The personal crisis that originally sparked Luther’s change was caused by the Catholic idea that if we have any mortal sins that we haven’t repented, we’re doomed. He was unable ever to believe that he had really done that.
As I understand the conclusion, the Reformation consensus was (1) there are no mortal sins, all sins alike will doom you if you aren’t Christ’s (2) all those who have faith are justified, independent of works.
I’m not finding very many posters that actually hold to what I understand is the Reformation consensus, even Protestants that you’d expect would. It seems that almost everyone has a list of sins that no Christian could possibly commit, and they’re convicted that anyone who hasn’t repented for these sins is doomed. But this is precisely the concept of mortal sin that the Reformation we rejecting.
The original Protestant response would have been that what we’re seeing now is a kind of self-righteousness. I’m OK because I haven’t committed *that* sin. My sins are of the acceptable kind. A few decades ago no Protestant would have tried that. But today it seems like the norm.
Have I missed something?
My theory is that the culture wars have killed justification by faith. Does that bother anyone else?
As I understand the conclusion, the Reformation consensus was (1) there are no mortal sins, all sins alike will doom you if you aren’t Christ’s (2) all those who have faith are justified, independent of works.
I’m not finding very many posters that actually hold to what I understand is the Reformation consensus, even Protestants that you’d expect would. It seems that almost everyone has a list of sins that no Christian could possibly commit, and they’re convicted that anyone who hasn’t repented for these sins is doomed. But this is precisely the concept of mortal sin that the Reformation we rejecting.
The original Protestant response would have been that what we’re seeing now is a kind of self-righteousness. I’m OK because I haven’t committed *that* sin. My sins are of the acceptable kind. A few decades ago no Protestant would have tried that. But today it seems like the norm.
Have I missed something?
My theory is that the culture wars have killed justification by faith. Does that bother anyone else?