"That walking uprightly as in the day in the way of Your commandments, we may attain eternal life."
That prayer bothered me.
I heard it as saying that keeping the commandments in some way merits eternal life. Of course, it says nothing of the sort.
The commandments are the path to God. This is elementary, but honestly it never entered my dense head what it meant when they were called that. It is not that keeping them merits something from God. It is that keeping them, walking in them, is simply the road that ends in the Kingdom, the pathway toward Him. To claim to be walking toward Him and the Kingdom and not be seeking to walk down the path of the commandments is to be lying to one's self.
My Lutheran fear of legalism has kept me an antinomian at heart for a long time. A crying shame. To walk the path of the commandments is not to pretend to perfection, but to cry out constantly: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!" But there is no attaining of eternal life apart from walking in the way of the commandments, because that's the path that leads to Him and to the Kingdom.
Thoughts?
Sorry William, this is off topic. I am interested in weedon genealogy and have established my family tree to the early 1600s. Do you know your ancestry?
ReplyDeleteI know some of it, Peter. The line goes backwards like this:
ReplyDeleteJohn Weedon (~1745 - 1823)
b. bet 1745/1750, VA
d. Sep 1823, Fauquier Co., VA
& Lucettah "Lucy" Wroe (1753 - 1823)
b. 4 Jul 1753, Westmoreland Co., VA
d. 1823, Fauquier Co., VA
| Thomas Wroe Weedon (1795 - 1875)
| b. 1795, Fauquier County, VA
| d. 11 Dec 1875
| & Mildred Richards "Millie" Stone (1800 - 1868)
| b. 1800
| d. 23 Apr 1868, Near Pine View in Fauquier Co., VA
| | John Isaac Weedon (1831 - 1890)
| | b. 28 Jun 1831, Fauquier Co., VA
| | d. 7 May 1890
| | & Virginia Hall
| | | John William Weedon (1859 - 1958)
| | | b. 31 Jan 1859
| | | d. 14 Jun 1958
| | | & Lizzie Timmons
| | | | Warren C. Weedon (1884 - )
| | | | b. 1884, resided in Spotsylvania Co., VA
| | | | & Elsie L. Perry
| | | | | Grace Weedon (1917 - 1983)
| | | | | b. 21 Sep 1917
| | | | | d. May 1983, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | | & Unknown Lumpkin
| | | | Grover Lee Weedon (1886 - 1960)
| | | | b. Apr 1886, VA
| | | | d. 3 Mar 1960
| | | | & Cassie May Garnert (1894 - 1965)
| | | | b. 1894
| | | | d. 23 Oct 1965
| | | | | James Lee Weedon (1921 - 1977)
| | | | | b. 21 Feb 1921
| | | | | d. 30 Dec 1977, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co.,
VA 22401
| | | | | & Ivy Unknown
| | | | | | Janie Weedon (1947 - )
| | | | | | b. 1947
| | | | | | & Unknown Dunnavant
| | | | | | Debbie Weedon (1949 - )
| | | | | | b. 1949
| | | | | | & Unknown Rawlett
| | | | | Wilbur Garnett Weedon (1923 - 1980)
| | | | | b. 23 Aug 1923
| | | | | d. Oct 1980, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | Gertrude S. Weedon (1887 - )
| | | | b. Jan 1887
| | | | & Jessie or Jesse McWhirt (1883 - 1967)
| | | | b. 22 Aug 1883
| | | | d. Aug 1967, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | | Pauline McWhirt (1912 - )
| | | | | b. 1912
| | | | | & Unknown Wigglesworth
| | | | | Anna McWhirt (1913 - )
| | | | | b. 1913
| | | | | & Unknown Gillis
| | | | | Cora McWhirt (1915 - )
| | | | | b. 1915
| | | | | & Unknown Havlick
| | | | | Jessie or Jesse McWhirt Jr. (1916 - 1977)
| | | | | b. 20 Aug 1916
| | | | | d. Aug 1977, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | | Carl McWhirt (1918 - 1985)
| | | | | b. 18 Mar 1918
| | | | | d. Oct 1985, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | John A. Weedon (1889 - 1962)
| | | | b. 24 May 1889, lived at Marye, VA
| | | | d. Sep 1962, VA
| | | | Cora E. Weedon (1890 - 1985)
| | | | b. 4 Dec 1890
| | | | d. Mar 1985, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22405
| | | | & Unknown Silver
| | | | Thomas Irving Weedon (1892 - 1972)
| | | | b. Feb 1892
| | | | d. 1972
| | | | & Lula Elizabeth Burton
| | | | | Helen Rebecca Weedon (1921 - )
| | | | | b. 1921
| | | | | & Carl Mason Curtis (1924 - )
| | | | | b. 1924
| | | | | | Carl Mason Curtis Jr. (1947 - )
| | | | | | b. 1947
| | | | | | Thomas Franklin Curtis (1949 - )
| | | | | | b. 1949
| | | | | | Philip Charles Curtis (1951 - )
| | | | | | b. 1951
| | | | | Thomas Irving Weedon Jr. (1923 - 1986)
| | | | | b. 6 Jan 1923, resided at Fredericksburg, VA
| | | | | d. Jun 1986, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co, VA,
22401
| | | | | Benjamin Harrison Weedon (1926 - )
| | | | | b. 1926
| | | | Rebecca M. Weedon (1895 - )
| | | | b. Aug 1895
| | | | Taylor R. Weedon (1896 - )
| | | | b. Oct 1896
| | | | Margaret V. Weedon (1902 - )
| | | | b. 1902
| | | Isaac Stone Weedon (1861 - 1946)
| | | b. 23 Jun 1861
| | | d. 3 Dec 1946
| | | & Dulcie Embry
| | | | John Isaac Weedon (1904 - 1973)
| | | | b. 1 Feb 1904
| | | | d. 12 Jul 1973, VA 22736
| | | Andrew Webster Weedon (1863 - 1930)
| | | b. 20 Nov 1863
| | | d. Jul 1930
| | | & Laura E. Adams
| | | | Edgar S. Weedon (1887 - 1919)
| | | | b. 22 Feb 1887
| | | | d. Dec 1919
| | | | Daniel S. Weedon (1889 - )
| | | | b. 20 Jul 1889
| | | | & Caroline Fairlaub
| | | | | Elsie Weedon (1915 - 1978)
| | | | | b. 7 Feb 1915
| | | | | d. Dec 1978, Sebastian, Indian River, FL 32958
| | | | | & Unknown Graham
| | | | | Harlan "Edgar" Weedon (1916 - 1990)
| | | | | b. 12 Jul 1916
| | | | | d. 29 Sep 1990
| | | | | James Weedon (1924 - 1943)
| | | | | b. 15 Sep 1924
| | | | | d. 1943, lost at sea
| | | | Nora C. Weedon (1891 - 1990)
| | | | b. 16 Sep 1891
| | | | d. 19 Nov 1990, resided in Lignum, VA
| | | | & John Chancellor Curtis ( - 1955)
| | | | d. 1955
| | | | | Harold C. Curtis (1910 - )
| | | | | b. 15 Dec 1910
| | | | | John W. Curtis (1912 - 1979)
| | | | | b. 22 Sep 1912
| | | | | d. Jul 1979, 22726
| | | | | Russell Curtis (1914 - )
| | | | | b. 25 Jun 1914
| | | | | Ashton Curtis (1915 - 1993)
| | | | | b. 1 Nov 1915
| | | | | d. 9 Mar 1993, Carlton, Yamhill, OR 97111
| | | | | Mabel W. Curtis (1918 - )
| | | | | b. 26 Jul 1918
| | | | | & Unknown Schlaud
| | | | | Willard Curtis (1920 - )
| | | | | b. 16 Jun 1920
| | | | | Stanley Weedon Curtis (1923 - )
| | | | | b. 9 Oct 1923
| | | | | George Weedon Curtis (1929 - )
| | | | | b. 8 Jul 1929
| | | | | Jean Wroe Curtis (1933 - )
| | | | | b. 14 Jun 1933
| | | | | & Unknown Dawson
| | | | Larkin William Weedon (1893 - 1988)
| | | | b. 16 Nov 1893
| | | | d. 15 Feb 1988, 22508
| | | | & Leola Curtis
| | | | | Larkin William Weedon Jr.
