Trespasses and Sins

1 Καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν, 2 ἐν αἷς ποτε περιεπατήσατε κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας· (Ephesians 2:1,2 NA28)
¹ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins  ² in which you once walked according the world system of this age, according to ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:1,2 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

I was requested recently for input into a discussion between professing Christians that had begun about what is proper worship and what is not using some of the presentations from the recent Strange Fire conference, but had taken a “strange turn” between a few attacking the theology of those who held to the Sovereignty of God in all things, especially salvation and those who were defending it. By the time I got to the discussion the “back and forth” and become quite terse and there was one very intense person insisting that “Sovereignty” was not a Biblical word, but a man-made, theological word since it was not found her King James Bible. She was refuted quite well by several people so I didn’t get involved in it. However, I did send my friend an exegetical analysis of Ephesians 2:1-9 showing that those who insist on Salvation according to Free Will must be inconsistent with Ephesians 2:8,9. It was from that “experience” that I decided we should take a closer look at two words found throughout the New Testament, “trespasses” and “sins.” 

9 Οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς· Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· 10 ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς· 11 τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον· 12 καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν· 13 καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. 14 Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος· 15 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν. (Matthew 6:9-15 NA28)
⁹ “You, therefore, pray in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, let your name be hallowed, ¹⁰ let your kingdom come, let your will be done as in heaven also on earth. ¹¹ Give to us our daily bread today. ¹² And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.’ ¹⁴ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you of your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:9-15 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

This is, of course, what many call the Lord’s Prayer from the Sermon on the Mount. Read it carefully and relate v12 with vv14-15. The word “trespasses” in vv14-15 translates the Greek noun παραπτώματα or paraptōmata, a compound word made up of παρα or para, which means “along side of,” and πίπτω or piptō, “to fall.” Therefore παραπτώματα pictures a deviation to one side or the other. In the New Testament it is always used to strongly emphasize a deliberate act with its serious consequences. The key to understanding this in our theology, therefore, is to realize that “trespasses” speaks of a willful deviation from God’s requirement.

In the Lord’s Prayer we are taught what? We sin against God and each other. When we sin, we “trespass” and become debtors to whomever we have sinned against. In the prayer we pray for God to forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Then in vv-14-15 we are warned that the mark of true believers are that they are forgiving while those who are not true believers do not forgive. They cling to that debt owed to them. Those in Christ must let it all go.

We find παραπτώματα again in Romans 5:15-21.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:15-21 ESV)

Adam’s sin was a willful deviation from God’s command and through it came condemnation for mankind. All born of the flesh, that is, all mankind, are willful sinners. We sin because we choose to sin; we deviate from the commands of God.

The other word we will look at is “sins.” In Ephesians 2:1, the word “sins” translates the Greek noun ἁμαρτίαις or hamartiais, the Dative, Plural, Feminine case of ἁμαρτία or hamartia. This noun is derived from the verb ἁμαρτάνω or hamartanō, “to miss the mark.”
 This verb was used in ancient Greek of a spearman missing the target at which he aimed and threw his spear. It then came to be used in the ethical sense of not measuring up to a standard, or falling short of a purpose or standard.

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 ESV)

What is this sin and how is it different from παραπτώματα or is it different? This sin is missing the mark. What is the mark for which we shoot? It is the glory of God. In other words, the mark we shoot for is to be worthy of glory, but we miss it every time. I cringe when I see the news and hear of “innocent” people being killed or hurt or whatever. My brethren, there is no such thing. We may think we are not sinners because we are not criminals or drug addicts or whatever, but ἁμαρτία brings us face to face with what sin is, the failure to be what we ought to be and could be.

We believe that sin is something we do, but it is actually something we do not do. And what is the thing we do not do? We do not measure up to God’s standard of holiness. God is holy, perfect, absolutely pure while our sin, then, is not measuring up to that standard. All of the “sins” we do are the result of what we do not do. How far we fall short of the glory of God!

Man’s view of sin is greatly distorted and his sinfulness distorts his view of his sinfulness and guilt. However, God’s view is clear—man has willfully deviated from God’s law and has fallen far short of God’s standard of holiness.

