The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Justification - A Process?

AC,

Among many of the errors of Rome on so many doctrines, one of the major errors is a hermeneutical one, i.e., they wrongly divide the Word of Truth. They wrestle the Scriptures to their own destruction. (2Pet 2:16)

Sungenis is one of Rome's foremost apologists who has been countered and buried by such contemporary and able men as James White, John Gerstner, William Webster, and others. But even more important is that the doctrines of Sola Gratia, Sola Fide and Solus Christus (justification by grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE) have been defended countless times by myriad scholars even before the Protestant Reformation. But Rome, being apostate and an enemy of God and Christ, are incorrigible antagonists against these blessed truths.

Again, I am confident that just the small offering here: Sola Fide is enough to refute any and all arguments Sugenis could ever bring to the table. Brother, this doctrine has been thoroughly dealt with to the minutest detail and the historic Protestant doctrine cannot be defeated. You need to embrace these truths by faith praying always that God will strengthen and uphold you.

At the risk of being seen as a bore, I counsel you to avoid these websites and discussions since by your own admission you are incapable of arguing against these heresies. Let those who have gone before you and defeated them be your guide depending fully on the indwelling Spirit who worked mightily in them over the centuries to reveal the truth to you.

Lastly, going back to my first point, re: hermeneutical issue, it is simply fallacious to take historical narrative (life of Abraham or David or ??) and use that against the didactic passages as found in Romans and Galatians specifically which deal with justification theologically. Paul focused upon how a sinner is to be justified before God and concluded by the Holy Spirit that it was a forensic, judicial pronouncement of God upon the exercise of faith as opposed to an ongoing "work", even of grace, combined with faith (Rome's view). The Bible simply does not teach "synergistic salvation" (God and man working together)... but rather a "monergistic salvation" (God alone with man simply as the unworthy recipient of His grace in Christ).

On Justification: "If the purity of this doctrine is in any degree impaired the Church has received a deadly wound and brought to the very brink of destruction. Whenever the knowledge of it is taken away, the glory of Christ is extinguished, religion abolished, the Church destroyed and the hope of salvation utterly overthrown. - John Calvin "The Necessity of Reforming the Church" p. 42.

ON JUSTIFICATION: This unique doctrine in a special way distinguishes the church from all other nations and religions....[Justification] is the pinnacle and chief bulwark of all teaching
and of the Christian religion itself; if this is obscured, adulterated, or subverted, it is impossible to retain purity of doctrine in other loci. On the other hand, if this locus is securely retained, all idolatrous ravings, superstitions and other corruptions are thereby destroyed (Loci Theologici II, p. 443) Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586)

In His grace,