After yesterday's post I remembered this sparkling gem from Mike:
John Bunyan believed that Christians are saved by grace. Of course. It was what everyone seemed to say. The thought left him pretty miserable, though. In fact, when he really thought about it, it left him profoundly depressed. God is gracious, he knew: but how gracious, exactly? And that made him wonder: ‘my peace would be in and out, sometimes twenty times a day; comfort now, and trouble presently’...
...For all that we speak of grace, and however strongly we speak of it, we will remain prisoners of spiritual insecurity for as long as we imagine that we are independent islands. And rightly so: all spiritual blessings are to be found in Christ alone. Just read Ephesians 1 for an avalanche of verses to prove that. There is no hint of salvation to be found anywhere else. God only ever blesses through Christ. He is the vine of God’s blessing. And the only way to be blessed is to be grafted into him.
It's only short, read the whole thing.
I do like Mike. But think we're probably under obligation to take Paul's words in Ephesians about being saved by grace a little more seriously than his.
What does it mean to take them seriously? Like the serious Roman Catholic?
i've read the post in the website link.. but couldn't comment. so im posting it here.
the last words
"Saved by grace? No, we have a better gospel than that"
1. can someone tell me what is the gospel whom Paul preach whom
Christ gave to Paul?
2. Is there another gospel?
3. If so this another gospel is better than the gospel Paul preached?
4. what is this better gospel?
Hi savedbygrace,
There are *many* gospels that are damnable heresies (Galatians 1:6-9). And they are damnable heresies in spite of quoting from Jesus and Paul and speaking much of "grace". "Grace" is not a distinguishing mark of the true gospel - "grace alone" is.
Hey, I think taking them seriously probably means not saying they are wrong or inadequate.
@glen
thank you for your response.
i see your point. but to make sure i got it right
...
you're saying there are *many* fake gospels out there. they sound like the true gospel. and that the distinguishing mark of the gospel is "grace alone". did i get it correctly?
so much like a christian. there are those who profess to be one. there are the real christians and the fake christians. the fake christians looks, smells, sounds like a true christian.
But they *are* wrong and inadequate and dangerously so when pressed into the service of an alien gospel.
"Everything is permissible" is pure Paul. But he's clear that those words can be made to say something entirely different to Paul's own intention when they are used as props in a different theological edifice. "Saved by grace" is just the same. Taking the phrase seriously doesn't mean taking it in isolation.
Mike's paper unpacks the meaning of "saved by grace" in its actual Ephesians 2 context - i.e. about Christ's work for us, not God's helps in us. Mike is taking the phrase *very* seriously. Those who snip out the phrase to make it a banner for any old gospel - Protestant or otherwise - are *not* taking Paul seriously.
@savedbygrace,
Yes I think you've got me.
It's important to say we are saved by Christ alone and not by our theological convictions about Christ alone! It's not our ability to articulate grace alone that saves us - it truly is God's grace alone, expressed in Christ alone, received purely by faith alone.
To God's glory alone!
Wow! I was confused but this nailed it:
"It’s not our ability to articulate grace alone that saves us – it truly is God’s grace alone, expressed in Christ alone, received purely by faith alone."
Thanks Glen!
glen,
indeed.
now i can sing again "Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so" without having to worry about theology :)
- grace and peace