Richard Smith at the Spurgeon Blog has provided another delightful post on the topic of sola fide and what is meant by that term in Reformation theology (link). This is a very important topic, and an area that differentiates Reformed theology not only from Romanism and Socinianism but also from much of modern Arminianism, which reduces faith to a work. Naturally, a centerpiece in the post is a quotation from the real Francis Turretin.
-TurretinFan
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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TF,
I am not sure why I was not able to post over at "Spurgeon Blog" in response to Richard Smith's article? So, if I might, I will comment over here.
Here is what I attempted to post there:::>
[[yes and amen!
I am having my senses trained to discern between good Gospel from evil gospel. This post has sharpened my senses even more.
It is not easy to be "righteously" condemned for being so good! It is not my sinful nature that betrays me. No, no, it is my goodness and my good deeds now, after all, of course, because God sent Jesus to make "me" whole so that my goodness and good deeds can shine and men will indeed praise them to me, right?
yuck!
Oh the Gospel of the God of "Truth", who, without my permission, has sent His Holy Ghost to me and set me free from myself and my goodness and my "righteous" deeds by Christ and His equitable deeds, His death, burial and resurrection from the dead!
The Chapter, 19, in the Book of the Revelation to John, is so important to understand in light of this.
Also, when the Apostle Paul writes about the way Satan and his ministers manifest themselves to us, the Elect, in a fashion and way that "seems" like the Righeousness of God with the purpose to deceive and trick us "out of something", i.e., our inheritance, the Righteousness of God by the equitable deeds of Christ, we ought to take note of these things and realize it's a fight to the death, these things that come against us!
We will never prevail in our righteousness. Why? Well because God says so, that's why!
Oh, that's not good enough an answer? Well, what answer are you looking for?
Turretin is so underestimated. It is because of Turrentinfan and his writings and reasonings with the Holy Ghost helping him at his blog, who has focused me on him, [Turrentin]. I didn't know there was a Francis Turretin until coming to TF's blog. I am glad to read about him hereon too!
Thanks and let the Glory of the Lord shine, shine, shine some more, as God knows, it is the Light of His Glory that is necessary and it is this Light that destroys the devil's "darkness", not his own ministries shining a dull light that resembles the Light!]]
Now, here is my response to the article here:
I was reading Revelation 19 this morning because I wanted to do a word study on the word "amen" in the Book of the Revelation to John. Using my search tool and the ESV translation, I found the word "amen" used in several places, including in chapter 19. So I read the chapter and came to these words:::>
Rev 19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
Rev 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
Rev 19:8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
I believe it is Scriptures like this that Satan has to malign to the hearers, us, in order to keep us dull, ineffective and in the dark about it.
At first, and many times since then, I believed those verses to be teaching me that it was my "righteous deeds" that was needed to bring salvation about in my life and soul.
Oh how deceived I was.
It is now a bit unsettling to me to know the Truth.
As you will read now, what is it that does it, that is, saves me from myself and from Satan and his false gospel, that gospel that seems so much like the Truth?
Here:::>
Rev 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
Rev 19:13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
Do you see it and understand?
It is not "my blood" that does it to save my soul from God's wrath.
We have been taught and all True believers know that the "life" is in the blood. You remove the "life" from the blood and the blood dies and becomes of no value to the organs and the tissue of our flesh and the marrow in our bones.
I have seen people die. I have seen them stop breathing. In fact, I have seen people hooked up on life support systems in ICU wards in hospitals who were "dead" but because of medical science, they could keep oxygen flowing through their blood to keep vital organs active enough to be used in a needed transplant after that soul had left the earthly remains behind!
It is Christ's Own Life that dipped Himself in His Own Blood that God uses to come and make peace with us.
How in the world I was believing in my goodness to actively work Faith for the salvation of my soul becomes clear as I let the Holy Ghost teach me the Truth.
The Romanism and Socinianism and much of modern Arminianism is indeed reducing and dimming the Glorious Gospel of the DEEDS of Christ and causing people to believe something that is not the Gospel!
That is frightening to me. It sobers me up enormously now!
Thanks again for being vigilant TF! It is a battle to the end of time that we wage against our enemies, both the bold and brass and the subtle means of deception that they employ against us!
I leave off with Paul at Ephesians 3 and the entire quote as an underscore of the battles ahead for the Church under the Headship of Christ Our King and Lord and Most Holy High Priest:::>
Eph 3:8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Eph 3:9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,
Eph 3:10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Eph 3:11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Eph 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
amen?
amen!
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