“FEAR NOT” IS THE most repeated command in the Bible, appearing at least 365 times. The topic of fear is addressed over 500 times. Yet, it is important to note that God never wants us to be afraid of His manifest presence. Angels who appear throughout Scripture always call out, “Fear not.” Moses said to the Israelites, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin” (Exo 20:20). Boyd Bailey writes, “The fear of God is not the only a remedy for sin, but it is a potent vaccine. Sin and the fear of God cannot coexist for long. The fear of God extinguishes sin’s combustible character. The fear of God repels sin and keeps it at bay.”1
A writer for the website GotQuestions.org writes, “Proverbs 1:7 says, ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.’ Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom.”2 True wisdom comes only from understanding that God is holy, just, and righteous. Moses wrote, “So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD your God and his decrees…” (Deut. 10:12-13a). Fear of God for the believer means acknowledging that God hates sin and fearing His righteous judgment. Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—’My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastised every child whom he accepts.'”
Moses said, “Take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—how you once stood before the LORD your God at Horeb when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people for me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me as long as they live on the earth…'” (Deut. 4:9-10) [italics mine].
Moses taught that fearing God should drive the Israelites to keep His commandments. Job, in the midst of his troubles, faithfully stated, “Truly, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). A footnote in The New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV regarding verse 28 says, “Surprisingly, it turns out, although wisdom is desirable and precious, and cannot be found in any place or bought for any price, there is no secret about its essence, It consists of the feart of the Lord, i.e., the emotion of fear in the presence of God, and of shunning evil—that is, a proper attitude both to religion and to ethics.” 3
Wayne Grudem writes, “God’s exercise of power over his creation is also called God’s sovereignty.”4 Grudem expounds on this attribute of God as “providence,” referring to the biblical reality of His pervasive control revealed throughout Scripture and made real by His own decree. Grudem says the word providence, although it does not appear in Scripture, is “…traditionally used to summarize God’s ongoing relationship to his creation.”5 Grudem further says providence “…teaches that though God is actively related to and involved in the creation at each moment, creation is distinct from him.”6
Martin Luther’s misunderstanding of Romans 1:17 caused him a crippling amount of fear and worry about putting on the righteousness of Christ. Justo L. Gonzalez tells us Luther had “an overpowering sense of his own sinfulness, and the more he sought to overcome it, the more he became aware of sin’s sway over him.”7 He spent hours examining his thoughts, afraid he might die with unconfessed sin, and would often repeatedly punish his body by self-flagellation and walking at night in the cold without a cassock, coat, or shoes. He wrote, “Only the Gospel reveals the righteousness before God, that is, who is righteous, or how a person becomes righteous before God, namely alone by faith… it is called the righteousness of God in contradistinction to man’s righteousness.”8 Isaiah wrote strong words about man’e attempt to be righteous: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” (Isa. 64:6).
To fear God is to have undying respect and reverence for Him knowing that He is totally righteous. God is full of mercy and truth, and he compensates and regards our faith and obedience. The fear of the Lord is like a disinfectant: it keeps us clean, pure, and righteous in His eyes (see Psa. 19:9). Also, the fear of the Lord is a refuge that delivers us from fear. Those who truly fear the Lord hate evil (see Prov. 19:23). Jesus told His disciples not to fear the scribes and Pharisees or those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both the soul and body (see Matt. 10:26, 28). As I began to walk more in line with these words, I stopped worrying about how or when I might die. This does not mean I live recklessly (as I did while still in bondage to booze and drugs). Simply, I do not fear what might become of me as a result of preaching the gospel.
Do I fear God? I do. Do I love Him? Yes! I long for His manifest presence in my life. It is my desire to live in holiness, bringing glory to Him in all my affairs. As we grow in spiritual maturity, our attitude changes; our worldview shifts. Paul said, “For me, living is Christ, and dying is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Having become a servant of Christ, Paul believed his life was no longer his own but was given over to Christ, making him indifferent to life or death. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ, protected by the love of the Father, we need not fear physical death. D.L. Moody, the world-famous theologian, breathed his last breath on this earth on December 22, 1899. Before he died, he said to his son, “If this is death, this is sweet.” To die is not death for a believer. Rather, it is a great and glorious transition from earthly life to an eternal existence with God in heaven.
Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theology
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references herein are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The NRSV, completed in 1989, follows a formal-equivalence principle that its translators identify with the words “as literal as possible, as free as necessary.” It is considered the best now available in English, especially for in-depth study (exegesis).
References 1 “What Does It Mean to Have the Fear of God?” GotQuestions.org, n.d., accessed Feb. 1, 2023, https://www.gotquestions.org/fear-God.html 2 Boyd Bailey, “What Keeps Us From Sinning?” wisdomhunters.com, Aug. 12, 2017, accessed Feb. 6, 2023,https://www.wisdomhunters.com/what-keeps-us-from-sinning/ 3The New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2018)763. 4 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 217. 5 Ibid., 315. 6 Ibid. 7 Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 23. 8 Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans [1516 AD](Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1976), 41
THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS us that the Law is binding only on those who are yet alive. Paul chose a simple illustration for this: a married woman is bound to her husband by the Law so long as he is alive. Accordingly, if her husband dies, she is released from him by the law of marriage. If she marries while her husband is still alive, she is guilty of adultery. From a legal and secular position, we are permitted to marry as many times as we wish and do not have to wait until our former spouse dies. Imagine the impact our having to wait to remarry would have on whether couples call it quits. Many might think twice and perhaps find a way to repair their relationships. However, as we will see, Paul is speaking of “divorce” from our former self (our previous lifestyle) and our “marriage” to Christ. This is what Paul means by serving in newness of spirit, and not by the oldness of the letter of the Law (see Rom. 7:6).
In Romans 7, Paul informs us that our new life in Christ does not fully negate or destroy the flesh. Rather, it provides the ability to serve in newness through the Spirit of God.
Eugene Peterson writes in The Message//Remix, “You shouldn’t have any trouble understanding this, friends, for you know all the ins and outs of the law—how it works and how its power touches only the living” (Rom. 7:1-2).(1) He adds, “When Christ died he took [the] entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to ‘marry’ a resurrection life and bear ‘offspring’ of faith for God. For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in” (7:4-6). Paul writes, “…you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (7:4). The gospel offers Jesus Christ, whom the Law (i.e., the OT) promised.
Jesus Fulfilled the Law
The Law is of great importance insofar as it illustrates our inability to obey “to the letter” no matter how hard we try. Yet, the Law has not been discarded. Rather, it points forward to Jesus. Jesus literally fulfilled OT revelation. Not only does the OT point forward to Jesus, His teachings refer back to the OT. That is, the Law points to Christ, and Christ points to the Law. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). We absolutely cannot earn salvation through obedience to the Law. Matthew Henry writes, “Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God’s holy law… [for it] is the Christian’s rule of duty.”(2) Every biblical teaching and prophecy, regardless of how small, must be fulfilled. We obey the Law by conformingto the Word, who is Jesus Christ.
The Priestly Order of Melchizedek
We read about the priestly order of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:1-2: “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. [Melchizedek] is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.” The writer of Hebrews here is quoting Psalm 110:4, which says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Derek Kidner, in his commentary on Psalm 110:4, says in Melchizedek priesthood and kingship were pulled together as they would be in Christ.(3) Both the name Melchizedek and his realm of Salem (“Jerusalem”) resoundly point to the One who was yet to come (Heb. 7:2).
