Allen Laseter retweeted
"Youth is not defined by years but by the creative impulse to make something. The aged are those who before al things desire not to make a mistake."
-Whithead
Allen Laseter retweeted
"No man has seen God at any time,” John says.
That’s a problem. For John, seeing is knowing, and knowing God is life. If God remains hidden forever, we never have transfiguring fellowship with Him. Unless God shows Himself, we'll never truly live.
John's good news is: He hasn’t remained hidden. He comes out from behind the veil of the temple. He shows His face, and it’s the face of a Baby and a man.
The Word humbles Himself to take human flesh. And then, in a further act of humility, He comes to us in bread and wine. At His table, the hidden God shows Himself.
Allen Laseter retweeted
The church is not a building but a body.
- Brad East, in his new book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩: 𝘈 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥
Like and Retweet this post in the next 24 hours to enter to win a copy, via @LexhamPress.
Allen Laseter retweeted
On “the necessity of good works” and not using short theological statements as hand grenades:
In his discussion on the necessity of good works, Francis Turretin stated that the orthodox “neither simply deny, nor simply assert” their necessity (contra the Epicureans and Libertines on the one hand, and Romanists and Socinians on the other). He recognized that merely asserting their necessity created its own problems, and that because of this careful distinctions needed to be made. He argued they weren’t necessary in a meritorious sense, but as means and way of possessing salvation. Early on Lutherans and even “some of our own theologians” rejected this kind of language as not suitable and potentially dangerous, but he adds, “…still we think with others that it can be retained without danger if properly explained.” It’s important to note that he acknowledged the danger of the mere assertion. The necessity of good works was especially pressed against the Epicureans (or think modern day antinomians) “so that although works may be said to contribute nothing to the acquisition of salvation, still they should be considered necessary to the obtainment of it, so that no one can be saved without them…” Turretin contrasts “obtaining” (in the sense of possessing) with effecting or acquiring salvation. This is subtle, but important because he doesn’t want to “confound the law and the gospel and interfere with gratuitous justification by faith alone.” Thus good works are not “causes on account of which life is given to us, but effects which testify that life has been given to us.” It’s worth adding that for Turretin, Jesus Christ merited for his people the right to eschatological life through his active and passive obedience. The justified person is subsequently sanctified (the twin benefits of justification and sanctification being inseparable), but this sanctification doesn’t effect or acquire life (imperfect as it is). The acquisition of eschatological life is grounded in Christ’s imputed merit, not our imperfect obedience. “The obedience of Christ rendered in our name to God the Father is so given to us by God that it is reckoned to be truly ours and that it is the sole and only righteousness on account of and by the merit of which we are absolved from the guilt of our sins and obtain a right to life; and that there is in us no righteousness of good works by which we can deserve such great benefits which can bear the severe examination of the divine court…” This is pastorally crucial for Turretin, who recognized that only in Christ do those terrified by a consciousness of sin find “safe refuge against the divine wrath and peace for [their] souls.” Other Reformed theologians may have put it differently, but the best ones acknowledged the importance of definitions and distinctions in order to safeguard the peace and purity of the church along with sensitive consciences. (See Turretin’s institutes topics 16 & 17).
