With joy he opens his Bible, for in it he finds light, power, comfort, and peace. With joy he enters into the house of God, for there his soul delights in the glorious worship of the Lord. He joins in the congregational hymns and prayers, and the use of the Holy Supper gives him a festive day. Oh, how blessed is the one who knows he stands in the true faith and, for this reason, he stands with God in grace! He already has heaven on earth, despite its thousandfold trouble. -- C. F. W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 660
More than 50 years ago, when I desperately needed the encouragement of the Gospel, I found it, among very few others, in C.F.W. Walther’s “Law and Gospel.” Ever since, I have had a great fondness and admiration for Walther. But,”Oh, how blessed is the one who knows he stands in the true faith and, for this reason, he stands with God in grace!”? Is there some context missing here? We stand “with God in grace” because we “stand in the true faith”? I have been waiting for some comments but apparently nobody else has a problem with this. Is that really why we stand “with God in grace”?
ReplyDeleteGeorge A. Marquart
I think you hear Walther incorrectly if you read the quote as though he meant that being a member of a the true faith (i.e., outwardly a Lutheran) guaranteed that one was standing with God in grace. He flat out denies this many times. Rather, his intention, it appears to me, is to communicate that the TRUE faith is that we stand with God in grace, and the person who recognizes that this IS the true faith is blessed and joyful indeed - for salvation all by grace, all gift, all undeserved and joyful mercy can't BUT be blessed!
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