God's sovereignty in election affirmed; human choice and responsibility preserved
The Foursquare Church affirms Romans 9:18-21 as expressing God's sovereign authority and gracious choice in salvation. God's mercy is not earned but is freely given. The Pentecostal Foursquare tradition emphasizes God's sovereign action in empowering believers for witness and ministry through the Holy Spirit.
However, Foursquare theology maintains the tension between divine sovereignty and human response. God's election is understood as involving divine foreknowledge and human choice. Foursquare preaching typically emphasizes the call to conversion and the believer's responsibility to respond to the gospel, while acknowledging God's sovereign work in salvation.
The Foursquare understanding reflects its evangelical Pentecostal heritage: God's sovereign grace works through human agency and responsiveness. Believers are called to yield to the Holy Spirit's empowerment and leading. The church emphasizes both God's power and the believer's cooperation with that power.
Key Distinctions
- Divine sovereignty:
- God's sovereign grace is real
- Human freedom:
- human choice and yielding to Spirit are essential
- Election type:
Scripture References
Sources
- Foursquare Declaration of Faith
- Foursquare Pentecostal Heritage