Luther and Erasmus: The Controversy Concerning the Bondage of the Will

Protestant Reformed Theological Journal ^ | April 1999 | Garrett J. Eriks

[HarleyD]

A rather long but interesting read.

[HarleyD]

Pinging you on this New Year Day.

There is nothing as more important as understanding God's sovereignty in our salvation as this article points out.

[Campion]

There is nothing as more important as understanding God's sovereignty in our salvation as this article points out.

You mean that beats out repentance, faith, and charity?

I can't wait to see all of those people rewarded on the last day for their understanding of God's sovereignty in their salvation. I for my part plan to be beating my breast and saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."

[Dr. Eckleburg]

"Repentance, faith and charity," like all good works within us, are the result of God regenerating our dead hearts.

"As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." -- Romans 3:10-12.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" -- Jeremiah 17:9

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." -- Isaiah 64:6

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -- Titus 3:4-7

"...he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."

You continue to claim for yourself the work of God within you, even though 2 Timothy 2 tells us repentance is something God gives to us -- "if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil..."

And Romans 2:4 says that the "goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance..."

Yet men prefer to see themselves as the final arbiters of their own salvation. But it is all of God, and none of man. Jesus Christ, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

You miss so much by not acknowledging that your faith, your repentance, your charity and your salvation are all gifts from God, not born out of our love for Him, but born out of His love for us.

[bubbleb]

Amen.
And thank you Harley for posting this.

[ettiegirl]

Very eloquent and to the point in addressing the pride of the poster. Pride, that sin that visits each and everyone of us. How is it that so many are unable to see the sweetness in giving God all of the credit and thereby glorifying Him? That it is our vanity which does not allow us to humbly acknowledge that left to ourselves we would never choose God?

[HarleyD]

"You mean that beats out repentance, faith, and charity? I can't wait to see all of those people rewarded on the last day for their understanding of God's sovereignty in their salvation."

Unless one understands the sovereignty of God it is impossible to fully understand repentance, faith and charity. It is though God that we are capable of repenting; that we even have faith; and that we do good works.

[marbren]

Did Martin Luther believe in double predestination?

[Forest Keeper]

Because God is sovereign in salvation, His grace cannot be resisted. Erasmus says that the reason some do not believe is because they reject the grace which God has given to them. Luther implies that God does not show grace to all men. Instead, He saves and shows favor only to those who are His children. In them, God of necessity, efficaciously accomplishes His purpose.

Thank you HarleyD for posting such a wonderful article. I was blessed enough to have a mentor in my church who taught me many of the beliefs I have now, and which you correctly pointed out to me were reformed beliefs, even though I didn't know there was a name for it at the time. :)

However, he also taught that "God reveals himself to all men", and that in cases where earthly death occurs to a young child (or an abortion victim), or to one who has no capacity to "accept" Christ, that there is a "free pass" (my words) to salvation. These ideas seem to contradict the teaching of the article and I wanted to ask you both for your thoughts. As harsh at it might seem to us humans, I don't see how the teaching allows for any exceptions, even for those who have not yet sinned.

[bornacatholic]

Did Martin Luther believe in double predestination?

*He believed in double secret predestination

[bornacatholic]

At the time of the Reformation, many hoped Martin Luther and Erasmus could unite against the errors of the Roman Catholic Church

*As so many of the protestants posts begin, this one begins by atacking the Church Jesus establishd. The unacknowledged subtext is Jesus established a Church that teaches error.

That is a blasphemous absurdity.

[kosta50]

Luther was a slave to sin and he built an entire theology around it: a misbehaved child who expects to be saved by Big Daddy without having to unshackle his bondage with sin. Hence his famous "pecca fortiter..." -- a formula that one can be a slave to sin and be saved. The one thing Luther did not know is that God is Love, and Love does not impose itself.

We do not get saved for sinning boldly and believing, but by repentance -- metanoia, i.e. changing our mind -- through love and desire for God that transforms us, slowly as it may, into the likeness of Christ.

God only gives blessings. It's up to us to actively accept them, and it's our decision what to do with them. We are under no obligation to choose or reject God's blessings. That in itself does not make us gods. It is a gift that God gave us, so that we may -- not must -- love Him back.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."(Mat 6:33)

To seek is to search willingly. Maybe one day all the Reformed Christians will come to that realization, but I doubt it.

[Mr. Lucky]

Luther attacked the abuses of the church. You err by assuming that those abuses were created by Christ Himself.

[kosta50]

You continue to claim for yourself the work of God within you

The Church our Lord Jesus Christ established gives all credit to God for giving each and every one of us the opportunity to accept Him.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Mat 5:16)

[kosta50]

Luther attacked the abuses of the church. You err by assuming that those abuses were created by Christ Himself

Not so! It started with the abuses of power and turned into reformation of theology as well. Luther claimed that what the Church teaches was in error and that he was the final arbitrer of what was right and wrong. Everyone else was in error according to him!

[Mr. Lucky]

A sober post.

[kosta50]

Unless one understands the sovereignty of God it is impossible to fully understand repentance, faith and charity

If that is so, then the Reformed theology must also teach that He is the author of good and evil, of repentance and sin, of faith and atheism, of charity and intolarance, of mercy and cruelty as well!

What can Love do but offer love? There is no evil in pure Love. But if your theology has merit, we must assume that Love somehow created evil as well. That is a twisted theology I must admit.

For, if you are right, our sinfulness is olso His doing, our slavery to sin is God's plan, giving Him "credit" for our Fall and holding Him accountable for it!

We "semi-Pelagians" blame man for the corruption of God's Creation. By giving us the freedom to accpet His gifts or to reject them, to do good with them or to do evil, He did create chaos as the OT says, but what's the alternative that you propose: God created some that He loves and saves and some that He loves and destroys? You must be joking.

[Campion]

It is though God that we are capable of repenting; that we even have faith; and that we do good works.

I agree with this, but agreeing with it won't get me to heaven.

Unless one understands the sovereignty of God it is impossible to fully understand repentance, faith and charity.

You don't have to understand it. You only have to practice it.

[Campion]

You continue to claim for yourself the work of God within you

And you continue to claim that salvation is achieved by intellectual effort and understanding.

(Don't like that response? It's as fair, and as charitable, and as accurate, as what you said to me ...)

[HarleyD]

However, he also taught that "God reveals himself to all men", and that in cases where earthly death occurs to a young child (or an abortion victim), or to one who has no capacity to "accept" Christ, that there is a "free pass" (my words) to salvation. These ideas seem to contradict the teaching of the article and I wanted to ask you both for your thoughts.

God does reveal Himself to all but men's hearts are hardened. They cannot accept the truth until God changes the heart and instills the faith man needs to believe.

Many take comfort in believing a young child who dies is guarantee a spot in heaven. There is no biblical justification for this view. It leads to Arminianism and Erasmus' erroneous point of view. It also states that there are "other ways" to heaven besides the cross of Christ which is implied in the "free pass" idea.

That being said we can take comfort in knowing that our Lord is wise, merciful and gracious. He will make the perfect decision. Whatever that decision is God justifies everyone through the blood of His dear Son. God can instill a baby with His Holy Spirit (Jeremiah and John the Baptist are examples) just the same as He instills us.