ViaCrucis
Confessional Lutheran
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Foreknowledge =/= fatalism.
The unregenerate man has no freedom of the will as it pertains to divine things, and therefore cannot cooperate with God in his regeneration; regeneration is therefore the monergistic work of God. That does not, however, translate to man lacking any freedom in regard to his own actions and behaviors. Otherwise we make God the author of sin, and that is blasphemy.
The Lord's own knowledge of Peter's actions before Peter took them is not that Peter was fated nor determined to deny Christ, that God in His own sovereign will ordained that Peter would deny Christ, this would make God responsible for Peter's failure. Peter's failure is Peter's, known by God but not ordained by God.
When the Lutheran fathers sought to make clear what it is to be confessed as Evangelical faith, as the controversies between the Philippists and Flaccians erupted; care and consideration and deliberation was made to deny where each side erred, and to affirm where each side spoke truth. Thus in the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord the Evangelical fathers write,
"Namely, that in spiritual and divine things the intellect, heart, and will of the unregenerate man are utterly unable, by their own natural powers, to understand, believe, accept, think, will, begin, effect, do, work, or concur in working anything, but they are entirely dead to what is good, and corrupt, so that in man’s nature since the Fall, before regeneration, there is not the least spark of spiritual power remaining, nor present, by which, of himself, he can prepare himself for God’s grace, or accept the offered grace, nor be capable of it for and of himself, or apply or accommodate himself thereto, or by his own powers be able of himself, as of himself, to aid, do, work, or concur in working anything towards his conversion, either wholly, or half, or in any, even the least or most inconsiderable part; but that he is the servant [and slave] of sin, John 8:34, and a captive of the devil, by whom he is moved, Eph. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:26. Hence the natural free will according to its perverted disposition and nature is strong and active only with respect to what is displeasing and contrary to God." - Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article II.7
It is not the rejection of all or any manner of freedom to the human will, as though man were an automaton, that his choice of attire or breakfast cereal of choice in the morning were determined beforehand. Nor that when man sins, such as when committing adultery or murder or lying that he was determined to so act; but this he does by his own fallen volition; and so guilt is properly ascribed to himself.
It is only in regard to regeneration, to his salvation, his conversion, his justification and redemption that he is entirely unable to will; for the unregenerate will of man is entirely held in bondage, captive to the passions and lusts of the flesh; and therefore unable to act, think, work, etc in any way whatsoever so as to contribute anything to his salvation and redemption in Christ. It is wholly and entirely the work of God, by His grace alone, working and creating faith--and therefore creating a new man, a creature born anew in Christ--that man is made alive to God in Christ: saved. So that by grace alone, through faith alone, a man is saved and justified; on Christ's account alone.
-CryptoLutheran
The unregenerate man has no freedom of the will as it pertains to divine things, and therefore cannot cooperate with God in his regeneration; regeneration is therefore the monergistic work of God. That does not, however, translate to man lacking any freedom in regard to his own actions and behaviors. Otherwise we make God the author of sin, and that is blasphemy.
The Lord's own knowledge of Peter's actions before Peter took them is not that Peter was fated nor determined to deny Christ, that God in His own sovereign will ordained that Peter would deny Christ, this would make God responsible for Peter's failure. Peter's failure is Peter's, known by God but not ordained by God.
When the Lutheran fathers sought to make clear what it is to be confessed as Evangelical faith, as the controversies between the Philippists and Flaccians erupted; care and consideration and deliberation was made to deny where each side erred, and to affirm where each side spoke truth. Thus in the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord the Evangelical fathers write,
"Namely, that in spiritual and divine things the intellect, heart, and will of the unregenerate man are utterly unable, by their own natural powers, to understand, believe, accept, think, will, begin, effect, do, work, or concur in working anything, but they are entirely dead to what is good, and corrupt, so that in man’s nature since the Fall, before regeneration, there is not the least spark of spiritual power remaining, nor present, by which, of himself, he can prepare himself for God’s grace, or accept the offered grace, nor be capable of it for and of himself, or apply or accommodate himself thereto, or by his own powers be able of himself, as of himself, to aid, do, work, or concur in working anything towards his conversion, either wholly, or half, or in any, even the least or most inconsiderable part; but that he is the servant [and slave] of sin, John 8:34, and a captive of the devil, by whom he is moved, Eph. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:26. Hence the natural free will according to its perverted disposition and nature is strong and active only with respect to what is displeasing and contrary to God." - Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article II.7
It is not the rejection of all or any manner of freedom to the human will, as though man were an automaton, that his choice of attire or breakfast cereal of choice in the morning were determined beforehand. Nor that when man sins, such as when committing adultery or murder or lying that he was determined to so act; but this he does by his own fallen volition; and so guilt is properly ascribed to himself.
It is only in regard to regeneration, to his salvation, his conversion, his justification and redemption that he is entirely unable to will; for the unregenerate will of man is entirely held in bondage, captive to the passions and lusts of the flesh; and therefore unable to act, think, work, etc in any way whatsoever so as to contribute anything to his salvation and redemption in Christ. It is wholly and entirely the work of God, by His grace alone, working and creating faith--and therefore creating a new man, a creature born anew in Christ--that man is made alive to God in Christ: saved. So that by grace alone, through faith alone, a man is saved and justified; on Christ's account alone.
-CryptoLutheran
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