Now, do you see why we need a Saviour who is Holy and Righteous and took our place, dying on the Cross for our Sins? We must thank God for His forgiveness, which is available to all who believe because of this.

Which Commandment Is The Most Important Of All?

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel:The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34 ESV)

The rabbis of Jesus’ day engaged in an ongoing debate to determine which commandments of the Law were “light” and which were “weighty” (Matthew 23:23). It reminds me of the debate in certain circles of the visible Church today in which some are concerned with how far they can push their “Christian Liberty.” This concept is no more biblical than that of the rabbis attempting to compartmentalize their religion. Does our Lord’s answer to the Pharisee in Mark 12, Matthew 22, and Luke 10 have any significance to the Christian?

The daily walk of the Christian is one of sanctification in which God demolishes our love for our idols and draws us into a holy, spirit-filled life. The call is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1,2) by living and walking before God as living sacrifices. This may sound complicated, but it really is not. In fact, the key to making this work is found in our Lord’s answer to the Pharisees who were debating which commandment was the greatest.

The natural man, woman, or child walks through each day loving themselves. When one is hungry or cold or hot or tired, et cetera he or she will take steps to take care of the “need.” When one is injured or sick then he or she will become consumed with the pain and need to take care of what is wrong. The world is constantly reminding us of what we need to be concerned about and offers of solutions. We are constantly being bombarded with this stuff to the point that we can become so wrapped up in “meeting this need” that we will actually take steps to get what we “deserve” because we believe we are “entitled.” This is loving self.

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40 ESV)

Do you see that we already love ourselves? This is natural. God is not telling us here that we first must learn to love ourselves. No, the command for us here is that we must love others as we love ourselves and for this to be an imperative for us it must start with us loving the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds. If our hearts’ focus is here then we will also naturally love others as we love ourselves. What does it mean to love God this way?

1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules —that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9 ESV)

This passage is the source for part of our Lord’s quote in Matthew 22. From the immediate context, we learn what makes up this love of God, which encompasses the Christian in every part. It starts with fearing the Lord our God and keeping all his statutes and commandments. We are commanded to be careful to do them in all our days. Moses also tells us here that we are to teach this to our children, their children, and their children. In other words, loving the Lord is manifest in us as we obey Him in fear, awe, reverence, and diligence. This is not talking about keeping rules in a legalistic manner, like the Pharisees were trying to do, but from a grateful heart full of Love for our deliverer we obey our Lord in all parts of our lives. If we are living this way, what will our relationships be like with our spouses, relatives, and neighbors?

9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. 11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:9-18 ESV)

Do you see that the one who loves the Lord with their entire being will also be generous, considerate, honest, full of love instead of hate, nor will they be vengeful. No, the spirit-filled believer shall love their neighbor as themselves.

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:1-21 ESV)

The one who loves the Lord their God with their entire being will be an imitator of Him. He or she will walk in the love of Christ sacrificially. If you skipped this passage I exhort you to go back and carefully read it. This is how the Christian will interact with everyone. The one who belongs to God hears the truth of His Word and learns to obey it as God matures him or her. The more spirit-filled they become, the more Christlike they will be. This joyous, spirit-filled life is not defeated by circumstances. This life contains no guarantee of no trouble, but the Christian is promised that nothing can separate them from the love of God or take them from the Saviour’s hand. However, as we have seen, the genuine Christian is called to put to death their pride and self-focus by becoming humble and spirit-filled. They walk through each day with their focus on their blessed hope rather than an easy retirement.

My brethren, this is radical Christianity and it is what all who in Christ are called to. Those in this walk will have no concept of pushing the envelope of “Christian Liberty” or a form of Christianity that is carnal and fleshly. For those who have been lied to by their leaders that God doesn’t care how carnal you become, I pray that you will draw near unto God with a repentant heart seeking to commit your life to Christ’s Lordship. I pray that you will seek to enter the spirit-filled walk. I pray that you will learn to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ.

The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

The Protestant Reformation was used by God to restore the lost doctrine of Justification by Faith. Also, all of the reformers were adamant that the Bible be available to all people in a language they could read and understand. The Roman Catholic Church of that era was apostate and taught a corrupt gospel based on works. The Bible was kept locked up and away from non-scholars. It was always read verbally to the people in Latin, which few understood. As the Bible was translated from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into German, English, French, etc. the doctrine of Justification by Faith became central. Why would our enemy and his seed seek to bury this doctrine within religion?