| | | | | | Lenny Weedon
| | | | | | Lon Weedon
| | | | | Carl Weedon
| | | | | | Pam Weedon
| | | | | | Bruce Weedon
| | | | | Frances Weedon
| | | | | & Unknown Clore
| | | | Lucy E. Weedon (1900 - 1986)
| | | | b. 7 Nov 1900
| | | | d. Apr 1986, Washington, Washington, DC 20015
| | | Nannie R. Weedon (1866 - 1951)
| | | b. 8 Dec 1866
| | | d. 20 Nov 1951
| | | Edwin Daniel Weedon (1869 - 1887)
| | | b. 18 Jun 1869
| | | d. 18 Jul 1887
| | | Hattie Virginia Weedon (1876 - 1965)
| | | b. 29 May 1876
| | | d. 22 May 1965
| | | Chancellor B. Weedon (1879 - 1971)
| | | b. 23 Jun 1879
| | | d. 14 May 1971
| | | & Bessie Maupin
| | | | Stuart Maupin Weedon (1920 - 1980)
| | | | b. 15 Dec 1920
| | | | d. 5 Jan 1980, Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD 20902
| | | | & Mildred Mastin
| | | | | Marie Weedon
| | | | | & Unknown Cooke
| | | | | Seldon S. Weedon
| | | | | Joseph F. Weedon
| | | | | James M. Weedon
| | | | | William C. Weedon
| | | | Edgar S. Weedon (1925 - )
| | | | b. 1925
| | | | d. Resided in Richardsville, VA.
| | | | & Connie Unknown
| | | | | Debby Weedon
| | | | | Virginia Weedon
| | | | | & Unknown Corbin
| | | | | Timothy Weedon
| | Thomas Weedon Jr.* (1833 - 1894)
| | b. 28 May 1833
| | d. 1894
| | & Mary Stephens
| | | Mary Weedon
| | | & Tank Hepner
| | | | Tank Hepner Jr.
| | Thomas Weedon Jr.* (1833 - 1894)
| | b. 28 May 1833
| | d. 1894
| | & Carrie Johnson
| | | John Oldsbey Weedon ( - 1900)
| | | d. 1 Feb 1900
| | | & Vera Durham
| | | Unknown Weedon
| | Rebecca Anne Elizabeth Weedon (1835 - 1929)
| | b. 27 Jun 1835
| | d. 29 Apr 1929
| | & William Massie Simms
| | | Millicent Eleanor Simms (1855 - 1895)
| | | b. 11 Oct 1855
| | | d. 22 Feb 1895
| | | & Richard Benton Burton (1858 - 1927)
| | | b. 1858
| | | d. 1927
| | | | Mary Elizabeth Burton (1884 - )
| | | | b. 28 Sep 1884, Stevensburg, Culpeper Co., VA
| | | | & Frank Elmer Kishpaugh (1882 - )
| | | | b. 10 Dec 1882, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co., VA
| | | | Millicent Richard "Richie" Burton (1887 - 1970)
| | | | b. 29 Sep 1887
| | | | d. Sep 1970, Hyattsville, Prince George'S, MD 20903
| | | | & Harold S. "Harry" Cowsill
| | | | Marguerite Howison Burton (1892 - )
| | | | b. 10 Feb 1892
| | | | & Coleman Y. Hoffman
| | | | | Eleanor Irene Hoffman (1917 - )
| | | | | b. 16 Dec 1917
| | | | | Richard Coleman Hoffman (1921 - )
| | | | | b. 31 Oct 1921
| | | | | Robert Burton Hoffman (1923 - )
| | | | | b. 18 Jan 1923
| | | | | Nelson Scott Hoffman (1925 - )
| | | | | b. 11 Nov 1925
| | | | | Charles Duane Hoffman (1928 - 1993)
| | | | | b. 18 Apr 1928
| | | | | d. 14 Feb 1993, Warrenton, Fauquier, VA 22186
| | | Mary L. "Mollie" Simms (1857 - )
| | | b. 24 Mar 1857
| | | & Joseph Stone
| | | | Nannie Stone (1879 - )
