I liked this- except "all you have to do is trust." The one thing we cannot do on our own is trust. I still like Luther's Third Article profession, "I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe...but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel..."
Yeah, I didn't mean that in a works kind of way, but I can see how it could be taken that way. The pairing of perfect tense and present tense in Paul, I think, does suggest that belief activates the past act in the present.
I liked this- except "all you have to do is trust." The one thing we cannot do on our own is trust. I still like Luther's Third Article profession, "I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe...but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel..."
Yeah, I didn't mean that in a works kind of way, but I can see how it could be taken that way. The pairing of perfect tense and present tense in Paul, I think, does suggest that belief activates the past act in the present.
"Activates"?
or opens us to the experience of who is already active?
OK. Thanks for the response. I know you didn't mean it in a "works" but it always gets used in just that way, I'm afraid.