Monday, December 15, 2008

Discuss: "The two pillars of true faith in Scripture as God's Word are the objective witness and the internal tesstimony."

The pillars of God's word are ultimately based upon the trustworthiness of God.  Without being able to trust in God for who he is, we would not be able to trust his word for "teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).  The objective witness of Scripture is the trustworthy normative authority on display in the History of Redemption.  We have a comprehesive given to us in Scripture that we must rely upon to provide the message of redemption, in Jesus Christ.  This message is one the whole world needs to hear and be taught as objective authoritative truth.  Without this truth we cannot have the subjective work of the Holy Spirit to truthfully apply the work of redemption to the heart of the hearer.  This is the internal testimony of Scripture to the heart that brings stone to life.  By this true pillar of faith the covenant community can "live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Thus trusting in the subjective application of God's normative truth to their own heart.  That is what standing upon the trushtworthiness of God's divine revelation produces, a transformed heart made in the image of Christ himself, thus redeeming creation and completing the history of redemption, "from Him, through Him and to Him" (Romans 11:36).

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