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Luther would have been pelted with dung on Steadfast “Luther”ans for his repeated usage of the word “faith” in his sermons. The word “faith” even outnumbered the collective total occurrences of “Christ,” “Jesus,” and “Savior.” Obviously Luther’s hearers went home confused and wondering if they had enough faith to be saved…
From the First Sermon (1522):
“7. …Therefore, let everyone here remember, that no one dare undertake to be saved by the faith, or by the work of another person; in truth, it cannot be done by the faith or work of Mary, or of any saint, yea, not even by Christ’s work and faith, but through your own personal faith. For God will not permit Mary, or any other saint, not even Christ himself, to take your place, in order that you might be godly and righteous, unless you believe for your own self.”
“8. …Unless you yourself draw out from God’s kindness and mercy a faith of your own, you will not be saved. Thus it must be; otherwise no other person’s faith or works avail, not even Christ, though he is the Savior of all the world; his kindness, his help will do you no good whatever, unless you believe in it, and are enlightened by it.”
“10. …For my own faith must stand before God’s judgment, and must fight so hard and cleave so firmly to God’s mercy, that the sweat will run down its face, if it is to prevail.”
“13. … Thus, if I happen to notice that you have no faith of your own, or a weak faith, I go and ask God to help, you to obtain faith, not by giving you my faith and my works, but your own faith and your own works; so that Christ may give him all his works and salvation through faith, as he hath given them to us by faith.”
“18. This we see in our text. These people approach the Lord in strong confidence, praying for the poor man, and their prayer is also heard. In the same manner, when baptism is performed we see this take place in the children’s faith. There are the infants, bare and naked in body and soul, having neither faith nor works. Then the Christian Church comes forward and prays, that God would pour faith into the child; not that our faith should help the child, but that it may obtain a faith of its own. If it has faith, then after that whatever it does is well done, whether it suckle its mother’s breast, or whether it soil itself, or whatever it may please to do. But if it does not obtain faith, our faith is of no value to the child.”
“19. … Hence, to sum up all, everything depends upon personal faith, as strong as it is, so much does it need the faith and prayer of other people in order to increase in strength.”
Compare Luther’s words above with this sage advice:
“We never want to give anyone even the remotest impression that they should put faith in their faith, or trust in their trust.” (http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=22123&cpage=2#comment-416159)
Let the dung-pelting begin.
