Martin Luther Was No “Hero Of Faith”

Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Tragically, in the vast majority of churches today (both fundamentalist and neo-evangelical churches alike) and Christendom as a whole, Martin Luther (1483-1546) is ignorantly praised as a hero of the faith. Case in point is this 1962 book titled 'Martin Luther: Hero Of Faith' by Frederick Nohl. And here is another book titled, 'Hero Of Faith: Martin Luther' written in 2012 by Edward C. Grube.

Tragically, Martin Luther was a heretic! I realize this comes as a shock to many Christians; but, the proof is undeniable. The Biblical teaching of being saved by faith alone is often attributed to Martin Luther; BUT, nothing could be further from the truth.

Indeed, Luther and the other reformers did challenge the Catholic Church that sold indulgences and offered a “works-based” type of salvation. However, just because Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Church doesn't mean that he was saved. Martin Luther often taught that salvation was based on faith alone, and not received based upon a person’s meritorious works; however, Luther’s idea of faith alone does not conform to the Biblical teaching that baptism is not required for salvation.

While it is understood that the opinions of men are in no way authoritative when it comes to God’s plan for salvation, it is nonetheless interesting to note that Martin Luther believed wholeheartedly in the necessity of water baptism as a prerequisite for salvation.

In his Large Catechism, Luther wrote:

[I] affirm that Baptism is no human trifle, but that it was established by God Himself. Moreover, He earnestly and solemnly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. No one is to think that it is an optional matter like putting on a red coat. It is of greatest importance that we hold Baptism in high esteem as something splendid and glorious. The reason why we are striving and battling so strenuously for this view of Baptism is that the world nowadays is full of sects that loudly proclaim that Baptism is merely an external form and that external forms are useless.... Although Baptism is indeed performed by human hands, yet it is truly God’s own action (1978, pp. 98-99). [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Luther, Martin (1978), Luther’s Large Catechism, (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia)

BLASPHEMY! Where does the holy Bible “solemnly command that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved”? From Luther’s own comments, it is clear that he required water baptism for salvation. This is called the heresy of Baptismal Regeneration. Many Protestant denominations today have been infected with Luther's damnable heresy. Sadly, most fundamental Bible-believing churches have also been caught up in the woeful Martin Luther deception.

Martin Luther was subtle, just as Satan—teaching that salvation is by faith alone, while simultaneously requiring baptism to be saved. Obviously, Luther didn't consider baptism a self-righteous work. The Word of God states in John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned...” I don't see any mention of “baptism” there.

John the Apostle professed in 1st John 5:13 the purpose of his Epistle... “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” Carefully notice that John never mentions baptism in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd John. By the way, John doesn't mention speaking in tongues either.

Romans 11:6 plainly tells us that if salvation is by works then it is no longer by grace, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” If you add anything to simple childlike faith in Jesus as the Christ, then you have corrupted the saving grace of God and the Gospel. Such is of the Devil. Martin Luther taught works salvation. Every hellbound Catholic today who speaks of faith also believes that salvation comes only through keeping the 7 Sacraments of the Church in Rome. Of course, that is a false view of the Gospel and a road straight to Hell, fire, and damnation.

The Apostle wrote 1st John to enlighten us how to KNOW we are saved. It is ludicrous for Charismatics to claim speaking in tongues as evidence of being saved. It is also ludicrous for anyone to claim that baptism is necessary for salvation. If this were the case, then John WOULD have mentioned it. Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” There's NO mention of baptism.

What, then, would Martin Luther say to those today who teach that “faith alone” excludes baptism? Listen to Luther's own words concerning the Biblical doctrine of “faith alone”:

But our know-it-alls, the new spirit people, claim that faith alone saves and that human works and outward forms contribute nothing to this. We answer: It is of course true that nothing in us does it except faith, as we shall hear later. But these blind leaders of the blind refuse to see that faith must have something in which it believes, that is, something it clings to, something on which to plant its feet and into which to sink its roots. Thus faith clings to the water and believes Baptism to be something in which there is pure salvation and life, not through the water, as I have emphasized often enough, but because God’s name is joined to it ... It follows from this that whoever rejects Baptism rejects God’s word, faith, and the Christ who directs us to Baptism and binds us to it —Luther’s Large Catechism: Book of Concord, pp. 101-102, 1978; Saint Louis, Missouri; Concordia

WRONG! Water baptism would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. It is Christ Himself, and not the water in a baptistery, that should be the object of our faith to be saved. I have no doubt that Martin Luther was sincere in his faulty beliefs, but the Holy Bible warns in Proverbs 14:12 that “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Martin Luther was a heretic! He ignorantly wrested the inspired Scripture and believed things about the Bible that were not true. Martin Luther rejected the Book of Revelation because he couldn't understand it. The Biblical teaching of “faith only” which is so often attributed to Martin Luther, has nothing to do with Martin Luther. Sadly, Luther was no “hero” of the Christian faith.

This is the damnable Martin Luther deception! From the quotes we have read by Martin Luther, it is abundantly clear that Luther DIDN'T believe in “faith only” for salvation. Luther speaks out of both sides of his mouth. Martin Luther’s words are unambiguous and clear—his “faith alone” did not exclude water baptism as being necessary for salvation. He was a false prophet.

Martin Luther was no hero of the Christian faith!