For those who have been or are being forced out, pushed out, excommunicated, #churchfired from church and denomination and Christian organization, hear these words from the Doktor Luther on John 15-16.
Aaron, I too am thinking so much about these very things. Like Paul, Martin Luther identified with the abuser crowed until God arrested him on his path, opened his eyes, and changed his course. Then like his Savior he became "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, like one from whom men hide their faces . . despised, not esteemed." The way we survive such things is by faith, Christ as our vision, filling our scope, a true, deep, personal abiding communion with Christ, in which we hear Christ's voice daily assuring us of his love. We must reject superficial religion in all its forms and take deep draughts of the well that truly satisfies. Some of us who have been abused only see the words "millstone" and "drowned in the depths" in Luke 17:2 and miss the caution given to us. Some of us *will* stumble and fall and never recover our footing. Some of us harmed by ruthless men never stand again. Your blog is so helpful in helping us regain our footing, steadying our eyes on our Savior, and giving us the reassurance of Christ's love and the encouragement we need to persevere.
Such a sobering but necessary statement, Anna. Luther says a lot more than what I included about the doubting of doctrine that results from spiritual abuse. He returns to that difficulty many times. Re-reading, this line sticks out to me: it’s painful to see many today who wonder, “Perhaps I have been duped by this Christ.”
Aaron, I too am thinking so much about these very things. Like Paul, Martin Luther identified with the abuser crowed until God arrested him on his path, opened his eyes, and changed his course. Then like his Savior he became "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, like one from whom men hide their faces . . despised, not esteemed." The way we survive such things is by faith, Christ as our vision, filling our scope, a true, deep, personal abiding communion with Christ, in which we hear Christ's voice daily assuring us of his love. We must reject superficial religion in all its forms and take deep draughts of the well that truly satisfies. Some of us who have been abused only see the words "millstone" and "drowned in the depths" in Luke 17:2 and miss the caution given to us. Some of us *will* stumble and fall and never recover our footing. Some of us harmed by ruthless men never stand again. Your blog is so helpful in helping us regain our footing, steadying our eyes on our Savior, and giving us the reassurance of Christ's love and the encouragement we need to persevere.
Such a sobering but necessary statement, Anna. Luther says a lot more than what I included about the doubting of doctrine that results from spiritual abuse. He returns to that difficulty many times. Re-reading, this line sticks out to me: it’s painful to see many today who wonder, “Perhaps I have been duped by this Christ.”