| | | | b. 23 Mar 1879
| | | | & Joseph B. Parks
| | | | Millie R. Stone (1881 - )
| | | | b. 7 Mar 1881
| | | | d. died young
| | | | Rebecca Stone (1883 - )
| | | | b. 4 Sep 1883
| | | | & James Seivert
| | | | | Ethel Seivert
| | | | | & John Doran
| | | | | George Seivert
| | | | Margaret Stone (1885 - )
| | | | b. 26 May 1885
| | | | & George Maxwell
| | | | | Ruth Maxwell
| | | | | John Maxwell
| | | | | Joseph Maxwell
| | | | Mary Stone (1888 - 1966)
| | | | b. 20 Sep 1888
| | | | d. Dec 1966, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21230
| | | | & Charles Sparkes
| | | | Julia Stone (1891 - )
| | | | b. 2 May 1891
| | | | & James Kelly
| | | | | Josephine Kelly
| | | | | Edwin Snow Kelly
| | | | | | Edwin Snow Kelly Jr.
| | | | Willie Stone
| | | | & Minerva Harken
| | | | | Doris Stone
| | | | | Will Stone
| | | | | Robert Stone
| | | | Joseph Stone (1897 - 1975)
| | | | b. 24 Aug 1897
| | | | d. Aug 1975, 21122
| | | | & Pauline Fransean
| | | | | Virginia Stone
| | | | | Hazel Stone
| | | William T. Simms (1858 - 1858)
| | | b. 16 Aug 1858
| | | d. 23 Sep 1858
| | | Nannie J. Simms (1860 - 1874)
| | | b. 22 Feb 1860
| | | d. 13 Nov 1874
| | | Sanford D. Simms (1861 - )
| | | b. 19 Dec 1861
| | | & Carrie Doggett
| | | | Osie Simms (1887 - )
| | | | b. 1 Apr 1887
| | | | & Lottie Davis
| | | | | Ruth Simms (1912 - )
| | | | | b. 8 May 1912
| | | | | & Harold L. Sisenbee
| | | | | Winifred Simms (1919 - )
| | | | | b. 6 Nov 1919
| | | | | Lois Simms (1922 - )
| | | | | b. 22 Apr 1922
| | | | Ella Simms (1890 - )
| | | | b. 23 Oct 1890
| | | | & Fred Stoner
| | | | | Unknown child Stoner
| | | | Josephine Simms (1892 - )
| | | | b. 22 Sep 1892
| | | | & William Denty
| | | | | Virginia Denty (1910 - )
| | | | | b. 11 Dec 1910
| | | | | Hester Denty (1912 - )
| | | | | b. 8 Jun 1912
| | | | Sallie Simms (1889 - 1913)
| | | | b. 13 May 1889
| | | | d. 16 Nov 1913
| | | | Elmer Simms (1894 - )
| | | | b. 10 Oct 1894
| | | | & Annice Dunn
| | | | | Margery Simms
| | | | May Simms (1897 - )
| | | | b. 18 Jul 1897
| | | | & Ed Petty
| | | | | Dorothy Petty
| | | Julia A. Simms (1863 - 1893)
| | | b. 18 Oct 1863
| | | d. 30 Mar 1893
| | | & Alonzo Hudson
| | | Henry Weedon Simms (1866 - 1923)
| | | b. 20 Feb 1866
| | | d. 6 Oct 1923
| | | & Ida Jaser
| | | | May Simms
| | | | Sophia Simms
| | | George Massey Simms (1867 - 1919)
| | | b. 13 Apr 1867
| | | d. 16 May 1919
| | | & Betty Yowell
| | | | Mabel Louise Simms (1894 - )
| | | | b. 25 Aug 1894
| | | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | | | Unknown child Unknown
| | | | | Unknown child Unknown
| | | | Mildred Eleanor Simms (1897 - 1988)
| | | | b. 23 Jul 1897
| | | | d. 22 Feb 1988, Lovettsville, Loudoun, VA 22080
| | | | & William Poindexter
