Holy Living

My friend Chris recently posted the following quote from John Chrysostom on his blog The Proletariat of God:

For even in these mystical blessings, it is, on the one hand, God’s part, to give the grace, on the other, man’s to supply faith; and in after time there needs for what remains much earnestness. In order to preserve our purity, it is not sufficient for us merely to have been baptized and to have believed, but we must if we will continually enjoy this brightness, display a life worthy of it. This then is God’s work in us. To have been born the mystical Birth, and to have been cleansed from all our former sins, comes from Baptism; but to remain for the future pure, never again after this to admit any stain belongs to our own power and diligence.

Chris summarized this quote as meaning that baptism doesn't mean anything if the life you live after you are baptized doesn't demonstrate that you know what it meant for you to be baptized.

He was reluctant to tell me that this quote was from Chrysostom's Homily 10 on John 1 because he thought I would use it as "fodder" for my arguments with Calvinists so I will simply say what I believe one possible interpretation from both Calvinists and Arminans might be for this quote.

Calvinists may say that somebody who claims salvation followed by baptism at some point in their life but fails to live a life worthy of their calling was never saved to begin with.

Some Arminians may say that somebody who claims salvation followed by baptism at some point in their life but fails to live a life worthy of their calling has lost their salvation.

I believe that if we don't live a life worthy of our calling, then it does not matter whether we lost our salvation (if it is possible) or if we were never saved to begin with. We either serve God or Satan.

I understand that their are many variations within both Calvinism and Arminianism and that the above interpretations will not be acceptable to all. Please offer up other possible interpretations that you may have concerning this issue.

Violent Temptation

The cover story of The Mennonite Magazine on February 20, 2007, talked about the temptation of violence. The article was good and concluded with the following thought:

. . . we will not, under any circumstances, be grateful for the sacrifices of those who, blinded and deceived by the myth of justified violence, kill and die “for us.” Instead we will mourn as senseless and immeasurably tragic their unnecessary deaths and the unnecessary deaths of all they have killed. If and when we are granted short periods of peace and freedom amid the darkness of this age, it is God alone we will praise and thank.Some of us gave up on the gods of Babylon 2,000 years ago. Our eyes have been opened, the brainwashing of this evil age no longer works with us. And for those who continue as before, we feel only sorrow and compassion.

I don't know what else to say except that this is something to think about.