Chapter 6: Martin Luther
The Monk Who Rose Up Against Heaven and Earth
A Mini-Portrait. Luther was a complex man. A prodigious writer, funny and often crude. He could be critical and abrasive. In short, a real character.
The Legend. Catholics hated him. The protestants loved him. He himself would rather have been invisible claiming the Word made the changes he is given credit for.
Justification by Grace through Faith Alone. The road to Luther accepting that grace and faith are the important things, not works and confession of sin.
Imputation. Luther’s idea of justification is that God declares us righteous, not that we are made righteous ( subtle difference). Imputation as opposed to infusion.
Faith Alone. Luther insisted that faith alone was necessary for salvation. He recognized that faith could become a kind of work in itself.
At the Same Time Righteous and a Sinner. We are simultaneously righteous and sinners.
Misrepresentations. Lately there has been an attempt to change the way Luther has been interpreted. One point is that Luther’s argument was not with Catholicism, but with the papacy.
Theology of the Cross. According to Luther, God cannot be know apart from the the cross and his resurrection.
The Reaction. The were much criticism from the establishment. Luther believed that good works are essential as evidence of true faith. “… faith active in love, actually frees us to love out neighbor not for our own sake but for the neighbor’s sake.
Recent Criticisms. Luther’s attitude toward the state and his vindictive against the Jews.
So How Do We Find the True God.
- Salvation is by grace through faith.
- Our faith should be in what Christ did on the cross, not in our inner holiness.
- True faith is trust and a matter of the heart.
- Then, we will be freed from the agony of trying to earn our salvation by being good people.