"The Gospel is a power which saves all who believe in it, or, it is the (divine) Word which is powerful to rescue all who put their trust in it. This indeed is through God and from God! By "power of God" we must not understand the power according to which God Himself is omnipotent as God, but the power by which He makes (anyone or anything) powerful or mighty. ...The Gospel is called the power of God in contradiction to the power of man. ...Man's own power must be destroyed; otherwise the power of God will not be in us; ....
So, then, the verdict holds: He who believes the Gospel, must become weak and foolish before men, in order that he might be strong and wise in the power and wisdom of God". -Martin Luther
Being born again is similar to Lazarus being raised by Christ from the dead. Sinners are dead in their spirits. Their hearts are hard as granite against the truth of God's Word. Surely we can pick and choose those portions of Scripture we like, and this to is being callous toward God's truth. For we must embrace all the truth of God: Sin, being sorry for our sin, repentance, Hell, death, God's wrath, and holy judgment--as well as the truth of His, grace, mercy, love , and forgiveness. God's truth is all found within the 66 books He has purposed to write through His chosen prophets and apostles. Ands we are to be excited about every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and enjoy it, and love it, and so become molded by it, and so become doers of the Word as well.
As Luther says: "The righteousness of God comes altogether from faith, but in such a way that there appear constant growth and constant greater clarity, as it is written in II Corinthians 3:18: "We...are changed into the same image from glory to glory." The words "from faith to faith" therefore signify that the believer grows in the faith more and more, so that he who is justified becomes more and more righteous (in this life)."
3 comments:
Man's own power must be destroyed; otherwise the power of God will not be in us...
Yeah...that's power....alas, this is Grace.
Luther has long had some very strong and highly inspired thoughts.
The wisdom of man is foolishness to God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 shows that progression of man's journey of faith; the "working out your salvation" - good citing Don.
Yea - tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
He leads me to lie down in green pastures....
Too often, I believe, some accept their faith to lie down in the valley of the shadow of death and walk through the green pastures...
The Lord takes us from Glory to Glory - victory to victory...Faith to Faith. Obedience to Obedience.
Good Word Don.
SO glad I can come to your site and get some truths in this crazy world we live in. Thanks be to God for giving the Son to us!
Thanks for the encouragement my brother & sister in Christ.
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