William Perkins, Puritan leader, considers “Christ crucified.” A fraud, oppression, or even mere “hard dealing”, does in effect suck the blood out of that neighbor, but also that of Christ. Blood is drawn out the heart blood of Christ.
Today, conservatives may talk of a different kind of “vampire”— one that sucks the blood of hard-dealing people by getting on their case.
How can you rightly know Christ crucified?
David Chytraeus, Lutheran theologian, says Christians are to obey God’s lovingness. But it doesn’t earn forgiveness of sins.
Lovingness and obedience being necessary, but not the cause of salvation. Some may object to the separation. Some may object to the linkage. Many would object to lovingness being mentioned at all, especially if it were to be judged by their neighbors (contra 1 Peter 2:12).
How can you practice lovingness?
