ViaCrucis
Confessional Lutheran
- Oct 2, 2011
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Then all would be saved. Your view sounds Arminian and confusing by saying Christ’s atoning work is efficacious for all, but yet some still perish for their sin
The Arminian position maintains that Christ's work is only efficacious for those who accept Christ, Arminianism teaches Unlimited Atonement, i.e. that Christ's work applies to all in principle. The Calvinist view is Limited Atonement, Christ's work applies only to the elect.
I'm a Lutheran, what I'm advocating is the Lutheran view: Christ died for all. It applies to all, not merely in principle, but in fact. Objectively Christ's work has saved everyone, all are included in what the Lord has done, not merely some, but all. That is Objective Justification. Subjective Justification, on the other hand, is how Christ's work applies to us individually. Through the Means of Grace the Holy Spirit appropriates to us Christ's objective, all-sufficient work. Dr. Luther explains this pretty succinctly in his Large Catechism this way:
"For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us."
Objectively all are justified. Subjectively this is appropriated to us by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament, since we know that faith is God's gift (Ephesians 2:8) and is given by the Word (Romans 10:17).
You are reading your own Reformed bias (and let's be clear, Arminianism is just another form of Reform theology) into what I'm saying. Lutheranism is wholly outside of the Reformed microcosm.
-CryptoLutheran
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