C. Just exactly what did Luther teach justification to be? Luther taught a subjective
Justification, one that certainly involved an actual subjective change from sin to
righteousness. In Luther's studies we have to judge what Luther taught after 1517, since
that death is the opening of the Reformation when Luther nailed his 95 theses on the castle
church door. Various Protestant authors divide Luther's teaching on Justification according
to years, in an attempt to claim that he taught a Roman Catholic concept of Justification and
then later switched to a so called true Protestant concept. But this is too extreme a position
to accept. Studies on Luther reveal a concept of Justification though changing in its form of
expression and attendant concepts, yet it retains this fundamental strain, that a man is
substantially changed inwardly, that he in fact receives a real righteousness when he is
Justified.
D. Here is what Luther taught on justification according to the years of his growth from 1517
to his death in 1546, it begins on the next page.
1517-1546
1. "He prays… that he may be washed and cleansed more and more. For the first
grace signifies that the washing and cleansing has been started… Adam must
leave and Christ come in. Adam must be destroyed, and Christ alone must rule
and exist." WA. 1, pg. 186, 9.
2. "...the love of God which lives in man loves sinners, the evil ones, the stupid, the
weak, in order to make them righteous, good, wise and strong, and so it is
indeed a love which flows forth and bestows blessings." WA. 1, pg. 36- 365.
(1518).
3. "The second sin is essential, inborn, original, alien, of which Ps. 51 says: 'Behold I
was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.' The
righteousness that corresponds to this is in a similar manner inborn, essential,
original, alien - which is the righteousness of Christ." WA. 2, pg. 41. (1518).
4. "For this reason we, too, like the gentiles, consider our own righteousness as
dung and seek to be justified through faith in Christ - we who are now sinners
along with the gentiles and are justified along with the Gentiles, since God
"made no distinction between us and them", as Peter says in Acts 15:9, "but
cleansed their hearts by faith…” In the second place, there is the inward way, on
the basis of faith and of grace,… For this righteousness is nothing else than a
calling upon the name of God. Now the name of God is mercy, truth,
righteousness, strength, wisdom,… But calling upon the name of God, if it is in
the heart and truly from the heart, shows that the heart and the name of the
Lord are one and cling to each other. For this reason it is impossible for the
heart not to share in the virtues in which the name of the Lord abounds. But it is
through Faith that the heart and the name of the Lord cling together…
Therefore just as the name of the Lord is pure, holy, righteous, true, good, etc.,
so if it touches, or is touched by, the heart (which happens through faith), it
makes the heart entirely like itself. Thus it comes about that for those who trust
in the name of the Lord all sins are forgiven, and righteousness is imputed to
them "for Thy name's sake, O Lord" (Ps. 25:11), because this name is good… But
when the heart has thus been justified through the faith that is in His name, God
gives them the power to become children of God (Jn. 1: 12) by immediately pouring into their hearts His Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), who fills them with His love
and makes them peaceful, glad, active in all good works, victorious over all
evils,… Without this righteousness it is impossible for the heart to be pure… This
is a righteousness that is bountiful, given without cost, firm, inward, eternal,
true, heavenly, divine;… Indeed, since it is directed toward Christ and His name,
which is righteousness, the result is that the righteousness of Christ and of the
Christian are one and the same, united with each other in an inexpressible way.
For it flows and gushes forth from Christ, as He says in John 4:14: "The water
that I shall give will become in him a spring of living water welling up to eternal
life…” The apostle's rule is this: It is not works that fulfill the Law, but the
fulfillment of the law produces works. One does not become righteous by doing
righteous deeds. No, one does righteous deeds after becoming righteous.
Righteousness and fulfillment of the Law come first before the works are done,
because the latter flows out of the former." Luther's Works 27, pg. 215-225.
(1519).
5. "There are two kinds of Christian righteousness...The first is alien righteousness,
that is the righteousness of another instilled from without. this is the
righteousness of Christ by which he justifies through faith… he who trusts in
Christ exists in Christ, he is one with Christ, having the same righteousness as he.
