For Do I Now Persuade Men, or God?
Martin Luther boldly declares that his preaching is motivated by a desire to please God and proclaim His glory, rather than seeking the favor of men.
Martin Luther passionately emphasizes the importance of preaching the true Gospel without seeking the favor or praise of men, but solely for the glory of God. He highlights how preaching the depravity of man, the free mercy of God through Christ, and condemning worldly works can lead to persecution, excommunications, and curses. Luther, like Paul, asserts that preaching the divine truth may bring hatred and wrath from both Jews and Gentiles, but it is necessary to uphold the right doctrine and reject any false teachings that do not align with the Gospel.
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With the same vehemence Paul continues: "You Galatians ought to be able to tell from my preaching and from the many afflictions which I have endured, whether I serve men or God. Everybody can see that my preaching has stirred up persecution against me everywhere, and has earned for me the cruel hatred of my own people, in fact the hatred of all men. This should convince you that by my preaching I do not seek the favor and praise of men, but the glory of God."
No man can say that we are seeking the favor and praise of men with our doctrine. We teach that all men are naturally depraved. We condemn man's free will, his strength, wisdom, and righteousness. We say that we obtain grace by the free mercy of God alone for Christ's sake. This is no preaching to please men. This sort of preaching procures for us the hatred and disfavor of the world, persecutions, excommunications, murders, and curses.
"Can't you see that I seek no man's favor by my doctrine?" asks Paul. "If I were anxious for the favor of men I would flatter them. But what do I do? I condemn their works. I teach things only that I have been commanded to teach from above. For that I bring down upon my head the wrath of Jews and Gentiles. My doctrine must be right. It must be divine. Any other doctrine cannot be better than mine. Any other doctrine must be false and wicked."
With Paul we boldly pronounce a curse upon every doctrine that does not agree with ours. We do not preach for the praise of men, or the favor of princes. We preach for the favor of God alone whose grace and mercy we proclaim. Whosoever teaches a gospel contrary to ours, or different from ours, let us be bold to say that he is sent of the devil.
Sermon Outline
- Paul's Testimony
- The Nature of Our Doctrine
- The Consequences of Our Preaching
- Paul's Bold Declaration
- Condemning False Doctrines
- Proclaiming the Favor of God
Key Quotes
“You Galatians ought to be able to tell from my preaching and from the many afflictions which I have endured, whether I serve men or God.” — Martin Luther
“We do not preach for the praise of men, or the favor of princes. We preach for the favor of God alone whose grace and mercy we proclaim.” — Martin Luther
“Whosoever teaches a gospel contrary to ours, or different from ours, let us be bold to say that he is sent of the devil.” — Martin Luther
Application Points
- We should be willing to face persecution and hatred for proclaiming the truth of God's Word.
- Our ultimate goal as Christians should be to please God and proclaim His glory, rather than seeking the favor of men.
- We should be bold in condemning false doctrines and proclaiming the truth of God's Word.