Crazy Theological Thoughts

I just finished this movie. Sometimes I watch movies later than other people. But the last line of this movie has the guy saying "I don't know who said, 'Only the dead have seen the end of war,' I have seen the end of war. The question is, can I live again?" This man has went to the edge and is now attempting to come back. I have not fought in war. I have not given my life for another. I have not died so someone else can live. Nor have I killed anyone. And those who do face something I can not fully understand. But confession of our sins and those things which trouble our consciences can bring peace. This man at the end of the movie finally gets off his chest that which truly troubles his conscience. He confesses to his wife what he has done. I am not going to say he was condemned before for what he had done but he was condemning himself. Here is were I can meet this man. We all have demons in our past which we need to get off our chest. Once we conf...

In the Augsburg Confession the fourth Article is on Justification. Some Lutherans believe this is the chief article of the Reformation. But if the Roman Church would have gotten this one article correct would we have still needed a reformation. The truth is of course. The Reformation was about many errors. Justification by Faith alone through grace is very important for all to believe. But the Romans also God the office of the keys wrong. The Romans got monastic orders wrong. The Romans must have also been in agreement on the Christ and Trinity. These articles are not all as important. But what if a Lutheran gets Baptism or Communion wrong but Justification right? Are there things more foundational than article IV? I would be inclind to say, yes! If you do not get the trinity correct, I think we have a bigger problem. If you do not understand Jesus Christ to be son of God his atonement loses. For that matter if you only beleive that we are saved by grace alone, is it impor...

The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons. This is the one that scares me the most. The Pope is limited to punish only the rules he creates and only to remit these penalties. This means the pope does not have the power to absolve people of their sins. This will become a major issue later in the reformation but here it is not fully developed. Luther shows here that he does not deny the sacrament of penance but tells us that we can not put our entire life in the hands of this sacrament. Luther is willing to admit here he is dazed and confused. But then he lists out several different punishments which I am assuming he does not think the Pope has the Authority to remit. The First punishment listed is eternal punishment, hell of the damned, which God alone can remit. Luther seems to believe only God can forgive sins. He must have been with the Pharisees when Jesus says to the paralytic that your sins ar...

The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self, that is, true inner repentance, until our entrance into the Kingdom of heaven. The penalty is always before the people. The people are to hate their own self because they are sinful and unclean. Luther reminds us this is true inner repentance. All the penalties are still before the people until they reach the gates of heaven. This means that while still on earth people face the pain and suffering of sin. There is always going to be sickness and adversity. Temptation will be all around the people of God. Therefore, Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him. The Christian carries their cross in humility and suffering. These are all the temporal penalties of sin. The sinner or Christian is not released from this until the body of sin is destroyed in temporal death. Here Luther may be starting to see a great Lutheran Principle: Simultaneously Sinner and Saint. Christians are called sainted when they die because th...

Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortifications of the flesh. Here it is not the inner repentance of just thinking and feeling but a full subjection of the flesh. Mortification means the subjection and denial of bodily passions and appetites by abstinence or self-inflicted pain or discomfort. Luther is telling us we need outward action to prove our true Repentance. Luther is also telling us we need to place our body in subjection to ourselves. This means taming the Body and at times it can mean beating your body into submission. This can cause wounds of shame and humiliation. This may even be the ascetic Luther coming out. You need to make sure that you control your body and do not allow it to control you. Inner repentance of thought or feeling guilt is meaningless unless you actually have outward action. This is the tax collector beating himself as he prays in Luke 18:13. These outward actions a...

This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy. The Life of repentance can not come from attending to regular confession and satisfaction. Note Luther does not have in mind the idea of Confession and Absolution but the Sacrament of Penance. Luther is reminding us the life of repentance must have more to it than just attending to the sacrament. You must reflect on your sins every day. This may be where Luther will later come up with the idea of daily drowning the Old Adam and rising to New Life. But Luther at this time still has the idea of the threat of Hell Constantly before you. Luther would desire for people to fear God and points Jesus words of "Repent" away from the known way to be free from their sins. Luther starts to reject the idea of penance because he thinks it is only outward and does not force the person to change their way of Life. People think they can lead evil ...

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. In Matthew 4:17 Jesus begins his ministry proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus calls us all to a life of repentance and does not give us a hint of forgiveness. This is a warning of coming wrath and destruction. Luther starts his discussion with a Jesus of wrath. Luther also starts on a note of Repentance connecting his message with Christ but also with John the Baptist. John the Baptist gives us a Baptism of Repentance. But John the Baptist also gives us a great image of Jesus. Matthew 4:12 "His pitch fork in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." This has to remind you have someone with horns, a pitch fork, and a pointed Tail. But this is the call to repentance. The people should have their e...