630.进一步的后果是，当今报应的教义剥夺了源自人在属灵事上的选择自由的一切能力，甚至没留给他必要的、足以拍打衣服上的火，以免身体受伤害，或浇灭着火的住所、拯救其家庭的顶点能力。然而圣言自始至终都在教导，人必须避开邪恶，因为它们属于魔鬼并出自魔鬼，人必须行善，因为它属于神并出自神，他必须出于自己这样做，因为有主在他里面作工。但当今报应的教义为免人自己的东西进入报应，因而进入基督功德，便排除了这样行动的能力，这对于信，从而救恩来说是致命的。该教义自建立时就导致这一撒旦观点的传播，即人在属灵问题上完全无能为力。这就象有人在你没有双脚，甚至一只也没有的情况下让你行走；在你双手被砍的情况下让你洗漱；或在睡着的时候让你行善；或你没有舌头却让你吃饭。这还象赋予人一个不是意愿的意愿；在这种情况下，难道他不会说：“我和化成盐柱的罗得之妻，或跟约柜抬进庙宇时的非利士人的大衮神一样没有能力；我害怕我的头象他一样被揪下来，两手掌在门槛上折断（撒母耳记上5:4）；我不是和以革伦的神巴力西卜一样没有能力，因为他的名只能驱赶苍蝇吗？”人在属灵的事上无能为力，这就是当今的信仰，对此可查看464节有关自由选择的内容。
630. 进一步的后果是, 当今归算的教义剥夺了源自人在属灵事上的选择自由的一切能力, 甚至没留给他必要的, 足以拍打衣服上的火, 以免身体受伤害, 或浇灭着火的住所, 拯救其家庭的顶点能力。 然而圣言自始至终都在教导, 人必须避开邪恶, 因为它们属于魔鬼并出自魔鬼, 人必须行善, 因为它属于神并出自神, 他必须出于自己这样做, 因为有主在他里面作工。 但当今归算的教义为免人自己的东西进入归算, 因而进入基督功德, 便排除了这样行动的能力, 这对于信, 从而救恩来说是致命的。 该教义自建立时就导致这一撒旦观点的传播, 即人在属灵问题上完全无能为力。 这就象有人在你没有双脚, 甚至一只也没有的情况下让你行走; 在你双手被砍的情况下让你洗漱; 或在睡着的时候让你行善; 或你没有舌头却让你吃饭。 这还象赋予人一个不是意愿的意愿; 在这种情况下, 难道他不会说: “我和化成盐柱的罗得之妻, 或跟约柜抬进庙宇时的非利士人的大衮神一样没有能力; 我害怕我的头象他一样被揪下来, 两手掌在门槛上折断 (撒母耳记上5:4) ;我不是和以革伦的神巴力西卜一样没有能力, 因为他的名只能驱赶苍蝇吗? ”人在属灵的事上无能为力, 这就是当今的信仰, 对此可查看464节有关自由选择的内容。
630. For another thing, the modern-day concept that Christ's merit is assigned to us takes away any notion whatsoever that we have the power of free choice in spiritual matters. It does not even leave us enough free choice to pat out a flame on our clothes and keep our body safe, or use water to extinguish a fire in our home and save our family. Yet the Word from beginning to end teaches that we must all abstain from things that are evil, because they belong to the Devil and come from the Devil; we must do things that are good, because they belong to God and come from God; and we must do these things under our own initiative, but with the help of the Lord.
The modern-day concept that Christ's merit is assigned to us, however, denies us the power to do these things, on the grounds that doing them would be deadly to our faith and salvation; it aims to prevent anything of ourselves from interfering with that assigning of Christ's merit.
Once that notion was established, it spawned the satanic concept that we are completely powerless in spiritual matters. This is like telling someone, "Walk, but you have no feet. " "Wash yourselves, but both of your hands have been amputated. " "Do what is good, but sleep now. " "Eat something nutritious, but don't use your tongue. "
It is the same as saying that we are endowed with a kind of will that is not actually a will. What is to stop us from saying the following? "I have no more capability than Lot's wife as a pillar of salt [Genesis 19:26]. I have no more power than Dagon, the god of the Philistines, when the ark of God was brought into Dagon's shrine. I am afraid that, like Dagon's, my head too will be pulled off and my hands will be broken off on the threshold (1 Samuel 5:4). I have no more power than Beelzebub, the god of Ekron. To judge by his name, his only power is to keep flies away. "
(For evidence that the church of today believes in extreme powerlessness in spiritual matters, see the quotes on free choice assembled above in 464.)
630. A further consequence is that the present-day belief about imputation deprives a person of all power which results from having any free will in spiritual matters. He is not left even the tiny bit needed, if his clothes catch fire, to beat it out and protect his body; or, if his house catches fire, to use water to put it out and rescue his family. Yet the Word teaches from beginning to end that one should shun evils because they are the devil's work and come from the devil, and one should do good deeds because they are God's work and come from God; and one should do these things of oneself, under the Lord's working.
