Something from ... Luther's "The Bondage of the Will" (Entry #7)

INTRODUCTORY NOTES:  During the life of Martin Luther, Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus, was urged by Roman Catholic Church leaders to challenge Luther’s teachings and to condemn him.  Although Erasmus would rather have kept the peace in the Church, Erasmus was finally goaded into attacking Luther.  Erasmus intended to defend the official Roman Catholic teaching that God’s grace was needed to do the works by which man could then merit additional grace.  Luther’s response to Erasmus is known as The Bondage of the Will (De Servo Arbitrio).  Although Luther had published a myriad of writings in his career, he did not consider them worth preserving.  Luther regarded The Bondage of the Will as a rare exception to that rule.  In it, Luther writes at length that “free will” in spiritual matters is a lie, and that, if man actually has free will, then God loses such attributes as grace, omnipotence, and even his right to be God.

            The quotations from Luther in this blog post come from The Bondage of the Will translated by J. I. Packer and O. R. Johnston, Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI. © 1957.

            The following are thoughts concerning Luther’s arguments, urging us to LET GOD BE GOD.  Something from Luther’s The Bondage of the Will.

Let God be our teacher.

            Christian pastors are grieved when the people they serve fall away from the Church.  The Christian laity are also grieved when they see their churches decreasing in attendance.  The reasons for this are not always godly.  For example, the lack of members attending on Sundays will likely mean that the offerings will also be lacking.  This is not, however, a good reason to be grieved.  Jesus did not die for our offerings.  Jesus came to save sinners.  When those who have been saved begin to drift away from the Church or abandon it altogether, it grieves Jesus.  It also grieves those who bear his name.
            One solution that is offered to retain members is to steer clear of the biblical teachings which our society at large finds distasteful or deplorable.  The argument goes this way: "As long as they believe in Jesus, let's not worry about the other teachings which would drive them away."  However, we have no right to edit God's word or to dismiss portions of it.  And it is rebellion against God's word when we refuse to teach, preach, and confess all that God teaches.  To be ashamed of God's word, especially when it is done to find common ground with a sinful world, results in a fiery judgment.
            That said, parts of God's word will always be considered distasteful and deplorable to our sinful world.  Nevertheless, we are duty bound to teach, preach, and confess them.  If God has given his word to us, it is good and it is for our good.  Our sinful flesh may hate it.  But the problem is with our sinful flesh, not with a good and gracious God.  Our sinful world will continue to change its mind concerning what is distasteful and deplorable.  God's word shall endure forever.  Therefore, faithful pastors and Christians will continue to teach, preach, and confess what God says.  We let God be God, and we let God teach us as he deems good, right, and salutary.  Something from Luther states this sentiment:
            “As I said above, what may be found in or proved by the sacred writings is both plain and wholesome, and so may safely be published, learned and known—and, indeed, should be.  So your statement, that some things should not be exposed to everyone's hearing, if made with reference to the contents of Scripture, is false....” (page 86)