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6.18.2007

Jesuits are not impressive


I like to focus on Peter Leithart and Doug Wilson because I know, from other arenas, their type. Unregenerate intellectuals who approach God's Word with all the vain, wet arrogance of the Academy. Struggling to understand biblical doctrine - when you've yet to be given the Spirit - is OK, if you are doing it humbly and honestly. Leithart and Wilson refuse to humble themselves to the Word and the Spirit, but worse, they choose to mock the Word and the Spirit in their very approach and decision to teach and revise and do so in the rankest undergraduate post-modern rhetorically sophistical manner. They grin and give each other high-fives at each little victory they score in annoying God's people.

Look at this little ridiculously ignorant and dishonest recent blog post by Leithart:

Judgment by works
[Theology - Soteriology | Link | Print]
Of all the declarations of the PCA FV Study Report, the most mystifying is the one that reaffirms justification by faith and rejects final justification according to works. This became the central issue in the "debate" on the floor of GA, and this was likely the reason for the resounding support for the report.

It's mystifying first because, RC Sproul to the contrary, justification by faith is not being challenged.

It's also mystifying because the Confession clearly teaches judgment according to works (33.1): "In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil."

The committee, by contrast, says, "The view that justification is in any way based on our works, or that the so-called 'final verdict of justification' is based on anything other than the perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ received through faith alone, is contrary to the Westminster Standards."

These two statements are, to put it delicately, hard to square with each other. Perhaps the committee is using "justification" or "final verdict of justification" in a sense different from how I understand those. When anyone associated with the FV says "final verdict of justification," they mean "final judgment."

It appears that the committee condemns the very view that WCF 33.1 articulates, since the Confession says explicitly that what we receive at the final judgment will be "according to what they have done," which is clearly something other than the "perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ received through faith alone."

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, June 15, 2007 at 02:38 PM

It's dishonest because Leithart knows God's justified elect are judged regarding their thoughts, words, and deeds only in the context of degree of reward. Those very thoughts, words, and deeds, when they have fallen short of the glory of God post-regeneration are what have been forgiven by the blood of Christ and faith in Christ just as all sin in the life of the believer, pre- and post-regeneration has been forgiven.

Notice, by the way, Leithart's second paragraph above. Justification by faith is "not" being challenged by Federal Visionaries. No. Because he just stated it. Notice he states it as if it's some kind of universally-agreed upon given. He quickly moves on. As well the little devil should.

Leithart and Wilson (Wilson extravagantly so) are Jesuits currently wearing Protestant garb. I suspect, though, that Leithart is more hamstrung by his juvenile intellectual pretensions than Wilson who is more a classic and conscious Romanist attempting to defile the truth from within camps still holding to the truth.

6.17.2007

In Federal Vision language, Justification by Faith is the same as Jewish Ritual Water Baptism


This is an example of why the Reformation didn't go far enough in following the Word of God for doctrine. The so-called 'sacraments' have always been the devil's main means to keep in bondage otherwise elect of God and to give the devil's ministers means to keep in bondage and darkness God's elect. Of course the devil and his ministers can't do this forever, and in the life of one of God's elect they can only accomplish a detour in the elect person's inevitable awakening; the devil and his ministers can only play for time before their inevitable (and please, God, soon) one way trip to hell. They can only annoy God's Plan, they can't defeat God's Plan (no matter how much they believe they can accomplish the latter).

Here


Dead to the law, alive in Christ.

6.16.2007

This is hilariously stupid


James White must have awakened this morning to a new directive from the Vatican to increase the effort in the attack on God's Word.

Yes, James White continues his public freefall in attempting to defend Roman Catholicism's attack on the Word of God.

The reformers defeated these Sadoleto-level attacks on God's Word in the 1500s. Current Sadoleto Cardinal James White banks on his audience not knowing that history.

Don't let the modern day Sadoletos shake your belief in God's preservation of His Word. They want you relying on man and giving your fear and reverence to man. And they'll mock you all day and night if you stand your ground for God and God's Word.

(For a basic take on what White is attempting to mislead his audience regarding go here.)

6.11.2007

Yeah, just screwing around...


People mostly are just screwing around. Regarding the faith they just screw around. Talk talk. Play church. Most not even yet regenerated by the Word and the Spirit. And resentful of any talk of such a thing.

Day in, day out the same thing.

Here's what's real: reading the Word of God complete. It requires time and dedication. Also valuation for the goal.

Here's also what is real: becoming dead to the law (by the process of being truly broken by the law and turning to Christ). "Those who live by the law, that is, they who still expect to obtain salvation by the works of the law, have never felt the strength of the law. They know nothing of death and condemnation to which they are subject, and therefore they are neither hungry nor thirsty for the righteousness of Christ." - Dathenus

This alienation from the law is the work of the law. It drives you to Christ (or from self-will to God's will acting through you). It gives you real liberty. But you have to die to get there. Hanging inside the Village of Morality with your Village of Morality grin on your face and your Village of Morality back-slapping and group-approved fear/reverence of man doesn't do it.

Then what is real is communing with God (and by degree recovering the image of God) by practicing the faith at the practical level and allowing the influence of God to work in you.

No Jewish ritual involved...

"How does the believer cultivate communion with God? ...[T]he answer is found in spiritual duties. [Puritan John] Flavel affirms that God has appointed 'so many ordinances and duties of religion, on purpose to maintain daily communion betwixt Christ and his people.' Flavel's commitment to these 'duties of religion' arises from his conviction that the Holy Spirit uses them to let forth God's 'influences' upon the soul so that we make suitable 'returns' to Him." - J. Stephen Yuille, from his book The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety

These duties, to use Flavel's word, are found in the New Testament, especially the direct teaching of Jesus Christ; and can also be found in languages that elucidate the teaching of the faith at varying degrees of 'practical level.' Ideally you need to find the real thing that presents the teaching at the pure practical level (Flavel cites such things as 'watchfulness' which is a practice of the faith that has a world of meaning - practical meaning - mainstream Christians are just dead asleep to). This is what is called 'school knowledge', and you're really just drifting at sea and screwing around until you make contact with it. I list a source in the right-hand margin of this site, but it means nothing until one comes to value such a thing on one's own. A rare development in and of itself.

You glorify God by recovering the image of God.