Posted on 05/12/2015 4:21:27 PM PDT by RnMomof7
Let us begin with a church history exam question. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .” Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement.
How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?
Those answers make logical sense. But none of them completes Bellarmine’s sentence. What he wrote was: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”
A moment’s reflection explains why. If justification is not by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone — if faith needs to be completed by works; if Christ’s work is somehow repeated; if grace is not free and sovereign, then something always needs to be done, to be “added” for final justification to be ours. That is exactly the problem. If final justification is dependent on something we have to complete it is not possible to enjoy assurance of salvation. For then, theologically, final justification is contingent and uncertain, and it is impossible for anyone (apart from special revelation, Rome conceded) to be sure of salvation. But if Christ has done everything, if justification is by grace, without contributory works; it is received by faith’s empty hands — then assurance, even “full assurance” is possible for every believer.
No wonder Bellarmine thought full, free, unfettered grace was dangerous! No wonder the Reformers loved the letter to the Hebrews!
This is why, as the author of Hebrews pauses for breath at the climax of his exposition of Christ’s work (Heb. 10:18), he continues his argument with a Paul-like “therefore” (Heb. 10:19). He then urges us to “draw near … in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22). We do not need to re-read the whole letter to see the logical power of his “therefore.” Christ is our High Priest; our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience just as our bodies have been washed with pure water (v.22).
Christ has once-for-all become the sacrifice for our sins, and has been raised and vindicated in the power of an indestructible life as our representative priest. By faith in Him, we are as righteous before the throne of God as He is righteous. For we are justified in His righteousness, His justification alone is ours! And we can no more lose this justification than He can fall from heaven. Thus our justification does not need to be completed any more than does Christ’s!
With this in view, the author says, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who come to God by him” (Heb. 10:14). The reason we can stand before God in full assurance is because we now experience our “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and … bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).
“Ah,” retorted Cardinal Bellarmine’s Rome, “teach this and those who believe it will live in license and antinomianism.” But listen instead to the logic of Hebrews. Enjoying this assurance leads to four things: First, an unwavering faithfulness to our confession of faith in Jesus Christ alone as our hope (v.23); second, a careful consideration of how we can encourage each other to “love and good works” (v.24); third, an ongoing communion with other Christians in worship and every aspect of our fellowship (v.25a); fourth, a life in which we exhort one another to keep looking to Christ and to be faithful to him, as the time of his return draws ever nearer (25b).
It is the good tree that produces good fruit, not the other way round. We are not saved by works; we are saved for works. In fact we are God’s workmanship at work (Eph. 2:9–10)! Thus, rather than lead to a life of moral and spiritual indifference, the once-for-all work of Jesus Christ and the full-assurance faith it produces, provides believers with the most powerful impetus to live for God’s glory and pleasure. Furthermore, this full assurance is rooted in the fact that God Himself has done all this for us. He has revealed His heart to us in Christ. The Father does not require the death of Christ to persuade Him to love us. Christ died because the Father loves us (John 3:16). He does not lurk behind His Son with sinister intent wishing He could do us ill — were it not for the sacrifice his Son had made! No, a thousand times no! — the Father Himself loves us in the love of the Son and the love of the Spirit.
Those who enjoy such assurance do not go to the saints or to Mary. Those who look only to Jesus need look nowhere else. In Him we enjoy full assurance of salvation. The greatest of all heresies? If heresy, let me enjoy this most blessed of “heresies”! For it is God’s own truth and grace!
I don’t think Elsie’s wife would like you calling him *honey* very much.
Yes, I remember that. I was always told, and I can't speak for others, only from my own experience, but that this act of contrition was to cover and protect myself from mortal sins, until I could get to confession to a priest. Whether it be right or wrong, I don't know, it is just what I was taught.
The priest may absolve us in the name of God, but it is through this heartfelt sorrow for and hatred of our sins that we receive forgiveness from God.
My only question would be, for how long do I receive forgiveness ftom God? Yes, I hated my sins, but at the same time, I experienced the same issues that Paul did. No matter how much I tried, I seemed to do exactly what I did not want to do, and failed to do what I wanted to do in my spirit. So, who would deliver me from this body of death? Only a personal relationship with God was able to break that vicious circle. Now, I have much more victory over sin, than I did in the past, though I wish I could have victory over sin 24/7. I still get things wrong, but not quite like my past. I do, of course, have a church I attend, not to get saved or to stay saved, but because I want to have fellowship with like minded Christians. I believe it simply fullfills righteousness. Does that make sense?
Yeah, but if you called a man *honey* you might find yourself missing some teeth.
I’m pretty used to Catholics telling me I’m going to hell.
However, when they state that Catholicism doesn’t teach it when it most certainly does, and there’s documentation to back it up, well, that’s more than I can take.
They can state that personally, they don’t believe what the church teaches, but for them to deny that that is the official teaching of the church, well, it just cuts into their credibility, shall we say.
I don’t know Mark and never have, but I was also taught....
“Bless me father for I have sinned. My last confession was ______.”
Then I’d go on to list the sins.
There have been numerous threads about Muslims, ISIS, libs etc. I am a lady who is 71 and never seen threads about nudity, and most of the ladies on this site are wonderful , Christian conservatives.
Thanks. Even I knew about these beliefs.
Good lord
Elsie is a man
Wonders never cease
I’m changing my moniker to Elizabeth Reed
Im sorry my point was obtuse
Yep, Armed and Dangerous. We get a lot of the old movies over here, on Cignal Satellite. They are way behind the power curve, as they do not even have DVRs yet. 😡😩
Most younger white men today outside combat troops and the penitentiary appear pretty soft
Every time I see a Honda car with a hot young girl driving and her wimpy boyfriend in passenger seat I wince
Where’d all the brows and Adam’s apples and manliness go
And so fast
Pity
Women are still hot and ripe
But younger men are sissified
LOL, I suppose they don't. I see you changed your tag line. I just want to know where in the heck, are people who don't believe in Gosh going? 😂
Well, what I would take from that, is if it has changed, then it must mean it was wrong before. Is anyone in the RCC going to admit they were wrong before? Hypothetically, if they were wrong about some things, and needed to update their theology, what other things can we wonder about, that might be wrong as well?
That was what I wanted to know also. Someone needs to define "God's people" 😇
It's a tactic started way back in Genesis.
Let me take a stab at it. The first recorded time that tactic was used, was when the serpent asked Eve "yea hath God said, ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" Is that pretty close?
No such thing....like saying I am an ex male.
You RCs lack unity. One says that EOs are not Catholic, or liberal RCs., and or that those who were baptized as Prots are even part of the Catholic church, while another affirms they are, and or that all who were baptized as RCs are Catholic, even though they now deny Rome as being the one true church.
Is generating Limericks your strong suit? 😂 You best be careful, or me and Elsie will bombard you with Limericks. 😎
There once was a Freeper named Metmom
Who In school there was asked to the prom
She did not really cower
And from the very first hour
She danced all night to the songs.
😄
“Bless me father for I have sinned. My last confession was ______.”
Then I’d go on to list the sins.
Unfortunately, I needed a ream of paper to remember all my mortal sins. If I was still there today, I would probably keep track of my sins on my IPhone 6 😇
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.