29 December, 2007

Sabbath a'Brakel: An Honest Look at the Mirror Before the Lord's Supper

Many have a wrong perception of themselves; they measure themselves by themselves. They deem themselves to be fit, for they have no disagreement with their neighbor, are baptized, diligently go to hear God's Word, live in such a manner that no one can say anything about them, and believe that Christ is the Savior--one must thus not doubt that one will also be saved and that Christ is also his Savior. Therefore all is truly well--Christ invites and commands us, and I then wish to be obedient to the Lord in this respect. Others add to this the fact that, prior to that time, they refrain from indulging in their bosom sins, read pious books, and pray more frequently. One thus puts himself into a pious mold and peacefully attends, eating and drinking judgment to himself (II: 578).

3 comments:

shawn said...

ouch!

What Mirror do you suggest we use Brakel?

An Eshelman said...

Pretty sobering. It shows both the need for biblical self-examination as well as the ability of the human heart to be deceptive.

You have read Brakel on the Lord's Supper, haven't you? He shows that the Scriptures are the mirror in which we look.

Mark said...

Yeah, that hits pretty hard. Good stuff.