"Luther Quotations": #20
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 Quotations": #20
"...That we may be justified by faith in Christ Jesus and not by observing the law."
(Galatians 2;16)
There have been many great acts of obedience and faith in service to God by the saints over these many years of biblical history. Here is a very short list of some of those great acts performed by God's people:
1. Moses splitting the Red Sea and delivering God's people from the Egyptians
2. Noah building the Ark
3. David conquering Goliath and many thousands of other enemies of Israel
4. Solomon's building the temple for God
5. Daniels interpretation of dreams and bravery in the lion's den
Another great saint of old is Abraham. His acts of circumcision and willingness to sacrifice his only son in service to God certainly must have made him pleasing and acceptable with God (along with the other saints of God and their acts mentioned above). Listen to Luther as he puts Abraham's great acts of service into a biblical framework of understanding:
"For example, circumcision, the institution of the priesthood, the service and the ceremonies of the temple were commanded by God just as much as the Ten Commandments. Moreover, when Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, that was the law. What Abraham did pleased God no less than other acts of the ceremonial law. Yet he was not justified by his action but by faith, for Scripture says,'Abraham believed (TRUSTED COMPLETELY AND ALONE) God, and it was credited (ACCOUNTED) to him as righteousness (GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS).' (Romans 4;3)"
There are hundreds of great acts of faith and service recorded in the scriptures performed over these thousands of years. However, not one single act done by any one of them at any point of time in all recorded history ever made them justified in the sight of God. This act of making someone justified in the sight of God was accomplished completely and alone by God's only son, Jesus Christ.
You, too, will inevitably have a lifetime of good and noble and even godly efforts. Yet, be assured, not a single one of these godly efforts (or the accumulation of such acts over a lifetime) will make you acceptable/justified in the sight of God. That can ONLY be accomplished by Christ alone.
This is the gospel!
No comments:
Post a Comment