Introduction: Why Did I Write This Book?

Introduction Why Did I Write This Book? My first reason would be that I believe it is why the Lord brought me to this area to begin with. I needed to learn about the effects of the false cults of Lutheranism and Catholicism first hand. I am not ashamed to say these organizations are cults; as they are not Scriptural in the tenets they teach! In their appearance to the world, they are just like the other cults.

I call this the "iceberg effect." We all know that when we see an iceberg, we must give it a wide berth, because only about 1/8 of its volume appears above the water. The part that sank the great Titanic was the 7/8 below the waterline. Christians who are serious about witnessing need to know about the 7/8 of Lutheran doctrine which lurk just below the surface and make shipwreck of hapless souls! Of course, another important reason for coming here was the fact that this area needed an independent, fundamental church which preaches the clear Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reason Number Two: If I had not come here I would still have been witnessing to those of all Lutheran denominations, making the same error that other Christians have in the past. That is: when a Lutheran (or Catholic) tells you, "I believe that Christ died to pay for my sins;" we are assuming those words mean the same thing to them as they do to me. Nothing could be further from the truth! To me, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for my sins, is the foundation of my Salvation. That is the basis for God accepting me into His Perfect Heaven. God sees my sin through the blood of His Dear Son, and accounts to me His perfect righteousness for that reason. This is my Scriptural basis for knowing I have eternal life,

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Reason Number Three: It really bothers me to see the trend of many respected preachers and noted scholars of our day who recommend the sermons of Luther; or make comments about Luther such as "He wasn't going to move from salvation by faith (sola fide), salvation by grace (sola gratia) and salvation only by the Scripture (sola scriptura)." As we prove in the following pages of this book, Martin Luther simply just did not believe these things, and I hope that this book will help preachers become aware of this.

I have quoted below a paragraph from a fine article entitled "Martin Luther's Sacramental Gospel," which I found on the internet. This helps to validate my findings about Martin Luther and reveals there are others who have also become aware of this trend.

"Luther is quoted favorably by just about everyone in professing Christianity. Evangelicals and Fundamentalists often refer to him as a champion of "Justification By Faith ALONE." However, that is only half the story. It is absolutely amazing that very few seem to realize that Luther in fact believed that we are saved by "faith alone through baptism." However, you can't have it both ways at the same time, "Faith Alone" and "Faith through Baptism." The addition of "through baptism" in effect contradicts "faith alone."

(www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/luther/general.htm.)

Reason Number Four: Wrong assumptions about what Martin Luther taught about salvation; or what Lutheranism today teaches about how to be saved, can have drastic consequences in the life of a Christian. It can result in the "unequal yoke" of a saved person being married to an unsaved person.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with un-righteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Many a bride or groom, years on down the line after the children arrive, have realized they are married to a lost person. How can this happen? It happens because the officiating pastor took the unsaved Lutheran person's statement "I believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world; or, "My salvation is based on faith alone, and there are no works involved!" as proof that the person's faith is in Christ's finished work, alone, for salvation! They are unaware that Martin Luther teaches in his Catechisms that baptism is not a work. This is one of his most insidious, devilish, and damnable teachings. Here are his words.

"Baptism is not a work which we do but is a treasure which God gives and faith grasps, just as the Lord Christ upon the cross is not a work, but a treasure comprehended and offered to us in the word and received by faith." (Large Catechism, Page 85, Par. #37). This causes a great deal of unhappiness in families and sometimes results in the born-again Christian "caving in" to the wishes of their spouse and "the family." The family is insistent that the children should be baptized, and now enters the damnable doctrine of Infant Baptism with all its ludicrous paraphernalia. In the words of one Lutheran pastor, "...Use plenty of water. Splash it around! Get the baptismal party a little wet. Let the children standing close by feel the water and hear the water in the baptism." (Baptized: Marked for Living!, John D. Hopper)

After all, Luther says the baptismal water is "Divine Water." (Large Catechism, Page 82, Par. #14). Martin Luther teaches that babies can believe! (Small Catechism, Pg.174, Par.C). During the ceremony, the God-parents answer for the children, "Yes, we believe," and it is said the Holy Spirit enters the child. Dare I say it? What hogwash! A Lutheran, following the teachings of Martin Luther, believes that Christ only purchased our salvation when He died on the cross. All Lutherans, of all the different conferences that I am aware of, are drilled from childhood in Martin Luther's Small Catechism. They most emphatically believe that salvation can only be accomplished by the baptismal waters of what has been presented to them as "Holy Baptism;" as well as many other unscriptural teachings which Luther has propagated in his Large and Small Catechisms. Almost every Lutheran family has at least one Small Catechism. Hardly any families that I know of possess a Large Catechism; but, they would be found in almost every Lutheran pastor's library.

