Progress of Reform in Germany
NOTES:
Luther Disappears, safe as a prisoner, and thiscauses greater enthusiasm to read/study his works
Reformation gains strength constantly
Fundamental Principal of Reformation: Word of God as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice
Along with progress came:
Increase in False Prophets
Honest people misled
Students abandoned Word of God
God does more with His Word than all of us with our united strength.
Luther continued to work diligently in faith and God’s power brought back the misled people.
Fanaticism brought violence and terrible results such as:
Holy Scriptures = dead letter & people began to cry “The Spirit, The Spirit" instead.
Leaders of Fanaticism: ambitious for position and influence and unwilling to be second to Luther “spirit of jealousy”
Governed by impressions and impulse as voice of God
Burning Bible stating the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life.
appeal to mean’s desire for he marvelous/utopia. putting human idea over Word God.
order of public worship denounced
give into prejudices and passions
Results
sedition & strife was the result
accusation of legalism against the true Christians
Luther eventually blamed for the thing he is trying to fix
fanatics now acting like victims
i.e. racism, lgbtq, republicans, liberals, provx, antivx, prolife, proabortion, feminist movement - everyone putting themselves in the position of the victim while transgressing the law themselves.
Righteousness is called sin and sin is called righteousness.
Faithful to God left to stand alone w/ suspicion and distrust.
Satan’s most successful devices: diverting minds from Scripture leading men to follow own feelings & impressions.
Word of God: Weapon mighty in every conflict
Hebrews 4:12 “two-edged sword”
Proverbs 5:4 “two-edged sword”
Revelation 1:16 “two-edged sword”
Three types of idols: All man-made
Rationalism: reason
Romanism: papacy (sovereign pontiff)
Fanaticism: imagination, influences - charismatic leader
True Christianity bases their knowledge and understanding on the Word of God
Luther’s translations —> colporteurs spread it through cities & schools
Ps 119:130
“Bible if not IP (intellectual property) - it is an open source!” - Ank316
Commoners’ knowledge exceeded the educated in Scripture.
God’s teachings fulfilled the wants of the souls of people which kept them from going back to Romanism.
Satan’s work, persecution & fanaticism, will make more clear the contrast between the work of Satan & the work of God.