Melchizedek is also identified in Genesis 14:18, where Moses wrote, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)” The name Melchizedek is from a combination of the Hebrew words for “king” and “righteous,” making Melchizedek a righteous, kingly priest. Bread and wine were suitable refreshments for Abram (later, Abraham) and his followers upon return from rescuing Lot. Henry writes, “Christ appointed the same as the memorials of his body and blood, which are meat and drink indeed for the soul.”(4) He continues, “Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is the Mediator both of our prayers and praises, and not only offers up ours, but his own for us… Jesus Christ, our great Melchisedek [sic], is to have homage done to him, and to be humbly acknowledged as our King and Priest; not only the tithe of all, but all we have, must be given up to him.”(5) Melchizedek is also discussed in Psalm 110. Verse 4 describes Him as “king of righteousness” whose sphere is Salem or Jerusalem.
Martin Luther on Romans 7
I have mentioned before how Martin Luther struggled immensely with Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'” Luther’s obsession with the issue of righteousness caused him much grief. Nothing mattered to him more than his faith and his obedience to God. Yet, he often felt overwhelmed by the fear of death and hell.(6) A feeling of terror overwhelmed him during the writing of his first sermon—a foreboding sense of being unworthy of God’s love washed over him. He was convinced that he was not doing enough to be saved. Over-wrought with a sense of his own sinfulness, he supposed he was not a good monk; that his life was full of lust and immorality despite his commitment to the gospel. Luther repeatedly punished his body—whipping himself, enduring harsh winter conditions without a coat or shoes, denying himself of basic physical needs. He worried that his confessions would not be exhaustive enough to cover all his wrong deeds; that he would die in his sins.
After years of much prayer, meditation, and struggle, Luther discovered the true meaning of God’s Word. He said, “Then finally God had mercy on me, and I began to understand that the righteousness of God is a gift of God by which a righteous man lives, namely faith, and that sentence, The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel, is passive, indicating that the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ Now I felt as though I had been reborn altogether and had entered Paradise. In the same moment the face of the whole of Scripture became apparent to me.”(7) Gonzalez says Luther came to understand that the “justice” or “righteousness” of the righteous is not our own, but God’s. He settled on salvation through faith alone, in Christ alone. “Justification by faith” does not mean that we must do that which God demands of us in order to be saved, as if it were something we have to achieve. Rather, it means that both faith and justification are the work of God, free to sinners. Luther writes, “God’s righteousness is that by which we become worthy of His great salvation, or through which alone we are (accounted) righteous before Him.”(8)
Luther provides an amazing expository explanation of Romans 7. Despite being redeemed from our sins through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross, we need to work on walking by the Spirit rather than in the flesh. Luther writes, “…unless first the inward dying (to sin) takes place, sin remains and has dominion, and with it the Law which rules through sin.”(9) Paul, in Romans 7:4, means to show that there are two men (in the believer), the old and the new, corresponding to Adam and Christ. This refers, of course, to fallen Adam. By divine grace, our old man is dead. Accordingly, we are delivered from the letter of the Law, making it possible to serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).
We cannot forget that while we yet remain in the flesh, sin continues to be present. But, as followers of Jesus and lovers of the Law and all that is good, sin no is longer present as a dominating power over us. He who has confessed his sins should not believe that he can quietly live on in sin.
In Romans 7:14, Paul says, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” He knows he remains in a physical body and subject to temptation, and is displeased with himself when he walks in the flesh. As a spiritual man he recognizes only that which is good. Yet he says, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (7:15). Paul (as a spiritual or “new” man) does not consent to the sinful passions of his flesh, but admits that his spiritual walk is not perfect. Sin nature remains in him. This is also true for us. As Luther notes, “The one and the same person is both flesh and spirit.” We have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. This “desire” is the readiness of our spirit to live in righteousness and newness.
Concluding Remarks
Paul reminds us, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17). Luther calls this dilemma “twofold servitude.” Paul said that with his mind (will?) he serves the Law of God, but with the flesh he serves the law of sin (Rom. 7:25). He clearly believes that as believers we have the potential to serve God and Satan, although arguably never at the same time, for we can only serve one master at a time (see Matt. 6:24). Psalm 1 is among my favorites in Scripture. The first and second verses say, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
We cannot stand on the promises unless we know them. We are to hide God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin. Paul said we should put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (see Eph. 4:22-24). This is the same righteousness Paul talks about in Romans 1:17. Luther quotes Paul from his Epistle to the Galatians: “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:16-17). Luther concludes his remarks on Romans 7 by saying, “The Spirit (that is, the spiritual man) does a good work by not yielding to the evil lust; but he does not perform that which is good inasmuch as he himself cannot destroy the evil lusts.”
Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.
Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the ESV (English Standard Version).
References (1) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Sprints, CO: NavPress), 2006). (2) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 865. (3) Derek Kidner, Kidner Classic Commentaries, Psalms 73-150 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008), (4) Matthew Henry, Ibid., 28. (5) Matthew Henry, Ibid., 28. (6) Justo L Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 22. (7) Heiko A. Oberman, Luther: Man between God and the Devil (New Haven, CN:Yale University Press, 2006), 183-85. (8) Gonzalez, Ibid., 25. (9) Luther, Ibid., 108.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be “redeemed?” Sure, I could list theological, psychological, and sociological definitions, and there is nothing wrong with that approach. Definitions help define us. They allow us to compare, analyze, ruminate, consider, relate. We quantify and qualify through definitions. Relative to theology, definitions establish parameters; they provide the comfort of knowing what is. Christian theology unequivocally defines us in a way that leaves no doubt. We can sit and read through a list of criteria and benefits, or we can dive deep with the Holy Spirit and determine the amazing scope of redemption through the blood of Christ. Salvation, the very catalyst of redemption, so broadly impacts our lives that we do well to pick up the Bible and read about who we are in Christ—and what “in Christ” means.
Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, wrote the following in his introduction to Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:
“What we know about God and what we do for God have a way of getting broken apart in our lives. The moment the organic unity of belief and behavior is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created.”(1)
I have learned a lot from the theology of Augustine of Hippo. It is especially interesting to compare his life of debauchery before conversion to his undying commitment in striving to be like Christ after becoming a Christian. Augustine’s lifestyle before accepting Christ was fraught with “sexual adventures—real or imagined… capers that he would one day rue as the sign of his own sinfulness.”(2) Augustine is famously quoted as saying, “Grant me chastity and self-control, but please not yet.”He started on a path of repentance from a life of sin after reading Paul’s words in Romans 13:13-14: “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:13-14).
I had a difficult time thinking everything was going to be alright. Certainly, my debauchery was unforgivable, right? Are not some things without pardon? This conversation ran through my brain for decades. What I thought about me came from a number of factors, each one building on the previous one, making me sicker and more lost than ever. Today, I know it was Satan, accusing me in my mind, blocking God’s love and forgiveness, causing me to retreat further into darkness. Isolated, I threw my hands up in disgust. I am so grateful to several mature Christian men in my life who kept saying, “Nail it all to the cross and leave it with Christ.” I should tell you it is only very recently that I was able to do this. Salvation begins with and through an undeserved rescue, and continually builds in our hearts as we recognize our need for redemption and restoration. This is what Christ has accomplished. Indeed, He said before taking His last breath, “It is finished” (see John 19:30).
“Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave
What is This Thing Called Redemption?
Augustine defines redemption as a process: a slave to sin; rescued from sin; a slave to God. His reference suggests there are two distinct masters, God and Satan, and we must choose to which one we will be bound. Paul said, “…we are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:24-26). Peterson’s translation says, “…out of sheer generosity [God] put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift.”(3) This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith'” (Rom. 1:16-17).
