"Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts."
All of which sounds pretty "law" to me. Would you argue that this is opus alienum?
No, the putting off of the old man is as much GIFT as the putting on of the new. It is not as though God were commanding you to come up with the new wardrobe. He simply invites in Christ for you to put off the old stinky wear and be robed in a new holiness and a new life. And when in ascetic discipline the old Adam is squelched, one thing is perfectly clear: this is coming not from some powers uniquely mine, but precisely as gift from the Spirit! And I think it's also why Walther did not neglect to add that ending bit: "that we may share in His fulfillment!"
2 comments:
How do we square this with Eph. 4.19-22:
"Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts."
All of which sounds pretty "law" to me. Would you argue that this is opus alienum?
No, the putting off of the old man is as much GIFT as the putting on of the new. It is not as though God were commanding you to come up with the new wardrobe. He simply invites in Christ for you to put off the old stinky wear and be robed in a new holiness and a new life. And when in ascetic discipline the old Adam is squelched, one thing is perfectly clear: this is coming not from some powers uniquely mine, but precisely as gift from the Spirit! And I think it's also why Walther did not neglect to add that ending bit: "that we may share in His fulfillment!"
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