Giants of the Reformation (1)

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2.18

The Freedom of a Christian
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
“So when the soul firmly trusts God’s promises, it regards him as truthful and righteous. Nothing more excellent than this can be ascribed to God. The very highest worship of God is this that we ascribe to him truthfulness, righteousness, and whatever else should be ascribed to one who is trusted. When this is done, the soul consents to his will. Then it hallows his name and allows itself to be treated according to God’s good pleasure for, clinging to God’s promises, it does not doubt that he who is true, just, and wise will do, dispose, and provide all things well. Is not such a soul most obedient to God in all things by his faith?”

Luther might have winced a bit at my citing James (which he referred to as “a right strawy epistle”) to support his point, but the two are saying the same thing. If we rejoice to possess the promises of God, we will rejoice to submit to His will and carry out the very obedience that allows us to lay hold on those promises and experience the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. We are free in Christ as we partake of Him through the promises, and free from mere self-love to serve others with the freedom we find in Jesus and His Word. We must not teach the promises, or the joys of Christian freedom, apart from a clear, true, and compelling picture of the Lord Who offers the one and provides the other. Only in Him are we truly free, and only by knowing Him will we embrace the freedom He offers in Christ.

In what ways do your preaching and teaching include regular exposition of the excellence and greatness of God?

If Men Will Pray
Paul explicitly declared that men everywhere should lift holy hands in prayer, so that the Gospel could flourish (1 Tim. 2.1-8). So how is it with the men of your church? Are they men of prayer? Do they take no rest, and give God no rest, seeking Him in prayer? Men at Prayer provides resources for you to use in enlisting, equipping, and encouraging your men for prayer. Watch this brief video, then begin developing a strategy for leading the men of your church to take their place on the wall, seeking the Lord for revival, renewal, and awakening in our day. If you need helping thinking this through, or you’d like to talk about this effort, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christianin John Dillenberger, ed., Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings(New York: Doubleday, 1962).