While it is impossible to obtain salvation by holiness, it is entirely possible for a person to lose his salvation again by the neglect of his holiness. -- C.F.W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 277
But salvation *is* holiness! We are saved precisely from being unholy people. We saved when we reach the destiny God has ordained for us, to be conformed to the Image of the Son.
Holiness, IOW< isn't the means to the end; it already is the end.
I've never been a big fan of Walther (go ahead, shoot me now) but I suspect he means that you can't redeem yourself by following God's law, but you can let it slip by being an antinomian, either actively or passively, for the sole fact that it breeds slothfulness and antipathy and whole other lot of nasty things.
Unfortunately I don't have the work. Probably a lot of others don't either. That's why I raised the question. I suspect that what Walther means in this sentence is that neglect equals not being repentant, i.e., not turning from one's self and looking to Christ alone for one's holiness. One connects to Christ by hearing the Word of promise, "Your sins are forgiven" in both the proclaimed Word and the Sacramental Word. Dan
Maybe Walther's statement needs some fleshing out? How does one neglect or tend to one's holiness?
ReplyDeleteDan
Dan,
ReplyDeleteThat's why I gave the page number! Read the whole excerpt from that sermon. It's great.
But salvation *is* holiness! We are saved precisely from being unholy people. We saved when we reach the destiny God has ordained for us, to be conformed to the Image of the Son.
ReplyDeleteHoliness, IOW< isn't the means to the end; it already is the end.
I've never been a big fan of Walther (go ahead, shoot me now) but I suspect he means that you can't redeem yourself by following God's law, but you can let it slip by being an antinomian, either actively or passively, for the sole fact that it breeds slothfulness and antipathy and whole other lot of nasty things.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't have the work. Probably a lot of others don't either. That's why I raised the question. I suspect that what Walther means in this sentence is that neglect equals not being repentant, i.e., not turning from one's self and looking to Christ alone for one's holiness. One connects to Christ by hearing the Word of promise, "Your sins are forgiven" in both the proclaimed Word and the Sacramental Word.
ReplyDeleteDan