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Zitat

ZITAT: His Mercy

Unless I'm way off base with my basic translating skills (and have completely forgotten how to perform an accurate Google search!), I believe the English word "quote" (used as a noun) is translated as "zitat" in German.

That will help to explain the strange 'Z' word listed in the title of this post.

Let's cut to the chase.

Question: Are you a wretched sinner in need of His saving grace? It's a very important question.


"What kind of nonsense it this!?! I come to check out this new Lutheran blog and one of the very first posts I read involved the author of it calling me names? Who are you to call someone else 'wretched' when we're all supposed to love one another since God is loving?"

Well, you might want to take a quick look at Psalm 51:5; Romans 7:24, and Ephesians 2:8-9.


Let's consider for a moment the beauty and the power found in the truth of God's holy Word as expounded to us by Martin Luther regarding God's mercy.


"God accepts only the forsaken, cures only the sick, gives sight only to the blind, restores life to only the dead, sanctifies only the sinners, gives wisdom only to the unwise fools.

In short, He has mercy only on those who are wretched, and gives grace only to those who are not in grace.

Therefore no proud saint, no wise or just person, can become God's material, and God's purpose cannot be fulfilled in him. He remains in his own work and makes a fictitious, pretended, false, and painted saint of himself, that is, a hypocrite.

The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man was the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God."


-- Martin Luther

Amen! Yes, His mercy is for the wretched sinner who recognizes his/her true state and who humbles themselves unto sincere repentance and true faith in Jesus Christ.

So, please take note, those of you who consider yourself to be a "good person" and "better than most people" even, because His mercy and eternal salvation is not for the righteous, but for the sinner (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17).

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About JKR

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Thank you for visiting A Lutheran Layman! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question since we do not exercise censorship. We've seen a similar policy with other blogs and it's worth repeating: Please act as if you're a guest in my home, and we'll get along just fine. I think anyone would agree that the kind of back-and-forth that is characteristic of blogs/chat forums and social media is becoming tiresome for all of us. Still, we should confess, edify, and love (and contend and defend when needed). Bottom line? Search the Scriptures! Apply Acts 17:11 to anything and everything you find here and, if you do happen to disagree with something you find here (which is certainly ok), or think I'm "irresponsible" and "wrong" for writing it, then please refute my position by supporting yours with Scripture and/or the Confessions. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, especially for those who identify themselves as "Christians" here, right? Besides, Proverbs 27:17 tells us "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" and 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." If you have an opinion that's great, I welcome it, but try to support it using God's Word. I mean, if the goal here is to help us all arrive at the truth of God's Word (myself included), then it should be easy to follow through on this one simple request (I'm talking to all you "Anonymous" visitors out there). Grace and peace to you and yours!

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