If faith is an actus passivus, something that God does to me and effects in me, that does not exclude my personal participation and my willingness to be used as an instrument, but rather includes both, then unbelief is an actio rebellis, a conscious, intention, and responsible decision against God, a fixed decision not to permit myself to be judged or saved by Him. As men we have the sad possibility of a freedom to do evil. The freedom to do good must be given to us... The "I will" comes from God; the "I will not" from man's own free choice. Acceptance is not earned through merit but is a gift; perdition is not the result of fate but of sin. -- Adolf Köberle, *Quest* p. 143 [Jason, you're right. He really starts cooking in chapter V.]
Pr Weedon, Thanks for the quote. In view of my own quest to understand better justification and sanctification in the Lutheran perspective, I may just get myself this book!
ReplyDeleteThis helps with an earlier Q concerning the place of human response in maintaining faith. One is either saying Yes to God and his working within us, i.e. openness to the gift of God (with no works of our own), or No. Our 'contribution' is the negative one of sin, which cuts us off from God?