It is therefore impossible that sin should remain in him. This righteousness is
primary, it is the basis, the cause, the source of all our own actual
righteousness… Therefore this alien righteousness, instilled in us without our
works by grace alone - while the Father, to be sure inwardly draws us to Christ -
is set opposite original sin, likewise alien, which we acquire without our works by
birth alone..." Luther Works 31, pg. 297-306. Quoted from John Dillenberger,
Martin Luther, pg. 86-88. (1519).
6. "We perceive how a sinner fares when he dies spiritually and then lives again,
that is, when he is justified and his sins are remitted… Then comes the living
Word of God, the Gospel of Grace,… That is where faith sets in, and man is freed
both of sin and of death and lives in grace and righteousness with Christ."
Luther's Works 19, pg. 97-104. Quoted from Hilton C. Oswald and George S.
Robbert, Luther as Interpreter of Scripture, pg. 47,49. (1526).
7. "...but he is a Christian who has, that is, who begins to have, the righteousness of
God… It is enough for us to have begun and to be in the state of reaching after
what is before us." Luther's Works 17, pg. 219-229. Quoted from, Ibid, pg. 58.
(1527-1530).
8. "But through sin and that awful fall not only our flesh is disfigured by the leprosy
of sin, but everything one use in this life has become corrupt,… But now the
Gospel has brought about the restoration of that image… And so the gospel
brings it about that we are formed once more according to that familiar and
indeed better image, because we are born again into eternal life or rather into
the hope of eternal life by faith, that we may live in God and with God and be
one with Him, as Christ says. And indeed, we are reborn not only for life but also
for righteousness, because faith acquires Christ's merit and knows that through
Christ's death we have been set free. From this source our other righteousness
has its origin, namely, that newness of life through which we a zealous to obey
God as we are taught by the Word and aided by the Holy Spirit… In this manner
this image of the new creature begins to be restored by the Gospel in this life,
but it will not be finished in this life… Just as in the beginning the heaven and
the earth were unfinished masses, so to speak, before the light had been added,
so the godly have within themselves that unfinished image which God will on the
Last Day bring to perfection in those who have believed His word… But the
second man will be renewed into the life-giving spirit; that is, he will be a
spiritual man when he reverts to the image of God." Luther's Works 1, pg. 55-65.
Quoted from Ibid, pg. 101, 102. (1535-1545).
9. "David did not make a single person righteous and God-fearing through his reign,
not even himself.. But all are made righteous and God-fearing through this
Ruler, Messiah, and this Rock of Israel, Jesus Christ.…
"He was made Ruler - He was to perform such works among men, make them
righteous and return them to the fear of God, to the state of innocence and
obedience from which we had fallen in Paradise…
"Similarly, the dominion and kingdom of grace is also a joyous and happy time, in
which Messiah makes us righteous and God-fearing, so that we green and
bloom, emit fragrance, grow, and become fruitful…
"But in the days of Messiah, says David, when the Rock of Israel Himself will
reign to justify us and to save us by grace, it will be as enchanting as the most
delightful time in spring in the wake of a refreshing, warm rain, that is, following
the preaching of the comforting Gospel, immediately after which the Sun, Christ,
rises in our heart through true faith..." Luther's Works 15, pg. 344-350. Quoted
from Ibid, pg. 123,124,125. (1543).
10. "Natural motion is our motion, but the movement of justification is the work of
God in us, to which our positions refer… The phrase (the righteousness of God
being outside of us) is grammatical. To be outside of us means not to be out of
our powers. Righteousness is our possession, to be sure, since it was given to us
out of mercy. Nevertheless, it is foreign to us, because we have not merited it."
Disputation on Justification in Luther's Works 34, pg. 177,178. (1536).
11. "By faith alone… are we justified. We must not attribute the power of
justification to a "form" that makes man pleasing to God; we must attribute it to
faith, which takes hold of Christ the Savior Himself and possesses Him in the
heart." Luther's Works 26, pg. 137.