But the present-day concept of imputation rules out the power to act thus as fatal to faith and so to salvation, to avoid anything of one's own entering into the imputation and so into Christ's merit. The establishment of this doctrine has led to the spread of the satanic notion that a person is totally impotent in spiritual matters. This is like someone saying 'Walk', though you have no feet, not even one; 'Wash yourself', though both your hands have been cut off; or 'Do good, but sleep'; or 'Feed yourself' when you have no tongue. It is also like having a will given to one which is no will. Could one not say: 'I can do no more than Lot's wife who turned into a pillar of salt, or more than Dagon the god of the Philistines, when the Ark of God was brought into his shrine. I am afraid of having my head broken off like his, and having the palms of my hands thrown out on the threshold (1 Samuel 5:4). Nor can I do more than Baalzebub the god of Ekron 1 , who to judge by the meaning of his name can do nothing but drive away flies.' Such is the present belief in man's impotence in spiritual matters, as may be seen from the quotations on the subject of free will collected in 464 above.
Footnotes:
1. 2 Kings 1:2; the Hebrew name means 'the Lord of the flies'.
630. It may be added that the present day doctrine of imputation deprives man of all power arising from any freedom of choice in spiritual things, and does not even leave him enough to enable him to brush fire from his clothing and keep his body from harm, or to extinguish his blazing home with water and rescue his family; and yet the Word from beginning to end teaches that everyone must shun evils, because they are of the devil and from the devil, and must do good because it is of God and from God, and that he must do this of himself, the Lord working in him. Put the present doctrine of imputation condemns the power to do this as deadly to faith and consequently to salvation, lest something belonging to man might enter into the imputation, and thus into the merit of Christ; from the establishment of which doctrine has issued this satanic principle that man is absolutely impotent in spiritual matters; which is like saying, Walk, although you have no feet, not even one; Wash, though both your hands are cut off; or, Do good, but keep asleep; or, Feed yourself, even without a tongue. It is also like giving man a will that is not a will; in which case can he not say, "I have no more power than the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, or than Dagon the god of the Philistines had when the ark of God was taken into his house; I am afraid that my head like his might be torn off, and the palms of my hands thrown upon the threshold (1 Samuel 5:4); nor have I any more power than Beelzebub the god of Ekron who, as his name signifies, can only drive away flies?" That such impotence in spiritual things is believed in at the present day may be seen above (n. 464) from the extracts respecting freedom of choice.
630. Moreover, the present day doctrine of imputation deprives man of all power from any free will in spiritual things, leaving him not even as much as would enable him to shake off fire from his clothes and save himself from harm, or to extinguish with water the fire if his own house were burning and rescue his own family. Yet the Word from beginning to end teaches that every one should shun evils because they are of the devil and from the devil, and should do good because it is of God and from God, and that he should do so as of himself, although the actual agent is the Lord. The doctrine of imputation takes away the power of so doing as fatal to faith and consequently to salvation, lest anything of man should enter into it and thus into the merit of Christ.
Following upon the establishment of this doctrine there has emerged the satanical tenet, that man is absolutely impotent in spiritual things. This is equivalent to saying: "Walk on, although you have no feet; wash yourself, though both your hands are cut off; do good, but go to sleep; feed yourself, though you are without a tongue." It is also like being granted a will which is not a will. In such a case one may say: "I can no more act than the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, or Dagon, the god of the Philistines, when the ark of God was brought into his temple. I fear that, as that god had his head broken off and the palms of his hands thrown upon the threshold, the same will happen to me, 1 Samuel 5:4; nor can I do more than Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, who, as his name implies, could only drive away flies." That such importance in spiritual things is believed at this day may be seen from the extracts given above in the chapter on Free Will, 464.
630. Accedit, quod Imputatio hodierna auferat homini omnem potentiam ex libero aliquo arbitrio in spiritualibus, et ne quidem relinquat tantillum, ut possit ignem ex vestibus excutere, et corpus suum indemnisare; aut domum suam incensam per aquas exstinguere, et familiam suam eripere, cum tamen Verbum a principio ad finem docet, ut quisque fugiat mala, quia sunt diaboli et a diabolo, et faciat bona quia sunt Dei et a Deo, et quod illa facturus sit a se, operante Domino. Sed Imputatio hodierna proscribit potentiam ad ita faciendum sicut internecinum fidei et inde saluti, propter causam, ne aliquid hominis intret imputationem, et sic meritum Christi; ex qua stabilita, profluxit satanicum hoc, quod homini absoluta impotentia sit in spiritualibus, quod simile est, sicut diceretur, progredere, tametsi non tibi sunt pedes, ne quidem unus; lava te, et tamen ambae manus sunt amputatae; aut fac bonum sed dormi; aut nutri te sed absque lingua; et quoque simile est, sicut data sit voluntas quae non est voluntas; potestne dicere, non possum plus quam statua salis uxor Lothi, nec plus quam Dagon Deus Philistaeorum, quum in fanum ejus introducta est arca Dei; timeo ne mihi sicut illi evellatur caput, et volae manuum projiciantur super limen, 1 Samuelis 5:4, nec plus quam Beelschebub Deus Ekronis, qui ex significatione nominis sui solum potest abigere muscas. Quod talis impotentia in spiritualibus hodie credatur, ex Collectis supra de Libero Arbitrio 464, videatur.