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Originally Posted by Civbert  Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Beetle "...In plain English, salvation is a broad term that includes regeneration, justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. The present study concerns sanctification" (Sanctification, Introduction, page 1). | Thanks RB! It is almost ironic, but Clark is very good about making it clear where things are not always clear. Rather than trying to conflate all the different senses of "salvation", Clark shows that the term itself can have different and even mutually exclusive meanings. Although salvation can mean justification or sanctification, justification can not mean sanctification. And salvation can not mean sanctification and justification at the same time.
It is possible that Bahnsen was not trying to conflate the different meanings of salvation. But the quote of Bahnsen seemed to be doing just that. Maybe someone can provide additional Bahnsen quotes that make that clearer.
P.S. Another Clark book I need to add to my library.  I wonder if John Robbins has considered publishing them in ebook format? |
If you're so clear in your simplicity, Anthony, then,it seems to me you should have been able to post once. Why does it take a long thread of qualifying yourself?
The reason the Reformed confessions and thinkers have used the term
salvation in a broad way is because Scripture uses the term in very broad ways.
It uses it of God's purpose in the Covenant of Redemption:
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2TI 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
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Speaks of it in reference to our calling and regeneration:
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Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).
TIT 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
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In our justification:
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EPH 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
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In our sanctification:
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2TH 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
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Of our glorification:
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Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
ISA 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
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The term is even used of God's deliverance of men from calamity even more regularly. (perform a search for the term save and you'll be overwhelmed)
I fundamentally disagree that the believer's growth in wisdom is served by narrowing the use of a term that God Himself has ordained to be broad for a very good reason. With respect to the Elect, maintaining the broader definition of the term helps us to see salvation as beginning in the CoR and revealed to us in the CoG. Our justification is certainly, for us, the motiviation from which other saving graces proceed but to understand that we have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved because God is the author and finisher of salvation is of great importance.
Yes, we need to sometimes look at the individual leaves and consider them in parts but we don't gain anything if, in our goal to simplify a part, we lose track of a whole.
I state yet again that I
don't find over-simplification helpful here and the fact that you have to keep explaining everything demonstrates the point. Reformed theology has a long pedigree of profound exegetes and systemeticians. I think you need to start picking up more of those older books as well.