What is the relationship between synergism and salvation?

Definition of Synergism

Synergism, in discussions about salvation, refers to the view that God and humanity work together in the process of redemption. The term derives from the Greek “synergein,” meaning “to cooperate” or “to work together.” While acknowledging that God initiates and empowers salvation, synergism posits that individuals are not merely passive recipients of grace but actively respond and participate in God’s saving work. This perspective highlights a cooperative relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Key Biblical Foundations

A primary scriptural text often cited in discussing synergism is Philippians 2:12–13: “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” This passage underscores that believers are called to “work out” their salvation, yet that very ability is empowered by God “who works in [them].”

Ephesians 2:8–9 is another crucial reference: “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.” While many emphasize the primacy of grace, synergists maintain that God’s grace still enables a genuinely human act of faith, albeit one made possible only by divine initiative.

Romans 10:9–10 also highlights a personal response: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Despite the central role of God’s power in salvation, Paul’s exhortation shows an expectation that humans respond with confession and belief.

Historical Considerations

In historical Christian thought, the concept came to the forefront during debates in the early church and at various church councils. Early theologians often emphasized that while God provides prevenient grace (grace that goes before and enables faith), individuals are supposed to respond freely to that grace. Over time, different streams of theology balanced or debated whether this cooperation is initiated purely by God’s grace (thus preserving God’s sovereignty) or whether humanity has an innate capacity to choose the good.

Archaeological and manuscript evidence from the early centuries (such as codex fragments containing portions of the Pauline Epistles) shows universal emphasis on God’s grace. Yet marginal notes and patristic commentaries discovered in monastic libraries reflect ongoing discussions: believers understood both a call to obedience and an acknowledgement that God alone grants the capacity and strength to obey.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

Synergism aims to harmonize passages emphasizing God’s sovereignty with those emphasizing the necessity of human action. Divine sovereignty is shown in texts such as John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” Human responsibility, on the other hand, appears in verses like Acts 3:19: “Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away.”

Synergistic theology argues that the tension between these passages is resolved when individuals, enabled by God through the Holy Spirit, choose to yield to divine grace. Biblical narratives (for example, the Gospels’ frequent invitations for sinners to repent) serve as consistent evidence that, while God is the mover, the call to respond is genuine.

Scriptural Evidence for Cooperative Aspects of Salvation

1. Faith and Confession: The New Testament repeatedly encourages hearers to believe, repent, and confess (Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38). Synergists use these exhortations as evidence that Scripture assumes responsible human participation.

2. Obedience and Works of Faith: James 2:17 teaches, “So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.” This underscores the necessity of faith-fueled obedience. Through the Holy Spirit’s power, believers exhibit works consistent with repentance and faith.

3. Empowering Grace: Titus 2:11–12 explains that God’s grace “instructs us to renounce ungodliness” and to live righteously. According to synergism, God’s grace empowers rather than forces obedience, preserving the meaningfulness of human participation.

Answering Common Objections

Some raise concerns that synergism might detract from God’s glory or imply that human effort can somehow earn salvation. Yet synergists clarify that God alone provides the impetus, the ability, and the means for salvation. Human cooperation is not meritorious but is rather a free and willing action enabled by God’s grace.

Current behavioral and cognitive research can illustrate this interplay with the analogy of a person who receives life-saving medicine. The individual must choose to take it, but the healing power is fully contained within the medication. Synergism parallels this concept: God provides saving grace, and the person’s role is to embrace and live it out.

Practical Implications

1. Encouragement in Evangelism: Believers can confidently share the good news, knowing that God draws people to Himself, while individuals still make a real choice to respond.

2. Motivation Toward Holiness: Awareness of cooperative grace inspires believers to live faithfully, recognizing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Balance of Assurance and Responsibility: Believers find assurance that God is the author of salvation while recognizing their duty to remain faithful (John 15:4–5; 2 Peter 1:10).

Conclusion

The relationship between synergism and salvation centers on the cooperative process in which God initiates, empowers, and completes the saving act, while granting individuals a meaningful response. Relevant biblical passages, early Church discussions, and practical observations illustrate that what appears to be a tension is actually a harmony of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. By affirming that salvation is wholly of God yet simultaneously inviting believers to receive and cooperate with His grace, Scripture weaves a consistent narrative of grace-filled redemption.