I've heard you say this a couple of times. Luther was obviously aware that Romans specifically addresses this idea and categorically rejects it, so I don't understand how he could have held this view. Do you have a citation as to where this comes from?
His man-made "church" has since splintered and continues to splinter into thousands of groups that are separate from each other, each claiming the "true" and inerrant interpretation of the faith through the Bible.
I don't agree that this is a fair representation of the different Protestant churches. I know that we certainly don't look down on any other Bible-believing church and say "we're in and you're out". Of course some cults have formed over the years and we have nothing to do with them, but that is to be expected when there is freedom.
1. Letter to Melanchthon, August 1,1521 (American Edition, Luther's Works, vol. 48,pp.281-82, edited by H. Lehmann, Fortress, 1963): "If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true [p.282] 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.... as long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin.... No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day."(emphasis added).2. Letter 501 to Melanchthon: "Pecca fortiter, sed crede fortius." In the light of the standard version of the first item above, we render: "Sin boldly (or bravely) but believe still more boldly (or bravely)."
(source)
So, you thought I was making it up?
BTW thanks annalex for beating me to the post. Very impressive.
The error of Luther was his rationalization. Rationalization leads to rationalism, not faith. Luther figured that since we are slaves to sin, we shouldn't even try to not sin. He excused our sin! By denying the free will, he did exactly what Adam did -- arrogantly transferred the responsibility for our disobedience and ingratitude to God on God! So, he said, since God made me a sinner, I will boldly continue to sin, but as long as I give all the credit to God for my sin, He will save me. Truly grotesque!
But, the Church history is full of people who have sinned a lot less than your average bear. We call them saints. They are real Christian action heroes. We look upon them with hope because they show us that we can be holier than our nature makes us through their faith and complete devotion to God. The Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, lived without sin. She was not some God-made robot, but a mortal human being who chose not to sin. Which is why the Protestants consider her just another woman in the Bible! After all, she doesn't fit the Protestant notion that we can't chose anything, especially not to sin. I suppose if we are all robots with pre-programmed minds and acts, we are all the same, right?
I know, you will come out with another quote, such as "none is righteous, not one..." but when we accept God we are, and what we do with the faith with our talents makes us less than equal when it comes to achieving the likeness of Christ. And, unlike your confused founder, Martin Luther, we truly believe that few shall find the path, not because God pre-ordained only a few, but because only a few of us will be humble enough to achieve the likeness of Christ.