She said that there are consequences for repeated disobedience to God, specifically death. Not spiritual death, although I would suppose that's thrown in as well. Physical, mortal death. She said, "God today puts believers to death if they do not obey God."
Now, I realize that she's trying to avoid the errors of dualism and antinomianism. Faced with the sovereignty of God, there's little wiggle room for explaining why people die prematurely or horribly other than chalking it up to God the Father, the Almighty. I still find it a thorny explanation.
None of this was characterized as "mercy killing" on God's part, as if to spare the sinner from committing anything worse. Or even to somehow make satisfaction by a nasty death. (Why am I here thinking of Merton? He seems to fit the bill in both cases, flirting with Buddhism and pretty nurses.)
Wisdom 4 is speaking of a just, young man, rather than a chronic sinner, but there's some hint that God was sparing him: "Snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind or deceit beguile his soul" - Wisdom 4:11
But I didn't know what to make of the Scriptures that she cited in support:
1 John 5:16-17
Does John list those "deadly" sins? Was he thinking of Proverbs 6:16-19?
1 Cor. 5:1-5
The very familiar "excommunication".
Both of these passages sound so Catholic. I wonder whether I was the only one who got that impression.
And yet articles like these are written: "Does the Bible teach mortal and venial sin?"
3 comments:
Maybe John was talking about Mark 3:29 - the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
The way I've always heard this explained is that every time you sin in full knowledge of what you are doing your heart becomes just that little bit harder. It takes more effort to come and ask forgiveness even though that forgiveness is freely available through grace.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to have such a hardened heart that you totally deny the goodness of God.
I don't know that I subscribe to the "7 deadly sins" concept. Surely there are examples of people who have committed them in the bible ending up in heaven. The thief on the cross springs to mind.
Maybe John was talking about Mark 3:29 - the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Yes, absolutely. A footnote in my Bible (note 3 in the link) says
John is probably referring to apostasy or activities brought on under the antichrist; cf. Mk 3:29; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-31.
When I did the original post, I didn't follow through on those references, 'though I knew the first one was to the unpardonably sin of blasphemy against the HS.
every time you sin in full knowledge of what you are doing your heart becomes just that little bit harder. It takes more effort to come and ask forgiveness
Yup. And your explanation reminds me of this from C. S. Lewis:
People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature ... Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other ...
Each has done something to himself which, unless he repents, will make it harder for him to keep out of the rage next time he is tempted, and will make the rage worse when he does fall into it. Each of them, if he seriously turns to God, can have that twist in the central man straightened out again: each is, in the long run, doomed if he will not.
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book III Christian Behaviour, Chapter 14 Morality and Psychoanalysis
I don't know that I subscribe to the "7 deadly sins" concept.
The Proverbs passage is interesting on this, if you read it:
There are six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him;
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
The false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
But I agree that there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the seven abominations described in Proverbs and the nature of the "Seven Deadly Sins" as they have traditionally come down to us.
Surely there are examples of people who have committed them in the bible ending up in heaven. The thief on the cross springs to mind.
Well, right, provided they repent, as the "good thief" did.
Thank you for your comment, Peter. It helped me refine my thoughts on this. I guess we're even, comment-wise!
No worries, there aren't any people I know at my church who have a blog and post theology so being able to have a dialog with someone on the other side of the world is refreshing, especially if they pay me compliments :)
Post a Comment