Thursday, August 28, 2014
Good Point, But...
Reformation Theology (usually way to esoteric for me to write about)makes an interesting point about "losing our salvation::
I don't really want to argue all that right now.Rather, I'd like to discuss the difficulty in trying to judge what is going on in someone's head. Actions have implications and we are certainly allowed to draw conclusion based on those actions and their implications - but conclusions are not judgements. Judgements are final and conclusion are subject to revision based on new data.
The author here has drawn a fair conclusion. But his language and tone cast that conclusion as judgement. As I have pointed out, someone may have other motives for doubting the solidness of their salvation that a mere reliance on their own righteousness. The author is making a great point - that we such utterly reject our own righteousness as having any possible connection to our salvation, since of course, we have no genuine righteousness apart from our salvation. It may in fact be fear of our unrighteousness that drives such worry.
Such humility gone awry counsels a very different pastoral approach than the one prescribed by the authors judgement. If we are indeed to reach people and not merely categorize them, I think we must be careful to inquire of an individual what they are thinking behind their conclusions so that we can reach them, not merely judge them.
conclusion judgement pastoral care
Those who think they can lose their salvation are not trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation but partly trusting in their own righteousness.That's a good point, and it is esoteric, but I also think it avoids another possibility. The other possibility is not that they rely on their own righteousness, but that they lack faith to believe that God is truly capable of such love and grace - not to mention the fact that it can be argued that salvation so secure is unjust.
I don't really want to argue all that right now.Rather, I'd like to discuss the difficulty in trying to judge what is going on in someone's head. Actions have implications and we are certainly allowed to draw conclusion based on those actions and their implications - but conclusions are not judgements. Judgements are final and conclusion are subject to revision based on new data.
The author here has drawn a fair conclusion. But his language and tone cast that conclusion as judgement. As I have pointed out, someone may have other motives for doubting the solidness of their salvation that a mere reliance on their own righteousness. The author is making a great point - that we such utterly reject our own righteousness as having any possible connection to our salvation, since of course, we have no genuine righteousness apart from our salvation. It may in fact be fear of our unrighteousness that drives such worry.
Such humility gone awry counsels a very different pastoral approach than the one prescribed by the authors judgement. If we are indeed to reach people and not merely categorize them, I think we must be careful to inquire of an individual what they are thinking behind their conclusions so that we can reach them, not merely judge them.
conclusion judgement pastoral care
