Monergistic Salvation - ROSES

Roses

R 

Radical depravity: every aspect of our being is affected by the fall, and renders us incapable of saving ourselves or even of wanting to be saved. Romans 3:11

 

O

Overcoming grace: it is God‘s persistent, beckoning and drawing that overcomes our wicked obstinacy (John 16:8). God’s work of salvation is monergistic, yet resistible. (Luke 7:30) (Acts 8:51)

 

S

Sovereign election: God desires the salvation of all, yet accentuates that our salvation is not based on us choosing God, but on God choosing us (I John 4:19).

 

E

Eternal life: the believers enjoy a transformed life that is preserved, and we are given a faith which will remain. (John 10:28-29)

 

S

Singular redemption: Christ died, sufficiently for every person, although efficiently only for those who believe. (John 3:18)

Monergistic Salvation

1- God, by nature, is a volitional unmoved mover who is free to choose between options in accord with His nature.

2- By God’s grace, humans are created in the “image of God.” By nature, then, we are free to choose between options in accord with our nature.

3- Adam & Eve freely chose to disobey God and this sin completely separates humanity from God. This is what it means to have a “totally depraved sin nature.” (Every aspect of man is separated from God).

4- In this state of depraved separation from God (sin nature), humans do not even know God exists if merely left to our own devices.

5- If humans do not even know God exists, then, left to our own devices and apart from God’s grace, it would be impossible to choose to love and follow God.

6- God, in His love for all people, provides amazing prevenient grace to all people (Romans 1:20), writing the law on the human heart (Romans 2:15), conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9), and draws all men (John 12:32). This is commonly referred to as “common grace.”

7- Therefore, by God’s grace, human nature has changed from a “totally separated from God nature” to a nature that has now experienced enough divine revelation(influences) allowing all mankind to start making some free and volitional choices in accord with our new nature; namely, to choose to resist God’s grace and revelation, or not.[2] Mankind is without excuse because we do not have to resist what God has made clear (Romans 1:18-20).[3]

It is by God’s grace alone that humanity is created with intentional consciousness possessing an ability to think about things and the ability to freely choose between options one is freely thinking about (which is in accord with one’s God-given nature). After the “free fall” of Adam separating humanity from God, it is only by God’s grace alone that humanity is “slowly introduced” back to God.

Some assert that merely being in the presence of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to irresistibly draw any person instantaneously. We have biblical data, however, to reject this claim. After all, if this were the case, then why did Adam, Eve, Satan, and a third of all the angels freely reject God while in His very presence? With eternity in mind, perhaps an epistemic distance from God is better for free and finite creatures. This also allows one to “slowly” fall in love with God.

 

8- If one does not reject or continually resist the grace and revelation God provides them, then God will continually provide more and more until the person reaches the point of “no return” and will become saved. We can hinder the efficacy of the inspiration, but we cannot give efficacy to it.

9 - God is omnipotent (all-powerful), that God is omniscient (all-knowing), and that God is omnibenevolent (all-loving and desires the eternal best for all people). God is a Maximally Great Being and the Bible makes this clear. For the Holy Spirit cries out everywhere, on the contrary, that our destruction comes from us . . . that divine Goodness wills that no one perish, but wills that all come to the knowledge of the truth: He wills that all men be saved. 

Thus, God does ALL the work in salvation from beginning to end on this model; all the human can do is freely resist God’s grace and revelation, but he or she does not have to! The human does nothing to gain salvation apart from God’s grace on this Monergistic Model. 

Chat GPT:

The “ROSES” model of Monergistic Salvation you outlined is a creative and thoughtful framework. It attempts to hold together several key biblical and philosophical truths about salvation, grace, human free will, and God’s initiative. But does this fit within Catholic tradition? Let’s carefully walk through your model and compare it to official Catholic teaching.

⸻

✅ What Aligns with Catholic Teaching

1. Radical Depravity (R)

“Every aspect of our being is affected by the fall… incapable of saving ourselves or even wanting to be saved.”

• Catholic View:

The Church teaches that original sin wounded human nature, darkened the intellect, and weakened the will (CCC 405).

• Humans cannot initiate salvation or merit grace on their own.

• However, we are not totally depraved in the Calvinist sense. Our nature is wounded, not destroyed.

✅ Mostly compatible, as long as the phrase “radical depravity” isn’t interpreted as total inability to respond to grace.

⸻

2. Overcoming Grace (O)

“God’s work of salvation is monergistic, yet resistible.”

• Catholic View:

This is very close to Catholic teaching.

• God’s grace initiates salvation (CCC 1996–2001).

• Grace precedes any human response (prevenient grace).

• However, grace is resistible (CCC 2021; cf. Acts 7:51).

• God draws all people to Himself, but we retain the ability to freely cooperate or resist.

✅ Fully consistent with Catholic doctrine.

⸻

3. Sovereign Election (S)

“Our salvation is not based on us choosing God, but on God choosing us.”

• Catholic View:

The Church affirms that God chooses us first (CCC 1996).

• However, Catholicism does not accept double predestination (God predestining some to damnation).

• God’s election is real, but it includes foreknowledge of our free response (cf. Romans 8:29–30).

