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Here at the Reflector, we give props when props are due. There is a spectacular post by Pastor Petersen on Cyber Stones today...
A few highlights:
Petersen is quoting one my absolute favorite professors in the universe, the venerable Archdeacon, the Rev. Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn.
Here we get a bit of Martin Schmidt, a leading German scholar on Pietism, wrote the following:
"Thus the Christian, who was always becoming, looked never to himself nor to the rank of his being a child of God. 'Flesh' and 'spirit,' as they are harshly contrasted to one another in the seventh and eighth chapter of Romans, remained for him irreconcilable opposites.... [ellipsis original] The believer did not progress beyond Anfechtung ["temptation"]and Luther judged a condition without it to be of gravest danger. That is why a Christian never fixed his eyes upon himself, but upon his Lord and depended upon his Word..."
I bolded that last section for our mediation. No eyes on yourselves, younglings. All eyes on the Cross. Stuff that goes on and on about us and what we are doing for God doesn't save anyone. But Christ crucified for me delivered to me in the Word, the water, and the Body and Blood.
Pietism's emphasis is what's with me - thus it is inherently law. The "Poor Man's Nagel"* concludes:
"But by its very aims, in terms of the ethical and moral, the experience and inner life, it [pietism] was a return to the law (Galatians 1:6f, 4:9), directing the soul not first and primarily to God but to self. By its confusion of justification and sanctification, law and gospel, it threatens the Christian's understanding and experience of the grace of God and robs him of the comfort of God's promises. Such an error is damnable, literally, according to St. Paul (Galatians 1:8 & 9). We, however, are not to judge the faith of the Pietists (even though they often have sought to do that of fellow Christians). Rather we turn our attention once again to God's promises for us and His church. We "are known by God" (Galatians 4:9) and placed into the family of the baptized. Baptism marks us as what we are, and that not of our own doing, our own "birth." We are fed the body and blood of His Christ, which forgives us and grants us life and salvation. The Word of our lives is His Word. Everything about our "lives" as Christians is His-His life, His doing, His justification, His holiness, His redemption-which He graciously gives to us. (1 Corinthians 1:30)."
That bold emphasis is mine. I just had to. It's just such beautiful Gospel. EVERYTHING about our "lives" as Christians is His- His life, His doing, His justification, His holiness, His redemption -which He graciously gives us. As St. Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Gal 2:20-21)
Thank you, Pastor Petersen. Dr. Feuerhahn was just what I needed today...
 *this is a term of endearment which Dr. Feuerhahn cherishes. I once called him that in class and he did a double take and said with a giant smile, "Do you know they call me that? That's the most wonderful gift! What an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Dr. Nagel!" He then proceeded to tell me how much I remind him of my catechism instructor. I informed him that my pastor had saved me from hell and taught me everything that I know about the Gospel, but .... I can't remind him of Pastor Anderson, since I had more hair than my catechism instructor.
Edited on: October 24th, 2005 7:54 pm
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