- That if a Lutheran stresses faith and promotes it, he is being a Calvinist. This misunderstands old Lutheranism. This is the fallacy of false dilemma.
- That if a Lutheran stresses faith he must be looking at faith as a form of works. Jesus and St. Paul enjoined people to faith, did they consider faith as a form of works by their admonition to believe? This is the fallacy of a category mistake.
- That if a Lutheran stresses faith it will lead him to being robbed of his assurance of salvation. So what is the solution? Promote the doctrine of psycho-quasi Christianized Universalism? More category mistakes and false assumptions.
- That a Lutheran's assurance of salvation is never shakeable. Really? Only if he is a Universalist. If it can never be shaken, why would the BoC make you run to the Word and Sacraments?
As before said, they regard faith of slight importance; for they do not understand that it is our sole justifier. To accept as true the record of Christ–this they call faith. The devils have the same sort of faith, but it does not make them godly. Such belief is not Christian faith; no, it is rather deception.
13. In the preceding epistles we have heard that to be a Christian it is not enough simply to believe the story of Christ true–the Cain-like saints possess such faith–but the Christian must without any hesitancy believe himself one to whom grace and mercy are given, and that he has really secured them through baptism or through the Holy Supper. When he so believes, he is free to say of himself: “I am holy, godly and just. I am a child of God, perfectly assured of salvation. Not because of anything in me, not because of my merits or works, am I saved; it is of the pure mercy of God in Christ, poured out upon me.
7 comments:
Good to hear from you.
Have you ever engaged Steve Martin at "The Old Adam Lives" on this topic?
JK,
Frankly S>M. and I will disagree, I do not think he has full appreciation of where Luther is coming from.
S.M. and others are reacting against the preponderance of faith talk amongst Evangelicals that imply one can make a decision at will and decide to believe.
Here are what I believe old time Lutherans think of the matter:
- Faith has an object which very precisely is the Atonement of Jesus.
- Faith is never a decision of man as if he can exercise it at will, saving faith that is.
- Faith is created by God therefore is said to be a gift.
- Faith is never created by God without any means. No, rather God uses instruments of Word and Sacrament to create faith in the life of a sinner.
- Faith can be lost and so justification can be lost similar to us losing a gift. I have lost already my grand father's watch.
- Faith (saving) is sustained and made alive by God in the life of the believer by the use of the same Word and Sacrament that were used to create it in the first place.
Non-Lutheran Prots maybe taught of as sub-Lutherans because they honor the Word but they separate the HS from the Sacraments. This is something Lutherans fight against.
LPC
Well said Lito. I'm sorry about your grandfather's watch. I rejoice that you have faith in Christ alone.
71] "but we maintain this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christ's sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because "to be justified" means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term "to be justified" is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being accounted righteous. Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission of sins".
http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php
B.M.,
I am very glad you made me aware of Luther's Galatians Sermon.
Blessings,
LPC
JK,
My last statement should have been "may be thought of". I am becoming dyslexic with the keyboard because of age.
LPC
Hi guys.
I don't disagree with anything in this post.
Luther was right!
"but the Christian must without any hesitancy believe himself one to whom grace and mercy are given, and that he has really secured them through baptism or through the Holy Supper. When he so believes, he is free to say of himself: “I am holy, godly and just. I am a child of God, perfectly assured of salvation. Not because of anything in me, not because of my merits or works, am I saved; it is of the pure mercy of God in Christ, poured out upon me."
I agree with every word in that statement because it puts the entire project onto Christ, and takes it totally away from me.
"If you believe it, you've got it."
also Luther
Thanks!
sma,
You are welcome and thanks for letting us know.
LPC
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