Here are Luther's words in his Large Catechism, P. 83, #24.

"To put it most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism IS TO SAVE."

Furthermore, Martin Luther teaches that you do not even have to have any faith when you are baptized; therefore paving the way for infant baptism. Let me allow Luther to speak for himself.

"Further, we are not primarily concerned whether the baptized person believes or not, for in the latter case, Baptism does NOT become invalid." (Large Catechism, P. 87, Par. 52).

"Baptism is valid, even though FAITH be lacking." (Par. 53).

Even then, salvation for those following the teachings of Martin Luther is not a "done deal," as they say. According to Martin Luther, without the two Sacraments (i.e. Baptism and the Lord's Supper), no one can be a Christian. (Large Catechism, P.80). Luther states in his Small Catechism, P.169, Par. 243 that,

"There are only two such Sacraments, Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper." In Paragraph 242 of Page 169, Luther says that,

"By a sacrament we mean a sacred act. – A. Instituted by God Himself; B. In which there are certain visible means connected with His word; and C. By which God offers, gives, and seals unto us THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS which Christ has earned for us."

Now, in Luther's Large Catechism, Page 80, under "Baptism, Paragraph 1," he states that,

"...because without these (i.e. Baptism and the Lord's Supper) no one can be a Christian."

Reason Number Five: Another false teaching of Martin Luther is that Lutheran pastors can forgive sins, using the same doctrine as the Catholic organization. Since Martin Luther agreed with the Roman Catholic organization that priests could be "mediators between God and man," and could forgive sin, he continued to propagate this false doctrine in his Catechisms. The Pope was able to get Martin Luther out of the Catholic Church; but, not even God, Himself, could get the Catholic Church out of Luther!

Luther's own words, as stated in his Small Catechism, P.188, under:

"CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION.

What is Confession? Confession embraces two parts. One is that we confess our sins; the other, that we received absolution, or forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, and in nowise doubt, but firmly believe, that by it our sins are forgiven before God in Heaven."
"How should we regard the absolution, or forgiveness of sins, pronounced by the Pastor?

We should regard the absolution as if pronounced by God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that by it our sins are forgiven before God in Heaven."

Now Martin Luther has his followers brainwashed into believing that he and his preachers are standing in God's shoes, with the power to forgive your sins.

What more can one man do to stand in the way of God's Salvation than to teach that baptism saves; and that the Lord's Supper and the minister's forgiving of your sins will keep you saved? All this from a man who claims to believe the Scripture.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2:5).

What more could he do? Much more! Martin Luther was a "master at deception." He presented his teachings in a very deceptive way. He took verses out of context, quoted only parts of verses; or, quoted verses and said they meant something else. He added to Scripture. He raised his Catechisms above the Word of God. In spite of, "sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura," it has always been, "The Gospel according to Martin Luther," not, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (V.1).
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (V.1). For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (V.3).
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (V.4). (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This book was not written as a history of Martin Luther's life, I leave that to others. As I have said, I have only "touched the tip of the iceberg" of Luther's false doctrine. All of this I have documented in the following pages.

Some have taken issue with the tone of my words, saying they are too harsh. To these folk I recommend a serious reading of Martin Luther's "On the Jews and Their Lies;" or his infamous pamphlet, "Against the Murderous and Rapacious Hordes of the Peasants." I write the way I do to attract people's attention! Which is just how Martin Luther wrote in his day. The response has indicated that it works. At least you can not accuse me of writing something that is inflammatory; or, that is used as an excuse to send 6 million Jewish souls into eternity! Hitler loved Luther and spread his writings filled with hatred for the Jewish people all through Germany

I also highly recommend that you take your Bible and read the whole of Matthew, Chapter 23. Pay particular attention to the words our precious Lord Jesus Christ used to talk to and about the Scribes and Pharisees. He called them hypocrites, blind guides, killers, fools, and summed them up in Matthew 23:33 as, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33). Would you argue with Him and say, "I just don't like the way you said that, Lord." I think not!

Finally, I believe the question which should be asked is, "How could I not write this book?"

Dr. Max D. Younce