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:11-16 ESV)

Never forget that even though we are in Christ and are regenerate and have the Holy Spirit, we can also fall into the sin of seeking to be justified by our actions. Even the Apostle Peter fell into this sin. Peter traveled to Antioch of Syria to the church there. It was made up of mostly Gentiles. He ate with and fellowshipped with them. However, when James, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, came to visit, Peter withdrew from fellowship with the Gentile Christians. As a result, the other Jewish Christians, except for Paul, did as well. Why would Peter, or any of the other Jewish Christians do this? Think with me. Let’s move forward to the 21st Century. I hear this a great deal so I know that this following sin is prevalent in the Church today. Pornography is rampant and it has a grip of death in the hearts of many professing Christians. However, to a man, I contend that they who are in bondage to it can control their addiction and not pursue it if their wife, or mother, or friend, or Pastor, or their children, or anyone else is with them. They go after it only when they are alone. Isn’t this revealing that their fear of man is greater than their fear of God?

That was Peter’s sin. He knew that he had been justified by faith alone and not by keeping the Law. However, when pressure was put on him from the leaders of the Jewish Christians, he succumbed to the fear of men rather than abiding in the fear of God. Our works do not justify us. If so, then we would all have to keep the Law perfectly. In God’s economy, our works are totally unacceptable as a means of salvation. Why? The root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man’s heart, not his actions. The Law serves as a mirror to reveal sin, not as a cure for it.

All genuine believers have been justified by faith. The Greek word that is translated as “justified” is a forensic word that describes a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. Throughout scripture this word refers to God’s declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him or her the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing the person’s sin to our sinless Saviour.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

All genuine believers are saved by grace through faith. It is by God’s unmerited favor that we are saved through the conduit of faith. It is God’s work not ours. For if we did it then it would be a work and that would not be by Grace. If we did it then we could boast. However, it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. The way this passage is structured in Greek, the word “that” in the phrase, “and that not of yourselves,” refers to the entire previous statement of salvation. The grace and the faith are God’s work. We are required to believe in order to be justified by faith, but even that faith is part of the gift of God that saves and cannot be exercised by one’s own power. If so, then this passage is false. I prefer to believe what the Bible says rather than what my pride wants to believe. Therefore, I reject what my “common sense” says about this and believe that God saved me despite myself.

Believers are New Creations who are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. These good works cannot produce salvation but are subsequent and resultant God-empowered fruits and evidences of it. God has ordained that all of His children walk in these good works. We are to walk before the face of God by His grace, in obedience, and in our fear of Him. We are most definitely capable of relapsing into walking in the fear of men, but when we do that we are walking outside of the good works within which God has ordained for us to walk. It does not alter our justification because that came to us by faith through grace, not works. However, if we are genuine believers we will abide in our Lord’s Word. We will not fall away.

Now we return to our original question. Why would our enemy seek to bury the doctrine of Justification by Faith in religion? If people believe they are Christians by their own works then they may not be saved, but unfortunately those in this group  who are genuine will also believe their “walk” is entirely up to them as well. It is imperative that we preach the whole Gospel. People must understand their fallen nature and hopelessness of being reconciled to God by works. Then as they hear the good news of the salvation available to those who believe, the Holy Spirit will open their hearts to do so. It is through this that God justifies those who believe. On the other hand, if this doctrine is ignored as well as man’s fallen nature, then a corrupt gospel is preached that saves no one.

6 Quotes that Luther Didn’t Actually Say

Here are a few quotes you’ll often hear attributed to Luther, though none of them are exact actual quotes, and a few of them are things that Luther would have disagreed with!
Alleged Luther quote #1:

If I believed the world were to end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today.

Luther didn’t say this. For a thorough discussion, see Martin Schloemann, Luthers Apfelbäumchen: Ein Kapitel deutscher Mentalitätsgeschichte seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg
(Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1994), 246-251 (via Frederick Gaiser, HT: Garrett Lee). Schloemann argues that it’s not only something Luther didn’t say but wouldn’t say, unless it was put into a Christocentric eschatology emphasizing “creaturely service of neighbor and world.”
Alleged Luther quote #2:

The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays—not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors.
The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.

