[Gamecock]

[Artemis Webb]

“The best answer to the question “Why Luther?” is that God called him.”

_———————————

Thanks be to God.

[11th_VA]

Best documentary on Martin Luther:

A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy (2017)

[aynrandfreak]

Historically, I think it was as a combination of Luther and Calvin that helped spread the Reformation early on.

[PeterPrinciple]

But again, why Luther?

When Luther himself was asked about this, he would say that he did nothing. God did everything. Specifically, God’s Word did everything:

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Compare this this to the Pope and others who says he has ideas given to him by the spirit.

BUT DOES NOT TEST THESE IT WITH GOD’S WORD.

[JesusIsLord]

Here is what it was like to be a believing Christian five hundred years ago. The church did teach that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, bore the punishment for our sins and died for the forgiveness of our sins. It taught that the redemption that Christ won had to be dispensed by the church. What this meant in practice was that Christ’s death, applied through baptism, was thought to free us from original sin. Sins committed after baptism had to be dealt with in a different manner.

As far as I know, this remains RC church teaching today. This theology is one of the reasons many Christians reject Roman Catholocism.

[x]

Because chicks dig Idris Elba.

[HarleyD]

Why Luther? God puts particular people in particular places to effect particular events to accomplish His will. We don't know why we're called to do particular things. The only thing God wants from us is to be faithful to His calling in the circumstances around us.

Esther 4:14 For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Mordicai knew what God's will was. He didn't know what Esther's role was in accomplishing that will.

[ADSUM]

The article’s answer: “The best answer to the question “Why Luther?” is that God called him.”

Are you sure? Many maintain that Luther rejected God’s Truth and preached his own truth that rejected God’s Truth and the Catholic Church founded by Jesus. (”I am with you always , to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:20) One should consider whether Luther led many astray (Matthew 24:24)

God allows us to accept His grace of salvation or to reject God’s revealed truths.

As Luther proclaimed his own teaching, this article proclaims false statements:

1. “Purgatory was a realm of fire. Sinners burn in purgatory, much as they would in hell, though these pains are only temporary. But suffering the fires of purgatory might last thousands of years. “

The fires of Purgatory are a purification by a gradual and painful spiritual detachment of our soul from selfishness ans self-centeredness. Earthly fires cannot touch the soul. CCC The chief punishment of Hell is eternal separation from God CCC1035 When we seriously sin against God, neighbor, or self, we have failed to love God. Persistence in a state of serious sin reflects a choice to reject God’s love and an intention to separate ourselves from him. While images of fire of hell, the reality exceeds our ability to describe the isolation that comes from rejecting God’s love. The reality of the fires of Purgatory and amount of time is also unknown.

2. “Luther never wanted to start a new church; rather, he sought reformation of the church along biblical principles. But instead of reforming the church’s practices, or even discussing them, the pope excommunicated Luther. “

Luther as a priest with a vow of obedience. Luther was excommunicated for several actions in rejecting God’s Truth. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/leo-and-luther-the-real-story-of-the-pope-and-the-heretic

Luther was an unrepentant heretic whose teachings caused irreparable harm to the Catholic Church and Western civilization. When Pope Leo X (r. 1513-1521) recognized the danger of Luther’s teachings he strenuously and patiently urged his repentance.

Although Luther’s 95 Theses contained multiple heretical opinions, the most dangerous was his rejection of papal authority. Luther asserted the pope had no authority to dispense the merits of the treasury of grace to the faithful in the form of indulgences in order to remit the temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven in the sacrament of confession.

Leo promulgated a bull on indulgences a month later in which he reiterated Church teaching, so that Luther and others could not feign ignorance. Despite this papal document Luther continued to preach against Church teaching.

I hope that Luther repented before his death, but his teaching has led many away from God’s revealed truth.

[boatbums]

"I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip [Melanchthon] and [Nicolaus von] Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything."3

Excellent article about Martin Luther. God's word indeed penetrates through every false and accursed notion of man's pride and reveals the truth of the grace of God. Though I am not a Lutheran, I am grateful for Luther and the other reformers who willingly gave up all so that the true gospel was preached and preserved.

[boatbums]

Thank you again Gamecock for posting such a positive and encouraging thread about a man who God moved to rediscover the gospel of the grace of God. He and the other Reformers helped to enlighten millions of souls who diligently sought to know God and the truth about Jesus Christ that had been hidden by the false and accursed gospel of works-based religion. Their efforts are still bearing fruit to this day. I look forward to sharing their company in heaven for eternity!