No, it is not the traditions of sola scritura. Cults believe in sola scriptura and are dead wrong in their interpretation of it. The traditions that I am speaking of is the pietistic bent with which you view Scripture. There are fine pietists in the reformed tradition, what I challenge is not their orthodoxy in the five solas or the five points, it is in their interpretation of praxis and how one can know they are saved. Which is what we are discussing in this portion of this thread-- is it by the Spirit, or is it by your works, or both, is what should be, what must be, or, is the law given as a school master rather than a slave driver? Your concern is well registered. We cannot remain unconcerned about our spiritual maturity and claim any confidence in the faith. Where we differ is whether or not the fruit that can be examined by us, by which we might know we are saved, is of a material or a spiritual nature. If it is our understanding of teaching, that is material. If it is in our abilities to perform obediently what is commanded in practice, that is material. The only testimony of our salvation that has any true value is the Spirit witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. We do not need the testimony of man, not even our selves. And, the testimony of the world will always condemn the saint, as it did in Jesus' case. So, when it all shakes out, the wind will drive away the chaff, but the rock will remain. Whose declaration is it then? Yours, mine, another man's. Or, are we declared a friend of God by the Spirit?

You have said of me, that I seem to hold to a Wesleyan form of perfectionism? You failed to explain what you meant. How is that I could? If anything you should have been accusing me of the same thing that Paul was accused of. I hope by now you do not think that I believe in any sense that we can perfect our own holiness though self-effort. What I believe is as far from perfectionistic faith as light is from dark. It appears however, and this is the tradition that I hear in your words, that you believe that a believer can grow through some self effort, by some infused grace of God in the believer and that he can have assurance if he will only apply himself. Correct me if I am wrong. You say a person repents, believes and perserveres on his own. I say that they are gifts from God, empowered by God so that the life we live we live by the grace of God, no longer I but Christ. You say that a person is an active participant, and I say that the person is a passive participant, dead to himself and alive to Christ so that it is God who works in us both the willingness and the power to perform. I believe that my perspective is much closer to salvation which is a gift perfect from the beginning, perfectly perfecting its work in us, a gift that is given that we possess by grace. This, also, I believe is closer to the faith of the early reformers. The salvation that you have discribed appears to be a gift that must become a possession though perserverance in obedience. That would be closer to Wesleyan Methodism than I am, would it not? I am quite to the contrary. I believe in an active faith worked in us by the Holy Spirit by which we believe into Christ. It is perfect and will be perfected because it is He who is the author (first in) and the perfecter (the one who makes it complete). I believe that our salvation is in Christ, both our justification and our sanctification. And, I do not fear telling anyone that it is finished and that there is nothing left for them to do. And, that they will abide because of his love not theirs. I believe in this freedom is the only means to do what has been commanded. I believe, as Paul that the only place that I can serve God is in my mind and it cannot be based upon my "feelings" of security that are the result of the things that I do. Though I will do what he commands. You have said that we should not base our faith in feelings, then you have also said that it is in our behavior that we can trust, or at least, it sounds as that is what you mean, or at least that our works are the only grounds of our assurance of our faith. I ask you this, by what do you trust those works. Is it in knowing that they are done by the Holy Spirit, or are you only imagining, feeling, that they are? If you know they are of the Holy Spirit, then they are not of you, not because of your obedience, anyway. Galatians tells us what the works of the flesh, and of the Spirit, are. It is not an exaustive list, but even at that, one of them is self-ambition. Hmm? I just wonder, does it not feel good to do good things. What could be more self-ambitious, and self-deceiving, than making oneself feel good by doing good works. So, when I say that you look at Scripture through the eyes of your traditions it is because you interpret them in a way that produces categories of behavior by which you justify yourself by your works and judge others by theirs. You do that because you have been taught to do that and you know no other way. You have said that I have a faulty interpretation of Scripture. Where? And, isn't faulty another way, kinder perhaps, but still a way of saying false. Then you have only one option, to repair the breach, rescue me from the fire, do your good works. Pray that God would give me repentance that I might repent, and teach me where I am wrong. In that you will have saved your brother and yourself.