The Lord Part I: St. Augustine Of Hippo

The Path to Eternal Life The greatest mystery to both believers and the unbelievers is the key question, will every human be saved according to the Christian principles of salvation? The answers to the theological questions that vary between the largest religious bodies within Christianity, has traditionally been the cause of disagreements from ‘Universalism’, the existence of the place called ‘Hell’, and who can enter the Kingdom of God in Heaven. The only place in time where the true answer lies is within the event called ‘Judgment Day’, where all creations will see the second coming of the Son of God, the Lord

One word summarizes St. Augustine’s teaching on predestination, and that is, Grace. It is through this free and unmerited favor of God, that salvation is bestowed upon sinners as a blessing. The meaning of this divine gift is the reason why the writings in his books are a profound justification of the need and urgency for humanity to receive such unmerited provision. His comprehensible principles on salvation are relatable, and although an intellect and revered with much respect from the Church, has successfully interpreted the grace of God that transcends different levels of understanding. It is a manifestation of the will of the Father God to save all creations, both great and small. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). The doctrinal influence of Augustine is exact in directing an individual to the study of God, with a precise understanding of what it takes to grow in faith with the Creator. His teachings on ‘Free will’ and ‘Original Sin’, points the reader towards the beginning of a scarcity that only the grace of God can satisfy. This depravation within the soul of humanity is traced back to the existence of the original sin, which according to the Augustinian doctrine, is a vital component in understanding the existence of evil and to answer the question of why it is necessary to be remediated. This

The word ‘Double Predestination’ defines the uniqueness of Calvin’s theological doctrine within the Reformation-era theologians. The impact on Christianity regarding its system on salvation does have similar qualities with that of the Augustinian doctrine particularly on the supreme authority of the Father God and the fallen nature of humankind that led to the state of depravity. John Calvin is one of the great leaders of Protestant reformation and he does bring new ideas or beliefs into the religion of Christianity. The concept of ‘Predestination’ in his writings on the doctrine of salvation, is that, the Father God has already decided on two groups by the process of ‘election’, one destined for eternal life, and the other eternal damnation. He teaches that only a few are predestined to Heaven and majority will be in Hell. He also focuses on the state of ‘reprobation’ to define an undesirable form of relationship with God (Humphries 35). On the other hand, he defended prioritizing grace because of the human necessity to receive this divine gift of salvation. The teachings of Calvin do speak of and acknowledges the existence of the ‘Original Sin’ but unlike the Augustinian teaching that humans alone are responsible for evil, Calvin rejects this, and instead, teaches that serves God’s pleasure to bring both good and what is evil. The sovereignty of God is constantly upheld in Calvin’s precepts, unquestionable and final. There is no room for repentance