[faithandlife] SAUL THE PHARISEE

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From: "John Longcamp" <jlongcam@...>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 16:51:39 -0400
The book is great, and the only difficulty I really have is what I hear others also voicing.  Charles helped a lot with his discussion of the different meanings of "saved."  And Wright+ made the distinction between "justification" and "salvation."  

I can see "saved" as deriving from being part of the Community, but not in the way circumcision made one part of the Community.  Neither does being a member of the Church as defined in the Offices of Instruction: "The Church is the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head, and ALL BAPTIZED PEOPLE are the members." mean "saved" if there is no belief or faith.

I like what Mike+ said: "Our obedience to the Law is a natural outgrowth of the sanctification process which is our cooperative effort with the Holy Spirit after we are already in the kingdom, i.e., our being conformed to the image of Christ."  This fits with James' statements that good works are essential EVIDENCE of our faith.  Here that would mean that we demonstrate that we are part of the Community by our obedience to the Law (of Love), which in turn comes from our belief and faith.  

Thus being a tag-along in the Community is not quite what Wright+ is saying will "save" us.  Being believing members of the Community, participating sincerely in its life, appropriates for us not only the justification which Christ pronounced (the judicial model) on the Community but also His salvation.  

John+