grace on our own and by ourselves, or in spiritual matters to have our
own ability to understand, believe, embrace, think, will, start, finish,
act, operate, co-operate, or adapt and accommodate ourselves to grace,
or to have the power for a complete conversion or half a conversion or
the least part of a conversion on our own. When it comes to spiritual
things related to the salvation of our soul, we are like the statue of salt
that Lot’s wife became; we are like a log or a stone devoid of life, which
lacks the benefit of eyes, or a mouth, or any senses. Nevertheless we
have the ability to move and control our external limbs in order to go
to public gatherings and hear the Word and the Gospel.
These statements appear in the book put out by the Lutheran church called
the Formula of Concord,in the Leipzig edition of 1756 , pages 656 , 658 , 661 ,
662 , 663 , 671 , 672 , 673. When priests are inaugurated they swear on this
book and therefore swear to this faith. Calvinists have a similar faith.
Anyone with reason and religion would hiss at these absurd and
ridiculous statements. People would say to themselves, “If this were the
case, what would be the point of the Word? What would be the point of
religion? What would be the point of the priesthood? What would be the
point of preaching? They would be pointless—they would be sounds
that mean nothing.”
Take some non-Christians who have good judgment whom you are
hoping to convert and tell them that this is Christianity’s approach to
conversion and faith. Surely they will think of Christianity as a con-
tainer with nothing inside it. If you take away all apparent human
autonomy, how could they think of Christianity as anything else?
These points will be presented in clearer light in the chapter on
free choice.357 (b) We are able to acquire goodwill for ourselves.The situation here is
the same as the situation with faith. What else does the Word teach
except faith and goodwill? These two are essential for salvation. We read,
You are to love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul, and
your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22 : 37 – 39 )
And Jesus said, “I give you a command to love each other. You will be
recognized as disciples of mine by the fact that you love each other.”
(John 13 : 34 , 35 ; see also 15 : 9 ; 16 : 27 )
There are also teachings to the effect that we need to bear fruit the
way a good tree does and that those who do good things will be
rewarded in the resurrection, not to mention many other teachings.