fhansen:
Of course I was making some generalizations about Reformed theology and shouldn’t be lumping them all together but that brings up another point-which particular Protestant brand of theology should one be educated in-since they’re often different? On the other hand, most of them pretty well adhere to the “justification by faith alone” doctrine which leads to many of their common errors.
Along with Paul?
A semi-educated Catholic like me knows that faith is a gift of grace which can be resisted.
Yes, that is Catholic theology. However, Pauline theology states that God Himself has
saved men “
by grace” (unmerited favor), “
through faith” (in Christ), and that their salvation (which entails forgiveness of all sins, redemption, justification, reconciliation, propitiation and eternal life) is “
the gift of God; not as a result of works.” So according to Pauline theology, men may resist believing in Christ, the gospel (good news message) of what He accomplished for them through the cross, but when one does believe the gospel of Christ, salvation, and all that it entails, is
gifted by God according to His sovereign GRACE (unmerited favor), which He is free to do because of the cross of Christ.
He also knows that we can’t stand before God in heaven clothed in filthy rags covered by the blood of Jesus-God wants much more for us than that.
No true believer will ever stand before God in heaven “clothed in filthy rags.” In fact, it is revealed that every true believer is now “
in Christ” seated in the heavenly with Him:Eph 2:4-6 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places}
in Christ Jesus,"And he writes to the believers at Colossea whose transgressions had been totally
forgiven, and whose “certificate of debt,” which consisted of decrees against them, had been completely
cancelled out, which He (God) had taken out of the way having nailed it to the cross (Col. 2:13-14), saying:Col 3:1-4 "Therefore if (since) you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."For what eternal reason says Paul?Eph 2:7 "…so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."So, NO!, no true believer now or ever stands before God “in filthy rags,” but he is now “in Christ” and imputed His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
We don’t earn our way into heaven-we are made worthy of standing in Gods’ presence.
Men are “made worthy” the same way as Abraham:Rom 4:5 “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”
Sanctification comes prior to that rather than at some vague time in the future or not at all. Jesus’ atonement makes this possible.
Upon true faith the believer is “
sanctified in Christ Jesus,” “
saints by calling” (1 Cor. 1:2; cf. 6:11).Heb 2:11 "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one {Father;} for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Heb 10:10 “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Heb 10:14 "
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified."These
divinely revealed truths are what make up what is called “
the faith.” And as Paul says: “
But the righteous shall live by faith.”
