Monday, October 8, 2012

Nathan Bickel to Sola Fide




In response to:

Sola Fide - WELS Argues Against the Book of Concord

Ichabod -

I'm a simple emeritus (former country parish pastor) who cannot understand which dimension these "universal objective justification" enthusiasts come from.  I suppose that I need to buy a very high density telescope to search for them on more distant planets.

I quote from the article what some UOJ adherent exposes:

>>>>>> ......Louis Benoit (Louis):

"There can be no subjective justification without a prior objective justification, for faith must have something to believe in.

Anyone who denies objective justification denies justification by faith alone." ..... <<<<<<<< [Louis Benoit's words]

When I first read this, my first impression, was that this person was utilizing some circular reasoning. And, I'm still of that opinion. Perhaps, I am wrong in my "logical" assessment. But, I don't think that I am off-beat in assessing his statement.

Furthermore, I think that Benoit had read too much of LCMS’S Dr. David Scaer, who ignored the Holy Spirit in his Christology book’s last chapter, “The Ascension and Second Coming of Christ.” 

But, be that as it appears - I don't care to (personally) examine Scripture down to the gnat's eyelash. I don't read in Scripture either "objective justification" or "subjective justification." I only read what I believe the Holy Spirit intended; that being in Ephesians 2:8-9 - that a human soul is made right with God by grace through faith. Elsewhere in Scripture it is amplified to explain that a person is "justified by faith alone." We dare not overlook that God counted Abraham's faith to him as righteousness. Thank God that Luther saw that and believed and promulgated that; else some of us might as well be blind as those who place their faith in the universal objective justification formula mantra.

The whole problem with Louis Benoit's aforementioned statement, is that he is referring, not to faith in Christ, but to faith in the false formula of the principle truth of Christ's all encompassing Atonement on Calvary. I believe that I basically (in part) explained this distinction in my recent two part topical message series that Ichabod highlighted:

Part 1: The false teaching which molests the faith of Christians

Part 2: How does the false teaching of universal objective justification molest Christians’ faith?

Ichabod - If you will allow me to toot my own horn; I am convinced that some of the universal objective justification hard tact enthusiasts could learn something, if they would just visit my simple "The Christian Message" website. Of course, they might have to shed some of their fancy and sophisticated theological thinking garb to humble themselves to read some basic Scriptural reality. I can only hope and pray that some will do so.

And, while I'm here again commenting, it is my distinct impression of this universal objective justification ant-Scriptural teaching, that it is a convenient "security blanket" to hide oneself [in]. It is the lazy and irresponsible false teaching utilized by Christian clergy across denominational and Catholic lines, which inhibits true Christian evangelism, according to Christ's Great Commission charge. What better way to practice the false Billy Graham decision theology [type] thing, than to make a grand appeal to assent to the UOJ formula, to be saved? Such teaching insults the Spirit of God who is specifically designed to bring men, women, children and infants to Him, through personal faith. How dare universal objective justification fanatics insult the Holy Spirit! Shame on them all!

Nathan M. Bickel