tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322660.post115578396145590944..comments2024-03-18T00:05:07.328-07:00Comments on The Puritan's Sword: A Biblical Examination of Philosophical, Theological, and Political Trends: The Modern Assault on Justification by Faith Alone (Sola Fide)R.S. Ladwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13487404072546513179noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322660.post-1155948505690991682006-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:002006-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00Tim-You asked:"1.) Are you assuming that faith is ...Tim-<BR/>You asked:<BR/><I>"1.) Are you assuming that faith is not only knowledge of salvation, but also active walk?"</I><BR/><BR/>Not the faith which justifies. The faith which brings about a rightstanding between the sinner and God is alone. (Faith itself is not what saves but Christ's merit on our behalf, imputed righteousness)<BR/><BR/><I>""And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,"</I> (Rom 4:5)<BR/><BR/>Here we see the faith that saves is not mingled with works but rather a naked trust in what Christ has done. **However**if it be true faith it will produce good works, now the works themselves are in no way meritorious toward our justification but are evidences of our justification.<BR/><BR/><I>"2.) If justification by faith is a one-time event rather than a process, what do you believe is the result of a believer who decides at some later point to walk away from the Christian faith?"</I><BR/><BR/>Well I am a Reformed Christian so I don't think that the person ever really believed to begin with, they never were really justified to begin with. Good question (problem for Arminians)<BR/><BR/><I>"3.) How do you see the parables of Jesus cursing the fig tree because it bore no fruit fitting and the sheep & the goats with the sole event of justification?"</I><BR/><BR/>Another good question. Well, as I said in response to question 1, I think that we are saved by faith alone however true faith is never alone but it will produce fruit. So when people are condemned for not bearing fruit or not caring for the down trodden, the issue is not that they would have been justified had they done those things. <B>Rather, had they been justified they would have done those things.</B> <BR/><BR/>There are many people outside of Christ who do humanitarian works, they are building on sand because they start no with Christ...thus their charitable deed are not unto Christ and are dead. But for the one who trusts in Christ to save does his good deeds unto Christ and builds upon the rock which will stand in the judgement. Same deeds different foundations.R.S. Ladwighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13487404072546513179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322660.post-1155947437134075752006-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:002006-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:00Michael-"I was dressed up as a WW2 soldier wearing...Michael-<BR/><I>"I was dressed up as a WW2 soldier wearing a uniform, green plastic army helmet, a canteen full of kool aid and a plastic bayonet attached to my army belt around my waist and for a rifle, a pillow case. I was armed and dangerous knocking on doors trick and treating hoping to fill the pillow case with candy before I came home for the night!."</I><BR/><BR/>Ha ha! That's great it's funny picturing you as a rambuncktious little kid.R.S. Ladwighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13487404072546513179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322660.post-1155931028214015182006-08-18T12:57:00.000-07:002006-08-18T12:57:00.000-07:00A couple questions arise for me when I read the po...A couple questions arise for me when I read the post:<BR/><BR/>1.) Are you assuming that faith is not only knowledge of salvation, but also active walk?<BR/><BR/>2.) If justification by faith is a one-time event rather than a process, what do you believe is the result of a believer who decides at some later point to walk away from the Christian faith?<BR/><BR/>3.) How do you see the parables of Jesus cursing the fig tree because it bore no fruit fitting and the sheep & the goats with the sole event of justification?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06007744289908702383noreply@blogger.com