I was pleased to learn that Augustine and I “saw eye to eye” on something. This is a tongue-in-cheek way to note that I came to a conclusion recently that he considered centuries ago. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit forbidden by God, they felt naked and ashamed, and they hid. The LORD cried out, “Adam, where are you?” I came to understand that God knew where Adam and Eve were, and why they were there. His question was meant to say, “Now look where you are!” God wanted Adam and Eve to see the existential and spiritual result of their sin. Edward Smither said of Augustine’s remark, “Although concurring with Novatian and Chrysostom that the Lord’s question (‘where are you?’) was not asked in ignorance, Augustine argues that these words were actually ‘words of reproof’ (Gn. litt. 11.34.45). For Augustine, God’s questions were intended to fully expose Adam’s pride and sin; so they are more about pronouncing judgement and pointing to the death of Adam’s soul than alluding to redemption (cf. Gn. litt. 11.34.47; Civ. Dei 13.23).(4)
Augustine believed sin warps man’s judgment and impels the mind toward external things. Sinful man is hamstrung by selfishness from the earliest moments of infancy; the prisoner of habits which are second nature. Only God’s grace can restore authentic freedom and allow God to clothe us in the righteousness of Christ.(5) To “put on” the righteousness of Christ is critical to our redemption and restoration, but it is not us who puts it on; God imputed our sins toChristwho knew no sin and He puts His righteousness onus who had no righteousness of our own. Isaiah wrote, “Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa. 64:5b-6). Some translations say God sees our “righteousness” (the very best we can possibly do on our own) as filthy rags!
The God-setting-things-right that we read about in the Old Testament has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us in the New Testament.
Paul describes the profound significance of our redemption: “[God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). Consider the distinct terms listed in his remark to the Colossians: redemption; deliverance; transformation; forgiveness. Redemption is made available because we were buried with Christ by baptism into death so that we might walk in newness of life (see also Rom. 6:4). Just as one trespass (Adam’s disobedience) led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness (the atoning death of Christ) leads to justification and life for all men. We are no longer dead in our sins. God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing, even as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before God. In love, God predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His immutable will. Sēlah!
References (1) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 1715. (2) Gonzalez, 242 (3) Peterson, Ibid., 1647. (4) Edward L. Smither, “Augustine on Redemption,” VERBUM et Ecclesia, vol. 35 (Jan 2014). Accessed May 17, 2022. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2074-77052014000100026 (5) Henry Chadwick, Augustine: A Very Short Introduction (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001), 115.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO image being clothed in the righteousness of God. Exactly how does that happen? How can we possibly be worthy enough and pure enough? Lauren Daigle opens her song You Say with these lyrics: “I keep fighting the voices in my mind that say I’m not enough” (1). This was my dilemma. It was as if I were living out Matthew West’s “Hello, My Name Is.” I had deep regret for how I lived my life. There was an endless whisper in my ear, saying I would never rise above my past. Feeling defeated, I lost all hope. When I stumbled across Martin Luther’s struggle with righteousness, I learned that spiritual redemption and maturation hinges on understanding Romans 1:17—not only have we been saved, changed, and set free, we have “right standing” before God. We cannot earn this righteousness; nor can we wash our own filthy rags (see Isa.64:6). When redeemed, God sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Martin Luther
Luther is principally known for two significant events in the history of the church. The first, in 1517, was his posting of the 95 Theses at Wittenberg, criticizing the power grab of the papacy, especially regarding “indulgences.” The second was his unyielding “apologetic” defense at the the Diet of Worms in 1521 where he faced charges of heresy. Refusing to recant or rescind his positions, Luther was declared an outlaw and a heretic. Perhaps one of the most interesting details about Luther’s supposed insurrection against the Pope is that he never intended to create a movement or break from the Roman Catholic Church; he merely set out to reform the practices of the Church that were in opposition to Scripture. Here are a few of his more critical objections:
repentance cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy (No. 2)
the pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons (No. 5)
the pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment (No. 6)
those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory (No. 10)
indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences (No. 21)
I believe the most significant spiritual/theological event in Luther’s history is his struggle with the meaning of Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith'” (ESV). Luther had to resolve his consternation over Romans 1:17 and come to understanding the righteousness of God before he could be properly oriented toward reformation of the church. Following the example of great monastic leaders, Luther frequently punished his body and denied himself even the simplest of comforts in hopes of earning his salvation. He flogged himself, went outside in the winter without a coat or shoes, and lived in fear that he would forget to confess a sin. If he died in his sleep with unconfessed sin, he thought he would be condemned to Hell.
