They should be cheered up and strengthened by the voice of the pastors in this manner: “In like manner, have confidence, my son; believe that you have been baptized, that you have been pastured and fed in the Lord’s Supper and absolved by the laying on of hands, not mine, but God’s, who has said to you: ‘I forgive you your sins; I promise you eternal life.’ ” If they grasp this in firm faith, temptations and the spirit of blasphemy will vanish. -- Blessed Martin Luther on Genesis 32
What a GREAT quote!
ReplyDeleteDr Luther often puts so much into a paragraph. What an incredible professor he must have been.
ReplyDeleteHe teaches the art of true pastoral care for the the sinner's troubled conscience. Notice that temptations and blasphemies flee because of the gift of faith in Christ's promises delivered via the sacraments. The Law (while it can inform the living of the believer) has no power to fight temptations or blasphemies. It can reveal our sin and guide us to the right way but it's powerless to effect anything.
Matt P.