Topical Bible: Agency in Salvation of Men

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Definition and Overview:
Agency in the context of salvation refers to the role and responsibility of human beings in responding to God's offer of salvation. It encompasses the capacity and freedom to make choices that align with or reject divine grace. This concept is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, where human free will and divine sovereignty intersect.

Biblical Foundation:
The Bible presents a dynamic interplay between God's sovereign will and human agency. Scripture affirms that salvation is initiated by God, yet it also emphasizes the necessity of human response. In Ephesians 2:8-9 (BSB), Paul writes, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." This passage highlights that while salvation is a gift from God, faith is the means through which individuals receive it.

Human Responsibility:
The call to repentance and faith is a recurring theme in the New Testament. Jesus Himself calls for a response in Mark 1:15 (BSB): "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!" Here, repentance and belief are presented as necessary actions for entering the kingdom of God. Similarly, in Acts 2:38 (BSB), Peter exhorts the crowd, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Divine Sovereignty and Human Choice:
The tension between divine sovereignty and human choice is evident throughout Scripture. Romans 9:16 (BSB) states, "So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy." This underscores God's ultimate authority in salvation. However, the Bible also affirms human responsibility, as seen in Joshua 24:15 (BSB): "But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve."

Faith and Works:
James 2:17 (BSB) declares, "So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead." This indicates that genuine faith is evidenced by works, not as a means of earning salvation, but as a natural outflow of a transformed life. The relationship between faith and works is crucial in understanding human agency in salvation.

The Role of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in enabling human agency. John 16:8 (BSB) states, "And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." The Spirit convicts and draws individuals to Christ, empowering them to respond to the gospel.

Conclusion:
While the Bible affirms God's sovereignty in salvation, it also upholds the importance of human agency. Individuals are called to respond to God's grace through faith, repentance, and obedience, all of which are made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. This interplay between divine initiative and human response is a profound mystery that underscores the depth and richness of the biblical doctrine of salvation.

Nave's Topical Index

Job 33:14-30
For God speaks once, yes twice, yet man perceives it not.
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Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings have you ordained strength because of your enemies, that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
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Matthew 4:19
And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his flavor, with which shall it be salted? it is thereafter good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
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Luke 1:17
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
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Luke 5:10
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; from now on you shall catch men.
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Luke 10:17,21
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through your name.
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John 15:16
You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
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1 Corinthians 1:26-29
For you see your calling, brothers, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
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1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.
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1 Timothy 1:11
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
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1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
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James 5:20
Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
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Library

Whether Christ's Passion Brought About Our Salvation Efficiently?
... Objection 2: Further, no corporeal agency acts efficiently except by contact: hence ...
Therefore it could not efficiently bring about the salvation of all men. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs passion brought about 4.htm

God Desires and Seeks the Salvation of all Men.
... holiness may be very easily caused by an omnipotent, extraneous agency, we shall ...
declarations put forth by him that he desires the salvation of all men. ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/chapter i god desires and.htm

Agency of Evil Spirits.
... ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil ... for them who shall be heirs
of salvation,"(897) are ... these are not the disembodied spirits of dead men. ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /31 agency of evil spirits.htm

Agency of Evil Spirits
... ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil ... for them who shall be heirs
of salvation" (Hebrews 1 ... that these are not disembodied spirits of dead men. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 31 agency of evil.htm

The Work and the Life
... The church of Christ is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men.
Its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. And the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 9 the work and.htm

God's Purpose for his Church
... The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized
for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 1 gods purpose for.htm

Of the Fact that the Mystery of a Mediator was Made Known to those ...
... Who Lived in Ancient Times by the Agency of Prophecy ... bear and sustain things congruous
to our salvation; and thus ... exemplary fashion, show at once to men on earth ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxxv of the fact that.htm

Confession of the Free-Will Baptists. AD 1834, 1868.
... is the fountain from which he proceeded, and was the only agency by which he ... for
the sins of the world, and thus made salvation possible for all men. ...
/.../confession of the free-will baptists.htm

Of the Nature of Regeneration, and Particularly of the Change it ...
... material world perpetually depends upon a Divine agency, and is no ... folly and madness
that is in men's hearts while ... when a soul becomes wise to salvation, it is ...
/.../doddridge/practical discourses on regeneration/discourse ii of the nature.htm

The Church and the Young Man.
... agency, the proper agency, and the only agency to save ... forces and join the churches
in their work of salvation. And you, unconverted young men, one word to you ...
/.../vincent/amusement a force in christian training/the church and the young.htm