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
