Justification

New obedience comes slowly

November 29, 2009

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, p555: In the case of our justification, which is the full and perfect acceptance of the believer unto eternal life, certain effects in our life, such as the new obedience, follow rather slowly because of the weakness of our flesh.

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Sanctification is an effect of justification

November 28, 2009

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, p555: This distinction between causes and effects is also useful for showing that sanctification or renewal is to be distinguished from justification, and that the new obedience is not a cause or an essential part of our justification, because it is an effect or a result.

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Reformation

October 25, 2009

Text: Romans 3:19-28 +++ An adult was also confirmed at this service. The problem with the church today is that Luther’s problem has stopped being our problem. Luther’s problem was the original problem of all true theology: How can mankind be redeemed – rescued from his sins, and the death and hell they have merited? [...]

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Trinity 13

September 14, 2009

I’ve delayed publishing this sermon from a couple Sundays ago because I know there are typos that need to be corrected, and a couple of things I changed in the actual delivery. For now, here is the semi-final draft, warts and all. There are two religions: the religion of commandments, and the religion of the [...]

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Reminiscere midweek Vespers: Romans 5

March 11, 2009

I don’t use canned sermons or series gimmicks (but after reading this, maybe you’ll think I should!). This year, we’re reading through Romans 4-7 at Vespers during Lent. This week is chapter 5:   “Therefore,” begins tonight’s reading from Romans, ch. 5. That “therefore” means that St. Paul is going to build on what he [...]

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Meditation on Psalm 15

November 5, 2008

Continuing our series on the Psalms at our regular service of Evening Prayer on Wednesdays. Tonight’s Psalm asks and answers this question: Who can dwell on the Lord’s holy hill? It is a question like so many others in Holy Scripture. What must I do to be saved? What must I do to inherit eternal [...]

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Faith as pure receptivity

August 21, 2008

Dr. David Scaer makes a point that should have been obvious to me, but wasn’t, in his piece “Flights from the Atonement” in the latest Concordia Theological Quarterly (July 2008): by denying the ability of infants to have faith, they thus deny justification by faith. Children who have not yet reached the maturity to make [...]

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Rewards and Merits

April 24, 2008

From time to time I come across people who think they are Lutherans but in fact have embraced the modern antinomianism. In their eyes, it is wrong to encourage Christians to do good works; particularly egregious is the mention of rewards for good works. All that is “legalism” and “works-righteousness.” The fact that the New [...]

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On Making Reflective Faith a Requirement

January 9, 2008

I recently discovered Confessing Evangelical, and from what little I’ve read, it’s quite good. Lunch time is for blog reading, and today I read his “Why Justification by Faith is ‘Not Quite Protestant.’” I like how the post draws out the distinctions between Lutheran and Reformed approaches to faith. For example: Cary summarises the usual [...]

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Aman and Logizomai

June 13, 2007

What a fruitful morning, studying Genesis 15.6! Abraham “believes in the LORD,” as the NKJ has it, and it is accounted to him for righteousness. The word for “believes” is Aman, from which we get the word “Amen.” Abraham doesn’t suddenly convert from atheism at this moment, but he says “amen” to God’s Word. He [...]

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