Grace/Faith and God’s Sovereignty/Humankind’s Free Will While Baptists agree that the Bible teaches that salvation is always and only by grace through faith alone, they have differed on how grace and faith are involved in salvation. For example, not all Baptists have agreed on the relationship of God’s sovereignty and humankind’s free will. Some Baptists have stressed God’s sovereignty and held that only those whom God in his grace has predestined for salvation will be saved by faith; they contend that this salvation cannot be lost. Other Baptists have stressed humankind’s free will and generally held that anyone who responds by faith to God’s grace gift of salvation can be saved; some of them believe that this salvation can be lost. Most Baptists believe that the Bible sets forth both God’s sovereignty and humankind’s freedom of choice. Although these two truths seem irreconcilable in human wisdom (Romans 11:33-36), Baptists generally hold to both and often do so without any effort to reconcile them. As the Baptists who wrote the Articles of Faith for the Union Baptist Association in 1840 stated, “We believe in the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, and man’s free agency as an accountable being.” They also declared, “We believe in the final perseverance of the saints by grace unto glory.” Thus most Baptists contend that a person has freedom of choice to believe in Christ as his or her Lord and Savior or to reject Christ. They insist that anyone who responds through repentance and faith in Jesus’ atoning life, death, and resurrection can be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2). With conviction they quote the words of Jesus, “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).They also declare that once he or she has been truly saved, a person is kept by the power of God; this is often termed the security of the believer (John 10:27-30). Conclusion “Grace” is often defined as God’s unmerited favor and love bestowed on us. We do not deserve or merit salvation. God makes salvation available through Jesus Christ out of his grace, not because anyone deserves or merits it. Basically, grace is a gift (Romans 3:22-24). “Faith” is often defined as belief or trust that leads to a particular course of action (Hebrews 11:1-31; James 2:14-18). In regard to the Bible’s teaching about salvation, “repentance” and “faith” go together (Acts 20:20-21). Repentance involves a genuine turning from sin to God. When a person has faith in Christ for salvation he or she repents, that is turns from following his or her own way to following Christ’s way, and places absolute trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit plays a major part in this process (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5). runs throughout the Bible. at this redemptive purpose is from cient God knew that man would sin wever, God’s foreknowledge of the ame through the exercise of free will.” s (b. 1907 - d. 1995), and theologian th and Message, rev. ed., p. 55
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