Martin Luther Teaches on Faith and Works
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... something to meditate on this Sunday afternoon!
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| Martin Luther 1525 |
I have been trying to explain
true faith and works that follow for years. In my last book, We Have an Altar, I have a chapter
called “Identification with Christ’s Works”, which is one endeavor. I
especially point to the two examples that James gives: That of Abraham, in his
willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and that of Rahab, in hiding the two Israelite
spies. Therefore, I am thankful for Martin Luther’s powerful Introduction to Saint Paul’s Letter to the
Romans, in which he deals with the subject with much more clarity, far beyond
my capabilities.
I have listened to too many
attempts to teach on this subject that sound to me to be exactly like the dead
works that the dead religions teach, only that these teachers think that the
works are done after salvation, instead of before. They lack Holy Spirit
illumination on the subject, misinterpret the Apostle James’ doctrine and, I
suspect, that they lack the experience of the new birth, from which true,
living, gospel works proceed. Luther shows that true faith and its works are
inseparable. It is false faith that cannot, even by supreme effort ever produce
one living work, but has to resort to dead deeds of unbelief. This is important,
so read well this excellent writing...
Forming a Home for the Glory of God, part I
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Fathers, do not
provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
Raquel, our oldest daughter,
and Daniel, our oldest son, both wrote about their home life in 2012. I think
that a son or daughter can express with more authority the impressions of his
childhood than a parent can. I might have classes, in which I give my opinions
about bringing up children, but in the end, the proof lies with the children
themselves. How did they see their childhood and adolescence?
Of course, we have heard our
other five children speak of similar impressions, as those expressed here, but
I have these written accounts conveniently at hand. They make it easy for me to
convey to you, with greater strength, three basic and essential ingredients
that can make a Christian home stand firm. Dan wrote to us personally and
Raquel wrote in a Christmas letter the statements that I have copied. Also in
2003, Mike, the youngest son, wrote his testimony.
God’s reality
in the home
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| Raquel being interviewed for a TV program |
Raquel: “God
answered prayer after prayer supernaturally. None of us had any excuse to doubt
God.”
“Through
trials, Dad and Mom always prayed for us and God always sent that peace that
passes understanding. They taught us so faithfully to trust God and lived it
themselves.”
“I was
especially thankful for my godly upbringing when we had our car accident and we
found out that especially in trials, God shows himself faithful. He filled us
with such peace and joy and a supernatural acceptance that this too was God's
plan, understanding that so clearly that even to this day I have never wanted
to wish it all away. And the joy remains.” (The accident left Raquel in a wheel chair.)
Saints, Glory, Riches, Hope and Security
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| "The glory of man is as the flower of grass" |
One of the problems that we
face in understanding the Bible is the difference in vocabulary, specifically, because
of the biblical definitions of words. Some have to do with the difference in
time between the New Testament and today and others have to do with the
difference in the ambiance in which the word was learned. There can be a drastic
change in the meaning of things seen from an earthly ambiance, and the
significance given from the biblical, spiritual sphere.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
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Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2
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| Hallowed be Thy name! |
The Gospel of Luke has been
called, I think fitly, the Gospel of Prayer. Here is a list of verses, in which
Luke refers to prayer, showing by the number of them, his interest in this
highest of Christian privileges and practices: 1:10, 13; 2:37; 3:21; 5:16;
6:12; 9:18, 28-29; 10:2; 11:1-13; 18:1-14; 19:46; 21:36; 22:40-46.
We can see then why Luke, of
all the Gospel writers, would not pass over the occasion when one of the
disciples, after Jesus had been praying, asked him to teach them all to pray.
Leonard Ravenhill, I suppose among many others, made note of the fact that the
disciple’s desire came, as he heard Christ pray, and his request followed
immediately after he finished. “He didn’t ask, ‘Teach us to sing’ or ‘Teach
us to preach’”, Len would say, “but
‘Teach us to pray’”. There was something so enviable about His communion
with the Father… its intimacy, its excellence and passion… that it set the
disciple’s heart on fire. He wanted this!
Four Questions Concerning the Resurrection
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The
writer of Hebrews declared “so great a salvation” and the reason it is so great
is because it is a masterpiece of the omnipotent and omniscient God. The
resurrection of Christ was the final proof that the work of salvation on the
cross was fulfilled, that it originated in God, it was perfectly carried out by the triune God, and that it is powerfully able to save from sin
and death.
My dad used to talk about an old
saint, who one day asked a younger believer if he was saved. “Oh yes,” the man
replied, “Three times already!” The old fellow replied, “Two times too many.”
It is a very extreme doctrine that has man gaining and losing his salvation
repeatedly. He is not only born again - but again and again. That mentality
cheapens “so great salvation”, and spiritual shipwreck is too often the result.
If this is a day of “greasy grace” and “easy believism”
(I believe it is), we had better not forget that it is also a day of
huge dependence upon man’s abilities and responsibilities. The world’s arrogant
concept of super men and superhuman ability comes sweeping into the church. We
can do anything and everything depends on us! Religion teaches what man can do
for God to gain his salvation. True
Christianity teaches what God
has done for man, so that salvation can be a free
gift… and I still believe it.
Is Salvation Only Forgiveness?
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Important messages
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| William Law (1686-1761) |
Our friend, Leonard
Ravenhill, said that to be forgiven was to be half-saved. I would add that to be half-saved is to be
totally lost. Bible salvation means not only to be forgiven, but to be
transformed into a new creation that loves righteousness and hates sin. From
the first half of the 18th Century come these words from William Law…
But you will say, “Do not all
Christians desire to have Christ to be their Savior?” Yes. But here is the
deceit; all would have Christ to be their Savior in the next world and to help them into Heaven when they die, by His
power and merits with God. But this is not willing Christ to be your Savior.
For His salvation, if it is had, must be had in this world; if He saves you, it
must be done in this life by changing and altering all that is within you, by helping
you to a new heart, as He helped the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the
dumb to speak.
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