But who is it that sanctifies, God or we? First, God; but we cooperate with Him; for the will of those who have been baptized has been made free. How, otherwise, could Peter exhort us: "Purify your souls," and Paul: "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God?" - Edward Preuss, *On the Justification of the Sinner Before God* p. 139
David Scaer flatly asserted in a widely published "For The Life Of The World" article a couple years back that sanctification is monergistic. So who's right, Scaer or Preuss? The Miserable Sinners need to make up their minds about their own dogma before they go prosecuting everyone else's.
ReplyDeleteProsecuting? Rather a harsh word. Preuss is correct. The Formula of Concord is explicit on the point, and it is the teaching of the Lutheran Church:
ReplyDelete"After such conversion, in the daily exercise of repentance, a person's regenerate will is not idle, but also cooperates in all the Holy Spirit's works that He does through us." SD II:88
I agree with you, Preuss, and the Formula--but who else today does? "Prosecuting" isn't too harsh a word to describe what "Issues, Etc" has done over the years to anyone who claims that they have a "regenerate will."
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