“Here is where most preachers make their mistake. They are afraid that by preaching the gospel too clearly, it will be their fault if people lapse into sin. They imagine that the gospel is food for the carnal-minded. True enough, to many the gospel does become the smell of death unto death, but that is not the fault of the Gospel. That happens only because men do not accept—do not believe—the Gospel. Faith is not merely thinking, "I believe." Your whole heart must be seized by the gospel and come to rest in it. When that happens, you are transformed and cannot help but love and serve God.” LawChurchPreachingGospelLutheranismPreachersLutheranOrthodox Lutheranism Book:Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible Source: Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible
“We see that the law was not reveal to us to put a notion into our heads that we could become righteous by it, but to teach us that we are completely unable to fulfill the law. Then we will know what a sweet message-what a glorious doctrine-the gospel is and move receive it with exuberant joy.” LawPreachingGospelLutheranismLutheranOrthodox Lutheranism Book:Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible Source: Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible
“Galatians 3:11–12 ... a precious text! A person becomes righteous in the sight of God by faith alone. What conclusion can we draw from this? The law cannot make any person righteous because it has nothing to say about justifying and saving faith. That information is found only in the Gospel. In other words, the law has nothing to say about grace.” LawPreachingGospelLutheranismLutheranOrthodox Lutheranism Book:Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible Source: Law & Gospel: How to Read & Apply the Bible