A 20 year old chess
Grandmaster died of a stroke recently. Life is like a vapor. It is
interesting that God has an interest in the journeys of all those
souls. On the abstract topic of judgment though, making judgments is
the primary activity of thought.(is something light or dark, hot or
cold, good or bad, right or wrong, green or red, fast or slow etc...)
I think the problem arises in publishing what one thinks too much in
addition to the obvious problem of judging what to think about.
However everyone impacts the world; even Al Gore. This morning I flew
over interstate 5 in the dark and saw miles of cars with lights
creeping along putting out air pollution. I thought about how many
people just run in that economic rat race without philosophical
thought sufficient to be regarded as having awareness of being
responsible for the consequences to the environment. They get up,
waste time commuting to a job, get a paycheck, have a smoke and go
home to do it again several days a week. Some do write Christian
things though, or protect gun owning rights, or whatever. With all
the crazy contemporary politics and immoral drift maybe dueling will
be made legal again in order to keep the broadcast media from
becoming more royal. I like what you wrote though. Yet the lost are
the lost, that is sad yet predestined.
What about works vs
grace? .I took some notes on Gershner's lectures on the
Westminster standards-
good works are only
such as God has commanded
a good work is a work that God has
commanded
-no amount of zeal will make an act good unless God has
commanded it, and done for that reason
works are evidences that
one has been justified by faith
salvation by grace, not salvation
by works
ability to do good works is not of themselves (the
Christian)-it is wholly from the spirit of Christ
Philippians
2:11-12
justification and sanctification-similar yet
dissimilar
yet hereupon they are not to grow negligent
effective
calling-justification is monergistic regeneration-an activity of
God
Justification and regeneration are truly monergistic-the
work of God alone
sanctification is dualistic-the work of God and
the saint, yet every inclination to good works is given by the Holy
Spirit
On super-arrogation
They who in their obedience attain
to the highest perfection in this life are very far from being able
to do what God requires of them
some creeds point out
positively what is believed and then point out errors
Roman
catholic church believes in super-arrogation (doing more than is
required)
the Bible denies that anyone is capable of attaining
more than what God requires, or excess perfection-no one can do more
than is required
riches are not the sin; trusting in riches is
the problem
the young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to be
perfect, and Jesus replied that he had to give away his riches to be
perfect, is not an example of super-arrogation-the young fellow
wasn't close to being perfect-his riches were just being exemplified
as something that is a conflict of interest with salvation-the more
you have the more you are tempted to think you earned it-rather than
it being of providence.
Christianity does not require a vow of
poverty
Some are eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake-they
think they can do more as singles for serving God
poverty and
celibacy do not mean that one is going beyond what is required; no
one can go beyond what is required
God is pleased to accept
and reward good works that are sincere -Jesus makes the works
acceptable
Christ in his intercessory ministry makes the works
acceptable unto God-Jesus cleanses the works of human
imperfections
works done by unregenerate men are not pleasing
to God, though the works may be necessary and in the teleological
stream of providence
Unconverted persons may have the matter
of virtue in them yet not the manner.
right motive
right
goal-right standard
right end-right purpose (the love of God)
for
an act to be moral it must be because God commands it
good works
of the unregenerate are largely done to promote themselves-they do
not intend to show the glory of God, but instead to promote
themselves