The Head and the Heart

[Christusregnat]

Thank you for the information. How then, in terms of "good works being such a condition to justification" would you distinguish your view from this:

Theologia » The 34 Theses

In traditional language, the condition of good works is consequent, whereas Norman Shepherd makes it simultaneous. To speak of "obedient faith" as justifying is to make the obedience present in the faith as well as insinuate that the obedience is in some sense a constituent part of the instrument that justifies. The language and the thought it conveys is unacceptable to the reformed commitment to sola fide. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The person must be acceptable before his work can be regarded as "obedient." The person can only be acceptable by faith. Hence faith must be the alone instrument of justification apart from any consideration of obedience or perseverance.

Excellent, thank you for clarifying!

Cheers,

 

[Leslie]

Thank you for the information. How then, in terms of "good works being such a condition to justification" would you distinguish your view from this:

Theologia » The 34 Theses

In traditional language, the condition of good works is consequent, whereas Norman Shepherd makes it simultaneous. To speak of "obedient faith" as justifying is to make the obedience present in the faith as well as insinuate that the obedience is in some sense a constituent part of the instrument that justifies. The language and the thought it conveys is unacceptable to the reformed commitment to sola fide. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The person must be acceptable before his work can be regarded as "obedient." The person can only be acceptable by faith. Hence faith must be the alone instrument of justification apart from any consideration of obedience or perseverance.

By faith do you mean intellectual assent to propositional truth or do you mean something more than that? If more than that, what more than such assent?

 

[Christusregnat]

This sounds similar to what you are saying, but I want to find out how you think the position of justification by fiducia, or faithfulness, is different from what Shepherd advocates.

I'm not sure why you have placed faithfulness in apposition to fiducia in this sentence.

Rev. Winzer,

I have referred to it as such, because I believe that the Westminster Standards do not warrant a tri-partite definition of faith. However, I do believe that such a definition of faith, used by the Latin theologians (as later systematized by Melanchton), intended faithfulness by fiducia; or the works of faith by love.

I believe that Augustine's position of faith as cum assenaione cogitare is the rough equivalent of the passive faith that justifies. Although, it is inseparably connected with love (for instance, that shed abroad in our hearts in our adoption) and as shown in obedience, I would not put fiducia as part of justifying faith, or as part of the "principal acts" of saving faith.

However, I'm open to correction on this.

Cheers,

 

[MW]

By faith do you mean intellectual assent to propositional truth or do you mean something more than that? If more than that, what more than such assent?

Post #25 explains what is meant by faith and why more than assent is required.