Luther's Sermon for OCULI. THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. Luke 11:14-23
German text: Erlangen edition 11:127; Walch 11:752; St. Louis 11:550.
TEXT:
Luke 11:14-23. And he was casting out a demon that was dumb. And it came to pass, when the demon was gone out, the dumb man spake; and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casteth he out demons. And others trying him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
CONTENTS:
CHRIST’S DEFENSE AGAINST THOSE WHO SLANDERED HIM.
* The different doctrines presented in this Gospel 1-2.
I. CHRIST’ S DEFENSE AGAINST HIS SLANDERERS.
1. Christ defends himself with fair and reasonable arguments 8-5.
2. He defends himself with a public example and a like work 6-9.
3. He defends himself with a parable taken from experience 10.
4. He defends himself with beautiful sayings and teachings 11.
5. He defends himself with a threat
* How and why we are not to trust in the works and worthiness of saints, but in God’s Word 18.
II. THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THIS GOSPEL.
1. Of the deaf, dumb and possessed man 14.
2. That the Jews called the devil Beelzebub
3. Of the strong man, who guards his house in peace
4. Of the stronger man who overcomes the strong man 17-18. 5 . That the unclean spirit wanders through desert places 19.
6. That Satan returns, and takes with him seven more wicked spirits 20.
I. CHRIST’S DEFENSE AGAINST HIS BLASPHEMERS.
1. This is a beautiful Gospel from which we learn many different things, and in which nearly everything is set forth as to what Christ, his kingdom and his Gospel are: what they accomplish and how they fare in the world.
In the first place, like all the Gospels this one teaches us faith and love; for it presents Christ to us as a most loving Savior and Helper in every need and tells us that he who believes this is saved. For we see here that Christ had nothing to do with people who were healthy, but with a poor man who was greatly afflicted with many ills. He was blind, as Matthew says; also dumb and possessed with a demon, as Luke tells us here. Now all mutes are also deaf, so that in the Greek language deaf and dumb are one word.
By this act Christ draws us to himself, leads us to look to him for every blessing, and to go to him in every time of need. He does this that we also, according to the nature of love, should do unto others as he does unto us.
This is the universal and the most precious doctrine of this Gospel and of all the Gospels throughout the church year. This poor man, however, did not come to Christ without the Word; for those who brought him to Christ must have heard his love preached and were moved thereby to trust in him.
We learn therefore that faith comes through the Word; but more of this elsewhere.
2. Secondly, it is here demonstrated how Christ and his Gospel fare in the world, namely, that there are three kinds of hearers. Some marvel at him; these are pious and true Christians, who consider this deed so great that they are amazed at it. Some blaspheme the Gospel; these are the Pharisees and scribes, who were vexed because they could not do the like, and were worried lest the people should hold Christ in higher esteem than themselves. Some tempt him, like Herod desired a sign after his own heart, that they may make sport of it. But he answers both parties; at first, the blasphemers in this Gospel, and later on the tempters, saying that no sign shall be given this wicked generation except the sign of the prophet Jonah, of which we read in the verses following. He answers the blasphemers in a friendly way and argues five points with them.
3. In the first place, with honest and reasonable arguments he concludes from two comparisons that one devil cannot cast out another; for if that were so, the devils would be divided among themselves and Satan’s kingdom would indeed not stand. For nature teaches that if a kingdom is divided against itself and its citizens drive out each other, it is not necessary to go to war against it, for it will come to ruin soon enough of itself. Likewise a house divided against itself needs no other destruction.
Even the heathen author Sallust, teaching only from the light of nature and experience, says: “Great wealth passes away through discord, but through concord small means become large.” If now the devils were divided among themselves to such a degree that one should drive out the other, Satan’s dominion would be at an end, and we would have rest from his attacks.
4. What then were these blasphemers able to say to such clear arguments?
They were put to silence, but their hearts were hardened, so that they did not heed his words. A hardened heart will not be instructed, no matter how plainly and clearly the truth is presented; but the faith of the righteous is strengthened when they see that the ground of their faith is right and good.
