For date night this past Friday, Beth and I went to hear Peter Kreeft, a "Catholic Evangelical", speak supposedly on C.S. Lewis. He spent more time on discussing joy in philosophical manners. I did think it was helpful to apply Aristotle's four questions to the category of joy:
What is it?
What is it made of?
What's the purpose of it?
What's it good for?
But during the question and answer session, I tried to pose to him a question about the joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven being a richer, more robust picture of the gospel, having joy in KNOWING you are justified with God through faith in Jesus Christ. I tried to contrast this gospel with the message of Catholicism, which does not give that eternal security so sweet to Evangelicals.
Now we're not talking cheap grace when we talk about eternal security. We don't mean that you can pray a prayer when you're 9 and live like a heathen and then know you're going to heaven because of a decision you made (even if sincerely made) back in the day. No. That is no gospel at all. That is heresy.
But there is a confidence in knowing that your sins have been forgiven that enables you to experience such joyful, sanctifying grace! I can walk in freedom! I don't need sacraments to inch away at my sins. No! I have the true Jesus of Nazareth saying, "It is finished!" I tried to tell that picture to another Catholic neighbor. She didn't respond to it. But I want people to be amazed at grace! There is a joy in absolutely knowing and feeling and sensing and comprehending sin is no longer my master! Jesus is!
What is it?
What is it made of?
What's the purpose of it?
What's it good for?
But during the question and answer session, I tried to pose to him a question about the joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven being a richer, more robust picture of the gospel, having joy in KNOWING you are justified with God through faith in Jesus Christ. I tried to contrast this gospel with the message of Catholicism, which does not give that eternal security so sweet to Evangelicals.
Now we're not talking cheap grace when we talk about eternal security. We don't mean that you can pray a prayer when you're 9 and live like a heathen and then know you're going to heaven because of a decision you made (even if sincerely made) back in the day. No. That is no gospel at all. That is heresy.
But there is a confidence in knowing that your sins have been forgiven that enables you to experience such joyful, sanctifying grace! I can walk in freedom! I don't need sacraments to inch away at my sins. No! I have the true Jesus of Nazareth saying, "It is finished!" I tried to tell that picture to another Catholic neighbor. She didn't respond to it. But I want people to be amazed at grace! There is a joy in absolutely knowing and feeling and sensing and comprehending sin is no longer my master! Jesus is!
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