Luther

"If you are a preacher of Grace, then preach a true, not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here we have to sin. This life in not the dwelling place of righteousness but, as Peter says, we look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. . . . Pray boldly-you too are a mighty sinner." (Weimar ed. vol. 2, p. 371; Letters I, "Luther's Works," American Ed., Vol 48. p. 281- 282)

I'm glad I found this. Tonight I had a good bit to drink, and I broke my vegetarian/pescatarianism tonight. It was my postulancy celebration, if you will. :) I made this my Facebook status because while texting with a bishop about my plans for the night (this was relatively early) he said to sin boldly. I remembered the quotation partially and made it my Facebook status. Someone commented on it, so I Googled a fuller quotation.

This is what I found, and I'm glad I found it. It is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. A few Wednesdays ago I referenced Derek Webb in talking about sin. There's a big difference between, "Oh, yeah, I'm a sinner!" and "Tonight I didn't give a damn about life, human or otherwise, and I did things that have resulted in my not having full control of my body. Kyire eleison.[Lord, have mercy]" I have, alone and in community, discerned that I am called to be a preacher of Grace. As such, I have to preach a true, not a fictitious grace. My sin has to be true and not fake. I don't need to seek out sin or use grace as a license for sin, but it has to be real, and I have to be claim it as what it is, when it is.  Tonight I got that. Thank you, Bishop.