In a message dated 7/29/05 1:57:45 PM, anglican@... writes: > Setting virtuous > goals at best is frustrating and at worst a short road to > self-righteousness. That's why I've always like the Pauline language about > "putting on" Christ or the virtues like a garment. They don't come from > within us ( as the Stoics believed) but from God. > Mark+ I agree with you, I just think baptism makes all the difference in the world because we never, never speak of virtue apart from the grace of God. That would be moralism which is absolutely deadly. But once baptized everything is different, though baptism is a beginning and not the "get out of jail free" card some folks may believe it is. I've never actually met anyone who actually believed that. But as to Paul's wonderful phrase "putting on Christ" that is some that a baptized person can in fact do because he has been infused with the virtues that enable it. To exhort the unbaptized to do the same would of course be absurd. I think? Glenn+ -- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: faithandlife-unsubscribe@...