Five Minutes a Day with Luther - 05-05-2017

[Five Minutes with Luther]

FIVE MINUTES A DAY WITH LUTHER

** Now available in book form: http://lcmssermons.com/about5mins.php **


May 5

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

* * *

This whole Epistle clearly witnesses how Paul was grieved with
the fall of the Galatians, and how often he chided and sometimes
entreated them, showing the great and horrible consequences that
would follow upon this their fall, unless they repented. This
fatherly and apostolical care and admonition of Paul moved some
of them not at all: many of them acknowledged Paul no longer as
their teacher, but preferred the false apostles far above him,
from whom they thought themselves to have received the true
doctrine, and not from Paul. Some others, who had not yet
utterly forsaken his doctrine, thought there was no danger in
differing a little from him in the doctrine of justification and
faith. For this reason, when they heard that Paul made so
heinous a matter out of that which seemed unto them to be but
light and of small importance, they thought among themselves: If
we have swerved somewhat from the doctrine of Paul, and there has
been some fault in us, still it is but a small matter, and he
ought to let it pass by, or at least not so vehemently denounce
it, lest he give occasion to break the concord of the churches.
But Paul answers them: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump of
dough." In philosophy, a small error in the beginning, becomes a
great and destructive error in the end. So in theology, one
little error overthrows the whole doctrine. Therefore we must
separate life and doctrine far apart. The doctrine is not ours,
but God's. Therefore, we cannot drop or change a single tittle
of it.

By grace! May sin and Satan hearken!
I bear my flag of faith in hand,
And pass — for doubts my joy can't darken —
The Red Sea to the Promised Land.
I cling to what my Savior taught.
And trust it whether felt or not.

---
Cuda.
aka Pastor Robin Fish
Lutheran to the core -- and just a little beyond.

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