Salvation in the Anglican view

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by Jellies, Aug 1, 2021.

  1. Jellies

    Jellies Active Member

    Posts:
    236
    Likes Received:
    98
    Country:
    Usa
    Religion:
    Christian
    When you ask an Anglican how to be saved, what will he usually answer?
    In my experience as a baptist, I’d say believe in Jesus Christ and repent of your sins, carry your cross and you will be saved.
    Is the Anglican view different? Especially regarding the both sacraments and necessity of the church for salvation?
    I have no idea what I would say to someone if I was in a “sacramental” church about salvation. Do you guys also believe salvation is a continuing process?
    I think justification is at a fixed point in your life. And sanctification is continuous. So I’d say that yes, our salvation is a continuing process, in the sense of applying the merits of the cross to ourselves.
     
  2. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

    Posts:
    2,723
    Likes Received:
    2,563
    Country:
    America
    Religion:
    Anglican
    Justification is at a fixed point in your life, yep.
    Sanctification is continuous.
    "Our salvation is a continuing process, in the sense of applying the merits of the cross to ourselves" -ok

    Where do the sacraments come in: they are the means of grace. It's not that God is trapped in the sacraments; but rather when he chooses to extend his grace to us, he gives us the sacraments.

    That's correct, but if you don't have the Church, you will not have any help from God to accomplish this task. The Church is not a power structure, but rather an instrument God set up to bring himself to his people.
     
    Jellies likes this.
  3. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    4,188
    Likes Received:
    2,122
    Country:
    USA
    Religion:
    Christian attending ACNA
    I have only been in the Anglican church for a bit less than 2 years, but I would answer pretty much the same as you. And I think my rector's answer would be close to the same, too, based on his homilies and our discussions. Although we should keep in mind that not all Anglicans are as well versed as most of us on this forum, so answers may vary if you were to ask an 'average' Anglican as he exited church.

    I'd say we receive saving grace as a gift through faith in Jesus our Redeemer, and we receive sanctifying grace (not saving grace) when we receive communion.

    The one sticky point, in my view, is what significance various Anglicans attribute to infant baptism. A good many Anglicans believe that the infant receives saving grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit at baptism; this ties in with the belief in Original Sin (the infant is lost in sin and should be baptized soonest). The language of the baptism rite supports this viewpoint. A few Anglicans might not subscribe to the belief that an infant is burdened by (and lost in) sin-guilt and thus needs to be baptized right away; these folks are likely to view the infant baptism as a welcoming of the babe into the local parish family and an assurance to the parents that God will honor their faith by treating the infant with special care to bring him/her toward eventual faith unto salvation. If we view the infant as having inherited a fallen nature (a proclivity to sin) but not having inherited sin-guilt, then we can conclude that the infant is innocent and therefore in a state of grace (until the first sin is committed), in which case the innocent infant clearly belongs in the church with the redeemed, so (the argument might go) why not baptize the infant? I personally am still wrestling with this issue and, to be honest, infant baptism bothers me. I don't currently believe that infants carry sin-guilt and I favor the practice of a 'baby dedication' as seen in other Protestant churches.
     
    Jellies likes this.
  4. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    4,188
    Likes Received:
    2,122
    Country:
    USA
    Religion:
    Christian attending ACNA
    To add to my above post regarding baptism, I'd like to quote from Jewel's Treatise on the Sacraments:

    Some make doubt of those infants, the children of the faithful, which depart before baptism, whether they be saved or not.  What, shall we say that they are damned? It is a hard matter, and too curious for man to enter into the judgments of God :  his mercy is infinite, and his purpose secret.  He showeth mercy unto those upon whom he will have mercy.  Who can appoint him, or set him an order what he shall do? It is not good, nor standeth with Christian reverence to be contentious and busy in searching out, or reasoning of matters, which the wisdom of God hath hid from our knowledge.

    Yet if any would fain be resolved :  he may thus safely reason.  It is true, that children are born in sin, and that by the sin of one man death hath entered into the world, and that the reward of sin is death  :  but who knoweth, if God have forgiven them their sin? Who is his Counsellor, who knoweth his meaning? Our children are the children of God.  He is our God, and the God of our seed.  They be under the covenant with us.  The soberest way is to speak least, and to leave them to the judgment and mercy of God.​
     
  5. Jellies

    Jellies Active Member

    Posts:
    236
    Likes Received:
    98
    Country:
    Usa
    Religion:
    Christian
    What does grace mean in this context? The sacraments give us grace? Like they help sanctify you and bring you closer to God?
     
  6. Jellies

    Jellies Active Member

    Posts:
    236
    Likes Received:
    98
    Country:
    Usa
    Religion:
    Christian
    I don’t think infants are guilty of original sin either. I think it’s more a “fallen nature” that we are all born to. I also kind of agree with the Lutheran view. That infant baptism imparts faith to the baby and that’s why it gives them saving grace. But then they also believe infants need to be cleansed of original sin so…
     
  7. Invictus

    Invictus Well-Known Member

    Posts:
    2,678
    Likes Received:
    1,484
    Country:
    United States
    Religion:
    Episcopalian
    Here is a link to the 1662 baptismal rite for infants, which is a good place for any discussion of salvation to begin (since baptism is the first sacrament and we cannot receive any sacraments until we’re born). The rite makes reference to “the mystical washing away of sin”.
     
    Stalwart and Jellies like this.