Luther didn’t say this. As with the quote from the first example, Gaiser argues that it doesn’t sit very well with Luther’s actual views on vocation. The idea that God is pleased with our work because he likes quality work “would be the American work-ethic version of vocation, theologically endorsing work as an end in itself. In the hands and mouth of a modern boss, good craftsmanship and clean floors (or a clean desk or a signed contract) to the glory of God could be a potent and tyrannical tool to promote the bottom line. . . . [W]hat marks Luther’s doctrine of vocation is the insistence that the work is done in service of the neighbor and of the world. God likes shoes (and good ones!) not for their own sake, but because the neighbor needs shoes. . . .”
Alleged Luther quote #3:

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.

Luther didn’t say this exactly, but this one is closer. Denny Burk looked into this one:

Most writers quote other writers’ use of the term. The few that credit an original source cite a letter published in the Weimar edition of Luther’s works [D. Martin Luther's Werke : kritische Gesamtausgabe (Weimarer Ausgabe) : [3. Band] Briefwechsel

, ed. (Weimar: H. Böhlaus Nachfolger, 1933), 81-82]. Here’s a scan of the relevant text from the Weimar edition:

Here’s a rough translation:
“Also it does not help that one of you would say: ‘I will gladly confess Christ and His Word on every detail, except that I may keep silent about one or two things which my tyrants may not tolerate, such as the form of the Sacraments and the like.’ For whoever denies Christ in one detail or word has denied the same Christ in that one detail who was denied in all the details, since there is only one Christ in all His words, taken together or individually.”
As you can see, this does not match the first quotation, though the sentiments described in the former are similar to the latter.
Alleged Luther quote #4:

I’d rather be ruled by a wise Turk than by a foolish Christian.

Luther didn’t say this one, and wouldn’t have. Gene Veith offers an extended analysis. Here is his conclusion:

These statements by Martin Luther and their context within the various documents he wrote are more than sufficient to convince reasonable readers that Luther would never have uttered the falsely attributed quote and would never regard as a preferable desire or choice to be ruled by a Turk. [It] is not “Luther-esque” and in fact, it is diametrically opposed to the position on which we know from his writings Luther firmly stood.

Alleged Luther quote #5:

Justification is the article by which the church stands and falls.

This one is pretty close.
The first use of this exact Latin phrase (justificatio est articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae
) seems to be by Lutheran theologian Balthasar Meisner—born 40 years after Luther’s death—who said that it was a “proverb of Luther” (Anthropôlogia sacra disputation 24 [Wittenberg: Johannes Gormannus, 1615]).
In 1618 Reformed theologian Johann Heinrich Alsted wrote articulus iustificationis dicitur articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae
 (in Theologia scholastica didacta [Hanover, 1618], p. 711)— “The article of justification is said to be the article by which the church stands or  falls.”
We don’t have record of Luther using the exact phrase, but very close: quia isto articulo stante stat Ecclesia, ruente ruit Ecclesia—
“Because if this article [of justification] stands, the church stands; if this article collapses, the church collapses.” (WA 40/3.352.3)
So the famous version is more like a summary of paraphrase of his actual quote.
Alleged Quote #6

Here I stand; I can do no other.

Diarmaid MacCulloch, in his magesterial work on the Reformation, says this is the “most memorable thing Luther never said.” Many scholars believe that it was first inserted at the end of Luther’s speech by the first editor of his collected works, Georg Rörer (1492-1557).
Copyright © 2014 by the author listed above. Used by permission.

Where Does “Separation of Church and State” Come From and What Does It Really Mean?

A good brief summary from Princeton’s Robert P. George:

The best resource I know on this question is Daniel Dreisbach’s Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State (New York University Press, 2003).

For a good summary of this history and analysis, see his online piece, “The Mythical ‘Wall of Separation’: How a Misused Metaphor Changed Church-State Law, Policy, and Discourse.”

Professor Dresibach begins by observing:

No metaphor in American letters has had a more profound influence on law and policy than Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation between church and state.” Today, this figure of speech is accepted by many Americans as a pithy description of the constitutionally prescribed church-state arrangement, and it has become the sacred icon of a strict separationist dogma that champions a secular polity in which religious influences are systematically and coercively stripped from public life.

