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Giants of the Reformation (1)
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 1 Corinthians 4.19, 20
The Freedom of a Christian
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
“The power of which we speak is spiritual. It rules in the midst of enemies and is powerful in the midst of oppression…This is a splendid privilege and hard to attain, a truly omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion in which there is nothing so good and nothing so evil but that it shall work together for good to me, if only I believe. Yes, since faith alone suffices for salvation, I need nothing except faith exercising the power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the inestimable power and liberty of Christians.”
I sometimes get the impression that Christians think “spiritual power” is reserved only for certain contexts or situations. You should know something like “spiritual power” when you are together with other believers in worship. You should be able to access “spiritual power” when the wheels are coming off in life and you need comfort or strength to persevere. But what about power to love my neighbor as myself? Or to speak with a lost friend about the Good News of the Kingdom? Or to persist in prayer for the revival of true faith in churches all over the world? Do we require spiritual power for such things? Clearly, if we do not seek such power unto such ends, we will never attain them. Luther understood that, being free in Christ, he had power at his disposal to allow him to challenge all that he considered to be wrong in the Church of his day, everything that was robbing Christians of their freedom in Christ. That power, which turned Europe upside-down in the 16th and 17th centuries, is available to us for making Christ known today.
Paul said he would “know” the power of those false teachers in Corinth. How do you and your church leaders assess whether the power of God is at work in your congregation?
Mission Partners Outreach
The Lord calls all His sheep to be His witnesses, but being a witness for Christ doesn’t just happen. The flock of the Lord must be equipped for this calling, and Jesus has set shepherds over the flock to do that work. How can we equip the sheep to live for Christ and be His witnesses? Our Mission Partners Outreach provides the resources and framework for making witness-bearing disciples in your church, and all the training and resources are free. Want to learn how it works? Watch this brief video, then contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
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).