Does the parable of the Harvest in Matthew 13 have to do with salvation or sanctification?
First, some definitions:
- Sanctification:
- "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2)
- The continual "present" aspect of salvation.
- Salvation:
- Election: Laying aside the Calvinism debate, the concept of Election is clear in scripture. It seems that our theology of salvation needs to permit God's electing of His redeemed. How exactly that works is where the debate arises.
- Justification: Legal standing made right before God. Idea of imputation. Reformers distinguished this as being "declared" righteous rather than being "made" righteous.
- Reconciliation: Being made relationally right with God.
- Propitiation: Christ standing in our place as the atoning sacrifice.
- Adoption: God brings us into a familial relationship.
- Sanctification (ie: sanctification is inseparable from salvation)
- Glorification: The future state with glorified bodies in a new heaven and new earth.
Next, some fundamental truths:
- Assurance of Salvation: John 10:28-29 indicates that "no-one will snatch them from my hand"
- Our salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2) and not of works... that (referring to faith) is a gift from God.
Initial Assessment of Parable:
- First, stating the obvious... Jesus intended to teach this parable to the people he was teaching it to.
- So, I'm not convinced that Jesus had in mind how this teaching fit into the "order of salvation". Rather, I wonder if he simply meant something like - arrange your life in a such a way that your heart is fertile soil to the word of God.
- That fertile soil could take the form of "soil" that's initially receiving the Word in the process of regeneration OR the fertile soil could be that which produces fruit in the believer through the process of sanctification. The focus is on the condition of the heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment