8 For by grace you have been saved through faith 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

“Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.”

“Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.” Pelagius

“Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.” Augustine’s prayer is dumb. People are good by nature and do not need grace to obey what God commands. “Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.” Pelagius

“Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.” Augustine’s prayer is dumb. People are good by nature and do not need grace to obey what God commands. “Oh God, grant what you command and command what you desire.” Heretic Pelagius

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Erasmus Erasmus

Luther is taking this “you can do nothing without the grace of God” thing too far. Grace assists people in coming to Christ. Erasmus Erasmus

Diatribe: On The Freedom of the Will Luther is taking this “you can do nothing without the grace of God” thing too far. Grace assists people in coming to Christ. Diatribe: On The Freedom of the Will Free Will + Grace = Salvation Grace assists man in his quest. Erasmus Erasmus

The Bondage of the Will

“your Book is, in my estimation, so mean and vile, that I greatly feel for you for having defiled your most beautiful and ingenious language with such vile trash; and I feel an indignation against the matter also, that such unworthy stuff should be borne about in ornaments of eloquence so rare; which is as if rubbish, or dung, should he carried in vessels of gold and silver.” The Bondage of the Will

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3-5

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. John 8:31-34

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:5-7

Man’s Condition Apart from Christ 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Acts 11:18 18 When they heard these things they fell silent Acts 11:18 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” 2 Timothy 2:24–25 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Diagnostic: How amazing is grace?

Diagnostic: How amazing is grace? How do you respond to good fortune? How do you view your suffering? How do you view the poverty or misfortune of others? How do you view the sin and failure of others? How do you respond when you have been wounded by someone? How do you approach a task or good work? How do you approach a decision? How do you view “lost causes”?

6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6