Have we not grown used to an Erasmian brand of reaching from our pulpits—a message that rests on the same shallow synergistic conceptions which Luther refuted, picturing God and man approaching each other almost on equal terms, each having his own contribution to make to man’s salvation and each depending on the dutiful co-operation of the other for the attainment of that end?—as if God exists for man’s convenience, rather than man for God’s glory? Is it not true, conversely, that it is rare to-day to hear proclaimed the diagnosis of our predicament which Luther—and Scripture—put forward: that man is hopeless and helpless in sin, fast bound in Satan’s slavery, at enmity with God, blind and dead to the things of the Spirit? And hence, how rarely do we hear faith spoken of as Scripture depicts it—as it is expressed in the cry of self-committal with which the contrite heart, humbled to see its need and made conscious of its own utter helplessness even to trust, casts itself in the God-given confidence of self-despair upon the mercy of Jesus Christ—‘Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief!’ Can we deny the essential rightness of Luther’s exegesis of the texts? And if not, dare we ignore the implications of his exposition? (Johnson and Packer’s introduction to Luther’s Bondage of the Will).
When was the last time you heard a sermon that diagnosed the heart of sin and the sin of the heart of man that devastated you and allowed you to see that grace alone was the only way of salvation? When was the last time you had someone set forth the fact that human beings are hopeless and helpless in their sin? Instead, what we hear is some form of semi-Pelagianism that puts God at the feet of man hoping that man will do something so that He can save them. Do we hear sermons that set out how sinners are bound tight and are in slavery to sin and Satan? Do we hear sermons and writings that set out the nature of sin as enmity against God? Is sin set out as that which blinds sinners to the things of God and that sinners are truly dead to the things of the Spirit?
When sin is not set out for what it is, then only a shallow repentance from sin is possible. It is only possible to repent from sin to the degree we understand sin. But, says the modern person, sinners must believe in order to be saved. That is correct, but how can one believe unless one repents from unbelief? How can one be delivered from sin unless one repents of sin? It is easy enough for sinners to repent of certain sins and perhaps most of outward sins. So if we don’t dive to the depths of the sin of their hearts they don’t know that they must repent of the sins of their hearts as well. If we don’t show them the nature of their hearts, then they won’t see the need of the new birth. If we don’t set out the depths of the sin of their hearts, they won’t see the real issue of depravity nor the real need to be delivered from the depths of their bondage of sin.
Another problem of not getting to the bondage of the will in preaching and setting out the true nature of sin is that man will not find out what true faith is. Apart from a realization deep in the soul of the nature of sin and of man’s utter helplessness in sin man is not humbled and contrite and so does not see the true nature of faith. Apart from that deep realization of the helplessness of the soul in sin the soul will not see its inability to trust in Christ and to even cast itself on mercy. It is only when the soul that has reached an end to all hope in self that it can see that it must despair of self in order to have the gift of faith that God gives and not trust in self. Luther would teach us that until the soul has been deeply humbled and broken from its own self and self-will that it is not ready to be saved.
The Scripture sets out saving faith and the humbling of the soul in much the same way. It is those who are weary and tired of their burden of sin that find rest in Christ (Mat 11:27-30). The Lord is only pleased to dwell with those who are contrite and humble (Isa 57:15). It is only those who are turned and become as little children that can be said to be saved (Mat 18:3). It is only those who have denied self that can be said to follow Christ (Mat 16:24). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5). Verses like that describe the Philippian jailor who came trembling at the feet of Paul and cried out what must he do to be saved (Acts 16:27-30). God does not save the proud and He does not give salvation to those who have not repented but are still in their sin. But instead the salvation that He gives includes the repentance from sinful hearts and a transfer from the dominion of the devil to the kingdom of the Beloved Son. We live in a day where we are more afraid to offend people by telling them the truth of their sin than we are of offending God and not telling His enemies that they are offending and are at enmity with Him. While some buildings are filled with those who hear sweet things (maybe even orthodox) rather than the truth about themselves, the kingdom of heaven is populated only by those who have truly repented. True preaching will offend those who hate to hear about their sin. After all, they hated Christ first.
God Loves... Himself 
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