At the conclusion of Martin Luther’s masterful book The Bondage of the Will he reveals some compassionate pastoral care to those who may be struggling with the ethical implications of the biblical teaching concerning sin, grace, and free will. Keep in mind that this is some 300 pages after he has absolutely shredded any notion of harmony between free-will and the gospel. In his shredding he was, let’s just say, forceful. This is what makes this compassionate nugget at the end so compelling.
He writes:
Keep in view three lights: the light of nature, the light of grace, and the light of glory (this is common and a good distinction).
By the light of nature, it is inexplicable that it should be just for the good to be afflicted and the bad to prosper; but the light of grace explains it.
By the light of grace, it is inexplicable how God can damn him who by his own strength can do nothing but sin and become guilty.
Both the light of nature and the light of grace here insist that the fault lies not in the wretchedness of man, but in the injustice of God; nor can they judge otherwise of a God who crowns the ungodly freely, without merit, and does not crown, but damns another, who is perhaps less, and certainly not more, ungodly.
But the light of glory insists otherwise, and will one day reveal God, to whom alone belongs a judgment whose justice is incomprehensible, as a God Whose justice is most righteous and evident–provided only that in the meanwhile we believe it, as we are instructed and encouraged to do by the example of the light of grace explaining what was a puzzle of the same order to the light of nature. Bondage of the Will, p. 317
As Christians we are to thread all of our questions, concerns and frustrations through the needle of the Word of God. This (Rom. 12.1-2) is to form, shape, and renew our minds. When, even after this, we find ourselves confused or conflicted we can do no better than to rest in God’s wise, good, and unchanging character as we await “the day”.
