Are you a monergist or a synergist?

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Which are you? Please vote only once and simply add 1 to the current total for what you choose.

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
  • Poll closed .
D

decipher

Active member
Jul 15, 2024
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A monergist is a person who believes that God alone effects a person's salvation. They believe that the Holy Spirit is the only active agent in a person's spiritual rebirth, that the human will is considered spiritually dead and incapable of choosing God on its own until God first steps in to change the person's heart. They believe that saving faith is a gift from God to all whom the Father chooses to become part of the body of Christ. The gift is the Holy Spirit which acts as a portal through which the invisible God the Father enters the being of God the Son, and through which they both enter our beings to change our motivation for living and fill us with love, wisdom, and truth. They believe that all (100%) of the glory for their salvation goes to the Father and to the Son because in 1 Cor 1: 29, no flesh should glory in His presence. That means that no one in heaven can say "I did it!", or "I made the right decision!", or "I did the right things and believed the right things!".
A synergist is a person who believes that salvation involves a cooperative effort between divine grace and human freedom. They believe that God initiates salvation through grace, but the individual must freely choose to accept, respond to, or cooperate with that grace. They emphasize that human beings possess the free will to either assent to or resist God's salvific grace. They believe that they should get some of the glory for their salvation if they accept God's grace.
 
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decipher said:
A monergist is a person who believes that God alone effects a person's salvation. They believe that the Holy Spirit is the only active agent in a person's spiritual rebirth, that the human will is considered spiritually dead and incapable of choosing God on its own until God first steps in to change the person's heart. They believe that saving faith is a gift from God to all whom the Father chooses to become part of the body of Christ. The gift is the Holy Spirit which acts as a portal through which the invisible God the Father enters the being of God the Son, and through which they both enter our beings to change our motivation for living and fill us with love, wisdom, and truth. They believe that all (100%) of the glory for their salvation goes to the Father and to the Son because in 1 Cor 1: 29, no flesh should glory in His presence. That means that no one in heaven can say "I did it!", or "I made the right decision!", or "I did the right things and believed the right things!".
A synergist is a person who believes that salvation involves a cooperative effort between divine grace and human freedom. They believe that God initiates salvation through grace, but the individual must freely choose to accept, respond to, or cooperate with that grace. They emphasize that human beings possess the free will to either assent to or resist God's salvific grace. They believe that they should get some of the glory for their salvation if they accept God's grace.
Click to expand...
Anti-calvinist and anti-arminian....

U dont have a "none of the above"
 
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decipher said:
A monergist is a person who believes that God alone effects a person's salvation. They believe that the Holy Spirit is the only active agent in a person's spiritual rebirth, that the human will is considered spiritually dead and incapable of choosing God on its own until God first steps in to change the person's heart. They believe that saving faith is a gift from God to all whom the Father chooses to become part of the body of Christ. The gift is the Holy Spirit which acts as a portal through which the invisible God the Father enters the being of God the Son, and through which they both enter our beings to change our motivation for living and fill us with love, wisdom, and truth. They believe that all (100%) of the glory for their salvation goes to the Father and to the Son because in 1 Cor 1: 29, no flesh should glory in His presence. That means that no one in heaven can say "I did it!", or "I made the right decision!", or "I did the right things and believed the right things!".
A synergist is a person who believes that salvation involves a cooperative effort between divine grace and human freedom. They believe that God initiates salvation through grace, but the individual must freely choose to accept, respond to, or cooperate with that grace. They emphasize that human beings possess the free will to either assent to or resist God's salvific grace. They believe that they should get some of the glory for their salvation if they accept God's grace.
Click to expand...
The Bible says that the saints and God synergise. I don’t see the word monergise in scripture. Monergism seems to be a man-made concept, not a biblical one.

Jas 2:22
Seest thou how faith wrought with (συνήργει) his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

2 Cor 6:1
We then, as workers together (συνεργεῖ)) with him , beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

1Co 16:16
That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with (συνεργοῦντι) us, and laboureth.

