tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433320860790514779.post2234255864996561128..comments2023-11-02T07:48:48.715-04:00Comments on Arminian Perspectives: The Nature of Saving Faithkangaroodorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04172265279507643348noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433320860790514779.post-51192737771599224962008-02-09T14:42:00.000-05:002008-02-09T14:42:00.000-05:00When I survey the Wondrous Cross (Hymn Link)<A HREF="http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/e/whenisur.htm" REL="nofollow">When I survey the Wondrous Cross (Hymn Link)</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433320860790514779.post-46882585364638877692008-02-09T14:22:00.000-05:002008-02-09T14:22:00.000-05:00I think wow as well. Particularly liked the citati...I think wow as well. Particularly liked the citation,<BR/><I>Conceit and self-esteem for what...For totally renouncing all claim to self righteousness? For completely repudiating all dependence on good works? For renouncing all claim to personal merit? For abjectly humbling oneself before God as a broken sinner, deserving of death, helpless, unable to save himself? For casting oneself on the mercies of God and hoping only on the merits and grace of Jesus Christ? These are the elements that are of the essence of saving faith, and where true faith exists, there can be no pride or self-esteem. Pride and faith are mutually exclusive.</I><BR/><BR/>I find it very difficult myself to conceive that in the midst of putting faith in Christ as saviour; confessing I am a sinner (Rom.3:23) worthy of the fires of hell, asking for a forgiveness I do not deserve, with gratitude trusting in a gift I did not earn (Rom. 3:24), trusting in God to wash me in the blood of an innocent man, the Son of God..<BR/><BR/>-that somehow in all this; a turning form dead works of your own to trusting in the work of Christ (Hebrews 6:1), I find it just unimaginable to conceive that in this kind of Christian faith one would even suggest boasting; that the law governing the nature of this faith does not indeed exclude boasting as Paul would say (Rom. 3:27).<BR/><BR/>I would sum up all these things in the cross, the King of Calvary. When one contemplates the cross alone, not just His scars but the wrath of God poured upon Jesus, brethren it ought to be more than sufficient to humble the heart and exclude any and all thought of boasting, save in the Lord.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps it would do well to ask those who say that 'the nature of faith in Jesus is not enough to exclude boasting, it must be also too be of our particular theological system's irresistibly caused kind or else", to ask, "is not the cross of Christ all sufficient in this matter".<BR/><BR/>I respect that there were and are men of differing theological understandings on soteriology and it is good to discuss the topic while living harmoniously as brethren. But their is neither side who has the honest right to level a charge of boasting so long as the cross of Christ is still taught.<BR/><BR/>Despite whatever ever differences or interpretations or speculations are made about additional reasons to turn our boasting from ourselves toward the Lord, there is none who will convince my heart that the cross of Christ is not already <EM> all sufficient</EM>.<BR/><BR/>May His grace be with you alwaysAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433320860790514779.post-34840010206915826492007-07-26T20:34:00.000-04:002007-07-26T20:34:00.000-04:00W O W ! Right on. You hit the nail on the head. As...W O W ! Right on. You hit the nail on the head. As a matter of fact, when I was in the Presbyterian Church (PCA), I encountered such a smug attitude from many of those people -- I wonder if it stemmed from being God's "elect"? Calvinism seems to breed self-righteousness rather than humility! Certainly, there are exceptions, and there are proud Arminians in the world as well; however, I know of nothing more that could lead someone to become arrogant as the idea that God chose ME for salvation over so many others! <BR/><BR/>Election, for Calvinists, is not supposed to find its expression in pride and arrogance, but many, many times it does.<BR/><BR/>BillyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com