Having an a-ha moment, he came to understand it is by grace, through faith alone in Christ alone, that the believer is clothed in righteousness (Gen. 15:6; John 3:18; Rom. 3:22). Luther wrote in the preface to his Commentary on Romans, “God judges according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law makes its demand on the inmost heart and cannot be satisfied with works.” He added, “Grace means properly God’s favor, or the good-will God bears us, by which He is disposed to give us Christ” (2) (italics mine). We see faint rumblings of Luther’s objection to papal indulgences in the following sentence: “If [the servant of Christ] fails in faith, he will prove himself a tyrant who terrifies the people by his authority and takes delight in being a bully.” Regarding Romans 1:17, Luther wrote, “God’s righteousness is that by which we become worthy of His great salvation, or through which we are (accounted) righteous before Him… the righteousness of God is the cause of our salvation” (3).
Many have taken the Christian faith to be a simple and easy matter and have even numbered it among the virtues. This is because they have not really experienced it, nor have they tested the great strength of faith—MARTIN LUTHER.
The year 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Many believers, and even some notable scholars and church leaders, question whether the Reformation is still relevant. Consider this: Scripture alone (sola scriptura) is still Christianity’s supreme authority for doctrinal matters. Consider, also, that Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian. Evangelism and Christian charity have lost their dominant influence. To lose sight of the primacy of core Christian fundamentals is tantamount to foregoing the Great Commission. The Reformation still matters today because the gospel alone is the only hope for sinners. Justification is not an “ongoing process” tied to faithful participation in sacraments or any other “work” undertaken by believers. Justification is by grace alone (sola gratia) through faith alone (sola fide) in Christ alone (sola Christus). Any teaching to the contrary is anathema to the gospel. Also, the Reformation is still vital today because the church is still in need of reformation.
Paul and Righteousness
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith'” (Rom. 1:16-17, ESV). The phrase “from faith for faith” means beginning and ending in faith. Matthew Henry says Romans 1:16-17 reveals the design of the whole epistle, in which Paul brings a charge of sinfulness against all mankind, and declares the only method of deliverance from condemnation is by faith alone in Christ alone (4). James Arlandson writes, “Is righteousness imputed? (Yes). Is it imparted? (Yes). Can it mean vindication? (Yes). Justice? (Yes). Holiness? (Yes). Declared not guilty in a forensic or courtroom setting? (Yes). Putting things right in a covenant context? (Yes). The same word righteousness and its cognates mean all those things, depending on the context” (5).
Paul wants us to understand that the gospel is nothing less than the power of God. “Power” here refers to the effectiveness of the gospel to save us from our sinful past—referring to something of which we are desperately in need (6). Judaism taught that the Law has power. OT believers, however, had salvation through forward looking faith in the coming of Christ as Messiah. This is a truly remarkable faith! Today, we have the New Testament to shim up our backward looking faith that Christ came to redeem us as reported in the Bible. Jesus is the “good news” (the gospel) Isaiah wrote about: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns'” (Isa. 52:7). On the lips of Jesus, the gospel speaks of the advent of His kingdom and His glorious eternal reign. This good news is the good news of the kingdom.
At the core of Paul’s teaching in the book of Romans is redemptive righteousness, which comes from the heart of God’s purposes for mankind. R.C. Sproul writes, “Augustine [of Hippo] said that when Paul speaks of the righteousness of God in Romans 1, it is not the righteousness by which God Himself is righteous, but the righteousness that He freely gives to those who put their trust in Christ” (7). This is the doctrine of soteriology (salvation), namely justification by faith alone. Paul’s teaching uses the imagery of a court of law. The verb usually translated “justify” (dikaiologó) is from the same root as the Greek word (dikaiosunē) translated “righteousness.” These words signify being declared by a judge to be “in the right;” having a right relationship restored. Paul tells us the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). One who lives by faith is a righteous person in the sight of God.
