Great video, Dr. Cooper. As a Wesleyan, I am a bit sensitive to "antinomianism" and a hesitation I have had about Lutheranism (from what very little I know about it) is that, while I do indeed tend to follow a more-or-less "law-gospel" progression in how I preach Grace, if I talk about "law" and "Gospel" as if they are simply opposed to one another (and consider any moral imperative in the Bible to fall under the heading of "law"), that I can end up thinking Gospel is the "solution" to help me "escape" from the Law, and this will necessarily lead to antinomianism. Of course Wesleyans and Holiness types have to guard against legalism, or elevating human effort in a way that obscures the truth that my salvation is "all of Grace." I love your suggestion that actually, "Union with Christ" is the proper way to "reframe" all of this in a more Biblical way.
I think you're right because without the mystical union, sanctification becomes bare ethical imperative (albeit rooted in "gratitude") -- which leads inevitably to a falling back under a "letter of the law" legalism, rather than a view of "spirit of the law" transformation rooted in life and being one with the Christ who first justifies us from the condemnation of the law.
I’m glad I was always preached from the pulpit growing up about the almighty and guiding grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are saved, we are brought to do good things. Because God loves us and sacrificed himself on the cross for us, we can live anew in the Lord. We are freed to be in union with Christ by our baptism.
What’s interesting is that we Lutherans have a theological tradition of a doctrine called Theosis! We really need to bring this back, as a matter of a fact we need to retrieve historical Lutheranism back!
Lets face it Catholic Perennialist comes to Dr Coopers channel to argue with Lutherans cause not enough of his Roman Catholic friends knows the bible enough to argue with him and then when you make a point he changes directions.
This guy(Catholic Pentecostalist) is more knowledgeable on esoteric stuffs as what appears on his videos than learning what is Confessional Lutheran is
I'm reformed and I'd generally agree, we also hold to the doctrine of union with Christ (although it's defined slightly differently). But it is frequently not emphasized.
The standard older work is a set of volumes by Linski. I’m not sure I spelled that right. You will probably have to get them used from ABE if they are out of print.
You should try and have a conversation with Jordan Peterson. I think the dialogue between you two would be great and it would bring Lutheran ideas to a wider and different audience.
@@Catholic-PerennialistNo, we are fighting these battles because of people like Gerhard Forde who was wildly inconsistent with prior Lutheran theology.
Ephesians 2:8,9. That doesn't mean we are free to live as we wish. If we think we can, we can be sure that The Holy Spirit will show a genuine Christian otherwise.
@@Catholic-Perennialist you're a Catholic, so disdain for The Word of God is a pillar of your theology. Thank God for the Reformation, which kept Christianity alive for the world.
The bottom line is this: if you conclude that works are at all necessary you cannot hold to sola fide. The modern lutheran is simply being consistent with the marketing.
Nonsense. Good works naturally flow from the transformative nature of the gospel. Further, good works are necessary to persevere in our call and election in the grace in which we stand, and not to lose the Spirit and His gifts. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession articulates this quite well. Works of love and charity do not obtain reconciliation with God or the forgiveness of sins, but emerge from it; created beforehand for us in which to walk both for the perseverance and sanctification of the believer, but equally importantly, to testify of and glorify only the gracious God who saves sinners.
@@voyager7 If good works flowed naturally then Paul would not have to subdue his body as an athlete to avoid disqualification, and he would never have exhorted the Hebrews to "strive to enter that rest."
Only a thorough misunderstanding of the Lutheran confessional position would say that. It's not hidden. The Book of Concord is freely readable online, or you can pick up a used BoC up on eBay for $10. But we both know you won't.
@@voyager7 I read the BoC when I owned a copy. It was nonsense then, and it's still nonsense. My argument is based on Lutheran lay reasoning. The only reason to be lutheran is for the assurance of salvation predicated upon zero behavioral obligation. Take that away and Rome makes infinitely more sense.
Rome making sense would be a first 😂. Rome doesn't even know what its own traditions actually are so it constantly makes up new ones. I don't understand why catholics keep commenting on this channel - is it to prove their utter ignorance?
