William Muehl - Sermon Untitled (February 23, 1986)

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 35:49. Sermon end time: (Part 2) 12:48.

One of the most serious problems he sees on the church at his time is the doctrine of “saved by faith and not by works.” This belief has ruptured being and doing as two separate entities. To the point that a person can be a ruthless employer and still be considered a good neighbor, they can act as a deceitful lawyer but still be considered a successful parent, etc. What he argues for is a view of salvation that sees it as the “total quality of human life”, where salvation means to be saved and changed so substantially that all of life is viewed, understood, and acted radically different. We need to see having faith not as something to do to please God’s vanity or put our name in the book of Heaven, but as something we do because it encompasses our whole understanding of life, of being and doing. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Key quotation: "Our God is not the careless parent who casually pats us on the head in the middle of our struggle and conflict and pain and says “just remember, it doesn't matter, it's not important. You are justified by your faith.” What happens to you and what you do, these things are not important at all. Our God is the parent who falls to the round beside us, takes up our torn and bleeding spirits, and says oh but it does matter. It matters eternally.”