Luther Part 2

March 1, 2025 edits

DRAFT version

Luther - Part 2

Martin Luther: Fully Surrendered? A Deficit Remains?

See the end of the article for the series description.

Confessions

Goto end for series synopsis.

Abstract

This abstract approaches the topic differently than the abstract in part 1.

This paper, in three parts, offers a reason why God chose Martin Luther. If God’s choosing were equated to God controlling Luther, then for many believers, the outcome would be less impressive. Here is why: most Christians believe that God made people with free will. As beings created in His likeness, with a free will to choose to love our Father or reject His love, we who choose Him are excellent choices for an all knowing God to spend eternity with. Free will to make good choices and bad, learned temperament possibilities, and various inherited characteristics all work together to make a very complicated person; each person that has ever lived is complicated�.

There is only one God and He is the only one who can take all factors and create the perfect plan for each person’s life.[1]

This is the miracle of serving The Almighty.

Introduction

Continued from Luther - Part 1.

This is the main body of what is being posted as a three-part series. The format is not that of a series, it will be modified later.

Confessions method

Daily Confession - The Motivation

A book[3] on Martin Luther states that Luther feared losing his salvation. According to the book, he seemed more sensitive about his sins than the other monks. This would explain why confessing was so critical, regardless of the time required. Who prays like this today? Is it only those who thought they may have lost their salvation? Let us try to step out of Luther’s theological context as much as possible. Is there anyone who earnestly seeks to comply with God all the time for every thought, word, and deed? If there is someone like that today, why, for what purpose? Are they trying to be perfect? Many readers probably have verses from Romans entering their minds as they read this. Our intent is not to prove a case from scripture; although that is possible, we could also put together a case for the opposite. So, let us continue reasoning together.

(Heb 12:14 ESV) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

From what you know about Martin Luther, do you think his goal was holiness? The facts point to his fear of purgatory and the possibility of hell. His goal was to continue in salvation and spend as little time in purgatory as possible. So what were his actions to mitigate purgatory and improve the probability of reaching Heaven? Confess, repent, confess, repent, confess, repent. Would a wise, perfectly loving dad or God look the other way when one of his children is doing all he can to live according to his father, but he did not say something correctly?

Luther’s fear motivation probably does not fit most protestant Christians today. If Luther’s actions to conform with all that he knew to be God’s will, from a heart-intent perspective, would this not qualify as the pursuit of holiness? If so, could he achieve it by his own work to renew his mind?

(Rom 12:2 ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I do not think he could achieve spiritual holiness by self-powered work to transform himself. But in doing so, he may have made progress. But is there a way to be holy in this part of our existence? How complete is salvation for us who walk the earth today? Many believe He can heal the sick through Christians so gifted today. But can God help us cope with temptation? If all we can do is sincerely repent and then surrender our whole being, body, cognition, emotions, and all to God, then perhaps He can help us with temptation. When the motivation for peace with God is great, no one prays while expecting gifts, fruits, assets, and power in return; do it for renewed or new peace with our Heavenly Father.

(Rom 12:1 ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Billy Graham Crusade

Many attended Bill Graham’s evangelistic services. These were typically in a large auditorium (‘vast auditorium’ may be more accurate). At the end of the service, there would be an invitation to all who wanted to accept Jesus as their lord and savior. No one, counselor, or respondent thought one was praying to the other. They prayed to God, perhaps led by the counselor, but always to God.

Aside: Not long ago, I heard a guest speaker review past revivals and suggest that one is coming. I think he is correct; I would add that God influenced him; he heard and obeyed, doing the necessary research. After every great revival, the church received many new members. I continued to think about this, and a problem emerged. Some of these members would stop fellowshipping with other believers, stop Bible reading, stop praying, and seem to leave the faith altogether. I do not judge their salvation; I am concerned about their reversal from a focus on the things of God to away from Him. The question I was working on is this: what can we do differently this time? Striving to avoid any hint of compromise, such as it is only natural, I think how we present the faith, what it is to be a Christian each day, unusual days, and more may be the solution. For example, suppose we promise them they will grow one foot taller; all they need is faith. Some will rationally analyze the results and may conclude that Christianity is no more powerful than any philosophy encouraging us to be good. Of course, we can read and preach the whole Bible from the pulpit. This includes all the promises of various types of power and fortune. We are all human; we do not make it happen for them (at this time). From man to man, woman to woman, we probably should preach total obedience to God and let God give them a deep sense of relationship with Him. We should obey relevant scripture, such as the laying on of hands, but it is up to God to cause their spiritual growth, influencing them to live the fruits of the Spirit and empower them (there are other ways to word this) with the gifts of the Spirit. Do these require faith? Yes, but consider that the faith comes from God as Christians deepen their practice of living in Him through ever-improving obedience in all areas of their lives.

