You make it clear that this carnal peace and quiet seems to you far more important than faith, conscience, salvation, the Word of God, the glory of Christ, and God himself. Let me tell you, therefore—and I beg you to let this sink deep into your mind—I hold that a solemn and vital truth, of eternal consequence, is at stake in this discussion; one so crucial and fundamental that it ought to be maintained and defended even at the cost of life, though as a result the whole world should be, not just thrown into turmoil and uproar, but shattered in chaos and reduced to nothingness If you do not grasp that, if it leaves you unmoved, then mind your own business, and leave those to grasp it and be moved by it to whom it is given of God!” (Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will).
Does Luther describe the modern leaders in denominations and churches when he says “that carnal peace and quiet seems to you far more important than faith, conscience, salvation, the Word of God, the glory of Christ, and God himself”? Why is it that the approval of men is so important to people in these days? What is it about peace and quiet that is more important than faith, the glory of Christ, and God Himself? Will people admit that to others and perhaps even themselves? For some reason people think that not having open strife is better than the truth of Christ. Sure it might make them feel better for the moment and it is certainly easier in a sense, but that is also idolatry. It is idolatry to desire peace and comfort for my own sake and feeling rather than the glory of God. Okay, it is true that the words “glory of God” can be tacked on to about anything to give us a religious sense of things and comfort our consciences. But the words are simply words unless they are the reality of the heart expressed. It is so easy to say we want peace because that is what glorifies God when we are really using that as a religious excuse to make us feel better and to make us appear righteous in the eyes of others.
Just because we think something will make God look good does not mean that it really in fact does express His glory. God is the One who alone can manifest His glory through human beings. Getting people to pray prayers and come to church is not that which glorifies Him. It is His sovereign grace manifested in saving souls that manifests His glory in the Gospel and the application of it. It is also His sovereign grace manifested in and through His people that manifests His glory. Human beings, however, doing what they think makes God look good is not how His glory is manifested. God’s glory is only manifested by grace and that is up to Him to do that. Even more, it does not glorify God when people unite with those who don’t hold to the truths of the Gospel of grace alone and say they are doing so in order to glorify Him. This is seeking a carnal peace and quiet within a church or denomination at the expense of the glory of God rather than being something that actually glorifies Him.
Erasmus sought a carnal peace in order to keep Roman Catholicism from fracturing. Luther, while he did not start off with intent to break from it, eventually recognized that the Gospel itself was not taught by Rome and that he had to stand firm for the Gospel. A peace with Rome where he could not preach the Gospel would have been a betrayal of the Gospel and of God Himself. Erasmus was a brilliant man and one of the top scholars of his day, but he was an instrument being used in the effort to get Luther to be quiet about the Gospel (and other things) so that there would be peace within Roman Catholicism.
The same thing may be true today. It seems that the money, power, and pull of denominations are things that keep the mouths of some shut. But the Gospel must never be compromised in the slightest for any reason. Perhaps those are some of the reasons that the Gospel preached by Paul and then Luther is not heard today. The world or some honor or glory of the flesh comes along and its allure is quite powerful to the heart ruled by self. The fleshly mind can be taken captive by fleshly things, even though those captured by them will come up with good reasons and even spiritual reasons. Despite all the opportunities, the money, the honor, the glory, and the influence that one deceives self into thinking that it is good for the kingdom, the reality of it is a lot different. The reality of it is “that this carnal peace and quiet seems to you far more important than faith, conscience, salvation, the Word of God, the glory of Christ, and God himself.” People choose themselves over God when they give strive for peace rather than the Gospel. Until the reality of the situation grips the soul like that of Luther, one will be deceived by comfort and honors of men thinking that the influence makes it right. Yet, as Luther said, the doctrine of the bondage of the will is utterly vital to the Gospel. It is such “a solemn and vital truth, of eternal consequence, is at stake in this discussion; one so crucial and fundamental that it ought to be maintained and defended even at the cost of life.”
God Loves... Himself 
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