Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: bgsuvax!kutz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kenneth J. Kutz) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: A Question Message-ID: Date: 24 Dec 90 09:11:13 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh. Lines: 51 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes: > I read the scripture usually quoted in defence of > "justification by faith alone" as a warning not to let the > ritual overshadow the deeper meaning (which reduces to the > essentials of love of God and love of neighbour). You certainly have the right to read them that way but that's not what they say. God will hold us accountable if we take words from the pages of Scripture, spin and jumble them around in the air as they travel from the page to our brain, until they mean something that they don't say. > What worries me about this whole justification by faith alone, > is that it ends up as justification by one particular work. You > are saying that because at one stage you uttered some > appropriate words such as "Jesus is Lord", and felt at that > time you really meant it, you are saved, that's it, full stop, > nothing more to worry about. This is what I was getting at when > I criticised you rather sharply in an earlier message. Oh my. I'm seeing more and more misunderstanding about what salvation is (and isn't) on the net lately. First off, salvation is not obtained by a "work of the flesh". Is this too basic to be grasped? God does it. No one says "Jesus is Lord" and means it but by the Spirit of God. We can take no credit for our salvation, if it is by works it is no longer grace. > It is a bit like saying that someone is perfectly married > because once on a nice sunny day he said "I love you" and meant > it. We can all feel good during intense moments of love, but a > marriage is not just made of these, but also of the day to day > good works we do for our partner. The "I love you" is > necessary, but not sufficient. Oh my again. Does biblical love have *anything* to do with "feeling good". There are three Greek words for love. Agape, the love that a husband and wife share is not a conditional love based on feelings. It is unconditional love based on an act of the will. It IS sufficient to one day say "I agape you". Agape produces the day to day works. So does true saving faith. Saving faith and agape love do not have their origin in man. That is why they both last. Both have their origin with God and of course we both know "Everything that God does lasts forever" (Eccl 3:14). -- Kenneth J. Kutz Internet kutz@andy.bgsu.edu Systems Programmer BITNET KUTZ@ANDY University Computer Services UUCP ...!osu-cis!bgsuvax!kutz Bowling Green State Univ. US Mail 238 Math Science, BG OH 43403