I wrote, in the Universalism thread, that I was once dead in my transgressions before my conversion. Now I'm wondering if that's true. In one way, it feels true and reading C.S. Lewis' conversion story, it seems that he also went through the same experience. But I don't think it's strictly kosher with what Baxter teaches because he always emphasizes that we're all connected to Christ and therefore, none of us are dead.
Also, both C.S. Lewis and I had a childhood faith, became atheists in our teen years and then came back to Chrisitianity in our adulthood. We also grew in the knowledge of who God is. In my case, the Person to whom I thought I was asking forgiveness and promising my allegiance is very different from the Person I know now.
As Paul writes in Ephesians 2, We were all dead in our transgressions and sins before our conversion. If Baxter teaches that all people are connected to Christ and therefore, none of us are dead, then I have to disagree. The apostle Paul writes that 'you also were included in Christ when you heard the gospel of our salvation.' (Eph. 2:13) According to Paul, when we were baptised, we were baptised into Jesus Christ. Therefore, conversion in a Christian's life is not only a once off event, but a daily event. Conversion is a daily dying with Christ (repentance) through our baptism and rising with him to live a new life (Rom. 6:4).
I wrestled quite a bit with that bit of Baxter theology. Eventually, I talked to my pastor who is as influenced by Barth as Baxter is influenced by Torrance. Basically, it's a both/and situation.
All of us are alive in Christ because He is the only source of life. Our being/souls are grounded in Him. Yet, Paul is correct to also say we were all dead in our transgressions when the gospel or the Good News came to us.
My pastor said salvation is an objective reality because of what our Triune God accomplished on the cross. But it is not subjectively real in each person's life until they respond to this knowledge in faith and repent. I think this is what Baxter is saying as well except he does not use the terms "objective reality" and "subjective reality".
However, what Paul wrote gives universalists great hope. We were all dead when the Word of God reached us. We were just as dead as those who have died physically. Everything that we have had to be given to us, including the faith to respond to God. Dare we hope mercy, grace and faith is still available after a person's physical death?
