Paul says that...
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Paul says that even while enemies of God we were reconciled to him through Christ (v. 10). And we are his enemies. Famed Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards well described us in our enmity to God: "They count him [God] worthy neither to be loved nor feared... They value one of their equals much more than God..." (Works, Vol. 2, p. 131).
We do not want to see ourselves as enemies of God. We prefer to focus on our faith, to tell ourselves and everyone else how good and faithful we are. Martin Luther puts us in our place: "But in our day the hypocrites and legalists swell up with horrifying pride and think that they are now saved and sufficiently righteous because they believe in Christ, but they are unwilling to be considered unrighteous or regarded as fools" (Luther's Works, Vol. 25, p. 287).
"Every statement in scripture and every action of God has the purpose of changing this mind" [so we see ourselves as sinners] (Ibid., p. 218). In view of our enmity to God, our faith does not mean much. It is as Luther says, "Faith makes the dwelling place, but Christ the protection and the aid" (Ibid., p. 286). It is Christ, not faith, that saves.
We do not want to see ourselves as enemies of God. We prefer to focus on our faith, to tell ourselves and everyone else how good and faithful we are. Martin Luther puts us in our place: "But in our day the hypocrites and legalists swell up with horrifying pride and think that they are now saved and sufficiently righteous because they believe in Christ, but they are unwilling to be considered unrighteous or regarded as fools" (Luther's Works, Vol. 25, p. 287).
"Every statement in scripture and every action of God has the purpose of changing this mind" [so we see ourselves as sinners] (Ibid., p. 218). In view of our enmity to God, our faith does not mean much. It is as Luther says, "Faith makes the dwelling place, but Christ the protection and the aid" (Ibid., p. 286). It is Christ, not faith, that saves.
