The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Insanity of Luther
Read Chapter 4 of The Holiness of God.
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Sproul turns to Martin Luther as a case study in what happens when a brilliant, serious, and devout person truly grasps God's holiness — and finds that his own righteousness is utterly insufficient. Luther's story is not ancient history; it is a mirror.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Sproul describes the young Luther as a man tormented by his own sinfulness — confessing for hours, yet never finding peace. Why couldn't Luther find peace through the confessional, despite his extreme diligence? What was he missing?
2.Sproul recounts the famous story of Luther as a young lawyer caught in a terrifying thunderstorm, crying out to Saint Anne and vowing to become a monk. Sproul sees this as a genuine, if immature, response to the terror of God's holiness. What was Luther actually running toward in the monastery — what was he hoping the monastic life would give him?
3.Sproul describes Luther's first Mass as a priest — a moment of such overwhelming terror at the nearness of God that Luther nearly fled the altar. What does Luther's reaction reveal about how seriously he took the holiness of God, and how does that contrast with the casualness often seen in contemporary worship?
a.Is Luther's terror at the altar a model to imitate, a problem to be solved, or something of both? Explain.
b.What elements of your own worship — corporate or private — reflect a genuine awareness of God's holiness?
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