To a Christian, it is easy to see that sinful man wants so badly to run his own salvation. It is a little harder to see, but still evident, that man also blames his actions for his failures. What a contradiction! You want to be saved by the same things you first blame when something goes wrong! "What did I do to get cancer?" "Why did I get into the car wreck? I must have done something wrong." "Katrina hit New Orleans because of
I think this probably isn't anything too deep to think about for the Confessional Lutheran. However, it bears repeating because it is so basic and easy to fall into the traps and lies we tell ourselves. It is a practice in self-deception that we can save ourselves, that we really "aren't that bad," or that we are ok anyway. If you don't come out of the service sobered (not drunk with your sinful self), then you either didn't hear the proper preaching of the Word, weren't paying attention, or any number of detrimental aspects. You should be sober and realize that you can't do it yourself, everything you have done is "vanity" (as in Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon), and your only hope is in Christ. To expect to either be happy and joyful, or on the flip side gloomy and depressed, is to expect vanity in place of real worth. It is something to think about and be wary of. Our works mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Only the work of God (whether through us or not) is what matters. True self-deception is using the boards of the bottom of the boat to bail it out. It just doesn't work.
5 comments:
I just realized there was a typo in here. The following sentence:
"However, isn't it also the defninition of insanity to also rely on e gloomy and deprethose very same works to save you?"
Should read:
"However, isn't it also the definition of insanity to also rely on those very same works to save you?"
I apologize for the typos.
Are there really people who believe in a "make love not war" Jesus? And why is Lutheranism a "twist" on Biblical teaching? Don't you believe it is actual Bible teaching? Or is it something extra?
Anonymous,
Unfortuantely, yes there are. The people who believe that there is not a time or place for anger, defense of the Faith, or speaking the Word are people who forget that there is a time and place for everything (see Ecclesiastes). Anger that is without cause and/or lasting past its time isn't healthy for mind or soul. Anger at those things which are against God's Word has its time and place, but in the end, it is still God's perogative to punish in this life and not ours. Too many people are passive in their faith, letting emotions and their lives take center stage. It is these influences that I wish to combat, and they usually take the form of "non-confrontational worship" or some other lukewarm "program." They focus on easy loving and happy feelings, not the warfare that all Christians are engaged in. The bigger enemy in my mind is not the Stalin with soldiers knocking on doors, but the honey-sweet seduction of possibly well-meaning, but horribly wrong, christians in their Churches.
By no means is this "extra" or added on! The Bible is the only truth, anything I come up with, even if it sounds good, if it contradicts the Bible, then don't listen to me! I would rather you listen to the Bible than anything I say. My only caution either way is not to read into the Bible, but let the Bible, in its Entirety, stand so. Only after reading Daniel and Jeremiah can you start to understand even the most basic "end times" references. Only by reading the Torah (first 5 books) can you start to understand the need for Christ.
Lutheranism is only Christianity stripped of pomp and useless man-made rules and regulations. As for the "twist" aspect, Lutherans have a distinct take on things that is separate and unique, especially from Calvinism, which is prevalent in the USA in the Baptist variations. So the "twist" is simply a nod to the approaches of Luther and the church that bears his name (which isn't something Luther would have liked anyway, but there isn't a better way to distinguish). I apologize if this caused confusion- I only intended to display the Lutheran roots of this blogger, not to place anything "Lutheran" over the Bible. Heaven forbid that!
I didn't see Anon.'s refferenced points in your post, possibly he/she read into it a little, but certainly good area's to explore non the less.
Asking of ourselves "What have I done to deserve this" when misfortune falls upon us probably is our old Adam trying to re assert himself as own saviour.
When the Devil may be repulsed by our proclamation of the uselessness of our good works, he then waits for the trials and tribulations to whisper to us, "Yes, but what about your failures, your sins, surely they caused this?"
This is only the flip side to Works Rightousness, it's the same coin though, what I'm doing or failing to do for God's favor.
Whey Lay,
They appear in my "about me" section.
You're right- they are the same coin. Think of it as the biggest bad penny ever- no matter what side you turn, it's always bad news. Is it any wonder why God had to save us?
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