-Wir sein pettler. Hoc est verum.--"We are beggars. This is true."--Martin Luther-

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Lutheran Quote of the Day: Luther on the Holy Spirit and the Law

If this isn't the third use of the law, I don't know what is...

"Therefore it happens in the New Testament that while the Word of life, grace, and salvation is proclaimed outside, the Holy Spirit teaches inside at the same time. Therefore Isaiah says (Is. 54:13): “All your sons shall be taught by the Lord.” And in Jeremiah we read: “I will give my laws…And they shall all know Me” (cf. 31:33-34). Hence Christ refers to these two prophets when He says in John 6:45: “It is written in the prophets: ‘they shall be taught by God.’” Likewise in 2 Cor. 3:3: “You are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Thus we read in 1 John 14:27 that “His anointing will teach you all,” and in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things.” Accordingly, this is how Scripture must be understood when it says that the laws are written in the minds and in the hearts. For by “mind” and “heart” (for this is how we are speaking now) it means intellect and feeling. For to be in the mind means to be understood; to be in our heart means to be loved. Thus to say that the Law is in the mouth means that it is taught; to say that it is in the ear means that it is heard; to say that it is in the eyes means that it is seen. Therefore it is not enough for the Law to be in the soul and to state objectively that it is there. No, it must be in the soul formally, that is, the Law must be written in the heart out of love for the Law."

-Martin Luther, LW 29:198

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