And for the sake of such we must answer those whose hearts are hardened, and put them to silence. Even though they will not be converted nor keep silence still it serves to reveal their hardened hearts, for the longer they talk the more foolish they become, and they are caught in their folly, and their cause is robbed of the appearance of being right and good, as Solomon also says in Proverbs 26:5: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” That is, answer him according to his folly that his folly may be put to shame for the sake of others, that they may not follow him and be deceived, thinking that he is right. Otherwise, where no such condition exists, it is better to keep silent, as Solomon also says in the same chapter, verse 4 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”
5. Nor could they say here that the devils only pretended to be divided among themselves and to yield to one another in order to deceive the people, for it is publicly seen how they resist and contend, cry and rave, tear and rage, when they see that Christ means to expel them. It is then clearly seen that they are opposed to Christ and his Spirit, and they are not united with him, to whom they must yield so unwillingly. Therefore it is only a flagrant blasphemous lie, in which they are caught and put to shame, by which they try in venomous hate to give the devil credit for a work of God. From this we learn not to be surprised when our doctrine and life are blasphemed and stubborn hearts will not be convinced nor converted, although they are overwhelmed, as it were, with tangible truth and completely put to silence. It is enough that through our arguments their obstinate folly is revealed, acknowledged and made harmless to pious people, so that the latter may not be misled by its fine pretension. They may then go whither they will, they have condemned themselves as St. Paul says, Titus 3:11.
6. In the second place, he replies with a public example and a similar work, when he says: “By whom do your sons cast them out?” As if he would say: “Is this not simple idiocy? Just what you praise in your sons, you condemn in me. Because your sons do it, it is of God; but because I do it, it must be of the devil.” So it is in this world. What Christ does, is of the devil; if some one else did it, it would be all right. Thus the tyrants and enemies of the Gospel do now, when they condemn in us what they themselves do, confess and teach; but they must proceed thus in order that their judgment may be publicly approved, when they are condemned by all justice. The sons, of whom Christ here says that they drive out devils, were, I think, certain exorcists among the people, for God, from the beginning, had given this people manifold spiritual gifts and he calls them their “sons,” as though to say: I am the Son of God and must be called a child of the devil, while those who are your sons, begotten by you, do the same things and are not to be considered children of the devil.
7. “Therefore shall they be your judges,” that is, I appeal to them. They will be forced to decide that you wrongfully blaspheme me, and thus condemn yourselves. For if one devil does not drive out another then some other power must do it that is neither satanic nor human, but divine. Hence the words: “But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.” This finger of God is called in Matthew 12:28 the Holy Ghost, for the words read thus: “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons,” etc. In short, Christ means to say: If the kingdom of God is to come unto you, the devil must be driven out, for his kingdom is against God’s kingdom, as you yourselves must confess.
But demon is not driven out by demon, much less by men or the power of men, but alone by the Spirit and power of God.
8. From this follows that where the finger of God does not cast out the devil, there the devil’s kingdom still exists; where Satan’s kingdom still exists, there the kingdom of God cannot be. The unavoidable conclusion then is that, as long as the Holy Spirit does not enter our hearts, we are not only incapable of any good, but are of necessity in the kingdom of Satan.
And if we are in his kingdom, then we can do nothing but that which pleases him, else it could not be called his kingdom. As St. Paul says to Timothy: “The people are taken captive in the snares of the devil unto his will” 2 Timothy 2:26. How could Satan suffer one of his people to take a notion to do something against, and not for, his kingdom? Oh, it is a striking, terrible and powerful statement that Christ here admits such a dominion, which we cannot escape except by the power of God; and that the kingdom of God can not come to us until that kingdom is driven out by divine, heavenly power.
9. This truth is proved in the case of this poor man, who was bodily possessed of the devil. Tell me, what could he and all mankind do to free him from the devil? Without a doubt, nothing. He had to do and suffer just as his master the devil willed, until Christ came, with the power of God.
Now then, if he could not free himself from the devil as to his body, how could he, by his own power, deliver his soul from Satan’s spiritual dominion? Especially is this the case since the soul, because possessed of sin, is the cause of all bodily possession as a punishment, and sins are more difficult to remove than the punishment of them, and the soul is always more firmly possessed than the body. This is proved by the fact that the devil permits the body to have its natural powers and functions; but he robs the soul of reason, judgment, sense, understanding, and all its powers, as you readily see in the case of this possessed man.
