Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
In human law, the law is fulfilled by works, even though there is no heart in them. You don’t have to like the laws, just obey them. If you do the crime; you do the time. Sentence is given and you pay your debt to society. Many take the human law model and transfer it to God’s law (Commandments, precepts, statutes, and teachings of the Bible). This misconception leads to the biggest misunderstanding of the gospel message; that we can earn our way to Heaven. Father of the Reformation Martin Luther explains in his commentary on the book of Romans that God judges according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law makes its demands on the inmost heart and can not be satisfied with works, but rather punishes works that are done otherwise than from the bottom of the heart, as hypocrisy and lies. Meaning, if there is no willing pleasure in the good, then the inmost heart is not set on the law of God, then there is surely sin. For even though you keep the law outwardly, with works, from fear of punishment or love of reward, nevertheless, you do all this without willingness, under compulsion; and you would rather do otherwise, if the law were not there. The conclusion is that at the bottom of your heart you hate the law. To be sure, the outward work is not far behind. God’s law is spiritual and can not be satisfied by works, unless all that you do is done from the bottom of the heart. Where that spirit is not in the heart, there sin remains, and displeasure with the law, and enmity toward it though God’s law is good and just and holy. How shall a work please God, if it proceeds from a reluctant and resisting heart?
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Luther goes on to say, But such a heart is given only by God’s Spirit, so that he acquires a desire and love for the law of God in his heart, and henceforth does nothing out of fear and compulsion, but everything out of a willing heart. This pleasure and love for God’s law is put into the heart by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith does not come, save only through God’s Word or Gospel, which preaches Christ; that He is God’s Son sent incarnate (fully God & fully man) to die an atoning death to pay the penalty for our individual sin, and risen again for our sakes. Hence it comes that faith alone makes righteous and fulfills the law. Thus good works comes out of faith. Not to be saved, but because we are saved by Jesus.
James 2:14-18 & 22 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”
The Great Reformer clarifies that Sin, in the Scriptures, means not only the outward works of the body, but the inmost heart – body and soul. And the Scriptures look especially into the heart and have regard to the root and source of all sin, which is unbelief in the inmost heart. Hence, Jesus calls unbelief the only sin. It is a human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it. Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that we can stake our life on it. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. Through faith a man becomes sinless and comes to take pleasure in God’s commandments. Thus “the flesh” is a man who lives and works inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the flesh’s profit and of this temporal life. The “spirit” is the man who lives and works, inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the Holy Spirit and the future life to come in Heaven.
In human law, the law is fulfilled by works, even though there is no heart in them. You don’t have to like the laws, just obey them. If you do the crime; you do the time. Sentence is given and you pay your debt to society. Many take the human law model and transfer it to God’s law (Commandments, precepts, statutes, and teachings of the Bible). This misconception leads to the biggest misunderstanding of the gospel message; that we can earn our way to Heaven. Father of the Reformation Martin Luther explains in his commentary on the book of Romans that God judges according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law makes its demands on the inmost heart and can not be satisfied with works, but rather punishes works that are done otherwise than from the bottom of the heart, as hypocrisy and lies. Meaning, if there is no willing pleasure in the good, then the inmost heart is not set on the law of God, then there is surely sin. For even though you keep the law outwardly, with works, from fear of punishment or love of reward, nevertheless, you do all this without willingness, under compulsion; and you would rather do otherwise, if the law were not there. The conclusion is that at the bottom of your heart you hate the law. To be sure, the outward work is not far behind. God’s law is spiritual and can not be satisfied by works, unless all that you do is done from the bottom of the heart. Where that spirit is not in the heart, there sin remains, and displeasure with the law, and enmity toward it though God’s law is good and just and holy. How shall a work please God, if it proceeds from a reluctant and resisting heart?
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Luther goes on to say, But such a heart is given only by God’s Spirit, so that he acquires a desire and love for the law of God in his heart, and henceforth does nothing out of fear and compulsion, but everything out of a willing heart. This pleasure and love for God’s law is put into the heart by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith does not come, save only through God’s Word or Gospel, which preaches Christ; that He is God’s Son sent incarnate (fully God & fully man) to die an atoning death to pay the penalty for our individual sin, and risen again for our sakes. Hence it comes that faith alone makes righteous and fulfills the law. Thus good works comes out of faith. Not to be saved, but because we are saved by Jesus.
James 2:14-18 & 22 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”
The Great Reformer clarifies that Sin, in the Scriptures, means not only the outward works of the body, but the inmost heart – body and soul. And the Scriptures look especially into the heart and have regard to the root and source of all sin, which is unbelief in the inmost heart. Hence, Jesus calls unbelief the only sin. It is a human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it. Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that we can stake our life on it. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. Through faith a man becomes sinless and comes to take pleasure in God’s commandments. Thus “the flesh” is a man who lives and works inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the flesh’s profit and of this temporal life. The “spirit” is the man who lives and works, inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the Holy Spirit and the future life to come in Heaven.
Psalm 119:97 &103-105 “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
Sola fide – By Faith Alone
In Christ, Brian
1 comment:
Thanks Brian - it's always good to read your messages regarding our faith. It's like receiving a little nudge back toward the middle of the road when you may; be swerving to the side a bit.
Mary
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