Blessings to all on this Quinquagesima Sunday. “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me O Lord God of truth” (Ps. 31:1, 5 ESV).

Though I am infrequent in my blog posts due to [...]

The Lutheran doctrine of free will is somewhat unique. It is especially foreign to us humans who like to think that we have “free will” and can choose whatever we want. Roman Catholicism insists on the ability to at least “respond to grace” even if we can’t start the process ourselves. Reformed theology usually ends [...]

“By so much more are the works of man mortal sins when they are done without fear and in unadulterated, evil self-security.”

Proof: The inevitable deduction from the preceding thesis is clear. For where there is no fear there is no humility. Where there is no humility there is pride, and where there is pride [...]

“The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of pious fear of God.”

Proof: This is clear from Thesis 4. To trust in works, which one ought to do in fear, is equivalent to giving oneself the honor and taking [...]

6. The works of God (we speak of those which he does through man) are thus not merits, as though they were sinless.

Proof: In Eccles. 7:20, we read, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” In this connection, however, some people say that the righteous man [...]

The works of men are thus not mortal sins (we speak of works which are apparently good), as though they were crimes.

Proof: For cromes are such acts which can also be condemned before men, such as adultery, theft, homicide, slander, etc. Mortal sins, on the other hand, are those which seem good yet are [...]