unless initiated by the grace of God. Denying this truth is equated with destroying the whole meaning of the gospel. The reformation theologians conceived that free will and grace were opposite to each other and could not work in harmony. They were strong followers of Augustinian view on the subject, and were opposed to teachings on freewill. In this regard, the reformers rejected talk of the two subjects existing simultaneously. 19 

Calvinistic theology is attributed to providing the power and strength of reformation by calling on men to stand for the gospel truth against the tyranny of Rome. Martin Luther, the great protestant reformer, also spoke about human free will and knowing whether Christians can use their free will to determine matters about salvation. The protestant reformation emerged as Luther wanted to know if his will has anything to do with salvation. The doctrine on salvation is among the issues that led to the Lutheran movement in the 16 th century and the protestant reformation. 20 

Freewill is based on the concept that humans are free to do what is righteous without being bound by the law. Some theologians have affirmed that humans were created with free will and have a decision on whether to live rightly or not. As such, they believe people are not compelled to do anything without their free will to do it. 21 However, other theologians claim the dynamic relationship between God and man is only possible by God's sovereign saving grace through faith 22 in Jesus Christ. This means that grace brings human beings into an eternal relationship with God by demonstrating his love through Jesus Christ. 

Free will is related to the grace of God that applies to Christianity and a crucial issue for the salvation of Christians. A majority of Christians are not fully aware of the debate between grace and free will, with some churches teaching about free will while others are showing grace. 23 While Christians believe a sinner can only be saved by grace, the scriptures state that God did his part by sending Jesus to die on the cross. In this sense, man has to do his part by choosing to cooperate with God's grace. Most people today believe in the human free will with evangelicals linking it to the scriptures. 24 They argue that God gave man free will as opposed to doing his predetermined bidding, which is the basis of the relationship he has with man. 

Salvation is by God's grace, but a person can cooperate with God's grace through their free will. This is because the power of self-will does not do any good without grace. A majority of Christians today have somehow accepted this doctrine that preaches a co-existence between freewill and divine grace. Therefore, although the human nature was affected by Adam's original sin, man has the free will and the choice of repenting or living in sin. 25 The human freedom comprises of his ability to choose right over evil in spiritual matters and not to be enslaved to the sinful nature. Free will allows Christians to cooperate with God's grace and be regenerated or resist and perish. 

At the same time, the natural man does not have the mind of Christ and will not rightly use his free will to make right decision. This necessitates the importance of divine grace as a prerequisite to salvation. This does not mean human beings have no free will; it instead explains the sinful nature of man due to Adam's original sin. Therefore, a person will not respond to the gospel through his free will unless God grants grace. 26 The Holy Spirit is a critical part of salvation that, without him, a person cannot willingly submit to the gospel or the message of Jesus Christ. Without the invincible grace of God, no man would voluntarily come to salvation. 

Conclusion 

The bible has described how God has rained his grace over humanity while giving them a free will to accept his existence. This shows that both grace and free will can co-exist, though people have to use their free will to decide whether they can accept God's grace. It is evident from scriptures that man has a free choice of will, yet the same scripture testifies that without the grace of God, man cannot do anything well. 27 Therefore, free will is given to people, allowing them to examine the different aspects of God's grace and accept it in their lives. Free will exists in the sense that no one is dragged to go to heaven, and no one is forced to accept Christ. However, the extent of this human free will in obtaining salvation lies in staying within the grace of God. 

God has enabled his people to choose their destinations, allowing human beings to choose life or death. He revealed the message of blessing to those who obey his word and curses to those who disobey. The scriptures have shown that God made a man with free will, but the choice to sin made this free will subject to the mastery of evil. Jesus brought grace as a means of redeeming people and set them free will from the knowledge of sin. Every man that is saved chooses to be saved. However, at the back of this choice and the cause of this choice is God's grace that imparts in the heart of a person. 

In conclusion, salvation is done by grace after people have free will and chooses whether to be saved or not. The bible teaches that salvation is entirely by grace and not works since people would not be saved unless the Holy Spirit takes part. A person is never the initiator in salvation by a free will act, with salvation only facilitated by God's grace. At the same time, God does not choose who will be saved and has given everyone a free choice to decide whether they want to accept God's grace. Freewill allows people to examine different aspects associated with understanding God and whether to believe in forgiveness and salvation. In the end, God's grace is crucial to help human beings in their free will and making decisions regarding the power of God. 

