Spoetry - Submit your own Spoems

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 10:34:16 PM)

I get fired up on the whole merit issue after reading Luther's amazingly straightforward exegesis of the Scripture & rebuttal of Erasmus: The Bondage of the Will. This ought to be required reading for every Christian!

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 10:32:04 PM)

And when I say, "Will you ___", I am referring to the imaginary or hypothetical holder of the position, not you.

ReformedLou (Sunday 5th of October 2008 06:08:45 PM)

Are you under the impression that I subscribe to either congruous or condign merit, Studier101? I don't. I do, however, believe any misunderstanding and consequent misrepresentation of Rome don't serve the truth. I would want my doctrine rightly framed before someone attempted to disprove it. If it isn't, it makes us appear woefully uninformed and reckless, sometimes because it's true. That being said, I'll reiterate: "I fully agree with Dr. Cairns. The merit we have is Christ's alone."

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 10:30:10 PM)

Haha... ; - ) I didn't know, I just wanted to point out a couple of things. It wasn't to "teach you a lesson" but just a couple of ideas. I was mainly following a line of thought compairing systems of merit with the Bible. Indeed, sometimes we think that Rome denies faith or grace. She does not. That always gets us. She merely denies BIBLICAL faith and BIBLICAL grace, that is, faith alone as the means of reception and grace alone as the causation or basis of salvation.

ReformedLou (Monday 6th of October 2008 06:40:58 PM)

o.k., and agreed.

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 01:45:14 PM)

...something which you do or earn. Repentance is not beating yourself or sacrificing to earn Divine favor. REMEMBER, friend, THAT is a WORK. This is why the Bible, being perfectly plain and completely honest, connects repentance (also defined as an internal turning away from) and a cessation of dead works. Turning away from works (to gain this standing of full Divine favor), which are themselves dead - as is proven from our not being able to obtain a state of grace with which to mend our works

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 01:52:12 PM)

2. Repentance is from such doings!! One who does such things has not yet repented of them!! (i.e., These are some of the very things which must be repented of!!) 3. Repentance CANNOT, of itself, DO anything meritorious! Think about it... Even IF (Which we have already proven it can never be!) repentance consisted in the doing of these penances, they could never gant grace. Why? If a criminal admits his guilt and inability to change the past or undo the wrong, does it thereby remove his guilt..

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 01:57:15 PM)

...or the necessity of punishment? No!! So even if one could produce repentance (Which is impossible because it is 1. Not a work and 2. Turning from such works) rather by penances or any other dicipline or production of body, soul, or spirit; yet repentance leaves one in despair and condemnation. Acknowledging one' own unrighteoussness (which is primarily what repentance is - turning from a belief in one's own righteousness) does not make one righteouss. So, there is no grace from repentance...

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 02:02:09 PM)

... or should I say, repentance does not ITSELF produce grace. Lastly, the fourth reason that repentances and penances will NEVER earn the favor of God: 4. Repentance is the gift of God!!! You can't even repent (which isn't a work, anyway) without God giving you the grace of repentance. REPENTANCE IS NOT THE MEANS OF GRACE, BUT THE RESULT OF GRACE!! Of course, the grace which temporally (at a moment in space & time) results in our partaking of Christ's redemption, follows repentance...

Studier101 (Sunday 5th of October 2008 02:07:59 PM)

...and is received through the agency of faith. (More on that later-maybe) Are you going to now try to earn the grace with which to repent (i.e., acknowledge that you can't earn anything)? Will you attempt to earn Divine favor in order so that you may acknowledge that you can't earn Divine favor (i.e., in order to earn repentance) so that you may earn Divine favor?? Will you seek grace to acknowledge that you can't earn nor seek grace; so that, in the seeking to obtain the realization...