To accept the principles which Martin Luther vindicates in The Bondage of the Will would certainly involve a mental and spiritual revolution for many Christians at the present time. It would involve a radically different approach to preaching and the practice of evangelism, and to most other departments of theology and pastoral work as well. God centered thinking is out of fashion to-day, and it recovery will involve something of a Copernican revolution in our outlook on many matters. But ought we to shrink from this? Do we not stand in urgent need of such teaching as Luther here gives us—teaching which humbles man, strengthens faith, and glorifies God—and is not the contemporary Church weak for the lack of it? The issue is clear. We are compelled to ask ourselves: If the Almighty God of the Bible is to be our God, if the New Testament gospel is to be our message, if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever—is any other position than Luther’s possible? Are we not in all honesty bound to stand with him in ascribing all might, and majesty, and dominion, and power, and all the glory of our salvation to God alone? Surely no more important or far-reaching question confronts the Church to-day (Johnson and Packer’s introduction to Luther’s Bondage of the Will).
God centered thinking is certainly out of fashion in our day. It will perhaps require something of a far greater magnitude than the Copernican revolution in our outlook for things to change. After all, when we are dealing with the sun and the earth we are still dealing with things that are finite. We could even think of the sun and the earth as being quite small in terms of the universe. However, to be turned from a focus on a speck of dust on the earth which is small compared to the sun which is small compared to the universe and even more to the infinite God that is an enormous revolution. But that is precisely what needs to happen. When a person turns from the will and glory of the infinite God to the will and honor of self, there is an unspeakable distance between the two and the guilt and ugliness of the sin is infinite. But there has to be a turning back or a repentance worked in our soul.
Romans 3:23 defines sin for us as falling short of the glory of God. When we consider what that means in light of the infinitude of God, it should move us to fall on our knees and faces. If we would but once gain that sight we would be like Daniel and then John who lost all strength in their knees and they could not stand in their own power. So imagine what an affront it is to the infinite God when men try to do things for God in their own power and strength. Imagine what an act of rebellion it is to God to do things our own way and in our own strength. Imagine the enmity in the least sin that man does in seeking his own honor and glory. Perhaps we cannot imagine the depths of sin when men and women believe and teach that the will is free and that man must do something that God cannot do for himself. The will of a piece of dust must do something that the infinite God cannot do?
The sheer idolatry of such a statement or belief is far beyond the level that human words can express. Yet we preach and evangelize in our day as if salvation depended on the act of a human will that was free from the power and grace of God. Instead of turning the minds and hearts of men and women to the infinite power of God and His ability to show grace in giving faith and turning hearts to Himself, we focus men and women on their own power. John Owen, in his work A Display of Arminianism, showed how that teaching on the free will and its power is really an act of enmity and idolatry against God. In this we deny many if not all of the attributes of God. In this we try to get men and women to focus on and trust in their own will and reason rather than God’s. Perhaps that is not the intent, but that is the result. So many today love the praise of men rather than the glory of God. Scripture gives us the words of Jesus on that: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). They continue to preach or at least hold hands with those who preach as trusting in and teaching on the idol of the free-will. They love the honor of men and refuse to break with such teaching.
If the professing Church and this nation is going to come back from the pit it is in a greater revolution than Copernicus brought about must happen. The hearts of men must be turned from the worship and trust in themselves and to the worship and trust in the living God. It will be hard and suffering in various forms will come, but it must happen. Many pastors and denominations will love their positions, ease, comfort, and influence too much to be part of that revolution. It is easy to see that many who are considered evangelical or conservative or even the bastions of conservative Christianity today will not like the revolution that must come. It will require them to deny themselves which includes their positions, influence, power, and honor to do so. Scripture tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. But let us not forget that the love of honor is deep root of sin as well. If we are not willing to preach the utter helplessness of man in sin and the sovereignty of God to all people, we will not be willing to preach the Gospel to all people. We must be turned to God as the center and core of all things if we are going to preach the true Gospel to all people. Even the Pharisees were willing to cross land and sea to make one convert. So preachers, evangelists, and denominations can go to a lot of trouble and make many converts and yet make them all twice the sons of the devil as they are. Numbers do not tell the story. The real issue is whether the real Gospel is being preached or not. Luther would condemn our day. So does Scripture.
God Loves... Himself 
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