Grace Running Around Loose | Welcome to the Reformed Faith

Theology - Welcome to the Reformed Faith

Written by Douglas Wilson

Saturday, 30 October 2010 14:54

I know that not all the readers of this blog are Protestant, but most are, and so I would like to ask you all to take a moment to thank the Lord for the faith and courage of our dear brother, Dr. Martin Luther. We are now just seven years away from celebrating 500 years of grace running around loose, and so we can only trust that influential people are even now planning the appropriate parties and fireworks displays.

CranachLuther

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elisabeth thunderberry - Justification by faith...NO indulgences please!

Saturday, October 30, 2010 3:06 pm

I have seen the latest movie about Martin Luther and was a bit upset on how they portrayed him in his room wrestling with God...It seemed to mock the man. This was the only part that disturbed me,because Christian can equal mad man...and it seemed to portray him as a mad man....and this type of madness the secular world wants to package and generalize to ALL christians....especially the radical ones!

Robert Seward

Sunday, October 31, 2010 6:13 am

If you are referring t othe Ray Fiennes version, I thought that the portrayal was pretty good. Remember, Luther had been a Catholic. Their theology is guilt based. Read The Agony and the Ecstasy

Judith Murphy

Sunday, October 31, 2010 5:46 pm

And let us also remember with gratitude John Wycliffe and John Hus.

Jared Leonard - A Caveat...

Sunday, October 31, 2010 6:45 pm

I would just like to point out that grace has been running around loose since "In the beginning..."

Matt Weber

Monday, November 01, 2010 2:18 am

The best part is that grace is now running around much more loosely than Martin Luther ever intended in his wildest dreams. How many sects are there again?

Tim Etherington - ...and so much more

Monday, November 01, 2010 2:26 am

Parties and fireworks displays, yes. And beer, right? The Reformation is incomplete without beer.

I love Luther but what bothered me was that in the movie he never said "The just shall live by faith." Not once. I thought that was more tragic than they way he wrestled with God.

Bert Perry

Monday, November 01, 2010 5:58 am

I posted the 95 Theses on my door for the trick-or-treaters..... :^)

And yes, like Judith says, let's celebrate those who prepared the way for Luther as well.....

Will S

Monday, November 01, 2010 8:30 am

Pastor Wilson,

What do you make of the Pope's recent statements on Justification? It seems to me that these are huge changes in the Protestant direction. Here are the two homilies that Benedict issued recently.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html

The first includes the statement, ""Luther's phrase: "faith alone" is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love" (which, of course, no Protestant would say that faith is opposed to charity and love).

The second one is even more remarkable in my opinion. It includes his explanation that deeds are insufficient to save and that faith is sufficient (a living faith). He describes the teachings of Paul as describing "the freely given nature of justification that is not dependent on works". And states that the "primary object of Paul's preaching" was "justification without works".

I would be interested to know your thoughts. Specifically, if all Catholics adopt Benedict's understanding, are there significant differences still (on the issue of Justification)?

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