Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
If Martin Luther had the means of communication and broadcasting we have today I wonder what he would say. The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is the United States’ largest Christian television network. It is said to be the world’s largest religious network and America’s most watched faith channel. My biggest hunch is his message would go some thing like this:
“I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want ‘free-will’ to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground …; but because even were there no dangers … I should still be forced to labor with no guarantee of success … But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him.
Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favor promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God” ~Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will
On second thoughts such a message would be too “unchristian” for some Christian broadcasting networks. Could it be because we are losing grips on fundamental pillars of the Christian faith like total depravity of man kind and monergism (the position in Christian theology that only God through the Holy Spirit works to effectually bring about the salvation of individuals through spiritual regeneration) in favor of the illusive free will on which most of our altar calls deeply hinge?
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 