| | | | Josephine Rebecca Simms (1899 - )
| | | | b. 1 Sep 1899
| | | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | | George Bryan Simms (1901 - 1984)
| | | | b. 5 Aug 1901
| | | | d. Jun 1984, Marshall, Fauquier, VA 22115
| | | | Lillian Weedon Simms (1903 - )
| | | | b. 29 Jul 1903
| | | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | | Mary Elizabeth Simms (1905 - )
| | | | b. 16 Oct 1905
| | | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | | Charles Henry Simms (1913 - )
| | | | b. 29 Apr 1913
| | | Thomas Finney Simms (1868 - )
| | | b. 20 Dec 1868
| | | & Effie Unknown
| | | | Edith Simms
| | | Edward B. Simms (1870 - )
| | | b. 10 Jul 1870
| | | & Cora A. Garrett
| | | | Frank Simms (1900 - )
| | | | b. 16 Jun 1900
| | | | & Louisa Bolden
| | | | Clinton Simms (1904 - 1973)
| | | | b. 18 Dec 1904
| | | | d. May 1973, 22664
| | | | & Alice Bundic
| | | | | Esther Simms
| | | | Pearl Simms (1906 - )
| | | | b. 2 Mar 1906
| | | | & Smoot Yeager
| | | | | Margaret Ann Yeager
| | | Melzi Chancellor Simms (1872 - )
| | | b. 19 Sep 1872
| | | & Lucy Sonder
| | | | Edna Louise Simms (1896 - 1991)
| | | | b. 18 May 1896
| | | | d. 27 Apr 1991
| | | | & Edmund Burke
| | | | James Massie Simms (1898 - )
| | | | b. 28 Feb 1898
| | | | & Adelaide Padgett
| | | | Ethel Jannett Simms (1900 - 1979)
| | | | b. 21 Apr 1900
| | | | d. Jun 1979, San Jose, Santa Clara, CA 95125
| | | | & Armstead West (1894 - 1972)
| | | | b. 27 Jun 1894
| | | | d. Aug 1972, 76448
| | | | Harry Arthur Simms (1901 - 1973)
| | | | b. 12 Jul 1901
| | | | d. Nov 1973, Honolulu, Honolulu, HI 96818
| | | | & Josephine Halloren
| | | | | Harry Arthur Simms Jr. (1929 - )
| | | | | b. 1929
| | | | Kenneth Keith Simms (1904 - )
| | | | b. 11 May 1904
| | | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | | Dorothy Simms (1908 - 1992)
| | | | b. 23 Jun 1908
| | | | d. 4 Aug 1992, Watertown, Jefferson, NY 13601
| | | | & Byron Wheeler
| | | | Forest Stevenson Simms (1910 - )
| | | | b. 8 Aug 1910
| | | | & Anna Howard
| | | | Rebecca Elizabeth Simms (1913 - )
| | | | b. 25 May 1913
| | | | Evelyne May Simms (1915 - )
| | | | b. 16 Dec 1915
| | | Maggie L. Simms (1876 - 1930)
| | | b. 13 Sep 1876
| | | d. 13 Dec 1930
| | Lucetta Weedon (1837 - )
| | b. 12 Jun 1837
| | & William A. Jackson
| | | Lucetta Jackson
| | | George Jackson
| | | d. lived in Brooklyn, NY
| | | & Unknown Unknown
| | | Will Jackson
| | | d. lived in Washington, DC
| | | & Fanny Howison
| | Mary Margaret Weedon (1839 - 1916)
| | b. 18 Feb 1839
| | d. 3 Sep 1916
| | & John R. Luckett
| | | Samuel Luckett (1866 - )
| | | b. 1866
| | | & Mabel Kelly
| | | Millie R. Luckett (1868 - )
| | | b. 23 Mar 1868
| | | & George Fitton
| | | | Julia Luckett Fitton
| | | | & Joe Conner
| | | | | Joe Conner Jr.
