“By Scripture alone” – Such a powerful and simple understanding. Although Luther lessen the importance of “by faith alone” concerning adult baptism over infant baptism – he was true to evaluating the anabaptist by the word. He did not write these “prophets” off at first.

If I understand history clearly, did not many of these anabaptists claim to have direct revelation from God? In light of that Luther assessed these men and their claims by evaluating both their message and their lives in light of scripture and whether or not they were indeed “prophets.” He deemed their message as heresy.

This visible and invisible church is something I had never studied. This concept makes many things so much more clear – like why the Arminius position on perseverence of the saints is clearly wrong – when I reason in my mind that a teacher of the Word can go atheist or heretic – and when I read passages like the one found in 2 Peter 2 – I realize why this doctine is so vital to a healthy Christian walk and relationship with God and others.

I think that part of me perhaps – deep down – so full of the pride of life – wants to be able to holdfast to salvation. It is so ridiculous to imagine that I may be influenced by this – But if I must then others must be as well.

Praise God that it is His work that holds us fast in redemption – it is and can never be a work of our own – such folly. Seriously I never understood the implication of the Arminian stance on this until recently. I merely thought it to be a docrinal intellectual preference.

Thanks for this write up – it really has me thinking things through and not for just some intellectual head trip either!