Luther: "Not all are Christians who boast of faith...."

“Not all are Christians who boast of faith. Christ has shed His blood. We are justified by faith alone without works. You say, “I believe this.” The devil, you say! You have learned the words you have heard the same way mockingbirds learn to repeat things. Where are the fruits demonstrating that you truly believe? You remain in sins; you are a usurer [i.e.,one that lends money at an exorbitant rate]  and more. Surely Christ did not die and shed His blood for the sins that you are intent on committing continually, but so that He might destroy the works of the devil [1 John 3:8]. If you were formerly a usurer, say, like Zacchaeus: “I will give half of my goods, and if I have defrauded anyone, I will restore it fourfold.” [Luke 19:8].

"The blood of Christ kills sin; it does not make it alive, which is the work of the devil, who inflames the desire that makes human beings murderers and adulterers. Christ did not die so that you might remain that kind of sinner, but so that sin, having been slain, might be blotted out, and you might henceforth love God and your neighbor. Faith takes away sins and puts them to death, so that you might not live in them but in righteousness. Therefore, show by your works and your fruits that there is faith in you. If not, the blood of Christ does not help.

"If you are a usurer, disobedient, neglectful of your station, then look to see whether you believe. For faith is victorious, triumphant, a conqueror of the world [1 John 5:4]. If you truly believe, you would not commit usury or adultery; you would not be disobedient. Let each one think: 'I have been made a believer; I have been washed in Baptism with the blood of the Son of God, so that my sins might be dead. [I will] not be disobedient and will declare this with my deeds.” Otherwise, give up the boast of being a believer. You know that you are a disobedient son, an adulterer; do not boast of faith and the blood of Christ. You belong to the devil, the way you are going, etc. You are bringing the name of the Lord into shame and yourself to eternal damnation.”

— Martin Luther, Sermon for the First Sunday after Trinity on 1 John 4:16-21, Preached in St. Mary’s Church, Wittenberg, Germany June 7, 1545. Translated by Christopher Boyd Brown. Unpublished translation. Pr 2002; WA 49:80-87. Copyright Concordia Publishing House, 2010.

"The most offensive verse in the Bible"

A very wise and timely insight.

"More Choices, Less Commitment"

Theologically informed cultural analysis from Barry Cooper on "Christianity Today" online.

God's Law of Love

“There is nothing in the law of God that will rob you of happiness; it only denies you that which would cost you sorrow.” ~ C. Spurgeon

"Rest in the glorious fact that we are loved"

"If we are to change we must be regularly preaching the gospel to ourselves and believing it. We must be continually showing ourselves, and those we counsel, the depths and greatness of God’s love for them. We must stop wasting our time trying to convince ourselves that we are lovable, and instead rest in the glorious fact that we are loved. It is this message which God uses to change us at the motivational level."

— Redeemer Presbyterian Church
Fellowship Group Handbook

"If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus..."

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema…”  1 Cor. 16:22

“…The criterion is love, love to Christ, and the thought is that the only alternative to this love of Christ is damnation….  The apostle could have said, ‘If anyone does not have faith in Christ, let him be anathema.’  But, instead, he speaks of love to Christ and we must take account of this direction of thought and interest.  One lesson to be learned is that faith in Christ is not a momentary and fleeting act of will.  Faith is an act of commitment to Christ and it results in permanent attachment to him.  It knows not divided allegiance.  It is total commitment in love and devotion because we discover in him that which demands our whole being.  Faith means Christ’s  absolute Lordship and it is significant that it is the title Lord that is employed and thrust into the foreground – ‘if  anyone does not love the Lord’….”

-- John Murray, sermon:  “Love to Christ Indispensable” (from “Collected Writings… vol. 3, p. 223)

"Do You Still Want to Be Like Mike?"

A revealing, fascinating and ultimately very sad essay reflecting on the life of Michael Jordan (as he turns age 50).

Motivations to Pursuing Holiness

‎"The fear of punishment, the desire of reward, the sense of duty, are all useful arguments, in their way, to persuade people to holiness. But they are all weak and powerless, until a person loves Christ."

 ~ J.C. Ryle

A Whole Committee of Selves

“We are trying to be several selves at once, without all our selves being organized by a single, mastering Life within us.  Each of us tends to be, not a single self, but a whole committee of selves.  There is the civic self, the parental self, the financial self, the religious self, the society self, the professional self, the literary self.  And each of our selves is in turn a rank individualist, not cooperative but shouting out his vote loudly for himself when the voting time comes. . . .  We are not integrated.  We are distraught.  We feel honestly the pull of many obligations and try to fulfill them all.  And we are unhappy, uneasy, strained, oppressed, and fearful we shall be shallow.  For over the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a premonition of richer living which we know we are passing by.”

Thomas R. Kelly, A Testament of Devotion (New York, 1941), pages 114-115.
HT: Ray Ortlund, Jr.

Failure?

“A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”
― John Burroughs

"How Real Christian Change Happens"

Tim Keller shares gospel-centered insights from Galatians.

The Meltdown of Biblical Truth

"When reason insists on ruling—that is, making original decisions of its own—in the realm of faith, where, as we have seen, God’s truth should be received on God’s authority via God’s authoritative written Word, the results are bleak indeed. In comes relativism, the abolishing of all absolute standards for belief and behavior; in comes skepticism about all long-standing beliefs, as if their age automatically destroys their credibility; in comes pluralism, the confused condition in which we accept incompatibles side by side without full commitment to any of them; in comes agnosticism, the don’t-know, can’t-be-sure, who-am-I-to-say?, I-give-up, don’t-bug-me state of mind. Each of these isms is familiar among us today, they creep into churches as well as going on parade outside them, and the church of Christ is sadly enfeebled in consequence."

-- J.I. Packer, "Taking God Seriously"

Imprisoned by Choice....

Are You Worshiping the Idol of 'Open Options'? -- an insightful essay at Christianity Today online.

"God loves you..."

A post about the fight for joy on Valentine's Day....and every day:

"...God loves you. That simple statement should blow you out of your chair. Sadly, however, the truth has lost its power for many Christians. Our culture assumes and even demands God love everyone the same—no exceptions. Even within the church, God's love can be tossed around so lightly believers begin to think he's required to love them. If we're honest, his love rarely shocks us anymore, since we rarely pause to ponder the scandal of a holy God embracing a rebellious people...."

Read the entire post here.

"God Had Visited"

“In one of the streets of Bedford I came to where there were three or four poor women sitting at a door in the sun and talking about the things of God.  Willing to listen, I drew near to hear what they said, for I was a brisk talker myself in matters of religion.  But I have to say that I heard, but I didn’t understand, for they were far above, out of my reach.  They spoke about a new birth, the work of God in their hearts . . . . They said how God had visited their souls with his love in the Lord Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted and supported against the temptations of the devil . . . . And it seemed to me they spoke as if joy did make them speak.  They spoke with such pleasantness of biblical language, and with such obvious grace in all they said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world.”

-- John Bunyan, quoted in Monica Furlong, The Trial of John Bunyan & The Persecution of the Puritans (London, 1978), page 56.  Style updated.

HT: Ray Ortlund, Jr.