10. He answers them in the third place, by a comparison taken from life, namely that of a strong man overcome by one stronger, and robbed of all his armor and goods etc. By this he testifies also that no one but God can overcome the devil, so that again no man can boast of being able of himself to drive out either sin or the devil. Notice how he pictures the devil! He calls him a mighty giant who guards his court and home, that is, the devil not only possesses the world as his own domain, but he has garrisoned and fortified it, so that no one can take it from him. He rules it also with undisputed sway, so that it does whatever he commands. Just as little as a house or court may withstand or contend against the tyrant who is its master, can man’s free will and natural powers oppose sin and Satan, that is, not at all; but they are subject to them. And as that house must be conquered by a stronger man and thus wrested from the tyrant, so must man also be ransomed through Christ and wrested from Satan. We see again, therefore, that our works and righteousness contribute absolutely nothing toward our salvation; it is effected alone by the grace of God.
11. He answers them fourthly, with pointed proverbs and teachings, as: “He that is not with me is against me,” and, “He that gathereth not with me, scattereth.” “The devil is not with me for I drive him out, hence he must of necessity be against me.” But this saying does not apply to the devil alone, but also to the blasphemers whom he here convicts and condemns, as being against him since they are not for him. “To be with Christ” is to have the same mind and purpose as Christ, that is, to believe in Christ that his works save us and not our own, for this is what Christ holds and teaches. But “to gather with Christ” is to do good out of love to him, and to become rich in good works. He that does not believe is, by his own free will, not with Christ but against him, because he depends upon his own works. Therefore, he that does not love, does not gather with Christ, but by fruitless works becomes only more sinful and drifts farther and farther from the faith.
12. In the fifth place, he answers with a threat, namely, that the last state always is worse than the first. Therefore we should take heed that we not only refrain from blaspheming the Gospel and Christ, who does such great things for us and drives the devil out of us; but with zeal and fear hold fast to them, in order that we may not become possessed of seven worse devils whereas one possessed us before. For thus it was with the Jews, who had never been so wicked as while the Gospel was being preached to them. So also under the papacy, we have become seven times, (that is, many times) worse heathen under the name of Christ than we ever had been before as St. Peter says: “The last state is become worse with them than the first.” 2 Peter 2:20. And if we neglect the great light which we now have, it will come to pass in our case also, that we shall become worse than we were before, for the devil does not slumber. This should be sufficient warning.
13. Finally, when the woman cries out to Christ and praises him, saying, “Blessed is the mother that bore such a son,” etc., he opposes her carnal worship and takes occasion to teach all of us the substance of this Gospel, namely, that we should not go gaping after the works or merits of the saints but rather see to it that we hear and keep the Word of God. For it does not concern or profit us in the least to know how holy and honorable the mother of this child might be, nor how noble this Son of hers may be; but rather what this Son has done for us, namely that, by grace, without any merit or worthiness on our part, he has redeemed us from the devil.
This fact is proclaimed to us through the Word of God, and this we are to hear and hold in firm faith; then shall we too be blessed like this mother and her child.
Although such a Word and work will be blasphemed, we should suffer it and give an answer with meekness, as St. Peter teaches, for the improvement of others.
II. THE ALLEGORICAL OR SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THIS GOSPEL.
14. This dumb, deaf, blind, and demon-possessed man represents all the children of Adam, who through the flesh are possessed of Satan in original sin, so that they must be his slaves and do according to his will. Hence they are also blind, that is, they do not see God. They are deaf, for they do not hear God’s Word, and are not obedient or submissive to it. They are also dumb, for they do not give him one word of thanks or praise, nor do they preach and proclaim Christ and the grace of God. But they are all too talkative about the teachings of the devil and the opinions of men. In these things they see only too well and are wiser than the children of light in their undertakings, opinions, and desires. In these things they hear with both ears and readily adopt the suggestions of flesh and blood. So then, whatever we do, in word and deed, as to both body and soul, is of the devil, whether it be externally good or bad, and must be redeemed through the work of God. We are in his kingdom and therefore we acknowledge him, see, hear, and follow him and praise and proclaim his name. All this takes place through the Spirit of God in his Word, which casts out the devil and his kingdom.
