Martin Luther was 16th century a reformer, and I've been recently listening to a message about his life by John Piper. He puts belly aching American ministers like me to shame and rebukes me.
I often complain that my life is very busy and so excuse myself from being more productive in many things. Martin Luther had this to say to me:
"Where ever you are and whoever you are, are you diligent or are you slothful? Are you casual about your life? Or are you intense about living?" He also wrote, "Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They do not pray they do not read they do not search the Scriptures. The call is to watch, study, attend to reading. In truth you cannot read too much in the Scriptures. And what you read you cannot read too carefully. And what you read carefully you cannot understand too well. And what you understand well you cannot teach too well. And what you teach well you cannot live to well. The devil the world and our flesh are raging and raving against us. Therefore, dear sirs, brothers, pastors, and preachers pray, read, study, be diligent. This evil shameful time is not the season for being lazy or sleeping and snoring."
Martin Luther, after his conversion, lived a life which was not wasted. He showed extraordinary diligence in study in spite of tremendous obstacles. Physically he suffered headaches, kidney stones, buzzing in his ears, infections, and even constipation that no one could seem to remedy. Spiritually and emotionally, "For more than a week I have been thrown back and forth in death and hell. My whole body feels beaten. Limbs are still trembling. I almost lost Christ completely, driven about in the waves and storms of despair and blasphemy against God. But because of the intercession of the faithful, God began to take mercy on me and tore my soul from the depths of hell."
He was a professor of Bible, he wrote theological publications, he was translating the Bible for a period of about 13 years (all without a ballpoint pen), and was preaching about 200 times per year.
If Martin Luther has taught me anything it is this: Be diligent and strive in your study of the Scriptures. Go into your study doubting your own intelligence and ability and solely rely on the Lord to open His word and teach you. Do not rely on yourself, but instead live on the power that God supplies.
Thank you Martin for the lesson and the swift kick in the pants. Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide! (Scripture alone, faith alone)
