On the Calvinism and sacramentalism post you didn't hit on the subject that it's commonly via the sacraments that the devil gets his foothold into visible churches (sacerdotalism, priestcraft, exalting ritual over the effectual work of regeneration of the Word and the Spirit). This is how the sacraments become not only not a means of grace but a real stumblingblock. (And I believe God also puts stumblingblocks in like that to trip up those capable of being tripped up. This, added to what you've written, which mirrors how I see this and how one who sees all this from the point of view of knowing what regeneration is and how it is effected - Word and Spirit, if not just a direct sovereign act of God, which is a possibility as well of course - is what causes me to be so confident in my stance on the so-called sacraments. That these issues, also, divide whole bodies of believing Christians is either a tragedy or a comedy, I'm not sure which...)
Sweeeeeeeeet. This is a great day in Blogdom history. :-)
ReplyDeleteExcellent. I just read your post on Calvinism and sacramentalism.
ReplyDeleteOn the Calvinism and sacramentalism post you didn't hit on the subject that it's commonly via the sacraments that the devil gets his foothold into visible churches (sacerdotalism, priestcraft, exalting ritual over the effectual work of regeneration of the Word and the Spirit). This is how the sacraments become not only not a means of grace but a real stumblingblock. (And I believe God also puts stumblingblocks in like that to trip up those capable of being tripped up. This, added to what you've written, which mirrors how I see this and how one who sees all this from the point of view of knowing what regeneration is and how it is effected - Word and Spirit, if not just a direct sovereign act of God, which is a possibility as well of course - is what causes me to be so confident in my stance on the so-called sacraments. That these issues, also, divide whole bodies of believing Christians is either a tragedy or a comedy, I'm not sure which...)
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