Friday, August 4, 2017
Sproul teaches us to look at our works
"The fruit of righteousness is that fruit that is exercised in us by the Holy Spirit. If we want to be holy, if we have a real hunger for righteousness, then we must focus our attention on the fruit of the Holy Spirit." R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, pg. 204
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
What Does it mean to teach Commandments and Creed?
In the second part of Large Catechism (from the Book of Concord), Martin Luther speaks of the commandments (The first part) and of the Creed (The second part). But, what does it mean?
He says, "Thus far we have heard the first part of Christian doctrine. In it we have seen all that God wishes us to do or not do. The Creed properly follows, setting forth all that we must expect and receive from God; in brief, it teaches us to know him perfectly. It is given in order to help us do what the Ten Commandments require of us. For, as we said above, they are set on so high a plane that all human ability is far too feeble and weak to keep them. Therefore it is as necessary to learn this part as it is the other so that we may know where and how to obtain strength for this task. If we could by our own strength keep the Ten Commandments as they ought to be kept, we would need neither the Creed nor the Lord's Prayer." (Pg. 411)
419
Zacharias Ursinus teaches us what it means by the words Commandments and Creed in the Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism on pg. 13.
He says, "The chief and most important parts of the first principles of the doctrine of the church, as appears from the passage just quoted from the Epistle to the Hebrews, are repentance and faith in Christ, which we may regard as synonymous with the law and gospel. Hence, the catechism in its primary and most general sense, may be divided as the doctrine of the church, into the law and gospel. . . . These two parts are termed, by the great mass of men, the Decalogue and the Apostles' creed; because the Decalogue comprehends the substance of the law, and the Apostles' creed that of the gospel. Another distinction made by this same class of person is that of the doctrine of faith and works, or the doctrine of those things which are to be believed and those which are to be done."
So one sees what is meant by the terms Commandments and Creed.
As Luther puts it, "Now you see that the Creed is a very different teaching from the Ten Commandments. The latter teach us what we ought to do; the Creed tells what God does for us and gives to us. The Ten Commandments, moreover, are inscribed in the hearts of all men. No human wisdom can comprehend the Creed; it must be taught by the Holy Spirit alone. Therefore the Ten Commandments do not by themselves make us Christians, for God's wrath and displeasure still remain on us because we cannot fulfill his demands. But the Creed brings pure grace and makes us upright and pleasing to God." (Pg. 419-420)
He says, "Thus far we have heard the first part of Christian doctrine. In it we have seen all that God wishes us to do or not do. The Creed properly follows, setting forth all that we must expect and receive from God; in brief, it teaches us to know him perfectly. It is given in order to help us do what the Ten Commandments require of us. For, as we said above, they are set on so high a plane that all human ability is far too feeble and weak to keep them. Therefore it is as necessary to learn this part as it is the other so that we may know where and how to obtain strength for this task. If we could by our own strength keep the Ten Commandments as they ought to be kept, we would need neither the Creed nor the Lord's Prayer." (Pg. 411)
419
Zacharias Ursinus teaches us what it means by the words Commandments and Creed in the Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism on pg. 13.
He says, "The chief and most important parts of the first principles of the doctrine of the church, as appears from the passage just quoted from the Epistle to the Hebrews, are repentance and faith in Christ, which we may regard as synonymous with the law and gospel. Hence, the catechism in its primary and most general sense, may be divided as the doctrine of the church, into the law and gospel. . . . These two parts are termed, by the great mass of men, the Decalogue and the Apostles' creed; because the Decalogue comprehends the substance of the law, and the Apostles' creed that of the gospel. Another distinction made by this same class of person is that of the doctrine of faith and works, or the doctrine of those things which are to be believed and those which are to be done."
So one sees what is meant by the terms Commandments and Creed.
As Luther puts it, "Now you see that the Creed is a very different teaching from the Ten Commandments. The latter teach us what we ought to do; the Creed tells what God does for us and gives to us. The Ten Commandments, moreover, are inscribed in the hearts of all men. No human wisdom can comprehend the Creed; it must be taught by the Holy Spirit alone. Therefore the Ten Commandments do not by themselves make us Christians, for God's wrath and displeasure still remain on us because we cannot fulfill his demands. But the Creed brings pure grace and makes us upright and pleasing to God." (Pg. 419-420)
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