Pages 64-70 of the book are covered. The "bound will" means you do exactly what you want! As a fallen creature it is opposite of what God intends for man. The problem of sin in us is our will. Man does not want to change (i.e. addiction). Man does not want to do it, right up until the time to do the addiction, then you want to do it. The will, set free from bondage, and bound to Christ, is now free to obey the will of God. Man's will is in accord with God or in accord with Satan.

Only the first 35 minutes of this lecture was recorded. It begins at page 62 in the book. The theme is "God alone is the cause of salvation."

Scripture: Matthew 22:14 John 13:18, Excerpts from this class: "If we are free in Christ, what are we bound to?" Martin Luther says "we are like donkeys, either ridden by God or ridden by the Devil." Freedom in Christ means being bound to God's Word and being set free from ourselves. The Gospel sets everyone free from the Law of Moses. The godly are changed to follow God freely, while the ungodly are allowed to go their own way. God frees the godly from themselves to follow the Law of God. ---- Also discussed… does God cause evil? --- God hides His mercy under wrath. Christians are called to live by faith. God wants us to live by faith, not by sight. So, if we live by sight, we will despise God. Listen to the audio of the class for the context of these excerpts.

We reviewed who is the cause of salvation. It is God alone. Man does not want to repent. He is bound to his fallen nature and will not turn to God on his own. Discussion occurred on the universal idea that our will is bound to something else, resulting in comments such as "it was meant to be". Also discussed: God is immutable but also merciful, God is present in all places and all things even Hell. These are concepts we wrestle with. Man-made laws that curb in outward actions but do not change the heart conclude this session.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:6, What can man's free choice do and what is its relationship to the grace of God. If man's will can do everything, grace is destroyed. The cause of salvation is examined. "Is it man alone, God and man, or God alone?" This question is not to be confused with another separate and different question: "What causes unbelief?" Pages 35 to 42 of the book are covered.

In God there are hidden things and there are mysteries, yet God speaks clearly in scripture. Satan has frightened men away from reading the scriptures. Luther gives us a "protestant way" of reading scripture -- declaring that nothing in scripture is intentionally left confusing. Yet, human nature is such that we want to understand in order to believe. This is not how God works. Belief comes through God's Word. No man understands scripture unless he has the Spirit of God within him and the supreme mystery brought to light in scripture is namely: that Christ, the Son of God, has been made man; that God is three and one; and that Christ has suffered for us and is to reign eternally. Pages 25 to 35 of the book are covered.

Introduction to Bondage of the Will; background of Luther and Erasmus, and the situation at the time. What is meant by "bondage of the will" and what scripture Luther built his thesis on is discussed. Pages 1 to 24 of the book are covered.

Confession and absolution continued. Roman Catholic ideas vs. Lutheran ideas on the subject. Does communion do more than remind us of God's forgiveness? What is anointing, confirmation and extreme unction? This finishes this book. Next week we begin Luther's "Bondage of the Will".

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:15; Jeremiah 31:19; Titus 3:5, What repentance is, what it is not. Melanchthon addresses what the Roman Catholic church teaches on the subject. How do we mortify our sins? Do you commit mortal sins? Public confession vs. private confession. Do you need to confess your sin? Pages 175 - 181 are covered.

Scripture: Romans 6:3-11; Acts 19:1-5; Matthew 3:11, In this Baptism section of the book, the author in an attempt to defend the proper doctrine of Baptism against Scholasticism falls into error himself. These errors are exposed and explained. The study concludes with a discussion comparing the baptism of John with the baptism of Jesus. In summary, a baptism without the Holy Spirit is not possible. Pages 169 to 175 of the book are covered.