Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

worship styles and methods is directly correlated to seeing that God is a God of all humankind, and therefore can be legitimately and wonderfully glorified through the heartfelt cultural expression of any people who have repented, believed, and are following through faith, hope, and love the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Equating some cultural expression of worship with worship itself , that is, the way in which all worship everywhere is to be conceived and done, is a common and yet devastating error made in many congregations, and by many Christians. Allowing freedom to express our deepest gratitude and praise to God is a critical part of a leader’s ministry in leading others into the presence of God. Theologians often divide grace into descriptive categories. Common grace refers to God’s providence over all people by which he sustains life (breath, rain, food), provides moral awareness, affords civil government, and restrains evil so that human life and culture is possible. Special grace refers to the grace by which God redeems, sanctifies, and glorifies his people. Prevenient grace refers to the grace which comes before all human effort or decisions and makes it possible for people to desire salvation and respond in faith. [Pelagius taught that] the power to do good resides naturally in the free will itself, apart from any gift of God to human nature, so that by following the example of Christ, the way of virtue is made clear and persons of their own will may abstain from sin. Hence there is a need not for any direct prevenient operation of the Spirit upon the human will in order for it to do good, but merely for the Spirit to operate indirectly through conscience and reason. . . Between A.D. 411 and 431, no fewer than twenty-four councils faced the question of Pelagianism. It was the burning issue of Augustine’s mature life. . . .The consensual response [of the Church] was further refined at the councils of Ephesus (431) and Orange (529), which held grace to be necessary for all acts pertinent to salvation. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15.4; cf. 1 Cor. 12.3).

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~ Thomas C. Oden. The Transforming Power of Grace . Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. pp. 110-111.