Robb Brunansky

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Sometimes I simply marvel that the God who created all things and redeemed me through His Son’s death on a cross has taken up residence within me by His Spirit. The gospel is the most glorious message that ever could be.

I’m old enough to remember when the X pundits were saying Wisconsin would be a problem for @ArizonaMBB. Hard to defeat the best team in the country when you can’t beat High Point. #beardown

@AHaleIII @WWUTTcom Hahaha when I created the poll it was the last option. I don’t know why it was rearranged!

@RobbBrunansky @WWUTTcom "Above" doesn't look like a real word right now.

What are some ways we can discern whether we love Christ?

I'm not sure what you mean about "a comment like at the end" or what seems impolite. I'm trying to be as concise as possible, so if that came across as impolite, my apologies, and not my intent. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21 makes clear that the Law of Moses and the law of Christ are distinct. But we can agree to disagree. I would gather from our dialog that we are both genuine followers of Christ who probably have a great deal more in common than not. Grace to you.

@RobbBrunansky The Law of Christ is third use of the law. It’s the Law handed to us in Christ, and it is no longer a covenant of works. I noticed every time someone responds to you, you have to put a comment like at the end. Why not just politely dialogue with your brother in Christ.

What’s truly staggering is that all the so-called Reformed people denying the NT teaching about subjective assurance because they (falsely) claim it focuses on works will then insist the “third use of the law” is a biblical approach to evangelical obedience. At least the free grace adherents like Ryrie were internally consistent.

"We should give our children the impression that the most wonderful thing in the world is Christianity; and that there is nothing in life comparable to being a Christian." D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Christians are not under the Law. We don't obey the Law. No one does. The law of Christ has replaced the law of Moses. But responses like yours illustrate perfectly the irony I mentioned in my original post. You have nothing but despair when you look within, and without skipping a beat you claim to obey the law. Breathtaking.

@RobbBrunansky The third use of law is a guard rail for the Christian. We we obey it out of gratitude, not out of fear.

@BTTReform Enough fruit? Do you really think that's how the test for life works? Surely not. These questions have been answered many times, and your objections are all straw men. No one is suggesting a minimum quantity of fruit is required to pass the test.

@RobbBrunansky The problem is the way people like you use 1 John. Take the test, and if you pass the test, then you have assurance. That’s not assurance at all. So if they fail the test, and they don’t see enough fruit in their life, do you tell them to work harder or to look up?

That has never been my experience. I see many evidences of the Spirit's work in my own life. I am far from perfect, and have no confidence in my obedience for my standing before God. But I can see clear evidence of the Spirit's work in my heart and life, which gives me great assurance that my faith is real and that Christ alone has justified me by His perfect righteousness. Romans 8:13-17 is so vital here.

@RobbBrunansky When someone looks inward and they are discouraged at what they see, you point them upward to Christ. Gazing inward for even a short amount of time will produce despair. After one looks in they need to look up.

I’m not frustrated. I am surprised. I do believe that’s what people are saying. As a pastor, at least 99% of people I counsel who struggle with assurance struggle with whether Christ is in them, not whether Christ is sufficient for those who believe. Maybe other people have different experiences with pastoral counseling.

Trying to converse in good faith here, but it seems to frustrate you. If so, I'm happy to disengage. Nobody is saying not to be concerned with whether Christ is in them, either, yet that is the claim you're making. But you just said in another post that the NT gives us all these tests. And then you cite one thing that is explicitly not provided as a test of genuine faith. You're making some introspectively, self-focused claim / test of "intimacy", and that at death's door when the enemy would assault someone's *actual trust* in Christ's sufficiency to carry them through death and present them blameless before the Father.

The false teaching that tells professing Christians, "Don't be concerned if Christ is in you, just look to Christ outside you," will lead many who need to examine themselves to a false assurance and an eternity of divine wrath.

Again, you're missing the point. Is it intentional? Or do you really not get it? No one is saying personal devotional time is a good work! The question revolves around our fellowship with Christ. How is your soul? How is your relationship with Christ? That's the question. It just so happens that many times our intimacy with Christ has a correlation with our time spent in His Word and in prayer. The issue is always our relationship with Christ, not doing this or that. Hopefully that helps.

Also, in the context of the PW debate, we could entirely agree on subjective assurance by examining our works. Even still, don’t all the NT authors characterize these works as works of love toward our brothers? I think the notion that my personal devotion time is a “good work” is a very low view of good works.

I honestly don't know any other way to understand it, and I have interacted with quite a few people on this app on this issue. If someone is concerned they might not be truly born again, but they have no issues with the facts of the gospel, telling them to look outside them misses the point. They wonder if their faith is genuine, saving faith. The NT gives so many tests and methods of verifying the reality of our faith that it's hard to fathom people are missing it this badly. And all the methods involve the Spirit's work in our lives, not objective facts someone already knows and intellectually affirms. Even Satan affirms the truths of the gospel, but he obviously is not converted. That's James' entire point.

@RobbBrunansky Are people actually saying “don’t be concerned if Christ is in you”? I took them to be saying, “If you’re concerned if Christ is in you, look to Christ outside you as your primary grounds for assurance, not your prayer & Bible reading consistency,” which is accurate.

@AndrewPorter663 How do you know your faith is saving faith and not the dead faith of false professors?

@RobbBrunansky Our assurance is based on the objective, finished work of the cross. We should, as believers, strive to live in obedience to God’s commands. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

@JoeVFarmer You might have missed the furor over Paul Washer lovingly encouraging MacArthur near the end of his life by seeing how his soul was doing. I’m referring to people upset about that act of brotherly kindness.

@RobbBrunansky Missed anyone saying that one.

@Isaiah45_7 I completely agree and see the same dangers. Well stated brother.

As a “reformed” guy, Im convinced the purist has the most problems. If their chosen confession or catechism does not explicitly state a concept word for word they just cannot grasp it. I don't intend to draw a false dichotomy, but to draw out a helpful distinction: some pastors are outstanding teachers of catechism, creeds, and confessional standards, faithfully preserving the richness of their tradition, yet they may not always emphasize direct, expository teaching from Scripture itself as the primary source. In my view, a similar dynamic played a role historically: when ecclesiastical tradition is given a place of authority that effectively equals or overshadows Scripture's unique role, it can lead to developments that drift from the biblical foundation.

@SavedbyGraceAZ Objective assurance: Assurance because of Christ’s work outside you (on the cross) Subjective assurance: Assurance because of Christ’s work within you (by the Spirit) All assurance is based in Christ’s work, not ours. Does that help?

@RobbBrunansky What is Subjective Assurance? An assurance in your salvation because of good works done in your life?

@TheMattPetersen I can’t believe anyone takes the NBA seriously. Lol

Booker and Brown getting wildly different whistles right now

@BTTReform I’ve read them. Many times. You continue to fail to understand my position. I’d encourage you to read the Bible more and the confessions and catechisms less.

@RobbBrunansky You turn faith into obedience, rather than obedience being a necessary fruit of faith. This is exactly what the problem with Washer is. I would hope that you do away with the Bible and me only attitude and read some Reformed Confessions.

@BTTReform What they need is the whole counsel of God. Your understanding of Scripture is so truncated it provides no grounds for assurance but encourages presumption. You certainly do not understand what my position is. You haven’t articulated it once accurately.

@RobbBrunansky What you you are doing is beating up the sheep in your congregations by using a passage like this one, when what they need is the Gospel. It seems that Washer and others like him are obsessed with smoking out false sheep.