- When did you last hear the doctrine of justification by faith last preached or taught in your church setting? If recently, then you are among the rare of believers who have had the privilege to hear, understand, and believe in the core of the gospel of God in Christ!
- It has been a delight of delights for me personally to have had access to Martin Luther’s commentary on the epistle of Paul to the Galatian church. This commentary was translated in 1844 by the Rev Erasmus Middleton, Rector of Turvey, Bedfordshire, UK.
- In page 100 of this translation, Luther says, “We must therefore with all diligence set forth the article of justification, that, as a most clear sun, it may bring to light the darkness of their (referring to the papacy-Roman Catholic church of his time, 16th century Europe) hypocrisy, and discover their filthiness and shame. For this cause we do so often repeat, and so earnestly set forth the righteousness of faith, that the adversaries may be confounded and this article established and confirmed in our hearts. And this is a most necessary thing; for if we once lose this sun, we fall again into our former darkness.“
- The late Rev Timothy Keller was found, and fond of saying often in his preaching, that the “penny must drop“, meaning that with consistent and continuous gospel preaching (no doubt referring to the centrality of this doctrine), the Spirit convicts the hearing heart. In turn, and very often heard in “Kellerian” circles, especially among those in the Gospel City Network of churches, and in the City to City movement Keller began, this phrase, “preach the gospel to yourself/ourselves” is almost a mantra, albeit not in zen-like state!
- As I read, study and meditate upon the glorious truths of the gospel of Christ unearthed in Luther’s Galatian commentary, I can see where Keller got his ideas, and convictions of the gospel from.
- Indeed, every time I’ve given myself to read, hear, study and meditate upon the “article of justification”, so often has my heart been “strangely warmed“, to use John Wesley’s famous phrase describing his conversion as he heard Luther’s preface to his Roman’s commentary read at the Anglican church in Aldersgate St.
- I am therefore only validated and justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone, revealed through Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone.
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