Hi Professor Jackson,
Thanks again for the link to Ski's AWESOME Drive '08 Blog. He ROCKS! (please read with sarcasm)
So, I was wondering if you'd do an analysis of the following paragraph:
“Sanctification is a moral change which God works in every Christian. The Holy Spirit, working through the means of grace, produces an inner change in the hearts and minds of believers. As a result they do good works which glorify God. Christians cooperate with God in their sanctification. Sanctification, however, unlike justification, will never be complete in this lifetime. It is an ongoing process in which we become more like Christ. Sanctification and good works are not a cause of our justification, that is, they contribute nothing to our obtaining of forgiveness of sins. Christian living is not a part of justification. Our sanctification is a result of our justification. The forgiveness of sins which we have received in justification motivates us to show our love for God through Christian living. (Romans 6)”
John F. Brug from his essay “The Lutheran Doctrine of Sanctification and Its Rivals” (underlined section is my emphasis)
From the WLS essayfile
I've been puzzling over the WELS view of sanctification. I think Brug's paper, particularly the line, “cooperate with God..." stinks.
I'd be curious to read a commentary on this. Thanks.
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GJ - Sanctification does continue throughout the life of the Christian, as the Gospel leavens the Christian's life (Luther's Large Catechism). Brug is correct about the believer cooperating with God, which is what Paul says in Corinthians, "working together with Him." We do not cooperate in our conversion. In other words, becoming a believer is very easy - ask any baby who is baptiszed (pace Stetzer). Staying a believer is difficult.God provides the Gospel and the preachers to proclaim the saving message. When the Gospel is persecuted by church leaders, as it in the Lutheran Church today, God still provides for the faithful.
The comment about justification being complete is probably a nod to Universal Objective Justification, a hallmark of Halle Pietism.
I contend that UOJ is the rot on which the Church Growth Movement has grown in the Lutheran Church. UOJ is Enthusiasm, so exchanging one form of Enthusiasm for another is not a difficult maneuver.
The WELS leaders who love UOJ do nothing about Church and Change. Small wonder.
When I expressed disappointment to Brug that Valleskey was doing the Church Growth analysis, when we expected Brug, for the Ohio Conference, he went over and told Valleskey immediately afterwards. How do I know? Valleskey made a point of telling me that at the Ohio Conference, he tried tried to prove we can gather figs from thistles, or--as he put it--spoil the Egyptians.
