THE TRUE RULE OF CHRISTIANITY
Contrary to these vain trifles and doting dreams, we teach faith, and give a true rule of Christian divinity in this sort: first, that a man must be taught by the law to know himself, that so he may learn to say with the prophet “All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); also “There is none righteous, no not one; (Romans 3:10-11); also, “Against Thee only have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4)...
Here now the sinner beginneth to sigh, and saith in this wise: who then can give succour? For he being thus terrified by the law, utterly despaireth of his own strength: he looketh about and sigheth for the help of another, of a Mediator and Saviour. Here then cometh in good time the healthful Word of
the Gospel, and saith, “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee” (St. Matt. 9:2). Believe in Jesus Christ, crucified for they sins. If thou feel thy sins, and the burden thereof, look not upon them in thyself, but remember that they are translated and laid upon Christ (Isa. 53:5). This is the beginning of health and salvation.
By this means we are delivered from sin, justified and made inheritors of everlasting life, not for our own works and deserts, but for our faith, whereby we lay hold upon Christ.
Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:15-16, p. 69f.
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GJ - Luther warned everyone against the dreams of the philosophers, the invented distinctions of His Holiness, the Antichrist.
But the ignorant, foolish, and deluded UOJ Enthusiasts run to their OJ and their SJ, much like the papal condign and congruous merit labels, and pet them over and over. OJ and SJ are their toy poodles, so adorable and harmless. Anyone against OJ poodle and SJ poodle is a an obvious poodle-hater and must be consigned to the lowest depths of Hell with all those guilt-free saints.
From their double-justification labels (from Halle University Pietism and a Calvinist translator) they leap into nasty personal attacks. Heaven forbid they would crack a Book of Concord, a Luther commentary, or Luther's English Bible (the KJV).
Medium Rare pointed out, months ago, that the primary error of UOJ was their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. John 16:8ff shows how true this is. Christ Jesus defined sin as the Holy Spirit convicting the world that they do not utterly trust in Him.
Sin is not denying OJ! Every time I see that claim, delivered with great indignation, I laugh.
The most obvious sin of UOJ, besides blasphemy, is turning something good - faith - into something dark and terrible. At the end of their diatribes they have a toss-away line, "you gotta believe this UOJ," but that is nothing more than an additional perversion.
Later I will spend more time on faith itself, but I want to point out what one observer said. "They separate all those things that belong together - the Gospel, the Means of Grace, election, the Holy Spirit, faith. They are all connected."
That is a philosophical mindset, one that eventually killed off orthodoxy and paved the way for Pietism. The fading orthodoxy of Europe turned each Latin label into a new skirmish, so studying for the ministry was a tedious lesson in philosophical polemics.
The Pietists drew large crowds simply by opening the Bible and working through the actual content of the Bible. The Word of God is efficacious. When given a choice between Pietism, philosophical polemics and its cousin, rationalism, many chose Pietism.
