Sunday, January 01, 2006

Discuss amongst yourselves

I'm going to leave the author and my take on this out of it for the moment, want to hear some chatter from my readers (even you who don't comment that often--especially you!), read this quote yesterday and I've been chewing on it since.

[Christianity's] end and aim is holy living [author's footnote: "Eph. i.4; Titus ii.14, et passim"]. Of this holy life, the law of God is the rule. The believer justified in Christ does not, indeed, look to the law for his redeeming merit; but he receives it as his guide to the obedience of faith and love , as fully as though he were still under a covenant of works.

10 comments:

girlfriday said...

What about glorifying God and enjoying him forever?

rustypth said...

I like it. Though I'm unsure about the last phrase: "...but he receives it as his guide to the obedience of faith and love , as fully as though he were still under a covenant of works."

Firstly, I'm not exactly sure what this means =). The Christian honors God because the Spirit has given him a new heart - he now desires to please God. We do our best to keep the Law of God, but not as though we were still under the Law.

tired said...

Over the past months I've had my fill of people who would say something like this when what they eventually meant was, "Baptismal presumption is the highest earthly practice of Christianity imaginable."

Putting questionable ends aside: I agree with the quote, although the unmerited forgiveness through the work of Christ is often (and in the meritorious sense, necessarily) the reason believers return to godly living in repentance. Unless one is reacting strongly against Internet Lutheranism, I'm uncertain that's adequately stated by just referencing "the law."

polymathis said...

Sorry, Hobbart, too many people are just too cautious with this quote!
1) The chief end of man is too glorify and enjoy God (girlfriday).
2)What does "as though" he were under the covenant of law?
3)Sorry, we're all just too cautious!

Please bring us out of suspense: who are you quoting?

rustypth said...

lol!

Hobster said...

I'll spill some ink on it soon...trying to decide how much, basically, right now.

rustypth said...

we all know it was you Hobs =)

you or ... Princess Diana

kletois said...

is this a chicken curry recipe?

rustypth said...

so do we get to know who it is? =)

polymathis said...

I think it was that lego head dude that said it!