| | | Josephine Luckett (1871 - )
| | | b. 1871
| | | John Luckett (1872 - )
| | | b. 1872
| | | Rebecca Luckett
| | George Augustine Weedon (1840 - >1893)
| | b. 18 May 1840
| | d. aft 1893, Resided in Manassas, Prince Wm Co., VA.
| | & Louise A. Rosson (1852 - >1893)
| | b. Mar 1852
| | d. aft 1893
| | Mildred Richards Weedon (1842 - >1861)
| | b. 24 Oct 1842
| | d. aft 1861
| | & Louis or Lucius E. Sanford ( - >1861)
| | d. aft 1861
| | Burkett Berkie Weedon (1844 - )
| | b. 13 Mar 1844
| | William Henry Weedon (1845 - )
| | b. 16 Mar 1845
| | d. Resided in Baltimore, MD
| | & Fannie Deale
| | | William Stone Weedon
| | | & Mary Brown
| | | | William Stone Weedon Jr.
| | | | Deale Weedon
| | Julia Frances Weedon (1846 - 1903)
| | b. 1 Jun 1846
| | d. 6 Sep 1903
| | & Robert B. Howison
| | | Millicent R. Howison
| | | & William Miller
| Nancy Anne Wroe Weedon (~1792 - )
| b. abt 1792
| & Isaac S. Stone
| Rebecca Weedon (~1792 - 1854)
| b. abt 1792
| d. 1854
| Elizabeth Weedon (~1792 - )
| b. abt 1792
| & William West (~1790 - )
| b. abt 1790
| | Benjamin West (~1827 - )
| | b. abt 1827
Deb says:
ReplyDeleteKinda along the same lines as "Women shall be saved through childbirth" in one of the Epistles.
eh?
I know some of it, Peter.
ReplyDeleteSome of it?! It took me about 45 seconds to scroll down past that list of Weedons. I think you've got everyone in there back to Noah!
On the subject at hand, I think to call your former position "antinomian at heart" is going too far. Of course, I can't read your heart, but I think there's a major difference between shying away from a full expression of the goodness of the Law--for the sake of defending the Gospel--and antinomianism. When orthodoxy argues against antinomianism, it often sounds legalistic. When it argues against legalism, it often sounds antinomian. That doesn't change the fact that it is, at heart, orthodoxy.
I too have this problem of being an antinomian at heart. I need to be reminded that God's law is good. With that said I completely disagree with this statement "But there is no attaining of eternal life apart from walking in the way of the commandments, because that's the path that leads to Him and to the Kingdom." No, the path to him is to despair of your self rightousness and cling to Christ. I think that is basically what you meant but I get nervous when I hear about works being a path to Jesus.
ReplyDeleteBut Paul, it is only the path of the law that enables one to despair of one's own righteousness. Thus it leads to the Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteOh, and David, I agree with your observation about sounding either way depending on what's being aimed at.
ReplyDeleteKeeping the commandments is the pathway toward Him.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a shame He couldn’t keep those commandments for us.
You write, “there is no attaining of eternal life apart from walking in the way of the commandments, because that's the path that leads to Him and to the Kingdom.”
Wouldn’t it be great if He travelled the path that leads to us, if He brought His Kingdom to us?
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteWhoever said that he didn't do both of those things? Of course He kept the commandments - and did so for us - and of course He brings the Kingdom to us. The real shame is to miss that He did that so that we would and could do the other! Glory to His name forever!
So....He made salvation possible. Now it's up to us. How ya doing on your moral ascent to the Father? Not so good? Well...work at it.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! Where ever do you come up with these things? It's not that our Blessed Lord makes salvation POSSIBLE, now work at it! It's that He makes salvation present, now LIVE it!
