Infused Righteousness vs Imputed Righteousness: Which One Entitles Us To Enter Heaven?

[Theocrat]

Sadly, this is the argument that any Roman Catholic, Arminian, or Open Theist would make, and it is why so many solid Reformed people have stood so strongly against Federal Vision/neolegalism. Can't you see how this is a denial of justification by faith??? How can you not Theo?

Yet, here I stand, Sola, not being Roman Catholic, Arminian, and especially an Open Theist. Maybe it's because you really don't understand how my views as a Reformed Christian. I don't deny justification by faith, Sola. But we are not justified for believing in the doctrine of "justification by faith," either. It points to the God-man, Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, King, Lord, and God.

[Sola_Fide]

grrr

This is something our respective faith traditions have in common.

You are exactly right about that, which is why I am so concerned for both you and him.

[Theocrat]

You are exactly right about that, which is why I am so concerned for both you and him.

Well, unlike you, I can call heavenlyboy34 my brother-in-Christ, even if he and I don't agree on some points of theology. My concern for you is that you are so interested in trying to be right about your theological views (which, sometimes, you are not, but I refuse to say anything about it), that you forget who your brothers are in the Faith.

[Sola_Fide]

Well, unlike you, I can call heavenlyboy34 my brother-in-Christ, even if he and I don't agree on some points of theology. My concern for you is that you are so interested in trying to be right about your theological views (which, sometimes, you are not, but I refuse to say anything about it), that you forget who your brothers are in the Faith.

Well I'd much rather we talk about where you think I'm wrong. I am always looking to grow in the faith of Christ. I'm just terrified that you may not have this Theo. Does Paul's condemnation of the Judiazers scare you at all?

[Theocrat]

Well I'd much rather we talk about where you think I'm wrong. I am always looking to grow in the faith of Christ. I'm just terrified that you may not have this Theo. Does Paul's condemnation of the Judiazers scare you at all?

Why should Paul's condemnation scare me, Sola? I know in Whom I trust.

[erowe1]

Salvation is not an ontological thing, erowe1, like an object which one can lose (like his car keys or his wallet). Salvation is an act of deliverance. So, someone can be saved from something and declared innocent by a judge, but then turn around go right back to the enemy from which he was saved. That happens all of the time, and in Scripture, it tells us that it can happen. That's why Paul warns justified Christians to not turn away from the Faith, but to persevere. It wouldn't make sense of Paul to give warnings about apostasy to those who are justified in Christ if it was never possible for them to fall away.

You just quoted me saying, "every person who is justified will be ultimately saved from God's wrath." Are you saying that you disagree with that?

[Sola_Fide]

Why should Paul's condemnation scare me, Sola? I know in Whom I trust.

Do you trust in Christ alone? Or do you trust that he does the initial justification and then it is up to you to not fall away?

[Sola_Fide]

You just quoted me saying, "every person who is justified will be ultimately saved from God's wrath." Are you saying that you disagree with that?

This is the problem with the Norman Shephard/Douglas Wilson types. They deny all the Reformed confessions (Theo is right that confessions are not the standard for truth but it is worth noting) and say that the nexus of salvation is the justified man's sanctification in the covenant. The more radical neolegalists completely deny that a justified believer is saved at all. It all depends on his lawkeeping while being justified in the covenant which is the final determiner.

But the WCF and the LBC both deny that salvation is by infusion, or by anything wrought in them, which is directly applicable to this debate. Salvation cannot be based upon man's lawkeeping, either pre justification or post justification, or else you lose justification by faith.