15. The Jews called the chief of the devils Beelzebub. The Hebrew word “sebub” means a fly; “baal” or “beel,” a man or ruler, as a householder.
When the two words form a combination, they mean an arch-fly or chieffly, or, in plain German “Fliegenkoenig oder grosse Hummel,” that is, kingfly or the great drone. They gave Satan this contemptuous epithet as though they were entirely free from him, secure against him, and lords over him. That is the way all conceited, corrupt hypocrites do; they imagine they are so pure and holy, that the devil is a helpless, feeble fly compared with them, and that they do not need the grace of Christ nor the Word of God.
Still they think he is strong enough for others, yet, that whatever godfearing people teach and do must be the devil’s own work, and they consider it such a trifling thing as though it were a dead fly. The devil can well endure such contempt, for by it he is placed above the true God in their hearts.
16. The tyrant in the court or palace is the devil, as I said before. He is in peace, however, as long as God’s Word and finger do not oppose him, and just like this deaf-mute, his people do whatever he wishes, for they know no better. His weapons and armor are the carnal conceit, doctrines and traditions of men, by which he terrifies the conscience and protects himself.
17. But when the stronger man, the Gospel, comes, peace flees, and he rages like a madman, for he resents being condemned, unmasked, punished, and publicly branded. Then he gathers up his armor, the powerful, wise, rich and holy people, and sets them all to attacking God’s Word, as we see in the persecution of the teachers of the Gospel. Such rage and persecution signify that the devil retires very unwillingly and raves in his whole body; for as he acts in the body and its members when he must depart, so he also behaves in the whole world, resisting with all his power when he is to give place to the Gospel; but it is all in vain, he must be expelled.
18. For a Stronger One, that is, Christ, comes and overpowers him and takes away his whole armor, that is, he converts some of those same persecutors, and to that extent makes him weaker, and his own kingdom stronger. He divides the spoils too, that is, those he converts he uses for various offices, graces, and works in Christendom, of which Paul writes in Romans 12:6. He is also in the court yard or ante-room of the palace, for the devil’s kingdom consists in outward appearances and pretences of wisdom, holiness, and strength; but when it is captured by the Gospel it is found to consist of pure folly, sin and weakness.
19. The text continues, “When the unclean spirit has gone out, he wanders through dry places, seeking rest,” etc. This means as much as the saying, “The devil never takes a vacation” and “The devil never sleeps,” for he is seeking how he may devour man. “Dry places” are not the hearts of the ungodly, for in such he rests and dwells like a mighty tyrant, as the Gospel here says; but there are dry and waste places here and there in the country where no people live, as forests and wildernesses. To these he flees in wicked rage because he is driven out. You will remember that the devil found Christ in the wilderness. Now, in Judea, there is not much water, hence we read that it contains many and wastes. In other countries, however, as in our own, which are well watered, the devils stay in rivers and lakes, and there they sometimes drown those who bathe or sail upon them. Furthermore, at some places there are water spirits, who entice the children from the shores into the water and drown them. These are all devils.
20. That he comes again and finds the house swept and garnished (Matthew adds “empty”) signifies that the man is sanctified and adorned with beautiful spiritual gifts, and that the evil spirit clearly sees that he can do nothing there with his familiar tricks, for he is too well known. Thus when the worship of idols was driven from the heathen, he never attacked the world with that device again. But what did he do then? He tried something else, went out, took with him seven spirits, more evil than himself, and entered in with them and dwelt there, and the last state of that man was worse than the first. So he has dealt with us. When Christ had become known in the world and the devil’s former kingdom with its idol worship had been destroyed, he adopted another plan and attacked us with heresy and introduced and established the papacy, in which Christ was entirely forgotten, and men became worse heathen under the name of Christ than before he was preached, as we can see now with our own eyes.
