Op 5 april 2010 overleed Michael Spencer, beter bekend als de iMonk of de Internetmonk. Michael Spencer was jongerenwerker, pastor en docent binnen de Southern Baptist Convention, het grootste protestantse kerkgenootschap in de Verenigde Staten. Bekendheid verkreeg hij dankzij zijn weblog ‘Dispatches from the Post-Evangelical Wilderness‘ waar hij zijn visie op de hedendaagse evangelische stroming uitte. Daarbij wist hij regelmatig bruggen te slaan tussen verschillende kerkelijke stromingen.

Michael Spencer kwam op ons netvlies vanwege zijn voorliefde voor, en tegelijkertijd kritische blik op Luther. Hij was een meester in het opdiepen van Lutherquotes waarmee je talloze christenen (inclusief misschien onszelf) op de kast krijgt, maar altijd gepresenteerd vanuit de diepe geloofsovertuiging dat Gods genade zegeviert. Michael Spencer verloor het gevecht tegen kanker en stierf op 53-jarige leeftijd. Als teken van verbondenheid publiceren we hieronder de originele (Engelstalige) post uit 2004, hergepubliceerd in 2009 en een doordenker.

A Luther quote to wake up the sleepers

“Whenever the devil harasses you, seek the company of men or drink more, or joke and talk nonsense, or do some other merry thing. Sometimes we must drink more, sport, recreate ourselves, and even sin a little to spite the devil, so that we leave him no place for troubling our consciences with trifles. We are conquered if we try too conscientiously not to sin at all. So when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.”  -Martin Luther

Martin Luther is certainly my favorite person in church history. Time and again his grasp of the Gospel and unabashed honest humanity have come to my rescue. Luther has an ability to make the Gospel as outrageous as possible, and to chase the rats of legalism out of the attic before they make a nest.

The above quote is a good example. Luther recommending sin? Well…he doesn’t mean adultery or stealing. What Luther is talking about here is something C.S. Lewis talks about in Chapter 14 of The Screwtape Letters: the particular temptations that come to the person who is aware of his/her own righteousness. Even if it is an awareness of love, forgiveness or humility– all bring the possibility of self-centeredness and pride. But Lewis (and Luther) were especially aware of the spiritual dangers of trying to not sin. Yes…trying to not sin.

Since encouraging people to try and not sin is a major occupation of confused evangelicalism, Luther sounds strange. But it’s clear what he means: we can’t get caught in the trap of trying to generate our own righteousness, even in the name of obedience. Luther’s encouragement to sin just to spite the devil is his provocative way of suggesting a Christian TRUST CHRIST and have confidence in justification by faith. So much so, that instead of living in a state of perpetual self-examination, we live with the freedom to be less than perfect.

Isn’t sinning intentionally a really bad thing? A Christian’s attitude toward sin must be based on a thorough acceptance of the fact that our depravity isn’t going to be erased by efforts. Even our righteousness and obedience are thoroughly tainted with sin. Luther says we need to take the sting out of the devil’s condemnation with a willingness to be human, and rejoice that God loves us and Christ died for us.

Let Luther bother you a bit. Particularly if you are starting to get miserable in this Christian life, and wonder where the laughter and honesty are among Christians. We can find it again, but it comes with embracing justification by faith existentially, and not just as a doctrine.

Originele post staat hier, gepubliceerd door iMonk onder de voorwaarden van de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-NietCommercieel-GeenAfgeleideWerken licentie.