The Gospel Seminar

"Luther Quotations": #12a

"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles..." (1;15-17)


Not only do our sins separate us from God but also our religious, obedient efforts can separate us from God as well! Do you understand this?
Luther could, in some ways, be said to be more religious, more devout, more obedient, and more
God-fearing than any one in his own day and even in our own day and age. However, Luther came to discover that all his religious efforts were making him an enemy of Christ and the gospel!

Consider how this may apply to your own life as you hear Luther on this most important point;

"I too have come to the knowledge of grace by the very same (RELIGIOUS) 'merits.' I crucified Christ daily in my monastic life...and false faith in which I then lived all the time. Outwardly I was NOT like other people-extortioners, unjust, whore mongers; rather, I practice (RELIGIOUS) poverty, (RELIGIOUS) chastity, and (RELIGIOUS) obedience....I was only given to (RELIGIOUS) fasting, watching, praying, saying masses, and so on. Yet underneath this cloak of (RELIGIOUS) holiness, and trust in my own righteousness, I fostered continual mistrust, doubting, fear, hatred...My (OWN RELIGIOUS) righteousness was nothing but a filthy puddle and the very kingdom of the devil. Satan loves such 'saints'..."

No amount of religious obedience BEFORE you become a Christian and no amount of religious obedience AFTER you become a Christian can bring you into an acceptable (justified) status in the sight of God. This can only and completely be accomplished by Christ. And he has accomplished this very thing on behalf of his people (Galatians 1; 3, 4, Romans 5;1)!

This is the gospel!

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."