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Psalm 1
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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
(ESV)
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No Other Way
Wednesday of Easter 7
23 May 2012
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There are sophists everywhere! Those who teach that our efforts or our disposition are what make us right in the sight of God Martin Luther calls sophists. Of course, there is a whole philosophical background to this word, but Luther is using it of those medieval theologians and church leaders who emphasized in their teaching the righteousness of the person over the righteousness of the person of Christ. However, this emphasis was not unique with the medieval schoolmen and those who followed them. No, this is the doctrine of every religion except orthodox, biblical Christianity. This is the doctrine which is delivered to us in our mother's milk. It is the teaching which is inscribed upon our hearts from the Fall on. It is the default theological position of every human being, and the founding presupposition of every culture. It is the teaching that righteousness is ours and is based on our works and efforts. It is earned by us. Our status depends upon it; not only in the world, but also in the sight of the eternal God. Who you are depends entirely on what you can do in a world governed by the law. We are born and bred to perform. And when we don't (which is all the time), we are burdened with unspeakable guilt. Our heart rises up and condemns us. We feel the burden of the law and its righteous accusation against our lack of righteousness. Where do you go from there? What remedy can be given to such a pernicious malady?
How often I see people struggling with this legalistic relationship with the world, God, and others. I think many of the manias that hurt our world are the result of this false and heretical religion based on human works. Those who are devoted to this religion know in their heart of hearts that it will never be fully successful; that they will never reach the level of piety necessary to be considered truly holy. But strive they still do and with every failed effort a new guilt and recrimination arises.
Our Lord tells us that we needn't live this way. We needn't be so occupied by the sophistry we've been fed by parents, teachers, pastors, and other common peddlers of this doctrinal myth. But it is easier said than done. This soul-grinding teaching cannot be left behind so easily. It will be a battle between flesh and spirit until there will be no more reason to fight. The intense influence which the heart inured by this teaching has over our person and personality is incalculable. It is constantly humiliating to us that we are subject to these fundamental elements of the world (Col 2:20-21). It leaves us with no place left to go than to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message that our sins and guilt have been laid upon Him and have been taken away by His suffering and death. This teaching is so different than the culture-religion taught to us everywhere. Yet, the true gospel is seldom heard, so little proclaimed that it hardly has a chance to be planted among us. It has an uphill battle every day. It doesn't fit with what we know best. It must be proclaimed to us because there is no other way to know it. | |
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Martin Luther
"I say these things because I want to warn you against the pernicious errors of the sophists about holiness of life by which our minds can become so occupied that we are not able to overcome them without great effort. Therefore, only with zealous labor are you able rightly to discern between true righteousness and holiness on the one hand and hypocritical righteousness and holiness on the other. Then you are able to see with entirely different eyes, so much better than human reason. You are able to see with spiritual eyes and you are able to judge certainly that person to be holy who has been baptized and believes in Christ. Furthermore, in this faith by which he has been justified and his sins have been remitted, both past and present, he himself abstains from the desires of the flesh. He has not been absolutely cleansed from these, because the flesh desires against the spirit. These sordid sins remain in him so that he might be humbled. He is so deeply humbled so that he might taste the sweetness of the grace and blessing of Christ. Those sordid and remaining sins do not hinder, but especially are an advantage to believers. No matter how greatly they feel their infirmities and their sins, so greatly do they flee to the mercy seat of Christ (Rm 3:25) and they seek His help so that He might beautify them with His righteousness, cause them to grow in faith, and to give to them the Spirit, by whose leading they conquer the evil desires of the flesh, so that they become servants rather than masters. So the Christian perpetually struggles with sin. While he is struggling he does not succumb, but obtains the victory.
"These things I say so that you might understand who the saints truly are, not on the basis of human dreams, but according to the Word of God. Therefore, we see Christian doctrine especially being useful for comforting consciences. In this same way this doctrine is not about monastic cowls, tonsures, rosaries, and other useless things, but concerning difficult and great matters, namely that we ought also to overcome sin, death, and devil. This doctrine is unknown to the self-righteous. So it is impossible for them to help even one erring conscience or to comfort and give peace to someone who is terrified and despairing."
Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 5.19
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Prayer
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us rightly to know Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that following His steps we may steadfastly walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
For Cliff Scherer, Sr., that the Lord would grant him the ability to return home soon
For David Brda, who has been deployed to Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps, that he would be kept safe as he carries out his duty
For President Matthew Harrison, that the Lord of the church would grant him wisdom
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Art: DUBOIS, Thomas Lamb of God
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 © Scott R. Murray, 2012
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