going with a different kind of reading tonight. i've been mulling over these short but powerful excerpts i read from martin luther's treatise concerning good works.
why so surprised? i don't read percy jackson and harry potter all the time, ya know.
my small group and i are studying tim keller's "living in a pluralistic society." the preface of the study attacks the age-old battle between faith and works. in my head, it is by grace we are saved, through faith, that is the gift of god and not by works. yet, in my heart, there lies a small (and sometimes not so small) doubt. it is this doubt that is drawn to luther's writing and keeps me up tonight.
a sample:
"all those who do not at all times trust god and do not in all their works or sufferings, life and death, trust in his favor, grace and good-will, but seek his favor in other things or in themselves, do not keep this [first] commandment, and practice real idolatry, even if they were to do the works of all the other commandments, and in addition had all the prayers, fasting obedience, patience, chastity, and innocence of all the saints combined. for the chief work is not present, without which all the others are nothing but mere sham, show and pretense, with nothing back of them... if we doubt or do not believe that god is gracious to us and is pleased with us, or if we presumptuously expect to please him only through and after our works, then it is all pure deception, outwardly honoring god, but inwardly setting up self as a false [savior]..." part x, xi
in my work, in my ministry, in my words, in my actions, and even in my inner thoughts, do i at all times place my trust in god alone and not in my works? why do i serve the church? who benefits through my pro bono work? in all these things, at the very, very bottom of my heart, is there not some small piece of me that expects to please god only through what i do?
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