Christ: "When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth?"

I find it incredible that I can find no one who will take these words to heart; those who do consider find it impossible to assume these harsh words apply to themselves. Why is this? We say we believe the Word of God, don't we? Are we so holy and so busy about our Father's business that we do not have to seriously examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith? Are we beyond rebuke? Is it absolutely impossible that we have lost our love for the true Savior and His true message amidst so much religious fervor and zeal?

I believe it is only proper to acknowledge to the reader my theological slant. Simply put, I believe God restored perfect religion and doctrine through one called Martin Luther. Since that time the church has moved further and further away from his teachings—this includes even those "worshipping" under his name. For about three years I have tried to get the church interested in the essential message of this man's work to no avail. I have found that everyone is perfectly content with his or her faith. There is a smugness which is heart-rending.

In my quest of approaching every denomination I can think of, I have been accused of being a Luther-worshipper. Fine, I can handle and understand why they think this of me. BUT, what I CANNOT understand or appreciate is why they pay so little attention to the Word. Jesus Christ Himself warned that faith would all but die out before His coming. Are we all so holy that we do not have to contemplate these austere words? (I thought we were people of faith and cast reason to the wind when reason came into conflict with the Word?) Just because these words sound impossible is no excuse not to grapple honestly with them. Or does our negligence in dealing honestly with them indicate our hypocrisy?

I was surprised in my study of Luther over the last five or six years to find out that Luther believed there would be NO faith on the earth when Christ came. When I told people this, even Lutherans scoffed and arbitrarily said with a simple shrug that Luther was wrong. It is amazing to me that Christians today have become so comfortable with such a divergence of opinions regarding Scripture. Scripture itself is clear: Scripture is of no private interpretation. A house divided simply cannot stand; for this reason Luther said that belief was more important than faith and works, because faith must be based on the truth of the Word and not on our own private opinions. It is incumbent on Christians not to have, seek, and desire an ever-increasing knowledge which takes us away from the true knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that I was appalled when a friend thought it was okay to listen to her preacher and leave secretly disagreeing with him. The whole purpose of the ministry is voided by such action. There is to be a unity, not only of love, but especially doctrine among us that we are commanded to have nothing to do with heretics and those who cause trouble and divisions contrary to the Word. Yet, we seem to celebrate our freedom to interpret Scripture as we see fit and credit this presumption to the misunderstood doctrine of the priesthood of the believer—which doctrine Luther restored to its full luster!

Recently I began looking at what commentators, other than Luther, said regarding Luke 18:8. What I found is that all commentators I checked out essentially agree with Luther—Christ's words are an ominous warning which the church should, yea, must take most seriously whether it makes sense to our rational minds or not. The whole church seems to be abuzz with the excitement that we are in the very Last Days. How is it possibly fair to have this unrestrained zeal when Christ's words hang over the church like a mighty thunderclap? Of course, Paul speaks to the end times in a number of places, and his words agree with Christ's sentiment that faith will suffer a mighty blow in the end: for example, he states that even the elect will come dangerously close to being deceived. This and other passages are well known to any serious Bible Student.

As I continued my conversation with this older Christian woman who is faithful in studying the Word, going to church and living a good life, I sat stymied to hear her words and watch her actions. I noticed Matthew Henry's Commentary next to the chair. I picked it up and turned to Luke 18:8. I said to her, "I won't argue about the importance of Luther; why do you think no one will take Christ's own words here seriously? This is what Henry says about it: 'The question implies a strong negative: no, he will not; he himself foresees it.'" She acted like we were going to have a serious discussion concerning this, She said, "Let me see what McGee says about it." She proceeded to turn to the right section in her little 50-page commentary. Upon finding that McGee did not address this problem, she cut off the conversation as if I was a Jehovah's Witness and she was afraid to bid me Godspeed!

WHY are we not concerned? Why do we confess allegiance to the Word but don't have the true patience, zeal, and godly sincerity to search for wisdom as one would search for gold? What are we so afraid of? What makes us so sure? Are we so secure in our eternal security that we brush off the myriad passages which speak to us of perseverance? Can the days of Noah not be repeated despite, again, Christ's own words that His coming would be "as in the days of Noah?" Has Christ not warned us to our own peril?

Let me mention briefly what other commentators have said about Luke 18:8. I will not bore you with detailed references. My purpose is to cause someone, even one person, to quake in true fear and trepidation before the Lord. Pulpit Commentary: "These difficult words seem to point at least to a fear lest, the second coming being long delayed, true faith would have died out of the hearts of even the godly." Geldenhuys: "His question is intended as a warning that believers should take heed not to let their faith waver." Nelson: "Persecution can cause the faithful to lose their enthusiasm" (Luther said greed was the worst attack on the church, greater than emperors and heretics). Ryrie: "This does not argue for improved spiritual conditions in the world before Christ's return." Scofield: "The reference is not to personal faith, but to belief in the whole body of revealed truth" (Luther did nothing other than teach the "whole body of revealed truth," yet the church dismisses his ministry. The History Channel voted him the third most important person in the last 1,000 years. Why won't we give ourselves to investigate him anew?). Pentecost, in Things to Come, does not address Luke 18:8.

Could it be that there is a direct correlation between what Luther cared about the most and the indifference to Christ's words: "When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth?" I am in the middle of reading Luther's Works in English for the fourth time. I would say that what Luther believed, taught, confessed, and cared most about are the same things the church cares least about. These are baptism, the Lord's supper, and absolution. Is it not possible that Christ is punishing us for ignoring the essence of Luther's ministry, which also was the essence of the life of Christ: THIS IS MY BODY; THIS IS MY BLOOD.

Could it be that because we each have relegated these precious words, "This is My body; this is My blood, given to you for remission of sins," to positions below our zeal, reason, and commitment, that we are not able, as time has passed, to hear Christ's words of loving warning, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" I just ask, beg, and plead with the reader to seriously ponder both statements of Christ, for they seem to be mighty bookends, between which the elect are squeezed. The church began with a true spiritual commitment to Christ's words, "This is My body," and Luther faithfully reminded the church of their importance. Could it be that the very last of the Gentiles is being squeezed onto the true Christian shelf? Could fear of pondering Christ's warning be an indication that there is already no or at least little faith on the earth right NOW?

The greatest death a Christian has to experience is the death of cherished ideas; but God's thoughts must be higher than our thoughts, and we must give precedence and credence to God's ways. Luther: "God reserves the execution of His promises for Himself and carries out His promises in such a way that everything seems CONTRADICTORY and far different from the Word. God keeps His promises and He can never be changed. Nevertheless, He confronts us with something that is the very opposite. With this He tries us. This is God's wonderful government to which Paul exclaims (Romans 11:33-34): 'O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?'"

Will you ponder with me? Will you fear before the Lord with me? Will you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling with me? Or will you continue to scoff, by your inactivity, at the preaching of Christ as the holy and righteous people did as Noah preached to them and as the Jews did as Moses tried to preach to them? Are you willing to wait before the Lord, His words making your spirit bitter, to prove whether or not your worship flows from true faith or from your own fictions of what you believe and have been taught about the Word?

Timothy Vance
www.askluther.com