The redemption of the human race includes not only privative goodness - that Christ freed us from sin, the wrath of God, from death and hell - but also positive goodness: that He brought us perfect righteousness, the grace of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. (p. 138)
He whom the serpent has wounded mortally cannot prepare a medicine for himself. Thus we could not have prepared a cure for ourselves after we were struck by the infernal serpent. However, in the womb of Mary, God prepared the most precious medicine, healing the wounds of our soul, soothing our pains, restoring our health. (p. 143)
You see, because Christ is consubstantial with the Father according to His divinity and with us according to His humanity, therefore in Him the highest is united with the lowest, heaven with earth, God with man. Through this mysterious and intimate union, He descended to us from heaven by assuming flesh, that we might be able to ascend into heaven to Him by clinging to Him through faith. (p. 144)
from On Christ
Re. the first paragraph (p 138), here is how a contemporary theologian put it: “Certainly we must never conceive ‘salvation’ in purely negative terms, as if it consisted only of our rescue from sin, guilt, wrath and death. We thank God that it is all these things. But it also includes the positive blessing of the Holy Spirit to regenerate, indwell, liberate and transform us.” (John R. W. Stott, Baptism and Fullness. The Work of the Holy Spirit today. Inter Varsity Press, P. 25, 26.)
ReplyDeletePeace and Joy!
George A. Marquart
Stott nails it!
ReplyDelete