Question About a Quote from the Schmalkald Articles

[JustinWilliams]

Hi folks! :wave:

Again I am reading through John T. Pless's bok "Handling the Word of Truth" which is basically a summary of Walther's book on Law/Gospel distinction. I came a cross a quote from the Schmalkald Articles concerning Christians sinning and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore it is necessary to know and teach that when holy people-aside from the fact that they still have and feel original sin and also daily repent of and struggle against it-somehow fall into public sin (such as David, who fell into adultery, murder, and blasphemy against God), at that point faith and the Spirit have departed. The Holy Spirit does not allow sin to rule and gain the upper hand so that it is brought to completion, but the Spirit controls and resists so that sin does whatever it wants, then the Holy Spirit and faith are not there. As St. John says (1 John 3:9: "Thos who have been born of God do not sin...and cannot sin." Nevertheless, this is also the truth (as the same St. John writes [1:8]):"If we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth of God is not in us."
Articles III, 3, 43-45

What I have a question about is the statement that "at this point faith and the Spirit have departed." Does this mean that the Holy Spirit has departed from that person for good? Is this the act of one falling from grace?

I am not very familiar with the Schmalkald Articles so any input would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance :thumbsup:

Justin

[SPALATIN]

Hi folks! :wave:

Again I am reading through John T. Pless's bok "Handling the Word of Truth" which is basically a summary of Walther's book on Law/Gospel distinction. I came a cross a quote from the Schmalkald Articles concerning Christians sinning and the Holy Spirit.



What I have a question about is the statement that "at this point faith and the Spirit have departed." Does this mean that the Holy Spirit has departed from that person for good? Is this the act of one falling from grace?

I am not very familiar with the Schmalkald Articles so any input would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance :thumbsup:

Justin

Yes and No

Have you ever felt a strong temptation to do something you shouldn't do because it would be a sin, but the thought of not doing it also torments you that you start to justify in your mind that you can always ask forgiveness for it later? This is when the Holy Spirit has departed because once you begin this self-justification there is a pretty good chance that you will commit the sin regardless of the knowledge that it would be wrong.

Christ told the people that not only was adultery wrong, but so was lusting in your heart because by having lust or coveting something that is not yours can drive you to do the sin.

Now there is a chance for the Holy Spirit to convict you of the sin after you have done it and make you remorseful for having done it in the first place. To sin in this manner is to reject God's word and work on the Cross for you. Baptists would call it backsliding. If after sinning you feel remorseful and repentant you can reconnect with the Holy Spirit and that is by getting into the word of God. It wasn't until David heard the word of God through the prophet Nathan that he fell to his knees and repented of his sins in the Bathsheba matter.

So again the answer is that the Holy Spirit does leave you when you have made up in your heart and mind that nothing will stop you from sinning anyway, but that you can be reconnected through the word. It is when you are not connected back to the word and continue in a sinful life to your death that the Holy Spirit has left you for good.