Such also was the lot of the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Greeks under the Turks. And so all will fare, who at first hear the Word of God and afterwards become secure and weary of it. St. Matthew says, in Matthew 12:14, that Satan finds the house empty. And in Matthew 13:25, he sowed tares among the wheat, by night, while men slept. Therefore it is necessary for us to watch as the apostles always admonish us, especially St. Peter in 1 Peter 5:3: “Brethren, be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”; for wherever he overthrows faith, he easily restores again all former vices.
Thank you. I needed the laugh!
Alec
Reposted today at Humor | Hitler loses the Universal Objective Justification (UOJ) War
Hope many more people enjoy it and learn. Thanks Greg (and Lilo).
Thanks for reposting, Pr. Greg is one heck of a witty writer.
Blessing to you brother.
LPC
It is in the Preus' book 'Justification and Rome'. Preus sites old Lutherans and the quotation from them are denials of UOJ.
It is denial by default - that is by quoting the statements of orthodox Lutherans involved in the BoC. One has to have a wild perverted imagination to read UOJ in to the statements of Calov or Quenstedt etc.
LPC
What do you think of this statement?
"Then God, in His infinite grace, took action. He sent His Son, who was the radiance of His glory and the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3), to become man (John 1:14) and to redeem the world (Galatians 4:4) and restore it to glory and communion with Him (John 3:17). For Christ’s sake God, who was angry with the sinful world, was reconciled, propitiated, and at peace with the world (1 John 2:2; Luke 2:14)."
You were asking "Have you read the book" and also "Have him read the book?"
So I answered using your grammar. You simply want to post some unthinking accusations. You should get some rest, eat some prunes, and grow up a bit.
Yes , I have read it and my copy is filled with notes. If Preus intended to promote UOJ then he should have not used quotes from orthodox Lutherans that question or put the teaching in to doubt.
Dr, Jackson made pictures of these quotes and let me give you an example...
In p. 131 #74 quoting Calov - "Although Christ has acquired for us the remission of sins, justification and sonship, God just the same does not justify us prior to faith..."
This runs roughshod against the LC-MS Brief Statement 1932 Article 17 which says that God has declared the whole world ALREADY righteous in Christ.
LPC
On your blog you have posted a quote by Rev. Jack Cascione in a graphic many times. I see no difference in what the graphic says and the quote I gave you. The quote appears on page 32 in the Preus book, Justification and Rome. Why would Preus say that if he denied objective justification?
Mr. LPC: Your line of reasoning is absurd. Of course the quotes are appropriate in the book. Preus wholeheartedly believed in Justification by Faith. All true orthodox Lutheran Christians believe this. Faith justifies us when we believe all the things the atonement and redemption accomplish. This is ever so evident in the Smalcald Articles Part II Article 1:
"1] That Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins, and was raised again for our justification, Rom. 4:25.
2] And He alone is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world, John 1:29; and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all, Is. 53:6.
3] Likewise: All have sinned and are justified without merit [freely, and without their own works or merits] by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood, Rom. 3:23f
4] Now, since it is necessary to believe this, and it cannot be otherwise acquired or apprehended by any work, law, or merit, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us as St. Paul says, Rom. 3:28: For we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law. Likewise 3:26: That He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Christ."
Do you believe that people who reject UOJ are your brothers in Christ?
I ask this because as someone new to Lutheranism, the carte blanche rejection of Timothy 5 in the discussion of this issue is startling.
Of course, if UOJ people do not believe Justification by Faith alone Lutherans are brothers, then the behavior makes sense.
Hope you will answer me.
Alec
It would depend on your definition of 'brother'. I could not be in fellowship with one who denies objective justification. I would not be able to commune with him. Since I can not commune with him, I would not consider him a brother. That is not to say that there are not true believers who will be in Heaven from across all denominations.
I do not understand how 1 Tim. 5 bears credence to the discussion.
Gregory Jackson should on the other hand recant his false accusations regarding Robt. Preus as I have shown here that he is in error.
The problems with him and Mr. Lito are this: They view that people are saved because of their faith and not through faith by grace for the sake of Christ. There is a difference and I hope you are able to see it.
I do not think you understand what UOJ teaches. Do you believe the whole world including those who are to be born and the atheist etc are justified in Christ now, this very moment. Do you believe that the Muslim in your are is also already justified, meaning declared righteous? That is these people have been declared righteous already before faith and before they could repent and believe?
I do not think you have read the Brief Statement 1932 article 17. This statement has been discussed many times in this blog. But I will repeat it for you a problematic and erroneous sentence there...
"in the article of justification. Scripture teaches that God HAS ALREADY declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, "
How could the whole world be righteous in Christ when in fact the whole world is not IN CHRIST.
My reasoning is not absurd for if you supper impose the Calov quote, Calov denies that statement.
LPC
Ah I see now your problem for sure and I claim it is you who is absurd. On the one hand you stated...
"Faith justifies us when we believe all the things the atonement and redemption accomplish".
Yet on the other you claim against us --- "They view that people are saved because of their faith and not through faith by grace for the sake of Christ"
First this is a straw man, I believe that a person is saved by faith in the finished work of Christ. Not faith per se but man is saved by the object of his faith in Christ and only and upon when faith in Christ happens. Faith has an object and if that object is Christ, then man is saved, declared righteous or justified.
The problem we have with UOJ is that they have an absurd view as to when Justification of Man happens. Do you believe man is justified before faith, before he was born or anytime before faith? Mr. Don Vega, we obviously have a problem because if you DO BELIEVE this. Kindly answer this so we can have an intelligent discussion.
I hope you do not believe that man is already justified when Jesus died on the cross or was raised from the dead, for that would mean that everyone since the Cross has already been justified - which makes that position Universalist.
LPC
Don't run away scared - you are deflecting the discussion.
I asked you questions which if you answer will prove whether or not Preus believed in UOJ in his Justification and Rome book.
I take it you have not yet read the book - so why don't you run away in a corner read it and comeback when you have done that.
We can hit these right off the park - define for me what you believe is the doctrine of Universal Objective Justification.
Then we can now debate whether or not in Preus' last days he believed in your doctrine on the basis of his book Justification and Rome.
Let me warn you - your type of running away from my questions is typical of other UOJers I dealt with. Show me you are someone I can take seriously, for if you simply evade, you will be another nail in the coffin why I reject UOJ.
LPC
It is you who is evading. A gentleman should answer questions hurled at him and yet you do not answer my questions. I have been answering your questions now be polite and answer mine. I have page 59 in front of me. Why don't you provide an actual quote from the text itself? Give me an actual text.
P. 59 talks about the righteousness of Christ, none of them in categorical terms imply UOJ in the sense that God has already imputed righteousness to the whole world, prior to faith or before faith or before they were born, none.
Of course the atonement of Christ is the basis for the salvation of man, the question is WHEN does this benefit get to man. Lutheran exegetes who do not even believe in UOJ have affirmed and so do I that the basis for man's justification is Christ's atonement. The question is WHEN does this justification of man happen?
Here is what Preus says:
"It is precisely this righteousness which is imputed to the SINNER WHO BELIEVES and thereby becomes his righteousness . It is the purpose of the Formula of Concord to affirm just this fact"
Am I any better than Preus' family members? Are you familiar with scholarly procedures? In law as well as in scholarly circles, what you verbally say does not count, what counts is what you have written down. Even Augustine himself had to write his Retractions.
Preus prior to this book I could say he believed in UOJ. This book was written at the end or even posthumously. When I was reading his book the minimum I could conclude if ever Preus believed in UOJ was that he was confusing because the quotes he used in his book were quotes from orthodox Lutherans who can not be believed to have taught UOJ.
The fact that you can not even articulate with me what you believe about UOJ shows to me you yourself have a shaky understanding of it. Your evasion does not promote your cause.
