From: bivalve (bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com)
Date: Wed Jul 16 2003 - 14:52:24 EDT
>So the question remains as to whether any act done by a truly sanctified Christian truly motivated by agape is in itself wrong. We're talking about _in principle_ here, rather than in practice, because in practice anything and everything can be sinful. <
Some definitions are needed. I am familiar with sanctification defined as a process, not completed in this life. Based on this premise, I am not certian what a truly sanctified Christian would be. All true Christians are in the process of sanctification, though not necessarily progressing well. No Christian is totally sanctified in this life. (There are some who claim that this is possible; not sure how they would deal with the question.)
An action that was totally in accord with the goal of sanctification and Christian love would more or less by deinfition be right. However, an action that seems to be the best thing to do in a given situation, based on all that we know, and done with the goal of helping others, may not be the right thing to do in light of what we do not know.
I do not think that we can say that a given act must be good because a particular Christian has done it or because he did it with good motives.
PS: Double-check the to field when replying to this thread to be sure you're not still sending messages to others.
Dr. David Campbell
Old Seashells
University of Alabama
Biodiversity & Systematics
Dept. Biological Sciences
Box 870345
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
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