Sunday, April 15, 2012

Luther's Works - Linked



The website is way out and the format is terrible, but you will find more of Luther's works together here than anywhere else. I linked it in the left column, near the top. You can find Calvin, the Church Fathers, and many other theologians on the main page here.

God Rules has posted all of the Baker Luther sermons (8 volumes). I am interested in re-publishing them in calm, attractive format. They are public domain.

Another place to find Luther's sermons is this Lutheran congregation's website.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Luther's Works - Linked":

Luther always wrote eloquently about the faith of the Holy Spirit, the righteousness of Christ.

Today's UOJists attack the Holy Spirit's faith, attributing faith to men as their work in believing - UOJ's faith is an "empty beggars hand". This is one point on which I find agreement with the UOJ promoters. Their faith is such a withered and empty beggars hand which recieves the fruit of their false gospel. UOJ's faith, an act of man, can only be created by something that is already a reality - by their own teaching - their faith can only be created by the forgiveness of sins already declared. The putrid irony is that by their teaching, and there are many versions of their central doctrine (each contradicting the other), is that faith clings to the forgiveness of sins declared by God to be theirs before they believed so that their sins may be forgiven after they believe that they've already been forgiven. And in the antiglorious fashion of the Devil himself the contradictions of UOJ are touted as proof that the doctrine is from God since His ways are not our ways and therefore men should see God's hand in the contradictions.

On the other hand (no pun intended) the Holy Spirit's faith is that which God graciously creates through the Means Of Grace, working Godly contrition over sin and faith in Christ alone. By this faith in Chirst a man dies to sin, having been alive to the Law, is raised again to live under God's grace, is adopted as a child of the Triune God, is renewed in Spirit, Christ dwells in him and he in Christ, receives Christ's righteousness for the forgiveness of sins, justification and eternal life - instantaneously and not as a contradiction laden process that UOJ promotes.

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GJ - The UOJ Enthusiasts play top dog 24/7. The result is a constant effort to be more UOJ-than-thou. But, it is also the natural consequence of omitting the foundational concepts of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.

Brett is coming at the issue from the perspective of the Holy Spirit at work, which is just as valid. His emphasis shows God the Holy Spirit at work. The UOJ objections to justification by faith are absurd, but they run to that term, justification by faith, to fool their audience.

The one consistent dogma of OJ or UOJ is justification of the entire world, declaring every single polytheist and atheist forgiven and saved, without faith - without the Word, without the Means of Grace.