ReplyDeleteOur blessed Lord said to His disciples: "Seek ye first the Kingdom!" The holy Apostle says: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, because it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do for His good purpose." Saint James teaches: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Saint John exhorts: "And everyone who has this hope in Him, purifies Himself just as He is pure." Saint Paul again exhorts: "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." - Weedon
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteGive me your understanding of these words from the Larger Catechism:
"For this must be done without ceasing, that we always keep purging away whatever belongs to the old Adam. Then what belongs to the new man may come forth. But what is the old man? It is what is born in human beings from Adam: anger, hate, envy, unchastity, stinginess, laziness, arrogance - yes, unbelief. The old man is infected with all vices and has by nature nothing good in him. Now when we come to Christ's kingdom, these things must daily decrease. The longer we live the more we become gentle, patient, meek, and ever turn away from unbelief, greed, hatred, envy, and arrogance.... On the other hand, where people have become Christians, the old man daily decreases until finally he perishes." (LC IV:65-67, 71) Weedon
Are you keeping the commandments?
ReplyDeleteThe full quote says, "Therefore the old man goes unrestrained in his nature if he is not checked and suppressed by the power of Baptism. On the other hand, where men have become Christians, he daily decreases until he finally perishes. That is truly to be buried in Baptism, and daily to come forth again."
It is saying that the old man perishes daily by Baptism, not that we reach a point in life where we can keep the commandments.
And later it teaches that the old man is with us for life, "If, therefore, we have once in Baptism obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as long as we live, that is, as long as we carry the old man about our neck.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeletePlease refer to the initial post: to walk the path of the commandments is to cry continually, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Whoever said that we reach a point in our life where we can keep the commandments - at least perfectly. But the Catechism clearly teaches that we are to be GROWING in our keeping of the commandments. We'll never reach the point in this age when we keep them without fail, and so our constant plea for mercy. Or, as St. Augustine put it: We would attribute too much to ourselves if we did not remain under God's pardon to the end.
But the fact that we remain under the merciful pardon of God does not exclude but precisely enables the growing obedience to the commandments that the Larger Catechism describes quite clearly. "*We* always keep purging away whatever belongs to the old Adam."
Glory to Jesus Christ!
But in the initial post, you wrote, "It is that keeping them, walking in them, is simply the road that ends in the Kingdom, the pathway toward Him."
ReplyDeleteAre you keeping them?
The answer of course is yes and no. Yes, there is a beginning of keeping them. No, there is no perfection in keeping them. Basic Romans 7 stuff, you know. Therefore the prayer is constantly, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!" But it is the keeping of them that is the road to the Kingdom - not that it EARNS the kingdom (which is always a gift!) For the Kingdom is love and love is the fulfillment of the commandments.
ReplyDeleteGlory to Jesus Christ!
I was taught to pray, "Thy Kindgom come," not "Kingdom, here I come."
ReplyDeleteThy kingdom come.
What does this mean?--Answer.
The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself; but we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also.
How is this done?--Answer.
When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here in time and yonder in eternity.
Now you're talking! When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit so that we 1) believe His holy Word and 2) LEAD GODLY LIVES HERE IN TIME and hereafter in eternity.
ReplyDeleteLeading godly lives is what the Holy Spirit is seeking to work within us, as you just said, and this godly life is precisely walking the path of the commandments.
St. Mark the Ascetic rightly says:
ReplyDelete"18. Some without fulfilling the commandments think that they possess true faith. Others fulfil the commandments and then expect the kingdom as a reward due to them. Both are mistaken."
from "On those who think that they are made righteous by works," in Volume 1 of the Philokalia.
Wisdom! Let us attend!
ReplyDeleteFrom the Apology:
ReplyDelete"We openly confess, therefore, that the keeping of the law MUST begin in us and then INCREASE more and more. And we include both simultaneously, namely, the inner spiritual impulses and the outward good works."Apology IV:136
"Besides, we have sufficiently shown above that we maintain that *good works must necessarily follow faith*. For we do not abolish the law, Paul says, but we establish it, because when we receive the Holy Spirit by faith the fulfillment of the law *necessarily follows*, through which love, patience, chastity, and other fruits of the Spirit *continually grow*." Ap. XX:14,15
Who's arguing against Good Works?
ReplyDeleteMy only concern is calling the keeping of the commandments "the road that ends in the Kingdom, the pathway toward Him."
You *sounded* like you were arguing against good works when you asked if I were keeping the commandments. The Confessions teach that anyone who has saving faith has a beginning of keeping the commandments that must increase more and more. You were speaking of a perfect keeping of the commandments; but because we cannot and do not keep them perfectly, that is no reason to disregard what the Symbols (reflecting Scripture itself) say about growing in obedience. It will never be the basis of your relationship with God; but it sure as shootin a result of a gracious relationship with God. They are the "road that ends in the Kingdom!"
ReplyDeleteWho's disregarding the Symbols or the Scriptures?
ReplyDeleteDo you see how saying that the keeping of the commandments "the road that ends in the Kingdom, the pathway toward Him" could easily be understood in a legalistic way?
I am glad that you have shed you antinomianism, but don't lose your healthy Lutheran fear of legalism.
My good vicar helped me hear how it could be heard (a denial of justus), which was not at all what the initial insight meant. But I am at a bit of a loss how to put the insight except the way I initially expressed it. Old Melanchthon spoke truer words never than when he wrote: "Nothing can be so clearly stated as it cannot be misunderstood." And if it's true for such a clear writer as he, it is definitely true for such a sloppy writer as I. Pax Christi!
ReplyDeleteDear Pastor Weedon,
ReplyDeleteAs usual I am awed by your brilliance. You are so smart that I suspecct at times you may miss the easy stuff. In this case I think you missed the point of the quote. As I learned from listening to Issues Etc... on KFUO a covenant was sealled by walking between the sacrifice. So we are "walking uprightly" not in the Commandments but in sealing our covenant with the Christ. It is in the Covenant that we are saved not in the walk or in the Commandments. So look to the promise and not to yourself.
I love Matins. It was during Matins that I came to the realization of my Salvation.
Best wishes,
Barry O'Connell
Barry,
ReplyDeleteTrust me, this boy is NOT brilliant! Not even remotely bright. Just blessed by God with a good memory; nothing more. I wish I WERE a deep thinker, but I'll never be one.
Tell me more about your experience at Matins! I'd love to hear.
I don't disagree about the covenant language in general. But do note that when God cut the covenant with Abraham in Gen. 15, God did ALL the walking. He passed between the pieces, to show that the covenant was GIFT not "deal" between two parties. Unequal in every respect.
About the language of walking in the commandments, think about 2 John 6. It's just the way the Holy Spirit teaches us through the Apostle to speak.
Similarly when our Lord told the rich young man that if he wanted to enter life he should keep the commandments. I used to hear that as: If you want to EARN eternal life then you have to keep the commandments (and of course neither he nor we can do that).
Now, I am wondering if he meant quite literally what he said: Enter LIFE. This is LIFE. These commandments are the way, the path, for LIFE that is really life is just LOVE, just communion with Him who IS Love and whose will is expressed in the commandments. So our Lord wasn't telling the person what he had to do to EARN life, but how such life is "entered" or lived.
Thoughts?
Hello Pastor Weedon,
ReplyDeleteI was singing Matins in church when suddenly it all came together for me. I realized the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus and how the deal fits together. You think because it is uneven it is not a deal but the price does not determine the deal it is just a function of it. I also understood the submission aspect of salvation. I live completely on faith not knowing where I will live next month or what I will do for work. Where he wants me to go I will go and what he wants me to do I will do. God keeps sending me into Moslem Countries on Missionary trips and he always brings me out safely. It dives my poor wife to distraction. Of course it is not always easy, God gave me a jaguar xj8 so that I can know what it is to suffer.
Yes God in the second person fulfilled the covenant. So I see this as a missive to emulate Christ rather than a legalist requirement.
The rich young ruler would have had to keep the law to do what Jesus did. I cannot do what Jesus did but fortunately I do not have too. I am not bound by the 10 commandments as such since they are the old law that has passed away. I am bound by 2 commandments that happens to cover 9 out of 10 of the 10. The 10th is the Saturday Sabbath. If I am to love God and my neighbor I need to set aside time for God without being legalistic about Saturday. So when the rich young ruler asked "what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" he presupposed that he could earn it. To earn it he would have had to be the Christ.
Best wishes,
Barry O'Connell