Thursday, April 17, 2014

More than forensic

So when we died with Christ, we died to sin. And when we rose from the dead with Christ we rose to a new life, a life that did not include sin. Why were we justified? So that we “may live a new life.” Nor is that merely figurative, because “our old self was crucified with him" so that the body of sin might be “rendered powerless.” Is that merely forensic? Is Paul merely saying that Christ died so that our record could be clean, while in fact we continued to sin? Not at all, for the rest of the sentence says, “that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” — Called to be Holy, pages 108-109

<idle musing>
Amen! Imputed, yes, but just as importantly—maybe even more importantly!—imparted righteousness. Of course, it is only through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit...but it is real and for now.

By the way, read Roger Olson's post from today. Here's a good excerpt to whet your appetite:

I feel exceedingly sorry for Christians who find the Christian life to be a struggle, drudgery, boring, mainly just a way of avoiding hell and eventually landing in heaven. What they need is an infilling of the Holy Spirit (not just “spiritual formation” although there’s nothing wrong with that).
</idle musing>

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