The Freedom of The Christian

Recently I read The Freedom of the Christian by Martin Luther on line at Theology Network.

Far from doing a book review now, although I do suggest you read it, is more so just to talk about the wonderful theology that Luther’s eyes were opened too.

When Luther first understood that he was saved by Grace through faith it totally changed him and he wrote many great works after that. He was said to write quicker than the printers could publish! I think the illustration I like most is the one he uses much of a prostitute marrying a King. He explains the doctrine of justification by faith in using this example. If a prostitute marries a King then when she marries him it doesn’t mean that suddenly she is not a prostitute and that she has not done all of the things she has done, but now because of her marriage to the King she becomes Queen because she is married to the King! In marriage don’t the Bride and Groom vow ‘everything I am is yours and everything I have I share with you’? So it is the same with Jesus imparting His Righteousness to us. When we are reconciled to God through faith in Jesus then, although we remain sinners, we become righteous by our association and joining to the Righteous One! Everything Jesus is becomes ours because of our joining to Him, and everything we have which is sinful he takes on Himself. I love this illustration and the greatness of what it illustrates.

This is the whole basis and essence of the Christian Faith, and it is what our freedom stems from. As I try to learn more of Jesus I want to learn to love this doctrine with all my heart as I realise that I am so sinful and that I am in desperate need of a great Saviour. Praise God for Jesus! Trough Him we are totally clean, totally free! This means we don’t have to try and earn God’s approval because Jesus has done this, and now God looks at us and is totally happy with us because He sees Jesus’ righteousness, this is truly awesome!

The Unquenchable Flame

Last week I read The Unquenchable Flame by Mike Reeves which, as stated in the sub-heading, is an introduction to the reformation.

At New Word Alive this year Mike Reeves led the seminar on Justification in which he used most of the material of this book.

It was just amazing to learn about how all of 500 years ago some people started reading the Bible without the Pope’s interpretation and how there eyes were opened to the reality of what the Bible really says! This is the faith that we now hold to and truly say that we are justified by faith alone, not by our works!

My favourite person to learn about has to be Martin Luther, ‘God’s Volcano’ as entitled in the book, a fitting description. Here is a great quote from the book that Luther said after he understood that his justification lay in God’s hands and not his own:

‘At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, ‘In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, “He through faith is righteous shall live.”‘ There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’ Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered through paradise itself through open gates.’

It is so amazing to learn about how this great doctrine turned the Church and most of Europe upside down. If you want to download the talks on it they are on the NWA website.

This book not only was so interesting, but also really encouraged me in my faith!