• God desires all to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), and salvation is truly offered to all.

✅ Acceptable, if sovereign election is seen as compatible with foreknown free response, not unconditional election in the Calvinist sense.

⸻

4. Eternal Life (E)

“Believers enjoy a transformed life that is preserved, and faith will remain.”

• Catholic View:

Eternal life begins with sanctifying grace and is preserved through perseverance and cooperation with grace.

• Assurance of salvation is not absolute in this life (CCC 1036), but we can have a moral assurance (1 John 5:13).

• Salvation can be lost through mortal sin (CCC 1855).

• God gives grace to persevere, but we must continue to cooperate with it (Phil 2:12-13).

⚠️ Partially aligned, but the phrase “faith will remain” must allow for the Catholic teaching that salvation can be forfeited.

⸻

5. Singular Redemption (S)

“Christ died sufficiently for all, efficiently for those who believe.”

• Catholic View:

This is classic Catholic theology, affirmed at the Council of Trent:

• Christ died for all (sufficient for all), but His redemption is applied to those who cooperate with grace (CCC 605).

• God’s grace is universal, but it must be received freely.

✅ Fully aligned.

⸻

⚖️ Monergism in This Model vs Catholic View

Your broader definition of monergism appears to be:

God does all the work of salvation, and humans can only resist or not resist grace.

• This is very close to the Catholic doctrine of prevenient grace, but not quite the same as strict monergism (as in Reformed theology), where even the human response is caused by grace without cooperation.

• Catholicism teaches:

• God initiates everything through grace.

• Humans must freely cooperate, and this cooperation itself is empowered by grace, but not forced (CCC 2001, 2022).

• Salvation is synergistic in the response, but monergistic in initiation.

So, your model could be called “soft monergism” or “monergism of grace + non-resistance”, which is not Calvinism, and not Pelagian or semi-Pelagian, and mostly fits within Catholic teaching, especially if understood like this:

God initiates and empowers all movement toward salvation, but allows human beings the free will not to resist. If we don’t resist, God will bring us all the way.

✅ That summary is Catholic-compatible.

⸻

🔥 Where Caution Is Needed

1. Use of the word “monergism”

• In Catholic theology, synergism is typically used, meaning God’s grace and man’s free response cooperate.

• However, your version avoids the Calvinist version of monergism (irresistible grace, unconditional election).

2. “Faith which will remain”

• This sounds like “perseverance of the saints.”

• In Catholicism, perseverance is a grace, not a guarantee (CCC 2016).

• It’s not automatic; it must be prayed for and lived out.

⸻

✅ Bottom Line: Does it fit Catholic Tradition?

Yes – with clarifications. Your model:

• Is NOT Calvinist monergism (which Catholicism rejects).

• Is NOT Pelagian or semi-Pelagian (which Catholicism also rejects).

• Is closest to the Catholic understanding of prevenient grace, free will, and God’s desire for all to be saved.

• Uses terms like “monergism” in a looser sense that doesn’t contradict Catholic dogma.

If the “ROSES” model is understood as God doing all the initiating, drawing, convicting, and empowering, and humans merely having the grace-enabled freedom to resist or not resist, then yes, it is a Catholic-compatible view of salvation

You’re asking one of the deepest questions in Christian theology:

Does God choose every person, and only some choose Him back?

Let’s unpack that through a Catholic, Orthodox, and early Church lens — since these traditions align with what the early Fathers taught and avoid the determinism of strict Calvinism.

✅ 

Short Answer:

Yes — in Catholic and Orthodox theology, God desires the salvation of every person and gives everyone the grace needed to choose Him. But not all respond to that grace.

📖 Biblical Foundation

• 1 Timothy 2:4 – “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 – “[He] is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
• John 12:32 – “When I am lifted up… I will draw all people to myself.”

🟢 Catholic & Orthodox Understanding

1. 

God chooses everyone

 in the sense that:

• He loves all people.
• Christ died for all (universal atonement).
• He offers sufficient grace to everyone for salvation.
• The Holy Spirit draws every person inwardly.

“The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes, prepares, and elicits the free response of man.”

— Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2001

2. 

But not everyone responds.

• God does not override human free will.
• People can reject grace, harden their hearts, or prefer sin.
• Salvation requires cooperation with grace.

“He who created you without you will not save you without you.”

— St. Augustine (early view)

🧠 Analogy:

Think of salvation like a marriage proposal:

• God proposes to every soul.
• He makes the first move, offers love, and provides the means.
• But each person must freely say yes.

🔥 What About the “Elect”?

• The elect are those who persevere in grace and are ultimately saved.
• In Catholicism and Orthodoxy, being among the elect is not fixed from all eternity apart from foreseen cooperation.
• God may know who will accept, but He doesn’t force anyone to be saved or lost.

“Predestination includes God’s eternal plan of salvation, but does not cancel our free will.”

— Catholic Theology

🛑 Calvinist Difference:

In Calvinism (which the early Church did not teach), God chooses some for salvation and passes over others, without regard to their choices. That view says:

• Only some are truly offered grace.
• The rest are not enabled to respond.

That’s not the view of the early Church, Catholicism, or Orthodoxy.