Compromise?!

"The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes, arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to concede some things which can be construed according to individual interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted. Here is lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such patchwork is not according to God's will, but that doctrine, faith and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom. The Scriptures give us this rule: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29)."

"We must not, then, regard nor follow the counsels of human wisdom, but must keep ever before us God's will as revealed by his Word; we are to abide by that for death or life, for evil or good."

"The Galatians had received from Paul the wisdom of justification before God by faith in Christ alone. Nevertheless, inspite of that knowledge, they were deceived and would have lost their wisdom altogether through the claim of the false prophets that the God given Law must be observed, had not Paul aroused their understanding at this point and brought them back from error. The Corinthians were taught by their spiritual wisdom the article of Christian liberty; they knew that sacrifices to idols are nothing. But they failed in this respect: they proceeded without understanding, and made carnal use of their liberty, contrary to wisdom and offending others. Therefore Paul had to remind them of their departure from his doctrine and wisdom."

What are we contending for?

"What are we contending for, but that the simplicity and purity of the Christian doctrine should prevail, and that those things should be left and disregarded, which have been invented and introduced with it, by men?"   

"The Bondage of the Will"

Repeating Lessons

One of the most difficult struggles I have fought as a minister has been my desire to always present something "new", something my audience has never heard or thought of, everytime I teach or preach. Thankfully, God has slowly delivered me from this over the past decade or so. Luther has been one of the means the Lord has used to convict me of my foolishness on this matter. You and I need to hear the "same old doctrine" repeated over and over and over again!

Luther loved the book of Galatians and lectured on it at least 6 times. In 1535 he wrote a forward to lectures he gave on the book in 1531-1532. Note the opening paragraph of his forward.

We have taken it upon ourselves in the Lord's name to lecture on this Epistle of Paul to the Galatians once more. This is not because we want to teach something new or unknown, for by the grace of God Paul is now very well known to you. But it is because, as I often warn you, there is a clear and present danger that the devil may take away from us the pure doctrine of faith and may substitute for it the doctrines of works and of human traditions. It is very necessary, therefore, that this doctrine of faith be continually read and heard in public.

God has given the good doctor great wisdom in these remarks. We need to hear the clear teaching of the Lord again, no matter how many times we have heard it before!

You don't have to be "new" everytime you preach and teach. You simply need to be Scriptural.