Randall Zachman in his power-packed book The Assurance Of Faith: Conscience In The Theology Of John Calvin And Martin Luther is developing Martin Luther’s theology of conscience, embedded in his infamous theology of the cross. Without sketching the finer points leading to the quote I am about to share from Zachman, in this regard; let me simply say that Zachman, here, is highlighting how Luther conceived of a way that the devil attempts to undo the assurance of God’s love for us in Christ. As an aside, I must say that Thomas Torrance, my most prominent teacher, would be very proud of Luther; this would fit into Torrance’s There is no God behind the back of Jesus dictum. Let’s read what Zachman says about Luther on this point:

[T]he other way in which the devil seeks to drive faith from the heart of the believer is by having the believer separate the will of God the Father from the mercy of God revealed in Christ. Even though we see in Christ a merciful mediator, it is difficult for the conscience to believe that the Father is as merciful as the Son, for the conscience always pictures God as wrathful toward sinners. Satan exploits this feeling of conscience by having us doubt the divinity of Christ; if Christ is not God by nature, then the mercy he reveals tells us nothing of God’s will. “Now we miserable people are assailed by sins, we fear death, we fear damnation, for this reason alone that our conscience doubts that Christ is the Son of God.” Even if the conscience believes that Christ is the Son of God, it is very difficult for it to believe that God the Father is so minded as Christ. Even though we see in Christ mercy toward sinners, we do not see the Father; and the conscience cannot help but portray the Father as a judge, thereby nullifying the mercy revealed in Christ. “Conscience, the devil, hell, the judgment of God, and everything resist, in order that we may not believe that God is love but may believe that God is an Executioner and a Judge.” [Randall C. Zachman, The Assurance Of Faith, 65]

A point of technicality. Luther would have, for one thing, been combating his own theological upbringing with the De Potentia-Two wills of God theology with the sentiment being noted by Zachman. But more to the point, the more devotional and theological point I would like to grasp for us. This is one of the reasons it is so important for us to not engage in high christological heresy. If God’s person can be ruptured, and it has been by various theological paradigms (even to their denial of such a thing, even with good intentions in place), then our ability to rest in God’s salvation (which for the Christian is personal and Trinitarian), and to know God’s inner-life as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is thoroughly lost. If Jesus was just a phantom, if he was a man playing God; then the bridge between God and man has been blasted, and the gap remains — we are of all men to be pitied, we are still in our sins, and God is not a God of love but law!

This should help illustrate why theology is important; it has an impact on our spirituality, one that often goes unchecked. Especially for those of us who think theology is only for the the “theologians.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ~John 14.9