In some Christian circles today there seems to be something of a revival of the Galatian heresy. Many Christians are flocking to book stores to buy N.T. Wright's new book on justification and countless of them will buy into his very sophisticated re-working of justification. In short, Wright and others want to say that initial justification is by faith, but final, eschatological salvation is on the basis of works. The arguments and justifications (no pun intended) for this view are complex, but the question that is really at the core of this controversy is really the age old issue of the relationship between faith and works in salvation. Are works necessary for salvation?
In response to this question I side wholeheartedly with Luther. Yes! Works are absolutely necessary for the Christian! Luther said "Works are necessary for the Christian in the same way that it is necessary for the sun to shine."
We must always remember that if justification, present or future, is by works then it is not a gift. Justification must be by faith alone or we die in our sins, all of us! But, lets be clear, just as apple trees grow apples and the sun shines, so the Christian glorifies Christ and loves their neighbor.
2 comments:
In Vintage Church, Driscoll writes briefly in the intro about the gospel. Based on Peter's Acts 2 sermon, Driscoll highly emphasizes something that was missing from the gospel presentation we were trained with at Cru: results of being a believer, such as a new heart with new desires so as to live a new life in and like Jesus. We also have God indwelling us, and are adopted as God's child into a community of believers. When I read this I was very excited, because I always thought that Cru's gospel message was missing something. I can see non-believers saying, "I prayed that prayer, I believed in Jesus. I read my bible a bit. I'm good." I think they wittled too much of the gospel away, and I think they are lacking in the assurances department, where they instead say, "God is true to His word, you are saved...now go do this list of behaviors."
I think a 5th spiritual law saying the effects of genuine faith would clear up a lot of the ambiguity and false hope of those who hear. Honestly, if I heard the 4 spiritual laws when I was in high school, I bet I would have thought I was saved already, though I had no new heart and was trying to live a moral life in my own power.
Hey Kevin, my name is Aaron Hart. It looks to me like you've got yourself a new project; designing and publishing the next series of the "Five Spiritual Laws". If there's anyway I can help let me know. I love what you're talking about because it is such a real issue affecting the church in America, and surely other places in the world.
Lately I've been looking into the ministry opportunities that need volunteers at Calvary Baptist Church and have had great interaction with the youth pastor, Stacy Sublett. Stacy is a guy with passion for God and for getting kids to know that passion. Now, the majority of Senior High youth in this ministry are from Christian homes, yet as those of us who grew up in such an environment can testify to, that doesn't guarantee anything about your spiritual life. So as I think over how to most affectively pursue these young men towards Christ, I find myself staying on the thought you have just given to us. That genuine fruit of one who has been called according to His purposes is identifiable. I'm reminded of an analogy from one of Piper's sermons on regeneration. -Before I knew Jesus, I walked around in complete darkness, not seeing anything as it was. And as I walked about in that darkness I found myself caressing the ornament I carried around my neck. This ornament was unusually special to me, and it was the most prized thing of all I possessed. One day, the Lord turned me in the darkness of my death to the light of His life. When the light came upon me I looked down to my most precious ornament to find it an oversized, creeping, crawling cockroach who wanted nothing more than to continue destroying me in the darkness. I immediately hated that "ornament", tore it from my neck and threw it from myself, and I ran to the Light.- The fifth spiritual law is what is displayed in this analogy, which seems to me necessary for all and is especially crucial for young Christians to understand. To be in the light demands reaction. Hate your sin and cherish Jesus. Which is, as we all know, more than an initial and instant change. Thanks to Romans 7:21-25 and the truth of sanctification, I take encouragement from the grace that is supplied as I "limp slowly towards who I was made to be". Help me out with that quote if I'm wrong in thinking it was Bunyan.
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