Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Romans 1:17 For the just shall live by faith.
MARTIN LUTHER'S SEAL
A Lutheran elementary teacher phoned a t-shirt company and was discussing options for his order. He asked the company representative if Luther's Seal was among the pictures they had available. She asked the teacher if that was the one with the seal balancing a ball on its nose. Sometimes I guess it's better to refer to this expression of faith that Martin Luther designed as his Coat of Arms or The Luther Rose.
The fact is, though, if you have a copy of Luther's Seal hanging in your home or office, you may want to use it to speak of your faith to others. Here's how Luther did just that in a letter to the town clerk of Nuremberg, Germany:
"The first thing expressed in my seal is a cross, black, within the heart to put me in mind that faith in Christ crucified saves us. 'For with the heart man believes unto righteousness.'
"Now, although the cross is black, mortified, and intended to cause pain, yet it does not change the color of the heart, does not destroy nature -- i.e., does not kill, but keeps alive. 'For the just shall live by faith,' -- by faith in the Savior.
"But this heart is fixed upon the center of a white rose, to show that faith causes joy, consolation and peace. The rose is white, not red, because white is the ideal color of all angels and blessed spirits.
"This rose, moreover, is fixed in a sky-colored ground, to denote that such joy of faith in the spirit is but an earnest and beginning of heavenly joy to come, as anticipated and held by hope, though not yet revealed.
"And around this ground base is a golden ring, to signify that such bliss in heaven is endless, and more precious than all joys and treasures, since gold is the best and most precious metal. Christ, our dear Lord -- He will give grace unto eternal life. Amen."
