Pilgrim said: I find little to respond to in your reply above as it is simply your same old rhetoric; e.g., insisting that Paul's warnings about having begun by faith and then falling back into works applies to sanctification as well as justification. But the truth is, that should someone who claims to be justified by faith alone thereafter believe that the keeping of the law has merit, that this keeping of the moral law make him/her more acceptable to God, then this is not sanctification which is in jeopardy, but justification.
Then why respond Pilgrim?
However you are referring here to my quotation of the following verses:-
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38-39
You are essentially inferring that “the just shall live by faith” here only refers to justification. Really? Why then, does chapter 11 immediately following go on to describe what faith is and to enumerate many instances of how saints throughout the Bible lived out their lives by faith? Not merely how they were justified, but how they lived. By faith.
To mix law with faith in sanctification is to draw back from the purity of the Gospel rule of living by faith. It is to mix faith with the works of the law. I don’t say that that affects someone’s understanding or belief of justification, or of their standing before God in terms of justification, but I do say that it affects their walk. To be under law is to encourage sin to have dominion over us. I repeat Paul’s points:-
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:14-15
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
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Mr. Potts quipped: I read your quote from Luther and saw little to contradict my position in it. If you and I read the same Bible and differ in our understanding, is it any wonder that we would disagree on what Luther says too?
Isn't this just another way of saying, "The only thing that is absolute is relativity."? Are you saying that we as men will find it impossible to discover the truth of what another has said or written? That's a sad commentary on the intellectual ability of the human race, don't you think? However, contrary to your dissimulation, again the vast and overwhelming majority of intelligent, god-fearing men and women, who believe on Christ and call upon the Spirit to guide them into all truth, have read Martin Luther, but more importantly the Bible, and have understood both as holding fast to the same truth which I and nearly everyone else here believes: The moral law of God is perpetually binding upon all men, believers not excepted, as a rule of life and guide to holiness.
I respond Pilgrim that man by wisdom knew not God, that the wisdom of God is foolishness to man, and that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. We need the Spirit of God to lead us into truth.
I believe there IS one truth, there IS one true Gospel, and any other is a false gospel. What I have set forth in this thread is the truth. Your Antinomian mixture of law and grace is another gospel. Whatever names and writers you can run to for support in your views won’t help one bit to make them true. Error is error, whoever teaches it.
But my prayer for you and others Pilgrim is that God will open your eyes and lead you forth by the Spirit into the truth, in the wonderful liberty of the child of God under the Gospel, in that heavenly righteousness as revealed only in that Gospel and in and through the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is a wonderful thing Pilgrim. We are justified by grace, we are sanctified by grace, we are glorified by grace. All is of grace, from start to finish. And all is to be found in Jesus Christ. May Christ be our all in all.
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“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-31
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2