In our own time, the judiciary has embraced this figurative phrase as a virtual rule of constitutional law and as the organizing theme of church-state jurisprudence, even though the metaphor is nowhere to be found in the U.S. Constitution.

Dresibach sets out “to challenge the conventional, secular myth that Thomas Jefferson, or the constitutional architects, erected a high wall between religion and the civil government.”

“Although today,” he writes, “Jefferson’s Danbury letter is thought of as a principled statement on the prudential and constitutional relationship between church and state, it was in fact a political statement written to reassure pious Baptist constituents that Jefferson was indeed a friend of religion and to strike back at the Federalist-Congregationalist establishment in Connecticut for shamelessly vilifying him as an infidel and atheist in the recent campaign.”

It’s not uncommon for advocates of the “high and impregnable wall” misunderstanding of the metaphor to suggest that Jefferson’s own policies were incompatible with his own principles (e.g., endorsement of federal funds to build churches, support of Christian missionaries among the Native Americans, etc.). But Dresibach shows that in Jefferson’s own thinking, the wall was not a separation between church and all civil government, but rather a wall between the national and state governments on matters related to religion.

Meet the Family of God

There is no denying the importance of family. My husband and children are my first priority and God’s gift to me. When my husband is discouraged, it’s a privilege to come alongside him and encourage him. When my kids are sick, my husband and I are there to nurse them back to health. Our relationships go much further than caring for one another, of course, but often these tangible expressions are the means of expressing our importance to one another. My husband and I are united through the covenant of marriage and have the great responsibility from God of shepherding our children.

I imagine you would agree that family is important. There’s another family that is of great value to the Lord and that is the family of God.

Our Adoption

As Christians we are adopted children of God. Paul tells us of our new bloodline when he writes: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16–17). We are children of God and a fellow heir with Christ. Before the foundation of the world God had us in mind. He created us and then he adopted us as his very own children.

But it came at a price.

In order for us to be brought into God’s family, his Son had to die. God gave his Son for us to be called sons. We know that Jesus’s death wasn’t short and quick. It was long and agonizing — and it was for us.

Even before his death Jesus affirmed the importance of being a part of the family of God. Addressing the people while his mother and brothers stood outside, Jesus said, “‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48–50).

Jesus isn’t making a statement that our biological families are no longer important (see Matthew 15:3). Rather, he is stating that following him is far greater. He takes priority, and so does his kingdom — so much so that those who follow him are counted as his brother and sister and mother — his family.

A Colorful Family

Maybe the best news about our adoption into God’s family is that it is not dependent on us. He doesn’t call the righteous, he redeems sinners. God also doesn’t look at our outward appearance to determine whether he will adopt us. He doesn’t discriminate based on ethnicity. His concern is the heart. We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are saved by faith alone through grace alone — all our boasting is in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). The gospel is for all nations.

We know this is true, and yet so often we allow the differences in the color of our skin to dictate whether or not we accept people. God doesn’t discriminate in his family. Racial reconciliation has been accomplished in Christ. There is no distinction. Those who trust in Christ for their salvation are adopted, and therefore we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. As a result, we should be united in Christ. He’s got a colorful family, and therefore so do we. Russell Moore puts it like this in Adopted for Life:

Our adoption means . . . that we find a different kind of unity. In Christ, we find Christ. We don’t have our old identities based on race or class or life situation. The Spirit drives us from Babel to Pentecost, which is why “the works of the flesh” Paul warns about include “enmity, strife, jealousy. . . .” When we find our identity anywhere other than Christ, our churches will be made up of warring partisans rather than loving siblings.

What would it mean, though, if we took the radical notion of being brothers and sisters seriously?

What would happen if your church saw an elderly woman no one would ever confuse with “cool” on her knees at the front of the church praying with a body-pierced fifteen-year-old anorexic girl?

What would happen if your church saw a white millionaire corporate vice president being mentored by a Latino minimum wage-earning janitor because both know the janitor is more mature in the things of Christ? (paragraphing added)

Different and the Same

As we begin to view members of our churches as members of God’s family and thus as members of our family, our prejudices begin to crumble. Racial reconciliation is not only possible; it’s a must because we are the very family of God.