Romans 6, 7 & 8
Romans 1:17 is the interpretative key to understanding the unfolding message presented in the entire epistle. Everything in the Book of Romans proceeds from this one verse. Righteousness can never be earned through behavior. Instead, the Law reveals our helpless predicament: through the sin of one man, Adam (see Rom. 5:12) we lost direct communion with God.
Paul tells us no one is righteous; not even one (see Rom. 3:10). We have access to the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ; we are justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ. So, there is no reason for us to boast, for we all fall short of God’s glory (see Rom. 3:10, 22-24). In addition, says Sproul, “…even after our conversion there is a pound of flesh in everything we do. We have never in our lives loved God with our whole heart. I am somebody who has never loved God with his whole mind. I have loved Him with part of my mind, but not all of it” (8). There is an obvious need for ongoing grace. Controversy erupted over this simple concern: If man is unjust, how can he ever withstand the just judgment of God? It is this doctrine that is central to the New Testament gospel. Hinging on Romans 1:17, Luther insisted that justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the article of faith upon which the Christian church is built. If the church fails to grasp this, the church ceases to be an authentic church—no longer a Christian body (9).
Next, Paul emphasizes the paramount importance of holiness—personal and moral. It is not merely about being “washed clean,” but is about striving to remain so through turning away from sin and focusing on the goodness and righteousness of God. We are saved by free grace through the gospel, but we must not forget justification and holiness are inseparable. Paul says, ” What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2). We died to sin when we were baptized into Christ. We did not become magically “immune” to sin; rather, we admitted dying with Christ (crucifying the “old self”) and rising up with Him into a “new self” who desires to avoid the practice of sin. We used to serve sin with readiness and zeal, but now we strive for “holy conduct.” Lawlessness results in further lawlessness, but our righteousness in Christ leads to holiness.
Our pre-Christian life produced corrupt and perishable fruit—brought about by our sinful passions (10). We were powerless over our sinful nature. To be free from the law of sin, we had to die to what once bound us. Through justification, we become capable to doing things much differently. Let us never forget that we have been freed from the slavery of sin so that we might be bound to serving God instead. Matthew Henry writes, “So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seeks justification by his own obedience, he continues [to be] the slave of sin in some form” (11). Only Christ can set the sinner free. This is possible because as believers in Christ we are under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works. As Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
Paul describes for us in Romans 7 the ruinous nature of sin, and the sinfulness of the human heart. Henry writes, “…the apostle found himself so very far short of perfection that he seemed to be carnal” (12). Unfortunately, for some time I used this section of Romans as a loophole: If not even Paul, apostle of Christ, could control his struggle with the sinful flesh, than how can I ever hope for victory? (See my article of July 25, 2019 Do You Look for Loopholes as a Christian?) However, Paul only meant to enlarge on the conflict he maintained with what remained of his sinful nature. He did not habitually walk after the flesh, but had a heart to not do so. I have heard some church leaders say Paul was merely speaking of the conflict he “used to have” before his regeneration. I do not concur. I was pleased to read Sproul’s comment in this regard: “I can say dogmatically that I find absolutely no justification whatsoever for seeing here anything other than the contemporary struggle that the apostle was having with respect to his own progress in sanctification” (13).
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body ofdeath?
Having been redeemed, we should now serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter (see Rom. 7:6). Luther said, “But inasmuch as he resists the evil, it is not the whole person who sins, but only a part of the person (his corrupt nature)” (14). Luther said regarding the words “I will” and “I hate,” Paul was speaking of his spiritual nature; but the words “I do” and “I’m Carnal” refer to his fleshly nature. We see this in Galatians 5:17 as well: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” In Romans 7, Paul expresses confusion over his struggle with the flesh; but not by an abstract theology. Instead, he is bewildered by his behavior. He is saying, I don’t understand myself. Verse 15: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Sproul writes, “…when the conflict comes, many times we would rather follow the old man than the new man. In the moment, it is more desirable to sin than to obey Christ” (15).
