That’s right.
It is not biblical, and it places the human being’s will over and above the will of the Living God.
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click here> “The idea of “free-will” is blasphemous“
The quote is by Gerhard Forde. No doubt many others have said as much, and Pastor Mark is in their number.
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Thanks, Pastor Mark.
And thanks to flickr and World Missions Clipart, for the photo.
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Filed under: Free will, Gerhard Forde, Midweek Advent Service, Pastor Mark Anderson, Sermon |
The Old Adam Lives! 
Thanks for posting this, Steve. It may get me into the right kind of trouble!
Exactly, Pastor!
It may not be an easy thing for many to hear, but it is the truth and it needed to be said.
It is a liberating Word…and now and then some poor sinner who really needs a Savior (such as myself)…will actually hear it.
Thanks, and keep ’em coming!
Luther went to the Scriptures to answer the question. Can we effect our own conversion? No, no, a thousand times no! ‘It is not of him that wills or of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy’ (Romans 9:16). ‘Of His own will he begot us by the word of truth’ (James 1:18). ‘No man knows the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him’ (Matthew 11:27). ‘No man can come to me except the Father draw him’ (John 6:44). ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God’ (Romans 8:7-8). Man ‘dead’ in sins must be brought to life by God before He can do anything at all that is of spiritual good (Ephesians 2:1-5). These who believe unto salvation first were born of God (John 1:12-13). Salvation comes entirely from God’s side; it is given freely at His own will (Romans 9:16; James 1:18). Salvation cannot in any way be caused by anything a man can do. We therefore reject any notion of decisional regeneration as strongly as we reject any notion of baptismal regeneration. Salvation is a work of God alone (Jonah 2:9). What men need is rescue, and that rescue only God can give.
“taken from “The alter Call, is it helpful or harmful”.
Martin Luther: “Now if God did not accept the Baptism of infants, he would not have given any of them the Holy Spirit nor any part of him; in short, all this time down to the present day no man on earth could have been a Christian. Since God has confirmed infant baptism through the gift of the Holy Spirit. . . our adversaries must admit that infant Baptism is pleasing to God. For he can never be in conflict with himself support lies and wickedness, or give his grace and spirit for such ends.” (Tappert: Book of Concord, [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959] pp. 442-3)
If God commanded Baptism, then He must be pleased with it. If He is pleased with it, then He is in it.
Our God does not want us wasting our time on empty religious rituals.
No, God is certainly in it. But I am sure that He wants Himself and His work and power for sinners to be what is returned to and trusted in, and not the vacile commitments of the sinner.
Is sola scriptura biblical? What about your ‘cannon’ is luthers opinion biblical? Why should I listen to your (or pastor marks) opinion? No offense intended.
Cary,
We believe the Bible is God’s Word of law and gospel. And that Word has authority in and of itself. We don’t discount tradition where that tradition is in accordance with that Word.
We believe the Word to be not just the Bible but Christ Jesus Himself, and the power that He has in creating faith in Himself through the hearing of His Word in preaching and teaching, in the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
We believe this because the Bible tells us this in many places and because we have seen faith created in people and ourselves through the hearing of this preached Word. (Romans 1:16).
Luther’s teachings and preachings were pretty much a parroting of St. Paul’s preachings and teachings, and that is where we derive the core of our doctrinal beliefs. We view the entire Bible through the lens of God’s grace and love for sinners who are in need of a Savior.
We know that many Christians have other ideas about how all this ‘faith’ stuff works, but we have found great joy and freedom in the belief that Christ alone is the One who saves us and we are always looking to share that with people where we can.
Anyway, that’s the reader’s digest version.
Thanks for your question, Cary.
Pastor,
No offense but you avoided the question…why should I listen to your interpretive authority? If you listen to Luther, why? Where in the bible are such books laid out as such that they should be deemed scripture?
Paul’s letters to Titus and Timothy clearly show the need for leaders, proper leaders, in the faith to teach truth and keep us fromd the peril of misinterpretation. Where does your authority to teach derive from?
As a Brother In Christ
Cary
Cary,
It was me, Steve, who attempted to answer your question. I’m a layperson in Pastor Mark’s congregation.
I thought I gave a half decent answer, but I’ll try again.
For us, the Word itself is the authority. That Word which creates faith when it is preached and taught, the Bible, and the Sacraments.
We don’t rely on a Pope or Councils because they have erred and contradicted each other, and to put final authority in a sinful man (we all are) is to diminish the authority and power of the Word itself.
I would imagine that you are more than likely a Roman Catholic. That’s ok with us. We aren’t out to convert anyone here, or try to make Christians out of Christians. We want to share with others the great freedom of the pure gospel.
We don’t believe we are the only ones that know the truth. But we do believe that we know what it is, also.
Thanks, Cary.
– Steve