For this evening’s lecture, Dr. Walther opened up by discussing how the worst fault in modern (December, 1884) preaching is that the sermons lack point and purpose; this can be noticed particularly in the sermons of modern preachers who are believers. (The preachers who are nonbelievers have a purpose, it’s just not a good one.) Neither Christ, nor the Holy Apostles preached in that fashion. After they spoke, every hearer knew, “He means me.” The word of God, when preached as it should be, never returns void. Then Walther got into the Eight Thesis. The word of God is not rightly divided when the Law is preached to those who are already in terror on account of their sins or the Gospel to those who live securely in their sins. Then Walther lists the six points of difference between Law and Gospel he has covered so far. The sixth, as regards the persons to whom either the on or the other doctrine must be preached, is the last one for a reason. Then Walther makes examples of how Jesus preaches Gospel to those who are in terror or guilt from their sins. Such people include; An adulterous woman, Zacchaeus, The Prodigal Son, The thief, and the Jailer of Philippi. Then Walther goes into one of Luther’s writings, where Luther brought comfort to Spalatin, a man who advised a pastor to marry the stepmother of his deceased wife. Walther goes into Luther’s Letter. In the letter, Luther grants that the Spalatin had committed a grievous wrong by approving the marriage, by advising in favor of it before it was contracted. However, Luther goes on to say the marriage can be dissolved for it is not legitimate, and it would be a greater sin now to despair of the mercy of God than it was to advise this marriage. For Despairing of God’s mercy is always the most horrible sin, because it means that we declare God to be a liar. Luther continues by asking why Spalatin was surprised at his grievous fall? That’s a common occurrence. The terrible part is only that we refuse to rise again and, like miserable reprobates, crawl back to the thrown of Grace. Luther finds only two ways to explain to himself why Spalatin refuses to be comforted. Either he has not been aware of the fact that he is a great sinner by nature, or, Satan must have hidden every consolation out of Spalatin’s sight. When a person has committed a great sin and is unconcerned about it, he is beyond help. However, when he worries about it, his help has already come. Luther then relates to that point, “Aha! you want to be a painted sinner and, accordingly, expect to have in Christ a painted Savior. You will have to get used to the belief that Christ is a real Savior and You a real sinner. For God is neither jesting nor dealing in imaginary affairs, but He was greatly and most assuredly in ernest when He sent His own Song into the world and sacrificed Him for our sakes.“ It is Christ that absolves you from this and all your sins; and I am a partaker of your Sin by helping you to bear up under it. Then Walther continues to explain the good points in Luther’s letter. When the hammer of Law has crushed us, we are to flee from Moses to Christ. Christ did not come to fill us with sadness, but with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Then Walther gets into another letter from Luther, sent to Spenlein. In the letter some of the main points are; Say to Christ: Thou, my Lord Jesus, art my Righteousness; I am Thy sin. Thou hast taken from me what is mine and hast given me what is Thine. Thou didst become what Thou wert not and madest me to be what I was not. Beware of your ceaseless striving after a righteousness so great that you no longer appear as a sinner in your own eyes and do not want to be as sinner. For Christ dwells only in sinners. Also, for if we must achieve rest of conscience by our own toil and worry, for what purpose did he die? Then the letter ends, and Walther makes a pretty good point, “Bold sinners do not acknowledge that they are sinners. What others call sin they call human weakness and a natural, inborn disposition.” Then Walther concluded that Luther’s letter to Spenlein is the most beautiful Gospel that can be preached. For it declares that Christ has come in behalf of everybody, that He has borne every man’s sin, that He calls on every one to believe in him, to rejoice and rest assured that his sins are forgiven and that in the hour of death he will depart saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment