By: Jim Umlauf
From the start, there have been pressures placed upon God’s gracious provision of the gospel. Because the gospel rejects any efforts on the part of humans, or good works to repair God’s broken law, or honor in this life as valid in the next, the world must reject it. In fact, the world prefers these things, and so cannot allow them to be condemned.
Unfortunately, there are churches, movements, and even whole denominations that are striving to put gospel softener into the theological washing machine. But that’s no gospel at all, as Paul warns us in Galatians 1. Here’s what Martin Luther says about our care for the gospel as God offers it:
“The issue before us is grave and vital; it involves the death of the Son of God, who, by the will and command of the Father, became flesh, was crucified, and died for the sins of the world. If faith yields on this point, the death of the Son of God will be in vain. Then it is only a fable that Christ is the Savior of the world. Then God is a liar, for he has not lived up to his promises. Therefore our stubbornness on this issue is pious and holy; for by it we are striving to preserve the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to keep the truth of the gospel. If we lose this, we lose God, Christ, all the promises, faith, righteousness, and eternal life.”
I’d call that grave and vital, wouldn’t you? None but Jesus. Let no other trust intrude.
