Response: "450 years old?" C'mon ..... Both the words of the Bible itself (1000s of years old) and Christian history after the closing of the canon demonstrate that your statement is false.
Not only does the Bible declare it but early Christians did as well, including the quote at the top of the page of this blog from the Council of Orange (529 AD)"...if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). (Council of Orange: Canon 6).
Even before that Augustine drew the same conclusions from the Bible. Among the many things he said, here are just a few:
"In some places God requires newness of heart [Ezek 18:31]. But elsewhere he testifies that it is given by him [Ezek. 11:19; 36:26]. But what God promises we ourselves do not do through choice or nature; but he himself does through grace."- Augustine
"To will is of nature, but to will aright is of grace." - Augustine
"The nature of the Divine goodness is not only to open to those who knock. but also to cause them to knock and ask."- Augustine
"Without the Spirit man's will is not free, since it has been laid under by shackling and conquering desires." - Augustine
The question is not whether you like Augustine or his statements but rather to show you beyond further question that this doctrine is clearly over 450 years old.
Your idea of the meaning of "grace" seem to not go beyond more than an offer. It does not do anything for the person to change their heart. So I must ask why do you pray for unbelievers then? It would be absurd to pray for them if God can do nothing more than persuade from the outside. This is really nothing more than we do when we preach the gospel to them. No we pray because only God can help them. So while you may believe in the necessity of Christ but you refuse to acknowledge that He alone is enough to supply everything we need for salvation, including a new heart to believe, which is declared widely through all through Scripture.
If regenerating grace depends on our will or cooperation then it is no longer grace (John 1:13, 3:6 & 6:63) but instead it is no different than the humanistic philosophy of the present age which declares that "God helps those who help themselves." But even a cursory reading of Scripture will make clear that grace is not a reward for faith, but the cause of it.
Source: http://www.reformationtheology.com
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