J. I. Packer pro active faith against antinomianism

Evangelical Affirmations:

There is an evident confusion here between faith as a psychological act, that is, something that you do (in this case, “closing with Christ” as the Puritans used to put it), and faith as a meritorious work, that is, a means of earning God’s favor and inducing his acceptance. When it is argued that to call for active commitment to discipleship as a response to the gospel is to teach works-righteousness, the confusion is clear. The truth is that every act of faith, psychologically regarded, is a matter of doing something (knowing, receiving, and trusting are as much acts in the psychological sense as is resolving to obey); yet no act of faith ever presents itself to its doer as other than a means of receiving undeserved mercy in some shape or form. This is as true of a trustful commitment to follow Christ as it is of a trustful resting on the Saviour’s promise of pardon. There is no need to restrict faith to passive reliance without active devotion in order to keep works-righteousness and legalism out of the picture.

Hat tip: Andrew Sandlin

One thought on “J. I. Packer pro active faith against antinomianism

  1. Jim

    Yeah, something like that.

    If you define “work” as anything that a person does, then faith, too, perforce becomes a work. The thing is, it’s not a meritorious work (any more than reaching out your hands to receive a gift means that you somehow merit that gift — nonsense).

    The Lutheran Confessions define “work” in a way I’ve found useful: It defines a “work” as something we offer to God.

    Thus faith, by which we receive God’s gift, is not a work, even though we are active in it, because we only receive and do not offer in the exercise of that faith. (I’m talking about justifying faith.)

    Thus, also, baptism and the Supper are not works, because we receive God’s gifts in those rites rather than offer gifts to him.

    Good works are of course works, because by them we offer to God. They are just not justifying works.

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