I'm having a hard time understanding the difference in what you taught before and what people are saying you are teaching now. The subjective objective stuff isn't clicking. Could you send me a clear statement. Are you what they call Trinitarian? What does that even mean?Like everybody, I'm still growing in grace. I make no claim of perfect understanding but simply trust the Holy Spirit, study the Bible and come to the conclusions I believe He leads me to reach. If I am wrong, I am wrong after loving Jesus, Scripture, praying for guidance and agonizing for five years before I even spoke publicly about these things.
Six years ago I began to read writings by authors Thomas F. Torrance, his brother James B Thomas, Baxter Kruger, as well as the writings of some of the early church Fathers, particularly those called "the Capadocian Fathers." I was introduced to these theologians at a time when I had begun questioning how my teaching that God's love is bigger and better than we can imagine fit together with the Calvinistic view of "limited atonement" that I had held until then.
As I began to study, I discovered that there has always been a view of our Father that fits His nature much better than the viewpoint I had held. This view has always been accepted and believed in some corners of the church, i.e. the Greek Orthodox church. Some have referred to this view as Trinitarianism (not be be confused with simply believing in the Trinity as opposed to Unitarianism and not to be confused with what some have called Trinitarian Universalism, which is a misnomer because no such thing actually exists).
I don't like "isms" but for the sake of identifying varying views, they have always been used - even in the days of the early church. So, while I am not comfortable with views I've heard expressed by some Trinitarians, the school of thought commonly called "Trinitarianism" does fit where I find myself. I have learned much from those in this group and believe there are some things some of them could learn from the "exchanged life community" too.
The essence of Trinitarianism is that we were created to live in the circle of love existing among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is our Father's purpose that we should enjoy living from within this circle of grace forever. Everything flows from our Triune God and our participation in His life. That is how we were created to live.
When Adam sinned, our God wasn't caught off guard. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world already had everything "under control" so that sin wouldn't have the final word on mankind's destiny. In the Garden, our God spoke words of hope about redemption to Adam and Eve from the moment they fell. His intent was that, as the Last Adam, Jesus would make right what Adam made wrong.
And that's exactly what He did. Our Triune God came into this world on a rescue mission for humanity. In a concerted work of redemption, God "was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself" on the cross. The work of the cross was effective and effectual for us all. When Jesus said, "It is finished," He really meant it.
Here's where the rub comes to those who oppose this viewpoint. What Jesus did is an accomplished fact. He has dealt with the sin. He came to take away the sins of the world. Did He succeed? Of course, He did. Sin is no longer the issue. The problem mankind has today is unbelief.
Every benefit of the cross has been accomplished for all of humanity and is true whether we know it, believe it or not. Jesus defeated sin, once and for all. There's nothing left for Him to do on our behalf because He succeeded in accomplishing it all on the cross.
What are the benefits of the cross? Forgiveness, acceptance, righteousness, life - the list could go on. Take forgiveness for an example. Are people forgiven before they believe? Yes, they are but they must believe it for that forgiveness to have any personal value to them. People can "go to hell" as forgiven people. I think most "exchanged life people" believe that much.
So, most acknowledge then that forgiveness - a benefit of the cross- is already a reality for everybody even before they believe it. They must believe it for it to make a difference in their personal lives, but the fact that they may not believe it doesn't change the objective reality.
Here's where some stumble. Example: Righteousness is the condition of having put in a right standing with God. That too is a benefit of the cross. It it true for those that don't believe it? Have they indeed been put in a right standing with God even if they don't believe? Yes, they have. Otherwise, we find ourselves at a place where we must say, "Some benefits of the cross are true of you whether you believe or not (God has dealt with your sin and forgiven you) but other benefits (like righteousness) become true only when you believe.
There is an incongruity in this approach that is unavoidable when we start saying that one aspect of the cross (forgiveness) is a reality with or without belief but other things (righteousness, holiness, etc) only become true when we believe. No, it's all true. Our faith doesn't make it happen. The cross made it all happen. Our faith is simply the place of coming to see the reality that has existed all along, even before we believed. "I once was blind (to what was actually there already) but now I see!"
Hebrews 4:2 says, "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also ; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard." The good news (gospel) is what it is to everybody. It's true for those who believe and for those who don't believe. Jesus has died and rose again and in the process made it right for us all, but unless people believe, it will "not profit them" personally because the message of the gospel is "not united by faith" to those who hear it.
Again, unbelief is man's problem. The proclamation of the gospel isn't one that announces what Jesus "will do for you" if you trust Him. It is an announcement of what He has done for us already. The proclamation is "here's what He has done!" and the invitation of the gospel is "believe it!"
We have been given the ministry of reconciliation by which we speak as ambassadors for God and challenge people to "be reconciled to God!" In other words, "believe on the finished work of Jesus and experience personal salvation!"
With all the talk that goes on about "the centrality of the cross," what many of us have inadvertently but actually taught is "the centrality of our profession of faith. We've taught that it all happens when a person trusts Christ. Really? So the central moment that brings forgiveness, righteousness, etc is when WE believe it? It's our faith that makes it happen? No, the cross made it happen. I've come to see how egocentric that view really is. That suggests that it's all about us and what we do or don't do.
When Jesus died, He said, "It is finished." He didn't say, "Your move." The gospel of the cross is that Jesus Christ has dealt with sin for every person. We are forgiven, righteous, and are now free to live out of Divine Life!
THAT is the pure gospel. It tells what is, not what can be if somebody will just "do the right thing."
Now, here are two I am NOT saying (by the way, CAPS here are for emphasis, not yelling):
1. I am not saying that people don't have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation experience. Jesus is still the only way to our Father.
2. I am not saying people don't go to hell because of what Jesus has done. We are indeed saved by grace, THROUGH faith, but even that faith is a gift of God.
Finally, I will point out that this viewpoint is not "a new teaching." Something isn't new just because it's new to us. This is a biblical view of salvation that has been held since the days of the early church. Admittedly, it isn't widely known in the Evangelical Western World of the 21st century, but it is certainly a view embraced by many believes around the world today and throughout history.
D-, perhaps I've "over-answered" your question but that's because your question was well stated and it's one that I know others are asking too. So, without using your name, I'm going to post your question and my response on my blog in an attempt to help others understand where I'm coming from too.
Blessings to you. I hope your Christmas season is a great one! Pray for me. My heart's desire is what it has always been - to share the life of love of our God with people in a way that they will personally experience Him and be transformed.
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