07 April 2008

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Death is so tenaciously allied to sin that only God can separate them. -- C. P. Krauth, *Conservative Reformation* p. 411

9 comments:

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Um... well...

Death is so tenaciously allied to sin that they are but two faces of the same thing, so that not even God could separate them, any more than He could separate sin from evil.

He does away with them both together. In one and the same act, He both makes a person righteous and gives him eternal life.

Anonymous said...

This is the problem with theistic evolution, old-earth creationism, and progressive creationism. They all separate death from sin. Young earth six day creationism keeps these views joined togeather. If death preceded the fall than the connection between death and sin is lost Anastasia is wrong though God separated death from sin on the cross.
Pastor Greg

Anonymous said...

God "separated" sin from death on the cross? Not to debate semantics too much but... I thought that He "overcame" sin AND death on the cross, through His death and resurrection? They are not separated ... he overcame them both, no?

How did he separate them?

It seems to me that separating them, implies that one is still there and has power over me?

While I will still physically die, I am guaranteed eternal life IN Christ no? So not sure how they are separated.

Just curious.

Matt B.

Anonymous said...

Our death is hallowed by Christ's death.
Greg

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)

Death is the power of the devil whom Christ died to destroy (not hallow) by destroying his main weapon, death. "The sting of death is sin" (I Corinthians 15:56).

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Meaning, his body and soul will be reunited. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:26). Meaning, neither his body nor his soul shall ever be separated from God. “If a man keep My saying, he shall never taste of death” (John 8:52). He will never experience not being alive.

Christ banishes sin and death together, in one stroke.

Anonymous said...

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints..
Psalm 116:15
Greg

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.

I Corinthians 15:26

Anonymous said...

O Death, where is your sting?
O Death, where is your victory-1 cor 15:55.
By taking the sin out of our death, death loses its sting or victory.
Greg

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

By destroying death, Christ deprives it of its sting (sin) and its victory (killing us).

"...And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:15)

Death is one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him..." (Rev. 6:8)

Death is the ultimate enemy (I Cor. 15:26), not something hallowed. It is the power of the devil (Heb. 2:14), not something hallowed. It is the very thing Christ came to destroy, and He wouldn't destroy it if it were hallowed.

But this I'll give you (and Krauth): By separating us from our bodies for a while, Christ separates US from our sin. That is, if we are people of good will, people who fit His description, "The flesh indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak," then when we are deprived of our flesh (until it is glorified), then our willing spirit is freed to do what it wills; i.e., not sin any more.