Did the Law ever love me? Did the
Law ever sacrifice itself for me? Did the Law ever die for me? On the contrary,
it accuses me, it frightens me, it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me from
the Law, from sin and death unto eternal life. That Somebody is the Son of God
(Who loved me and gave Himself for me). Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant,
no lawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior, full of mercy….. Visualize
Christ in these His true colors. I do not say that it is easy. Even in the
present diffusion of the Gospel light, I have much trouble to see Christ as
Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the diseased opinion that Christ is a lawgiver
sunk into my bones. You younger men are a good deal better off than we who are
old. You have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I
suckled all my youth, until at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered
with fear. You, I say, who are young may learn to know Christ in all His
sweetness. For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a Lover
of poor sinners and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now if this is
true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own righteousness.
–Martin Luther
No comments:
Post a Comment