The curse of the restrictive but

On the 31st October 1517 a young revolutionary climbed up the steep steps of a church in the small German town of Wittenberg. The busy square full of locals going about their daily business unaware of the history about to be made. With each step the young Martins breathing became heavier, a combination of adrenaline and nerves as he drew closer to his goal. As he reaches the half way point it begins to rain heavily. The square empties, the clouds thicken, wind bellows, lightning fills the sky, the heavens make themselves known. With his sodden clothes clinging to him and water dripping from his bearded face he reaches the door. Lifting a hammer and a piece of paper out of his pocket he holds them aloft, lightening fills the sky and in unison with the crack of thunder the bang of hammer on nail send an echo of protest through the corridors of history....................Well thats the way most history books with a protestant bias like to put it.

One thing we do know is that luther was a man transformed by grace, called by God.  Who else would appoint a racist and a drunk to receive a revelation of grace that would transform the church.  Luther was also a man of signs and wonders, regularly praying for the sick and seeing miraculous healings.  He also operated with a prophetic gift which his friend Johann Mathesius testifying to numerous prophecies spoken by Luther that were fulfilled.  The problem came when his enemies asked him to prove his authority by performing miracles.  Despite his experiences Luther decided to play it safe and argued that miracles were suited to the apostolic age and were no longer necessary.  Now was he being clever? Of course the authority to perform miracles comes from God alone, so it would not be possible for Luther to prove his own authority.  Whatever he meant, his choice of words like the banging of the Wittenberg nails started an echo that still resonates today. 

In 1918 Luthers view was cemented in a book by Professor B.B Warfield called Counterfeit Miracles.  In it Warfield says that God had not performed a single miracle on earth since the death of the original twelve apostles and those directly associated with them.  What Luther started now had a name; cessationalism had begun.  The problem was that cessationalism had very little to do with the bible, yes the scriptures that Luther held in such high regard.  It had more to do with politics, Luther needed to keep his opposers sweet, any middle ground where compromise could be found was used to further his aims.  Luthers enemies were not entirely opposed to the supernatural, they just liked to control the show. 

Today those who hold a true cessationalist view are few, but the seed of what what Luther planted can still be found manifested in doubt.  Its the curse of the restricted but.  We believe that God still performs miracles today, but. We believe that God can still heal, but.  We see the gift of prophecy, tongues and discernment, but.  We believe that God still speaks today, but. We believe, but. 

The restrictive but is linked to the restrictive ism (see part one of this post here).  It happens when we let our negative experiences affect our theology.  It works like this; I pray for 5 people to be healed and none of them are healed, therefore God doesn’t heal today.  I use my own experience rather than Gods word to define my view of God.  Its basically a form of idolatry, I have created a god for myself that I have defined through the lens of my own negative experiences.  This god that I worship is not God so I have created an idol.  Limiting God based on our own experiences is a dangerous path to walk down.  Here is another example; I battle with a specific sin in my life, I cannot stop this sin therefore I accept this as the norm and adjust my theology to a salvation that brings only a partial death to sin.  I use my experience to completely undermine the power of the finished work of the cross, dangerous business.

John 14: 12"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Mark16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

.....did you put a but at the end of reading those passages?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.

Write Your Comment