12. "Then what does justify? Hearing the voice of the Bridegroom, hearing the
proclamation of faith- when this is heard, it justifies. Why? Because it brings the
Holy Spirit who justifies. From this it is sufficiently evident what the distinction is
between the Law and the Gospel. The Law never brings the Holy Spirit;
therefore it does not justify, because it only teaches what we ought to do. But
the Gospel does bring the Holy Spirit, because it teaches what we ought to
receive." Luther's Works 26, pg. 208.
13. Read the following quotation taken from Martin Luther’s, Three Treatise,
“First, let us consider the inner man to see how a righteous, free, and pious
Christian, that is, a spiritual, new, and inner man, becomes what he is. It is
evident that no external thing has any influence in producing Christian
righteousness or freedom…” Ibid, pg. 278.
“Furthermore, to put aside all kinds of works, even contemplation, meditation,
and all that the soul can do, does not help. One thing, and only one thing, is
necessary for Christian life, righteousness, and freedom. That one thing is the
most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ, as Christ says, John 11 [:25], “I am
the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live”; and John 8 [:36], “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed”;
and Matt. 4 [:4], “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.” Let us then consider it certain and firmly
established that the soul can do without anything except the Word of God and
that where the Word of God is missing there is no help at all for the soul.” Ibid,
pg. 279.
“To preach Christ means to feed the soul, make it righteous, set it free, and save
it, provided it believes the preaching. Faith alone is the saving and efficacious
use of the Word of God, according to Rom. 10 [:9]: “If you confess with your lips
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” Furthermore, “Christ is the end of the law, that every one
who has faith may be justified” [Rom. 10:4]. Again, in Rom. 1 [:17], “He who
through faith is righteous shall live.” The Word of God cannot be received and
cherished by any works whatever but only by faith. Therefore it is clear that, as
the soul needs only the Word of God for its life and righteousness, so it is
justified by faith alone and not any works; for if it could be justified by anything
else, it would not need the Word, and consequently it would not need faith.”
Ibid, pg. 280.
“When you have learned this you will know that you need Christ, who suffered
and rose again for you so that, if you believe in him, you may through this faith
become a new man in so far as your sins are forgiven and you are justified by the
merits of another, namely, of Christ alone.
Since, therefore, this faith can rule only in the inner man, as Rom. 10:10 says,
“For man believes with his heart and so is justified,” and since faith alone
justifies, it is clear that the inner man cannot be justified, freed, or saved by any
outer work or action at all, and that these works, whatever their character, have
nothing to do with this inner man.” Ibid, pg. 281.
“Therefore true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison which brings with
it complete salvation and saves man from every evil, as Christ says in the last
chapter of Mark 16:16: “He who believe and is baptized will be saved; but he
who does not believe will be condemned.” Isaiah contemplated this treasure
and foretold it in chapter 10: “The Lord will make a small and consuming word
upon the land, and it will overflow with righteousness” [Cf. Isa. 10:22]. This is as
though he said, “Faith, which is a small and perfect fulfillment of the law, will fill
believers with so great a righteousness that they will need nothing more to
become righteous.” So Paul says, Rom. 10:10, “For man believes with his heart
and so is justified.”” Ibid, pg. 281-282.
“If a touch of Christ healed, how much more will this most tender spiritual touch,
this absorbing of the Word, communicate to soul all things that belong to the
Word. This, then, is how through faith alone without works the soul is justified by the Word of God, sanctified, made true, peaceful, and free, filled with every
blessing and truly made a child of God, as John 1:12 says: “But to all who…
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”
… No good work can rely upon the Word of God or live in the soul, for faith
alone and the Word of God rule in the soul. Just as the heated iron glows like
fire because of the union of fire with it, so the Word imparts its qualities to the
soul. It is clear, then, that a Christian has all that he needs in faith and needs no
work to justify him;” Ibid, pg. 283-284.