LPC
"Then God, in His infinite grace, took action. He sent His Son, who was the radiance of His glory and the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3), to become man (John 1:14) and to redeem the world (Galatians 4:4) and restore it to glory and communion with Him (John 3:17). For Christ’s sake God, who was angry with the sinful world, was reconciled, propitiated, and at peace with the world (1 John 2:2; Luke 2:14)." Pg 32 Justification and Rome
"This righteousness of Christ, this vicarious obedience under the Law and vicarious obedience unto death, results in the redemption of the world and the reconciliation of the world to God. This righteousness which constitutes the vicarious atonement is the basis of the sinner’s justification before God. " Pg 59 Justification and Rome
I believe these thing the same as Robt. Preus.
"This article concerning justification by faith (as the Apology says) is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has written: If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or fanatical spirit can be resisted. (Tom. 5, Jena, p. 159.) 7] And concerning this article especially Paul says that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Therefore, in this article he urges with so much zeal and earnestness the particulas exclusivas, that is, the words whereby the works of men are excluded (namely, without Law, without works, by grace [freely],Rom. 3:28; 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9), in order to indicate how highly necessary it is that in this article, aside from [the presentation of] the pure doctrine, the antithesis, that is, all contrary dogmas, be stated separately, exposed, and rejected by this means." Formula of Concord, SD
As I said, at a minimum my conclusion is that Preus was being confusing but the mass of his quotations of orthodox old Lutherans negate the UOJ doctrine that God has already declared the whole world righteous in Christ.
Your quote has lots of past tenses.
So you and Preus believe that God is now reconciled (a finished event) with the whole world. He is no longer angry with the unbeliever, he is at peace with them. The unbeliever has no more need to fear God? Do people still go to hell today based on your doctrine?
LPC
You are very mixed up, which is why you are so angry.
It is you who needs to stop and calm down you are very excitable. You do not appreciate the points being made to you.
The reason Pr. Greg quoted to you John 3:36 is because you claim that God is at peace with the world, he is not angry with the whole world anymore.
Can you see why he quoted that to you? I should have not asked -- you don't see it do you.
You do not even realise why I said most of your quote about God being reconciled to the world and no longer at war is IN THE PAST TENSE, which I intend to imply as unbiblical.
In Luke 2:14 God is declaring peace, but with God if you do not want his peace, you will receive his war. That does not mean God is at peace with the whole world, he is announcing Isaiah 1:18. Also God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor 5:19, this reconciling started in the past but it is still going on today, it is not in the past tense, a completed event, no way. Only believers are reconciled with God, for they are the only ones in Christ and that is where God's peace is located.
So your answer to me is that God who is at peace with the world wants the unbeliever to fear him even though God is not mad anymore with him, and yet, when this unbeliever fails to fear a God who no longer is mad at him, this God (so you suppose) sends that unbeliever to hell.
Hehehehe, Mr. Vega, hell is the ultimate expression of God's wrath. You make God inconsistent in himself. Which is which, Mr. Vega? Is God no longer mad, and yet he sends people to Hell (the expression of his ultimate wrath) for those who do not fear his anger which does not exists anymore?
You are confused about God. You have swallowed UOJ sophistry (you probably do not know what that means since you reason that way).
I recommend you eat a lot of peanuts, it is know to cure morons of their stupidity.
Sincerely yours,
LPC
You were running well in taking the discussion to the Scriptures away from Preus for after all what we do think about him are opinions and thus is irrelevant. You can get everything in the world right, you can even be right about Preus, but if you get Justification wrong you are still in deep pooh.
I can not conclude he remained a solid UOJer if I look at the last few chapters of his book.
For one reason, he discusses faith in not only in 1 chapter of the book but the vital last 4 chapters of the book.
In UOJ the object of faith is the (imagined) justification that has presumed to have already happened to the world either when Christ died on the cross or was raised from the dead. According to Pr. Jay Webber in this blog(I am too busy to cite it for you but you can find his comments in this blog), that is the object of faith in UOJ. UOJ confuses and conflates the Atonement with Justification, much like the Calvinists do. They conclude that since Christ died for the world, that automatically means God has also justified or forgiven the whole world.
In p.86 Preus quotes Quenstedt.
"When the terms grace or mercy of God are set forth as the object of our trust, this does not exclude Christ our Mediator and His ATONEMENT for our sins from being object of our faith, but includes it".
The emphasis is mine. This is nothing more but the exposition of Rom 3:21-26 which JBFA people have always asserted.
