Martin Luther’s Theologica Crucis and Spiritual Formation Part II

Thesis 18 and 19

Thesis 18: The Need for Utter Despair of our Ability

Thesis eighteen states,

“It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ.”

When looking at the whole work of the Heidelberg Disputation we see this thesis falls in a section on the human will (thesis 13–18); yet, I believe it is important to include in our discussion because of the absolute need for humility to even embrace such a theology and its high call. Essentially the acceptance of our totally depraved state after the Fall sets us in the right state of mind to hear Luther’s claims on the theology of the cross. We are enslaved to sin and our actions and thoughts are evil because of our fallen nature. Looking to Scripture, Romans 3:9 states that we are all under the power of sin. In fact, according to Romans 11:32, God has subjected us to disobedience so that He may show mercy to us.

An important thesis before it, as each thesis is dependent on the ones before it, is thesis fourteen where Luther claimed free will after the fall has the power to do good in a passive capacity, but it can always do evil in an active capacity. This implies that we as…