biblelighthouse
Puritan Board Junior
Originally posted by Wannabee
I've been thinking about this.
Why are you so against the CoW? What doctrine would you have to give up if you accepted the CoW doctrine?
Perhaps it's not the doctrine itself, although I have a problem with it according to my post above. It's the attitude and elitism that is engendered by some who proclaim it. Statements like, "You can't believe in imputed righteousness if you don't believe in the CoW," attempt to set those who adhere to this system on a pedestal and shows a superiority complex that is very disturbing. Not all are guilty, but enough has been said on this thread alone to make my point.
If it is there then it's hidden. It's not clear from Scripture. The simple fact is that there is simply too much that is clear from Scripture to be binding people with doctrines that might be, or even probably are. We'll never mine the depths of what we can positively know, so focusing on the CoW is to take one's focus off of the clear teaching of Scripture. It will not help the widow raising children on her own. It will not make Christ clearer to the lost. And it does distract from the clear teaching of Scripture. No one is going to hell because they don't buy into the CoW. No one is less sanctified if they don't. No one is sinning if they don't. However, if, as I claim, it is not a valid doctrine, then all who adhere to it are guilty of adding to Scripture. So, I guess that is why I am threatened by the CoW.
Your comments are well taken. And I apologize if I was a little too zealous in my posts above. Please just understand my current situation: I am in a church that is excellent in many respects (Calvinist, expositional preaching, family-oriented, etc.), but my church is NOT covenantal at ALL. They don't believe in the covenant of works, the covenant of redemption, or the covenant of grace. If I had to try and pigeonhole my pastor right now, I'd say he is probably an NCT (New Covenant Theology) guy.
So please forgive me for being a little jumpy. I personally do believe in the covenant of works. And I think the Scriptures do support that belief. I think it is clearer than you do. But I'm ok with that, because I also agree with much of what you said. Disbelief in the CoW does NOT automatically mean that a person disbelieves in the imputed righteousness of Christ . . . (though it may mean a person is being inconsistent). Disbelief in the CoW does NOT mean someone is going to hell. It is a sin to disbelieve a true doctrine, but it is also a sin to add man-made doctrines to Scripture. So you and I are on opposite sides of the same dilemma. I look at it kind of like the baptist/paedobaptist war. Baptists believe that all of the reformers, puritans, and modern Presbyterians commit sin every time they baptize infants. But the reformers, puritans, and modern Presbyterians think that the Baptists are sinning every time they *refuse* to baptize infants. One group is correct, and the other is not. But the battle is not likely to be resolved anytime soon. And BOTH groups are certainly going to Heaven!
So you and I can disagree on the CoW and still get along. I'll think you're being a little inconsistent with Romans 5, while you will think that I'm adding "clarity" to Scripture that really isn't there at all. One of the two of us will need to change eventually. But God will take care of that in His time.
But I think the covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are even clearer . . . and even more necessary to a proper understanding of Scripture than the CoW. Do you believe in the CoR and CoG? Or do both of those fall into the same category as the CoW for you?
Originally posted by Wannabee
By the way, nice looking family. You ever get up to Bonham? I have lots of family from all around that area, from OK down to Corsicana to Tyler to... well all around there. Beautiful country.
Thank you very much!!! I live fairly close to Bonham, and have been there a few times. Nice area! And I like Tyler too. Did you know that Tyler was named after the U.S. President, John Tyler? I thought that was pretty cool.
Do you visit North Texas often, to see family? Sometime when you're in town, let me know ahead of time, and maybe we can catch coffee or lunch or something.
Your brother in Christ,
Joseph