Rom. 8:28
And we know that all thingswork together (συνεργεῖ) for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Mar 16:20
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with( συνεργοῦντος) them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
 
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I don't understand the choices given in this poll. All three are precisely the same:

"Which are you? Please vote only once and simply add 1 to the current total for what you choose.​

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0"
Those look like the current results of the poll rather than the choices. Surely the choices should be something like:

Monergist

Synergist

Other
 
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The
DavidLamb said:
I don't understand the choices given in this poll. All three are precisely the same:

"Which are you? Please vote only once and simply add 1 to the current total for what you choose.​

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0"
Those look like the current results of the poll rather than the choices. Surely the choices should be something like:

Monergist

Synergist

Other
Click to expand...
The synergist does not credit himself with anything. God credits the synergist’s faith to the synergist as righteousness.

Rom 4:5
However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Gen 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Ps 106:31 This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

Rom 4:3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Rom 4:9
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Gal 3:6
So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Jas 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[fn] and he was called God's friend.

Do you think God is wrong to give us credit for our faith, reckoning our faith to us as righteousness?
 
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PaulThomson said:
The
The synergist does not credit himself with anything. God credits the synergist’s faith to the synergist as righteousness.

Rom 4:5
However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Gen 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Ps 106:31 This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

Rom 4:3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Rom 4:9
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Gal 3:6
So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Jas 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[fn] and he was called God's friend.

Do you think God is wrong to give us credit for our faith, reckoning our faith to us as righteousness?
Click to expand...
Sorry, how does that answer my post? I only said that I didn't understand the poll choices, because all three appear as:

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
That looks more like poll results, than poll choices.
 
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JohnDB said:
Anti-calvinist and anti-arminian....

U dont have a "none of the above"
Click to expand...
If a person rejects both Calvinism and Arminianism, then they typically hold to a form of synergism (salvation dependent on human cooperation) or a non-Reformed evangelicalism (such as Provisionism, traditional Wesleyanism, or general nondenominationalism).

Calvinism and Arminianism are the two primary historical systems defining how divine grace and human will interact, meaning a rejection of both places someone in a philosophically inconsistent middle ground.

Provisionism emphasizes that Christ died for everyone equally, God desires all to be saved without exception, and humans retain the absolute libertarian ability to accept or resist grace without prior unilateral regeneration. Lay Christians often reject the "labels" of Calvinism and Arminianism while still practically operating on Arminian assumptions—believing human choice is the ultimate deciding factor in salvation.

Salvation must either be initiated and secured unconditionally by God (Calvinism) or left up to the final decision of human free will (Arminianism). Stepping outside these systems usually means either sliding into human autonomy (making man the ultimate savior of his own soul) or misrepresenting God's holy character by misconstruing scriptural election.

There is no third option between monergism and synergism regarding the initial new birth or regeneration. Salvation's starting point is strictly monergistic—God works alone to make a spiritually dead sinner alive. Human will contributes nothing to this initial act.
 
I see salvation as something more than a choice like what to have for dinner. I also do not see salvation as something beyond one's control like being hit by lightning. I see it more as a conflkuence of Christ having paid for the sins of the world and one having made life choices that reflect a value of truth over feeling good. Jesus said that those who were of the truth would hear his voice.

I suspect that one who is "of the truth" would see in the gospel of grace such truth that trusting in the gospel would be the only response he could make.
 
decipher said:
A monergist is a person who believes that God alone effects a person's salvation. They believe that the Holy Spirit is the only active agent in a person's spiritual rebirth, that the human will is considered spiritually dead and incapable of choosing God on its own until God first steps in to change the person's heart. They believe that saving faith is a gift from God to all whom the Father chooses to become part of the body of Christ. The gift is the Holy Spirit which acts as a portal through which the invisible God the Father enters the being of God the Son, and through which they both enter our beings to change our motivation for living and fill us with love, wisdom, and truth. They believe that all (100%) of the glory for their salvation goes to the Father and to the Son because in 1 Cor 1: 29, no flesh should glory in His presence. That means that no one in heaven can say "I did it!", or "I made the right decision!", or "I did the right things and believed the right things!".
A synergist is a person who believes that salvation involves a cooperative effort between divine grace and human freedom. They believe that God initiates salvation through grace, but the individual must freely choose to accept, respond to, or cooperate with that grace. They emphasize that human beings possess the free will to either assent to or resist God's salvific grace. They believe that they should get some of the glory for their salvation if they accept God's grace.
Click to expand...
So basically monergist is another name for Calvinist? Have i got that right?