Daily Confession - The Interplay of Health

We might ask, is there anything else? Physical health, including fatigue and the effects of hunger (recall Jesus resisting temptation in the wilderness, Mtt 4) affects our automatic responses, ingrained from years of repetition. Perhaps there is a place for renewing the mind as in Ro 12.2; see above. What might the outcome be? I suggest keeping an open mind, do not close your mind to what God can do. Someday, perhaps, a new sense of salvation in a new way. However, you must decide what you will consider for your life walk in God and what limits you place on God.

Do you think it is possible that the laying on of hands could have spiritual significance? Is there scriptural evidence?

(Act 8:14-17 ESV) Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

It might be worth noting verse 16 for future contemplation. However, what occurred in verse 17 does not happen every time. Why not, you may ask? Many reasons, see the following verse for one: Acts 8.18-24. Caution: do not use verses 18-24 as a tool for judging others. As none of us write our code of ethics to live by, we also do not control God and never will; this is good.

(Joh 3:8 ESV) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Whatever role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives, directing us, teaching us, and providing a sense of wrongdoing, if we begin to ignore Him, we may desensitize ourselves to God’s voice. If you think you have done this and wish to take corrective action, then know this, you can. Do what you should do as a Christian: seek Him and be patient. It will be OK. There could be a person you know who could testify to such, although they may want to keep it private.

Based on various accounts of Luther, it appears that he was sincere. Now, step out of the specifics of how Luther understood Christianity. Upon doing so, his practice may satisfy the following verse.

(1Th 4:7-8 NRSVA) For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Defiance as Disagreement

We do not attempt to evaluate the correctness of Luther’s disagreement with church authority. The offense to authority by his disagreement was amplified by his spreading it publicly with the printing press.

Efforts have been made to avoid evaluating and judging specific beliefs as more or less correct. The primary intent of this website is to offer ideas to people who once wholeheartedly believed in Christianity but are now questioning it. Also, our approach provides some reasoning on how we describe Christianity and strongly encourages prayer, reading the Bible, and spending time with the priesthood of all believers, 1Pe 2.5.

The descriptions of Luther are not sourced in the video. Brief searches readily produced names of his contemporaries credited with statements supporting claims in the video.

This paper concludes that God is eternally wise, and the power demonstrated by the resurrected Jesus is all that a submitting man or woman requires to be used by their Creator. A person with a heart after God produces spiritual fruit, all people have sinned.

Was Martin Luther sinning by his offensive behavior? Perhaps, but that is between God and him. Was Martin Luther’s behavior due to a righteous conflict, him against others? This, too, is possible (Jesus and the money changers, Mt 21.12.

Martin Luther publicly disagreed with those in authority over him. Would any of us dare do what he did? He knew this was likely to end very poorly for him. On one trip, he thought there was a good chance that he would be executed. Yet he moved forward with his novel proclamation. It was scripture-based, requiring interpretation and then reasoning. From reports from many different perspectives, we can say that God influenced Luther’s reasoning, perhaps as an act of revelation. It can be difficult to discern a revelation from God, probably because God can influence it through a person’s capacity for imagination (other website references to imagination must be tempered by the idea that God can influence the imagination).

Notes

[2] This paper and perhaps this website will not be working on the question of the perfectibility. However, it might be worth noting to the curious that more than one book has been written on this topic. It would seem that the authors must carefully define perfection.

[3] Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas

Additional Information

Relationship

An editor frequently interjects the word “relationship,” where, in my opinion, it should be. The description of a relationship between people has been written in several places on the website. But the actual word relationship has too often been left out. Much is coming to mind right now. There could be a future article on this topic.

Martin Luther Series

Martin Luther Part 1

  • Right and wrong, courage
  • Luther’s Extremes
  • Sins, or Righteous Anger, or Emotional Illness?
  • The Insanity of Luther by R. C. Sproul

Martin Luther Part 2

  • Confession to a priest
  • Confess again and again

Martin Luther Part 3

  • Emotional Health
  • Summary
  • Conclusion
    • You are the Right Person
    • Additional information
  • Additional Information

Bible Versions

A goal for site content is to be independent of the Bible version. This is the reason many articles contain quotes from several versions. The literal interpretation of a verse may conflict with some church denomination’s teachings. If we know that a concept being promoted in an article or blog post conflicts with any mainstream church, we try to use the version of the Bible that the denomination prefers. Exceptions will exist for various reasons. See the Bible interpretation series (currently being written or edited) in the BnB section.