“When, however, God sees that we consider him truthful and by the faith of our
heart pay him the great honor which is due him, he does us that great honor of
considering us truthful and righteous for the sake of our faith.” Ibid, pg. 285.
“The third incomparable benefit of faith is that it unites the soul with Christ as a
bride is united with her bridegroom. By this mystery, as the Apostle teaches,
Christ and the soul become one flesh [Eph. 5:31,32].” Ibid, pg. 286.
“Thus the believing soul by means of the pledge of his faith is free in Christ, its
bridegroom, free from all sins, secure against death and hell, and is endowed
with the eternal righteousness, life, and salvation of Christ its bridegroom. So he
takes to himself a glorious bride, “without spot or wrinkle, cleansing her by the
washing of water with the word” [Cf. Eph. 5:26,27] of life, that is, by faith in the
Word of life, righteousness, and salvation. In this way he marries her in faith,
steadfast love, and in mercies, righteousness, and justice, as Hos. 2:19, 20 says.”
Ibid, pg. 287.
“Therefore faith alone is the righteousness of a Christian and the fulfilling of all
the commandments, for he who fulfills the First Commandment has no difficulty
in fulfilling all the rest.
But works, being inanimate things, cannot glorify God, although they can, if faith
is present, be done to the glory of God. Here, however, we are not inquiring
what works and what kind of works are done, but who it is that does them, who
glorifies God and brings forth the works. This is done by faith which dwells in the
heart and is the source and substance of all our righteousness...
That we may examine more profoundly that grace which our inner man has in
Christ, we must realize that in the Old Testament God consecrated to himself all
the first-born males.” Ibid, pg. 288.
“Rather ought Christ to be preached to the end that faith in him may be
established that he may not only be Christ, but be Christ for you and me, and
that what is said of him and is denoted in his name may be effectual in us. Such
faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ came, what he
brought and bestowed, what benefit it is to us to accept him…
Let this suffice concerning the inner man, his liberty, and the source of his
liberty, the righteousness of faith. He needs neither laws nor good works but, on
the contrary, is injured by them if he believes that he is justified by them.
Now let us turn to the second part, the outer man. Here we shall answer all
those who, offended by the word “faith” and by all that has been said, now ask,
“If faith does all things and is alone sufficient unto righteousness, why then are
good works commanded? We will take our ease and do no works and be
content with faith.” I answer: not so you wicked men, not so. Ibid, pg. 292-294.
“Although, as I have said, a man is abundantly and sufficiently justified by faith
inwardly, in his spirit, and so has all that he needs, except insofar as this faith
and these riches must grow from day to day even to the future life; yet he
remains in this mortal life on earth. In this life he must control his own body and
have dealings with men. Here the works begin; here a man cannot enjoy leisure;
here he must indeed take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings,
labors, and other reasonable discipline and to subject it to the Spirit so that it
will obey and conform to the inner man, and faith and not revolt against faith
and hinder the inner man, as it is the nature of the body to do if it is not held in
check. The inner man, who by faith is created in the image of God, is both joyful
and happy because of Christ in whom so many benefits are conferred upon him;
and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully and without thought
of gain, in love that is not constrained….
In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is justified before
God by them, for faith, which alone is righteousness before God, cannot endure
that erroneous opinion. We must, however, realize that these works reduce the
body to subjection and purify it of its evil lusts, and our whole purpose is to be
directed only toward the driving out of lust. Since by faith the soul is cleansed
and made to love God, it desires that all things, and especially its own body, shall
be purified so that all things may join with it in loving and praising God. Ibid, pg.
294-295.
“In order to make that which we have said more easily understood, we shall
explain by analogies. We should think of the works of a Christian who is justified
and saved by faith because of the pure and free mercy of God, just as we would
think of the works which Adam and Eve did in Paradise, and all their children
would have done if they had not sinned. We read in Gen. 2: 15 that “The Lord
God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” Now
Adam was created righteous and upright and without sin by God so that he had
no need of being justified and made upright through his tilling and keeping the
garden; but, that he might not be idle, the Lord gave him a task to do, to
cultivate and protect the garden. This task would truly have been the freest of
works, done only to please God and not to obtain righteousness, which Adam
already had in full measure and which would have been the birthright of us all.