I am not a Monergist..

But i don't agree with all that you have included in your definition of a Synergist.. """They believe that they should get some of the glory for their salvation if they accept God's grace.""" I definitly do not believe that...
 
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Journey_man said:
There is no third option between monergism and synergism regarding the initial new birth or regeneration.
Click to expand...

Just because YOU cannot envision what I and billions believe....has no merit upon my belief.

And I read scriptures using full hermeneutics....not partial or flat reading when its convenient for my particular preferred theology.

Within scripture there is an Author who had thoughts, ideas, and concepts he AND the Holy Spirit wished to convey.
Then theres a targeted, time sensitive, audience that the writing was sent to. The fact that this writing was going to exist for well over 2,000 years was not unknown to the Holy Spirit....but was to the guy with the pen in his hand.

As such, plainly written stories speaking to this particular matter were included in the Gospel Accounts as this very subject had been hotly debated in Bethmidrash for hundreds of years already with no decided winner. When the Apostles asked the opening question for this debate ( not in a hostile fashion as the woman at the well asked her theological question) while walking along.....
The question is "Who sinned to cause this man to be born blind?"
AND
Since you do not understand the question....
The answer given by Jesus escapes you doubly so.
FURTHERMORE
You massively miss the moralistic answer that John wants you to notice even more so than Jesus's glib answer.

So....two massive and PRINCIPLE principals that you are supposed to hold dear as a Christian and you have blown off both as irrelevant.

So obviously you need an elementary lesson of Christianity 101-(a)

There are these two commandments we are to follow:

1) Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
2) Love your neighbor at least as much as you do yourself.

Meaning.....
When Jesus God says something....you listen as if your life depends upon it....because it does. He doesnt speak idly.
And you do not try to cause arguments among fellow Christians you dont know or think about because you are bored, lonely or feeling superior over. They are your most valuable irreplaceable resource in the world.

Now you do not know me....or what I believe as evidenced by your post. And I'm a LOT older than you.
My advice; stop treating people as underlings and value your relationships more. In the end nothing you know matters, only the people you love and who loved you mattered whatsoever. Any other prize was not worth having.
 
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I am still struggling to work out which option to tick, as all three appear to be exactly the same, and include both monergism and synergism:

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
Has anybody actually cast a vote in this poll? If so, how did you work out which option to tick, as all three are identical?
 
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DavidLamb said:
I am still struggling to work out which option to tick, as all three appear to be exactly the same, and include both monergism and synergism:

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
Has anybody actually cast a vote in this poll? If so, how did you work out which option to tick, as all three are identical?
Click to expand...
I think it's cattywampus.
 
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DavidLamb said:
I am still struggling to work out which option to tick, as all three appear to be exactly the same, and include both monergism and synergism:

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total = 0
Has anybody actually cast a vote in this poll? If so, how did you work out which option to tick, as all three are identical?
Click to expand...
Oh his game is fairly transparent....

Calvinist or "free willy"
That's what he is asking. The truth is otherwise but he can't perceive it.

He really doesn't know scripture but thinks he does due to his $0.50 vocabulary words. Meh....im not impressed
 
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"Who can resist God?"

The Jews could, and their fathers. Stephen said this, for example:

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you."

The people who ignore the higher powers established by God for another...

"Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation."

Before the corruption of sin, the default setting of man was to follow the Spirit of God. Corruption, on its face, implies the existence of a state of purity. Yet, because of sin, that purity was lost for all people.

Also consider that Adam remained a son of God after his fall into sin. (Luke 3: "..Adam, the son of God.") God also kept Adam around for 930 years, presumably hundreds of years after his sin. This was to preserve the man, for a time, who was instructed directly by God about God's ways and life.

The benefit of salvation in Christ is an incorruptible life that is eternal; which was God's original intent with mankind.

