A Lot of Words

I have tons of words that I want to share with you, my friends, but I really haven't had much time as of late.  We're trying to pack in extra lessons here at the end of our "school year", and Isaiah and I have been enjoying the sunny weather, and I've been enjoying the company of my husband in the evening, all of which means I haven't been on the computer as much lately, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  (how's that for a long sentence!)

But today I read something from Luther's commentary on Galatians, and since Isaiah isn't up yet, I wanted to share it with you now before I forget and life gets busy today.  So here it is:

This is a singular consolation when he saith, "that the Spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father:" and again, "that He helpeth our infirmities, making intercession for us".  He that could assuredly believe this, should never be overcome with any affliction, were it never so great [God, help my unbelief!].  But there are many things which hinder this faith in us.  First, our heart is born in sin:  and this evil is naturally grafted in us, that we doubt of the good-will of God towards us, and cannot assure ourselves that we please God.  Beside this, the devil our adversary rangeth about with terrible roarings, and saith:  Thou art a sinner:  therefore God is angry with thee, and will destroy thee for ever.  Against these roarings we have nothing to hold and stay ourselves, but only the word, which setteth Christ before us as a conqueror of sin and death, and all evils.  But to cleave fast to the word in this temptation, here standeth all the difficulty.  And yet, when we are conscious of the terrors of the law, the thundering of sin, the assaults of death, the roarings of the devil, the Holy Ghost, saith Paul, crieth in our hearts:  "Abba, Father".  This cry pierceth the clouds and the heaven, and ascendeth up into the ears of God.  These words signify that there is still infirmity in the godly:  as Paul also saith in Romans viii., "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities".  Forasmuch, then, as the sense and feeling of the contrary is strong in us:  that is, we feel more the displeasure of God than His good-will and favour towards us, therefore the Holy Ghost is sent into our hearts, who doth not only sigh and make request for us, but also crieth mightily:  "Abba, Father," and maketh intercession for us according to the will of God.  And thus, when we have taken hold of Christ by faith, we cry, through Him:  "Abba, Father."  And this our cry doth far surmount the roaring of the law, sin, death and the devil.

And a little later Luther reiterates what we are to do when we doubt and fear and are weak:

Let us give thanks unto God that we are delivered from this monstrous doctrine of doubting, and can now assure ourselves that the Holy Ghost crieth, and bringeth fourth in our hearts unspeakable groanings:  and this is our anchor-hold, and our foundation.  The gospel commandeth us to behold not our own good works, or our own perfection:  but God the promiser, and Christ the mediator.  Contrariwise, the pope commandeth us to look, not unto God the promiser, nor unto Christ our high priest, but unto our own works and merits.  Here, on the one side, doubting and desperation must needs follow; but on the other side, assurance of God's favour, and joy of the spirit.  For we cleave unto God who cannot lie.  For He saith, Behold I deliver My Son to death, that through His blood He may redeem thee from thy sins, and from eternal death.  And this is the reason that our doctrine is most sure and certain, because it carrieth us out of ourselves, that we should not lean upon our own strength, our own feeling, our own person, and our own works:  but upon God, and upon His precious promise and truth, which cannot deceive us.

Luther, naturally, wrote to combat the false teaching in the Catholic church, which told men that they must continue to work in order to be saved.  But isn't this message similar to what we learn in the world today, to what society teaches?  You must "be all you can be"; you must "accomplish everything";  "if you believe something hard enough and long enough you can make it happen".

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for good hard work and having goals and accomplishing tasks, but that's not what this is about.  I must remember that I am dependent on God and His grace and sustaining power to do anything.  On my own I am dirty and wretched and weak, but I have been bought with Christ's blood, and I need not fear the law.  But I often forget that, and I get anxious and worry and fear.  So I was thankful to read Luther's words and be reminded of what Christ has done for me and of what that means for my life every day.