Russell,
Great post! An interestingly different way to understand the gospel while learning about Buddhism.
Excellent perspective on the error of overemphasizing salvation at the expense of the sanctification of God’s people and the glorification of God. While reformed Christians are often criticized for pocketing salvation (as you put it the “get out of Hell free card) and then forgetting about obeying God and performing good works, the early reformers clearly understood the fallacy of that idea. John Calvin put it very well when he said…
“It is therefore faith alone which justifies,
And yet the faith which justifies is not alone.
Just as it is the heat of the sun which warms the earth,
And yet the sun is not alone, because it is constantly conjoined with light “
Said another way, if your claimed conversion has no impact on your behavior (bears no fruit) then you have not genuinely accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.
John J | 05.08.08 - 12:07 am | #