Here is the final Luther post.
Introduction: At the very heart of Reformation theology were the issues of salvation that had been obscured by the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther’s personal struggles, as we have seen, prompted his zeal to reform the church. In the following lesson, we will explore some of Luther’s most important theological positions concerning important aspects of salvation. Other important reformers such as Calvin and Zwingli held very similar views. The distinctions made in the following points are very critical to the overall importance of the Reformation. Because of this fact, these points continue to be issues to this day.
I. How Sola Fide and Sola Gratia Go Together
A. The first epoch of reformers all affirmed the famous five Solas: sola fide (faith alone), sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone) and soli Deo Gloria (God’s glory alone)
B. However, the important working together of grace and faith is extremely important: Let me quote from the introduction of Bondage of the Will by J.I. Packer and O.R. Johnston
“The doctrine of by faith was important to them because it safeguarded the principle of sovereign grace; but it actually expressed for them only one aspect of this principle, and that not its deepest aspect. …To the Reformers, the crucial question was not simply, whether God justifies believers without works of law. It was the broader question, whether sinners are wholly helpless in their sin, and whether God is to be thought of as saving them by free, unconditional, invincible grace, not only justifying them for Christ’s sake when they come to faith, but also by raising them from death of sin by His quickening Spirit in order to bring them to faith. Here was the crucial issue: whether God is the author, not merely of justification, but also of faith; whether, in the last analysis, Christianity is a religion of utter reliance on God for salvation and all things necessary to it, or of self-reliance and self-effort. ‘Justification by faith only’ is a truth that needs interpretation. The principle of sola fide is not rightly understood till it is seen as anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia. What is the source and status of faith? Is it the God-given means whereby the God-given justification is received, or is it a condition of justification which is left to man to fulfill. “
So Luther (and many other reformers) saw the human will in bondage to sin (Romans 8:6-8). They saw the necessity and sufficiency of saving grace; they saw faith as a humble reception of Christ and His work produced by the grace of God through the gospel
C. It is important then to distinguish the difference between grace being necessary but not sufficient (consistent with Catholicism as well as Semi-Pelagianism, and Arminianism), and grace being necessary and sufficient (consistent with the Reformers)
D. When this is not seen properly, faith is inadvertently made a work; e.g. by placing faith in one’s decision rather than seeing faith as a humble reception by the grace of God
II. Simul Iustus et Peccator
A. Now we consider this famous saying of Luther’s; it means: at the same time justified and sinners!
B. Justification is a verdict; it is a declaration by God; it is a pronouncement of God’s final sentence toward the believer given ahead of time! Luther called it an “alien righteousness”—it is Christ’s righteousness counted on our behalf; but here’s the other side—we remain sinful because our sinful nature has not been eradicated—so we who stand before God in Christ’s righteousness still battle sin
C. For Luther, the idea of basing your standing before God on your performance was ludicrous; his struggle with sin continued! Here is what Luther said about our sinful nature:
“It enjoys only itself and uses everyone else, even God; it seeks itself and its own interests in everything; it brings it about that man is finally and ultimately concerned only for himself. This is the idolatry that determines all he does, feels, undertakes, thinks, and speaks. Good is only what is good for him and bad is only what is bad for him.”
D. Bottom line: not for one moment in our Christian lives do we rise above our sin; by this I mean that we do not live lives where we go days and weeks without sinning; I do not mean to say that we operate as those defeated—by no means—we are those on the victory side; BUT only by the gospel!! Our progressive sanctification arises from our justification; it is God’s justifying verdict that creates our condition of continually turning toward Him for the production of fruit—we yearn for the “not yet” of glorification while we struggle with the “already” of sin’s presence and the Spirit’s power. Michael Horton puts it this way:
“The believer described in Romans 6 as delivered completely from the dominion of sin through baptism into Christ is the same person in Romans 7 who is consistently frustrated by his or her failures to follow the script. And this same person is simultaneously identified in Romans 8 as not condemned and as alive in the Spirit, awaiting the final act: the resurrection of the body and the renewal of creation.”
III. The Distinction between Law and Gospel
A. God’s Law, like a mirror, can only expose our dirt but it cannot cleanse; Luther’s maxim (which Calvin basically agreed with) was simply “The law always accuses”
B. Thus, the promises of the law depend solely on man’s complete obedience while the gospel promises are free and dispensed by God’s free mercy and grace
C. The bottom line here is that it is the gospel that moves us to grateful obedience and humble dependence, so we need it proclaimed and explained constantly—so preaching and teaching need to make these distinctions—otherwise we become legalists supposedly performing for God, earning His favor by our works!
Conclusion: Let me simply list some quick concluding remarks based on the above:
1. God’s grace must make us amazed and humble people (not our self-generated faith or decision)
2. We must avoid the extremes of downplaying our progressive sanctification (spiritual growth) or overemphasizing our aliveness in Christ; we are justified and sinners simultaneously (it is here that some see a great difference between Luther and Calvin; For Luther, the believer is surviving the world; For Calvin, he or she is advancing manifestly in transformation)
3. We must see God’s moral law as perfect and good and a helpful guide but we must be driven by the gospel!