One way for us to truly love and care for the Church is for us to get a big God view of the family of God. Understanding the family of God is yet another weapon against racial intolerance in the church and beyond.

As we recognize, accept, and embrace our new family, we experience the walls of hostility abolished, torn down, no more. Only in the family of God can people so distinctly different be the same (equal in creation and redemption) and counted as sisters and brothers in a new family.

Isn’t It Ironic?

Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill debuted in 1995, just as the first wave of Millennials was crashing into America’s high schools. Her music became one of the soundtracks for these critical years — for many of us, not chosen, or even necessarily positive, but unavoidable. Her distinctive voice, catchy tunes, and conspicuous distress aired nonstop on the radio and at the mall.

Other than her nasty little ditty “You Oughta Know” (we won’t rehearse those bitter lyrics here), her biggest song was “Ironic.” And it’s proved to be her most enduring, still playing almost two decades later, having reached a kind of classic status. If you’ve been in public at all in the last twenty years, you’ve likely heard it.

A Song We Can All Sing

In “Ironic,” Morissette, once crowned “the queen of alt-rock angst,” plays the part, it seems, of the observant but powerless nihilist, noting how “life has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything’s okay.” It’s not just a clever and humorous celebration of irony, but it subtly begs the deeper question as it personifies “life.” At worst, it’s just a playful lament of life’s endless torrent of troubles, but at best it’s suggestive of something personal behind it all. Someone.

It only takes a few lines to catch the gist of “Ironic.”

A traffic jam when you’re already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife

We’ll leave the debate to the critics as to whether Morissette really understands what irony is in its strict sense, or whether what she’s really lamenting is bad timing. But however that goes, the song’s wild popularity, and sticking power, is owing not just to the mesmerizing tune and her riveting mezzo-soprano, but to the fact that we all can relate to what seem like profound ironies in our lives.

It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought it figures?

The Real Meaning of Irony

For those suppressing the innate knowledge of a Creator, noting the humor in the ironies is one small way of straining for some silver lining in the disappointments that come our way. But in the end, there’s no meaning to it for the nihilist. Making light of the irony, or the bad timing, is just one place to step your foot near the harrowing cliff of meaningless, right before sliding off.

But for the Christian, life’s ironies are pregnant with meaning. They aren’t just humorously coincidental and then ultimately empty. They are profoundly personal. They are pinpricks in the veil, little reminders that every moment and every detail are known and ordained by a personal God, who’s in and beneath all the minutia, working all things, even and especially life’s most tragic ironies, for our everlasting good (Romans 8:28).

Life’s ironies, whether advantageous or dreadful, make us freshly aware that our existence isn’t random, that everything coming our way has been lovingly sorted for our good, and that there is a greater goal, and deeper joy, than our comfort in the moment.

No Mere Coincidences

It’s not just the big details that are from the divine hand, but the small as well — “from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36). Even the things which otherwise would seem most left to chance, like the roll of the dice: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33).

It is our God, personal and loving, the Father of Jesus, “who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses” (Psalm 135:7). He’s the one behind the ironies and everything else. When a tree falls in the woods, and no human’s there, he’s still onsite in all his sovereign sway. And “not one [sparrow] will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29). We conclude with John Piper, “If there is a God in heaven, there is no such thing as a mere coincidence, not even in the smallest affairs of life” (Desiring God, 37).

A Little Too Ironic?

For the Christian, the seeming ironies of life — whether they make us smirk, grimace, or weep — are not random, but the fingerprints of God, majestic mementos that the Absolute who rules the universe, down to every detail, is also Personal. And that he is loving toward us who are in his Son. Often we call them providences when we spot the fingerprints. It is the best of all worlds, when the one to whom we’re joined by faith is both sovereign and good.

Morissette hints at one point how suggestive life’s ironies can be. She asks, “A little too ironic?” and answers, “Yeah, I really do think.” Whether she would say more or not, the song contains no further clues. But at least it may make us wonder. Whether she will admit to it or not, she knows deep down that life’s many ironies are too evocative to be explained away every time with chance and coincidence.

Isn’t it providential, don’t you think?