tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447271489594435093.post2848585262250998298..comments2024-01-23T10:37:14.372-08:00Comments on Surburg's blog: Mark's thoughts: Lutheran "synergism" and the regenerate willSurburg's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07471674105191295804noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447271489594435093.post-26975302603292113632014-04-02T18:55:41.323-07:002014-04-02T18:55:41.323-07:00Mark, I really enjoyed your treatment of this subj...Mark, I really enjoyed your treatment of this subject. Thank you very much for it.jWintershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10674355134523417104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447271489594435093.post-86409597784431820842014-03-24T13:44:43.574-07:002014-03-24T13:44:43.574-07:00Thank you Pr. Mark.
It has been asked, "What...Thank you Pr. Mark.<br /><br />It has been asked, "What is at stake here?" by some. What's pastoral "cash-value"? Not that this teaching needs to meet the pragmatist's standard, but this doctrine does indeed commend itself wonderfully to the pastor's work in administering the cure of souls.<br /><br />I will say, from the perspective of an at-times-perplexed layman:<br /><br />If I am struggling with habitual sin and feeling rather walked-upon by world, flesh, and devil, I of course need to hear the "already having happenedness" (to use a Fr. Charles-McClean-ism, which might be an Dr. Piepkorn-ism) of Christ's work of justification from my confessor: Christ made atonement for your sins -- yes, those sins on which the paint has not yet even dried! They have been expiated; you are reconciled. Ain't nothing you can do about it. Believe it, because it's true. You're justified. It hurts to hear this, but it's a good hurt which turns to comfort.<br /><br />However, in the same confessional, I also need to hear the reassurance that I no longer possess an enslaved will. I need to be reminded that the Spirit will not only fight world, flesh, and devil for me, but he will actually help me, myself, to fight them. This fight is not meritorious for salvation; no, but it is quite simply good, and it needs to happen. It's what we're supposed to do. "We are unworthy servants; we have but done our duty." Yes, but we must be exhorted and encouraged to do the duty, because the duty is good, though not at all meritorious.<br /><br />Being told, "Holy Spirit is sanctifying you, so don't worry about it," or some suchlike, never helped me when I was in the pit of despair struggling with besetting sin. "Just kill 'em with the Law and raise 'em with the Gospel" is, in the context of the actual Christian experience wherein real sinners come to you, as a pastor, with real sins and real struggles, little more than an enervating cliché.<br /><br />Again, thank you. And thanks be to God for your witness to the Truth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com