The Gospel Seminar

"Luther Quotations": #10

The Gospel Seminar: "Luther Quotations":

The most pressing issue in the church today is the systemic lack of understanding concerning the true gospel of Christ. This is true of church leadership as well as the average congregant. For that reason, much of "TGS Blog"in the next couple of years, Lord willing, will be quotations from one of the men who most deeply understood and wrote about that gospel, Martin Luther. Brief commentary from myself will occasionally accompany these quotations from Luther.
The reason for a two year plan to quote the great reformer is because the gospel is very, very difficult to get "rooted and established" (Ephesians 3) in our hearts. I have found that only by the repetitive hammering of the gospel into my mind and heart day after day, month after month,and year after year am I able to "know" the gospel intimately and be able to "rely"on it for power for daily living (I John 4; 16).

Quotations from Luther will be from 2 sources; 1) from The Crossway Classic Commentary, and 2) from the IBook "Christian Classics; Works of Martin Luther"
Occasionally I may interject a word or phrase into Luther's quotations. My additions will look like (THIS).
This material is to be read devotionally and hopefully leading the reader to spend time worshipping Christ at the end of each blog for His beauty and the beauty of His gospel

"Luther Quotation": #10

"...the gospel I preached is not something man made up..." (1:11, 12)


We can get very discouraged at how quickly and deeply we forget the gospel and become controlled by other things, such as our pressing, daily concerns. Christians in Galatia, Colosse, Philippi, and many other local churches had this similar problem. The author to the epistle of Hebrews writes to his audience about the same matter when he writes the following:
                "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,
                                           so that we do not drift away." (2;1)


Listen to Luther describe his own struggle in this matter:


"Moreover, the matter of justification is brittle-not in itself, for it is most sure and certain, but in respect to us, within us. I have myself experienced this, for I sometimes wrestle in hours of darkness. I know how often I suddenly lose the beams of the gospel and grace. It is as though thick dark clouds obscure them from me. So I know about the slippery place in which we stand, even if we are experienced and seem to be sure footed in matters of faith. We are experienced in this matter, for we are able to teach it to others, and this is a sure sign that we understand it. But when in the midst of the battle we should avail ourselves of the gospel that is the word of grace, consolation, and life, at that moment the law, the word of wrath, heaviness and death come in front of the gospel and begin to rage; this terrorizes the conscience just as much as on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18). Even one passage of scripture containing some threat of the law overwhelms and drowns all other consolations and so shakes our inner powers that it makes us forget justification, grace, Christ, and the gospel."

So, this being true of all Christians every where, what should we do? Hebrews 2 again:
                   "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have
                                    heard, so that we do not drift away." (2;1)

Meaning: We must be more careful day by day to "that which we have heard'', that is, careful about knowing and maintaining the truths of the gospel of Gods love toward us in Christ Jesus apart from any and all of my righteous efforts.

This is the gospel!