The Beauty of Belief Through the Action of Love
I have been convicted recently with reference to thinking that "right belief" is demonstrated in "right love". That is to say with Paul, "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1Cor 13.2). The statement which encapsulates all of Augustine's theology is "faith which is operative through love". For belief is not enough since it is clearly stated that "even the demons believe and tremble" (James 2:19).
As I emphasize belief to myself I think of Calvin, who so perfectly expressed right belief, "This is our assurance, that Christ the Son of God is ours and has been given to us, so that in him we may also be sons of God...We experience such participation in him that, although we are sinners, he is our righteousness; while we are unclean, he is our purity; while we are weak, while we are unarmed and exposed to Satan, yet ours is that power...given him...to crush Satan; while we still bear about with us the body of death, he is yet our life. In brief, because all his things are ours and we have all things in him, in us there is nothing."
As now I am reminded, once again, belief is not enough or rather it is not the "proof" of a saint. Rather as Augustine expresses it, "As for love, which the apostle [Paul] pronounced greater than faith and hope, the greater it is in any person the better that person will be. When the question is raised whether someone is a good person, it is not what he believes or hopes that is at issue but what he loves. For someone who loves aright, assuredly believes and hopes aright, whereas someone who does not love believes in vain, even though what he believes is true, and likewise hopes in vain...unless what he believes and hopes is that in response to his prayer he can be granted to love."
May God grant us the power to love what we believe in a real measure throughout the body of Christ, lest we believe and hope in vain.
Quotes taken from, Justification in Perspective ed. Bruce L. McCormack
As I emphasize belief to myself I think of Calvin, who so perfectly expressed right belief, "This is our assurance, that Christ the Son of God is ours and has been given to us, so that in him we may also be sons of God...We experience such participation in him that, although we are sinners, he is our righteousness; while we are unclean, he is our purity; while we are weak, while we are unarmed and exposed to Satan, yet ours is that power...given him...to crush Satan; while we still bear about with us the body of death, he is yet our life. In brief, because all his things are ours and we have all things in him, in us there is nothing."
As now I am reminded, once again, belief is not enough or rather it is not the "proof" of a saint. Rather as Augustine expresses it, "As for love, which the apostle [Paul] pronounced greater than faith and hope, the greater it is in any person the better that person will be. When the question is raised whether someone is a good person, it is not what he believes or hopes that is at issue but what he loves. For someone who loves aright, assuredly believes and hopes aright, whereas someone who does not love believes in vain, even though what he believes is true, and likewise hopes in vain...unless what he believes and hopes is that in response to his prayer he can be granted to love."
May God grant us the power to love what we believe in a real measure throughout the body of Christ, lest we believe and hope in vain.
Quotes taken from, Justification in Perspective ed. Bruce L. McCormack
posted by adam at 12:20 PM
1 Comments:
AT,
Great post AT.
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