It's helpful for me to see this divide with in the professing church in mathematical terms. For the Protestant movement (from which evangelicalism largely has its roots), we see and teach salvation and certainly justification as step-functions rather than continuous ones. The Roman and Eastern churches see them as gradual. This is the crux of the matter. Hence for a RC symbols are very much part of their salvation and always will be. In other words, their gatherings are sacredotal in nature. For us, we see them as reminders and perhaps aids to our process of sanctification.
At a higher level, at least for me, is the question of what I am to do or how am I to act, in light of these two long standing schools of interpretation, given Eph 4&5 and John 17.
It's helpful for me to see this divide with in the professing church in mathematical terms. For the Protestant movement (from which evangelicalism largely has its roots), we see and teach salvation and certainly justification as step-functions rather than continuous ones. The Roman and Eastern churches see them as gradual. This is the crux of the matter. Hence for a RC symbols are very much part of their salvation and always will be. In other words, their gatherings are sacredotal in nature. For us, we see them as reminders and perhaps aids to our process of sanctification.
ReplyDeleteAt a higher level, at least for me, is the question of what I am to do or how am I to act, in light of these two long standing schools of interpretation, given Eph 4&5 and John 17.
Humbly and carefully,
Russell