A Word from Bob: Today’s blog post is Part 2 in a week-long blog mini-series on Reformation Week and the life and ministry of Martin Luther. You can read Part 1 here: How Do We Find Peace with a Holy God? This blog mini-series is taken from chapters 1 and 2 of my book, Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life.
Spiritual Separation Anxiety
Before Luther could teach us about grace-based counseling, he had to learn a new view of Christ—a view that was a universe apart from the religious culture of his day. A man of his times, Luther viewed God as his vindictive enemy and merciless judge:
“I lost hold of Christ the Savior and comforter and made of him a stock-master and hangman over my poor soul.”[i]
Luther was not alone. He inhabited a world where people “thought a threatening God kept a suspicious eye on every human act” and where “their religious ventures taught them to be consumed by the threat of damnation.”[ii] And if this God was angry with Luther, then Luther was plenty angry with God:
“I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