So yes, man has the right and the ability to resist God. But what happens when they do not resist God? Men receive Him. But men do not receive Christ in their souls or flesh, they receive Him in their spirit. So it is not the will of the flesh that saves men. It is the will of the spirit given to man.

Men's spirits were given to all men by God. This is why no one may brag that they have received God in their own efforts: it's only by the spirit of God in them, placed there by God, that they can agree with God. This is like no one marvels when someone says "I flew all the way to Hawaii". We all know it was only on an aircraft that such a thing could be true.

Because the spirits of men are God's (He gave it) they return to Him when the man dies.

"Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it."

Water and the Word of God are paired in the scriptures so we can understand the substance of both. Like water, man may dam it up to prevent the flow of God's spirit in him. Man CAN resist God (as shown above). Yet, when man stops resisting God, the spirit of God in man will have His way. No, man cannot save himself just as man cannot fly to Hawaii himself. He may only let God's Spirit have His way in himself. What God promises is that "whosoever will" receives eternal life in Christ.

Lastly, God has already chosen man to be His heirs (indeed co-heirs with Christ). Chosen implies "as one chosen for the work" not only as one who is saved to go to heaven.

But again, man may resist God. The Bible even says so. Paul, as Saul, did. The Jews did. And others.
And certainly God may force someone to convert to belief against his or her will. Why not? We are all His creation. God promised to Ananias to show Saul what he must suffer to carry God's grace:

“This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

In this cases the issue is not about salvation to go to heaven but salvation from the corruption in the world SO THAT he or she may be employed in God's service to bring His word into the earth to others.

If we understood these things, our message to the world would change: we would have fewer debates with atheists (they don't exist) or agnostics (they are simply resisting God like Saul did). We would be more inclined to say things like "You know what to do (stop resisting God) but you refuse." and then walk away.

Evangelism would simply be showing the love of God to others ("..do the work of an evangelist...") and not some separate ministry.
 
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Journey_man said:
There is no third option between monergism and synergism regarding the initial new birth or regeneration. Salvation's starting point is strictly monergistic—God works alone to make a spiritually dead sinner alive. Human will contributes nothing to this initial act.
Click to expand...
If you cannot see any alternative to Calvinism and Arminianism, you are a blind man attempting to lead both the blind and the sighted. No one with nay spiritual sense would follow your teaching here.
 
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DavidLamb said:
Sorry, how does that answer my post? I only said that I didn't understand the poll choices, because all three appear as:

  • Monergist Total = 0 Synergist Total= 0
That looks more like poll results, than poll choices.
Click to expand...
Somehow I replied to the wrong post. Sorry, brother.
 
Journey_man said:
If a person rejects both Calvinism and Arminianism, then they typically hold to a form of synergism (salvation dependent on human cooperation) or a non-Reformed evangelicalism (such as Provisionism, traditional Wesleyanism, or general nondenominationalism).

Calvinism and Arminianism are the two primary historical systems defining how divine grace and human will interact, meaning a rejection of both places someone in a philosophically inconsistent middle ground.

Provisionism emphasizes that Christ died for everyone equally, God desires all to be saved without exception, and humans retain the absolute libertarian ability to accept or resist grace without prior unilateral regeneration. Lay Christians often reject the "labels" of Calvinism and Arminianism while still practically operating on Arminian assumptions—believing human choice is the ultimate deciding factor in salvation.

Salvation must either be initiated and secured unconditionally by God (Calvinism) or left up to the final decision of human free will (Arminianism). Stepping outside these systems usually means either sliding into human autonomy (making man the ultimate savior of his own soul) or misrepresenting God's holy character by misconstruing scriptural election.

There is no third option between monergism and synergism regarding the initial new birth or regeneration. Salvation's starting point is strictly monergistic—God works alone to make a spiritually dead sinner alive. Human will contributes nothing to this initial act.
Click to expand...
I don't start with any isionism or gisticism LOL! I don't think God or the Holy Spirit is going to stay limited to man's terminology to try to explain an omnipotent Creator.

I don't "reject" Calvinism or Arminianism - I just ignore them . . . ! LOL
 
Both views are well represented throughout the Bible and reveal the Sovereignty of Almighty God.
 
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