1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (LSB)
What is the difference between faith and hope? Are they the same thing? They are not the same but, so-to-speak, they are two sides of the same coin. If I want my old college to win in football against our biggest rival that is hope. On the other hand, if I believe it will happen then it is faith. With this faith, my hope is enhanced. It becomes active. On the other hand, if I have little faith that it will happen then my hope becomes simply wishful thinking. What about our faith through which we are saved by grace? Is this faith simply working up enough belief so that our hope becomes strong, or is there more to it than that?
In Martin Luther’s Table Talk, a collection of conversations with his colleagues and students, he poured himself into those whom he cared about deeply. He gave them advice from his accumulated knowledge from the Bible with that deep insight which enabled him to be the Reformer that changed the face of Christianity in the 16th Century. God used him to free the gospel from the prison of religiosity that had become the Roman Catholic Church. In the 21st Century, we often take for granted what the Reformers like Luther did for us. He and John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox and multitudes of other men and women risked their lives to get the Bible translated from the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into the languages of their people. Their work put the Bible into the hands of people who before, had to endure allegories and highly improbable sermons from clerics reading the Latin Vulgate. The Vulgate was not an accurate translation and, to make matters worse, the clerics were, more often than not, not able to read it themselves. These Reformers were raised up by God in His timing to free the Gospel and put the Word of God into the hands of spiritually starving people. <Continue reading post>