We are united to Christ by faith (in the Spirit).
But faith is also a gift of God. Persumably a gift which we recieve from and in Christ. On the basis of our union with and participation in Christ, Christ's faith (and faithfullness) are ours.
No doubt I ought to know this, and I look forward to kicking myself, but just remind me again how all that works: faith in Christ - basis or consequence of our union with Christ, or both?
Did Matthew Mason's dissertation (on faith union in Owen etc. ish.) tell us everything we need to know about this?
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
yes
actually, we've got to get baptism in there somewhere, and I'm still not sure of the precise relationship between faith, baptism, and union with Christ. am I a heretic to think that the Spirit unites us to Christ in baptism, to which we then respond in faith?
Well, I'm sure the Spirit unites us to Christ in baptism and that we respond in faith but I;m not sure that's the whole story: faith is the basis of our union with Christ too, isn't it?
faith is the instrument by which we lay hold of that (Christ and all his benefits) which are conferred on us in our baptism.
So, better: in baptism, the Spirit unites us to Christ, whom we apprehend by faith. ??
Course, if one of the benefits Christ purchased for us was faith, then this gets us no further...
I wonder if Owen needs a Trinitarian readjustment, in that the Spirit who gives us faith is the Spirit of Christ, whom he pours out on us, so that although we receive faith prior to union with Christ, it's not on the basis of an imputation of Christ, but rather comes through Christ by his Spirit. Dunno. It was easier to understand Owen than work out whether he was correct. And that's saying something...
Post a Comment