So in so quoting Quenstedt, I can hardly say Preus is being a UOJist here.
LPC
UOJ is not universalism. I believe (as do others) faith is required for salvation; or to put it another way; a lack of rejection (unbelief) saves since all are declared innocent on the account of Christ's blood. A lack of rejection = faith since one is either quick or dead.
Let me ask you something. Since you confess repeatedly that the sins of the world are not forgiven in the atonement; what assures you that your sins are indeed forgiven, Mr. LPC?
UOJ is indeed the universalism of Huber. For you like UOJ I have encountered believe that all are now saved and have been forgiven by God (with out the means of grace) after the cross but then he un-forgives people who do not believe in UOJ. So you got God acting against his character who only forgives people who are in Christ. So you got forgiven people who wind up in hell.
UOJ is the word of faith heresy, believe that you are already forgiven and so are, believe you are not forgiven and so you are not - you are what you believe, a demonic teaching akin to Christian Science.
The Word and the Sacraments assure me that my sins are paid for. In Cor 15:3 Scripture says that Jesus died for my sins. This is what I confess and believe as per testimony of God - according to Scripture Rom 3:21-26 such faith in the blood of Christ tells me that I am justified.
The Augsburg Confession Article IV, complies with Romans 3/4 as I stated above.
God regards the person's faith in the atonement of Christ as righteousness because it apprehends Christ's person and work. Why would God do this? Because the person has never seen Christ died on the Cross and yet he believes the testimony of Scripture. Thus it is faith in the promise of God - that Christ died for his sins.
UOJ people and JBFA people clearly do not have the same object of faith.
LPC
Does atonement pay a debt?
UOJ depicts as if God was in FaceBook, he begins to friend everybody and then when these people reject God's message, only then does God un-friend them.
Your UOJ masters teach you that it is a paradox, you are being fooled, no - it is an absurdity which Christianity does not accept. It is not like the doctrine of the Trinity which says there is one essence of God in three persons. It is not like the God and Human nature of Christ for in UOJ, we have an assertion A and at the same time the assertion NOT A, in the same sense.
There are two things wrong about UOJ, a.) Justification is not objective it is always subjective in the Bible, b.) Justification is not universal for justification is exclusive only to those who believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
In both counts UOJ contradicts the Bible twice. UOJ makes Atonement and Justification to be equal and the same, similar to the way Calvinists look at these two subjects. It is also similar to how the medieval Roman Church treat one and the same, Justification and Sanctification.
UOJ is confused universalism.
You should notice why you simply ignored Pr. Greg's John 3:36 scripture to you. It shows you are not able to rebut or explain it under your UOJ salvation scheme.
Listen, every person born in this world is under sin, under God's curse, even if Jesus died for that person's sins. The job of the HS is to use the means of grace so that person might be IN Christ, so that person might be brought under the covering (another meaning of the Atonement) of Christ. The HS uses the Law and the Gospel to bring that person to repentance and faith. If that person denies the truth that Jesus died for his sins, the person is calling God a liar 1 John 5:10, that person REMAINS in His sin - John 8:24. John 3:36. When the person agrees with the testimony of Scripture that Jesus died for his sins, i.e. believes as per Romans 3:21-26, that person is justified. That faith itself as Luther says, IS justification.
UOJ has a two tier justification that the Bible never talks about, it is a rational pietistic concoction of those who are afraid and allergic to the mention of faith. UOJ has sola gratia but no sola fide just like the Calvinists. UOJ does not realise the means of grace that it is connected to the atonement and the message of the Gospel is part and parcel of the Atonement of Christ. God delivers the message/offer of peace to sinners. They reject this offer of peace, they get what they want, war from God. They remain un-reconciled with God.
It is God who sends them to Hell - Lk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
So it is God who un-friends them.
You do not possibly know what you are agreeing with. If something is subjective it can not be objective and vice versa. So you are a sophists accepting something is A and NOT A at the same time.
Because of this, you can prove anything - ex falso quodlibet. So there is no sense in conducting a dialog with someone who does not recognise sophistry in his belief system.
LPC