A New Twist on the Sanctification Issue
Well, as I continue to hear from folks on the issue of sanctification, the latest disturbing thing I’ve run into is that some are suggesting that since Christians are in Christ they really need not give any thought at all to striving to live according to the Ten Commandments since Christ was good for them. Some are saying that for a pastor to talk about how Christians live according to the Commandments in the sermon is inappropriate, particularly after he has preached the Gospel. The most disturbing comment I’ve read of late is the suggestion that a good way to drive home the Gospel’s amazingly good news is to tell people, "Even if you get worse, you can still count on going to heaven, because of Christ." What a dangerous thing to say or suggest.
All this kind of talk flies directly in the face of the Lutheran Confessions, which properly explain the Holy Scriptures. Here is what Martin Luther had to say about some of these things in the Smalcald Articles:
42] On the other hand, if certain sectarists would arise, some of whom are perhaps already extant, and in the time of the insurrection [of the peasants] came to my own view, holding that all those who had once received the Spirit or the forgiveness of sins, or had become believers, even though they should afterwards sin, would still remain in the faith, and such sin would not harm them, and [hence] crying thus: "Do whatever you please; if you believe, it all amounts to nothing; faith blots out all sins," etc.—they say, besides, that if any one sins after he has received faith and the Spirit, he never truly had the Spirit and faith: I have had before me [seen and heard] many such insane men, and I fear that in some such a devil is still remaining [hiding and dwelling]. 43] It is, accordingly, necessary to know and to teach that when holy men, still having and feeling original sin, also daily repenting of and striving with it, happen to fall into manifest sins, as David into adultery, murder, and blasphemy, that then faith and the Holy Ghost has departed from them [they cast out faith and the Holy Ghost]. For the Holy Ghost does not permit sin to have dominion, to gain the upper hand so as to be accomplished, but represses and restrains it so that it must not do what it wishes. But if it does what it wishes, the Holy Ghost and faith are [certainly] not present. For St. John says, 1 John 3, 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, … and he cannot sin. And yet it is also the truth when the same St. John says, 1, 8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article III, lines 42-45
These people just need to read Adolf Koeberle’s “The Quest for Holiness.”
Here’s the thing, and I learned it from Jonathan Trigg, an Anglican of all people. In preaching and exhorting people to good works, we tell them to do them, but we warn against examining them, like one examines the roots of a plant.
Seems to me the Christian needs to hear what good works actually are, so we’re not deceived by anyone telling us we must do this or that–give up something; take on something; suffer something; experience something–and not deceived by our own thoughts of the quantity and nature of our works–I gave til it hurt (my children’s college education); I do/did more than the other guy, etc.
where are you reading these things?
McCain: I would prefer to keep names out of it.
I would suggest that those who disagree with the Luther comment and are suggesting that it dosn’t matter what you do after salvation take a peek at what Chemitz has to say in his “Ministry, Word and Sacraments: An Enchiridion” – particularly his discussion on sins – mortal and venial. In general I find it an invaluable resource on a wide variety of topics – including this one!
I’m one of those who believes that is harmful rather than helpful to turn back to the Law after the Gospel in a sermon. When I say that, and I must truly believe and advocate the view, I am talking about tactics, not about strategies, let alone objectives (understanding the three-fold distinction used in many disciplines.
Yes, Christians need to here the whole counsel of God. Is the sermon the place for that? I would say, “Not necessarily.” I believe there is a real and profound difference between the vehicle of the sermon, as kyrigma, and the vehicle of catechesism, as didache — even, if it must be so, in the course of the Divine Service. This is NOT disparaging sanctification. It is recognizing the impact of the Gospel in proclamation vs. the impact of the Gospel in the catechetical environment.
Lutherans have the best understanding of the sanctification and it is hard to understand why more Lutherans are not in the public square sharing this gift. We spend all our time talking to each other and leave it to other church body spokesmen to speak, often in ways that should make us cringe. Take a recent Newsweek article about Hillary Clinton’s longtime Methodist pastor for example. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16960621/site/newsweek/
For those that say 3rd Use doesn’t belong in the sermon, I’m really confused by this quote….
“On the contrary, in our churches, all the SERMONS (emphasis mine) are filled with such topics as these: repentance; the fear of God; faith in Christ, the righteousness of faith, the comfort of consciences by faith; the exercises of faith; prayer, what its nature should be, and that we should be fully confident that it is powerful, that it is heard; the cross, the authority of officials and all civil ordinances; the distinction between the kingdom of Christ, or the spiritual kingdom, and political affairs; marriage; the education and instruction of children; chastity; all the offices of love. From this condition of the churches it may be determined that we earnestly keep Church discipline, godly ceremonies, and good Church customs.”
-Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XV(VIII), Human Traditions. (p. 193 of the new Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions)
There’s a lot of sanctification in there.
McCain: Yes mam. You are correct. One must either decide that Luther and Walther and nearly 500 years of Lutheran preaching has been wrong and only in the last thirty years or so have we finally “figured out how to preach Law and Gospel” or….well, maybe we are the ones who need to learn a thing or two from our fathers.