The works of a believer are like this. Through his faith he has been restored to
Paradise and created anew, has no need of works that he may become or be
righteous; but that he may not be idle and may provide for and keep his body, he
must do such works freely only to please God. Since, however, we are not
wholly recreated, and our faith and love are not yet perfect, these are to be
increased, not by external works, however, but of themselves.
A second example: A bishop, when he consecrates a church, confirms children,
or performs some other duty belonging to his office, is not made a bishop by
these works. Indeed, if he had not first been made a bishop, none of these
works would be valid. They would be foolish, childish, and farcical. So the
Christian who is consecrated by his faith does good works, but the works do not
make him holier or more Christian, for that is the work of faith alone. And if a
man were not first a believer and a Christian, all his works would amount to
nothing and would be truly wicked and damnable sins.
The following statements are therefore true: “Good works do not make a good
man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked man,
but a wicked man does evil works.” Consequently it is always necessary that the
substance or person himself be good before there can be any good works, and
that good works follow and proceed from the good person, as Christ also says,
“A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” Matt.
7:18. It is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree and that the tree does not
grow on the fruits, also that, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the
fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the trees exist before their fruits and the fruits do not make trees either good or bad, but rather as the
trees are, so are the fruits they bear; so a man must first be good or wicked
before he does a good or wicked work, and his works do not make him good or
wicked, but he himself makes his works either good or wicked.” Ibid, pg. 296-
297.
“As works do not make a man a believer, so also they do not make him
righteous. But as faith makes a man a believer and righteous, so faith does good
works. Since, then works justify no one, and a man must be righteous before he
does a good work, it is very evident that it is faith alone which, because of the
pure mercy of God through Christ and his Word, worthily and sufficiently justifies
and saves the person.” Ibid, pg. 298.
“So a Christian, like Christ his head, is filled and made rich by faith and should be
content with this form of God which he has obtained by faith; only, as I have
said, he should increase this faith until it is made perfect. For this faith is his life,
his righteousness, and his salvation: it saves him and make him acceptable, and
bestows upon him all things that are Christ’s, as has been said above, and as Paul
asserts in Gal. 2:20 when he says, “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God”.” Ibid, pg. 303.
“Surely we are named after Christ, not because he is absent form us, but
because he dwells in us, that is, because we believe in him and are Christ’s one
to another and do to our neighbours as Christ does to us.” Ibid, pg. 305.
“We conclude, therefore, that a Christian lives not in himself, but in Christ and in
his neighbor. Otherwise he is not a Christian. He lives in Christ through faith, in
his neighbor through love. By faith he is caught up beyond himself into God. By
love he descends beneath himself into his neighbor. Yet he always remains in
God and in his love, as Christ says in John 1:51, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will
see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the
Son of man.”
Enough now of freedom. As you see, it is a spiritual and true freedom and makes
our hearts free from all sins, laws, and commands, as Paul says, 1 Tim. 1:9, “The
law is not laid down for the just”.” Ibid, pg. 309.
“Our faith in Christ does not free us from works but from false opinions
concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that justification is
acquired by works. Faith redeems, corrects, and preserves our consciences so
that we know that righteousness does not consist in works, although works neither can nor ought to be wanting; just as we cannot be without food and
drink and all the works of this mortal body, yet our righteousness is not in them,
but in faith; and yet those works of the body are not to be despised or neglected
on that account.” Ibid, pg. 311.
“Therefore there is need of the prayer that the Lord may give us and make us
theodidacti, that is, those taught by God [John 6:45], and himself, as he has
promised, write his law in our hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us.” Ibid,
pg. 315.
E. This is an illustration of subjective justification and the two righteousness it gives.
SPIRITUAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (LOVE) by Faith alone.
WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS Faith and human effort (SANCTIFICATION)
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