References 

Augustine, Saint, and Peter King.  Augustine: On the Free Choice of the Will, On Grace and Free Choice, and Other Writings . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 

Augustine, Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings . Cambridge University Press, 2010. 

Carr, Amy. "Divine Grace and the Question of Free Will." In  Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice , pp. 135-153. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2015. 

Cyr, Taylor W., and Matthew T. Plummer. "Free will, grace, and anti-Pelagianism."  International Journal for Philosophy of Religion  83, no. 2 (2018): 183-199. 

Kaiser, Bernhard. "Free To Say No? Free Will and Augustine’s Evolving Doctrines of Grace and Election, written by Eric L. Jenkins."  Journal of Reformed Theology  10, no. 1 (2016): 85-86. 

McKim, Donald K. "Sin, Grace and Free Will: A Historical Survey of Christian Thought. Volume I: The Apostolic Fathers to Augustine, Matthew Knell, James Clarke & Co., 2017 (ISBN 978‐0‐227‐17606‐1), viii+ 262 pp., hb£ 65."  Reviews in Religion & Theology  26, no. 1 (2019): 102-104. 

Noll, Mark A.  Turning points: Decisive moments in the history of Christianity . Baker Books, 2012. 

Picirilli, Robert E.  Grace, Faith, Free Will . Randall House Publications, 2002. 

Rackett, Michael R. "What’s Wrong with Pelagianism?: Augustine and Jerome on the Dangers of Pelagius and his Followers."  Augustinian Studies  33, no. 2 (2002): 223-237. 

Stump, Eleonore. "Augustine on free will."  The Cambridge Companion to Augustine  (2001): 124-47. 

Walton, Robert C.  Chronological and background charts of church history . Zondervan Academic, 2018. 

1 Walton, Robert C.  Chronological and background charts of church history . Zondervan Academic, 2018. 

2 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

3 Donald McKim. Sin, Grace and Free Will: A Historical Survey of Christian Thought ( Reviews in Religion & Theology , 2019): 102-104 

4 Amy Carr. Divine Grace and the Question of Free Will." In  Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) . 

5 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings (Cambridge University Press, 2010) 

6 Eleonore Stump. Augustine on free will ( The Cambridge Companion to Augustine , 2001): 124 

7 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

8 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

9 Michael Rackett. What’s Wrong with Pelagianism?: Augustine and Jerome on the Dangers of Pelagius and his Followers ( Augustinian Studies , 2002): 223-237. 

10 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

11 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

12 Amy Carr. Divine Grace and the Question of Free Will." In  Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) . 

13 Michael Rackett. What’s Wrong with Pelagianism?: Augustine and Jerome on the Dangers of Pelagius and his Followers ( Augustinian Studies , 2002): 223-237. 

14 Rackett. What’s Wrong with Pelagianism?: Augustine and Jerome on the Dangers of Pelagius and his Followers , 2002): 223-237. 

15 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

16 Amy Carr. Divine Grace and the Question of Free Will." In  Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) . 

17 Donald McKim. Sin, Grace and Free Will: A Historical Survey of Christian Thought ( Reviews in Religion & Theology , 2019): 102-104 

18 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

19 Amy Carr. Divine Grace and the Question of Free Will." In  Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) 

20 Mark Noll.  Turning points: Decisive moments in the history of Christianity (Baker Books, 2012) 

21 Eleonore Stump. Augustine on free will ( The Cambridge Companion to Augustine , 2001): 124 

22 Robert Picirilli.  Grace, Faith, Free Will (Randall House Publications, 2002) 

23 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010 

24 Bernhard Kaiser. " Free To Say No? Free Will and Augustine’s Evolving Doctrines of Grace and Election ( Journal of Reformed Theology , 2016): 85-86. 

25 Eleonore Stump. Augustine on free will ( The Cambridge Companion to Augustine , 2001): 124 

26 Taylor and Plummer. Free will, grace, and anti-Pelagianism ( International Journal for Philosophy of Religion , 2018): 183-199 

27 Augustine Saint.  Augustine: On the free choice of the will, on grace and free choice, and other writings , 2010