The Answer
Thank God that, nothwithstanding the foregoing, those who are in Christ are not condemned by their sin nature. What the Law could not do, God did (see Rom. 8:3). Paul explained that it was impossible for the Law to condemn (to remove) sin, since it was weak through the flesh. Luther believed man is incapable of doing good for the sake of goodness; instead, he knows and wills good only as it is connected with his own interests. Such self-serving behavior is not good at all. When we are born of God anew, we begin to desire the things of the Spirit. We no longer live according to the old man—his wisdom, his hatred, his lusts. The Spirit of God dwells in us (8:9). Augustine said it is impossible to destroy the works of the flesh “…unless you walk in the Spirit and stop fulfilling the desires that have their origin in the flesh. The first and great gift of the Spirit is humility and meekness. Hence, what I already mentioned that the Lord proclaims: Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble of heart [see Matt. 11:29], and those other words of the prophet: On whom does my Spirit rest, but on the humble and the peaceful, and on the one who fears my words?” [see Isa. 66:2] (16).
Paul says, “…I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil” (Rom. 18:19). Accordingly, we must keep our faith simple and child-like, but not “childish.” His letter to the Romans digs deep into the nuts and bolts of Christian doctrine. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 expound on the essential message of the gospel. We are to be child-like in that we abandon our will and our lives to the will of God without question. Our loyalty and our service has to change from Satan to God. When we put ourselves in the hands of God, we get this promise: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Paul wanted the believers at Rome to live in the grace of God, from faith to faith, from life to life. Sproul concludes, “Our Christian pilgrimage begins in grace, is sustained by grace, and is finished by grace” (17).
This is how the righteous shall live by faith.
Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theology
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture contained herein is from the English Standard Version )ESV).
References (1) Lauren Daigle, “You Say,” (2018), track 5 on Look Up Child, Warner Bros., released July 13, 2018, CD. (2) Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954), xiii. (3) Ibid., 40-41. (4) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 1067. (5) James M. Arlandson, “”The Language of Righteousness in Paul’s Epistles,” Bible.org (Aug. 31, 2015). URL: https://bible.org/article/language-righteousness-paul-s-epistles (6) Everett F. Harrison and Donald A. Hagner, “Paul and the Church at Rome,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 11 Romans-Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 42. (7) R.C. Sproul, The Righteous Shall Live by Faith: Romans (Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2019), xiv. (8) Ibid., 73. (9) 80. (10) Harrison and Hagner, Ibid., 116. (11) Henry, Ibid., 1075. (12) Ibid., 1077. (13) Sproul, Ibid., 200. (14) Luther, Ibid., 113. (15) Sproul, Ibid., 212. (16) St. Augustine of Hippo, “Augustine on Galatians 5,” Patristic Bible Commentary. URL: https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home/galatians/augustine-on-galatians-5 (17) Sproul, Ibid., 469.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF words and phrases we toss around during our lives. Grace is one of those words. Those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation were never meant to live defeated, despairing, boxed-in, unhappy lives; rather to live in victory through grace. In Romans 5, Paul writes of the “abundance of grace” we receive everyday, along with the gift of righteousness, which helps us to reign in life through Jesus. He says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:1-2, ESV). God’s grace is bestowed on us without merit. Further, it sets in stone the infrastructure on which we are to live our lives. It is erroneous to imagine that this sacrament—or any other means of grace—operates automatically, as though mere reception were a guarantee (1).
A Proper State of Mind
Paul tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (see Phil. 2:2-4). What is comparison if not the means by which we decide we are better or worse than others? Paul said, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Cor. 10:12). He also said, “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Rom.10:3). Comparing ourselves to others limits our potential. When we compare our performance and actions to others we allow them to set our standard of achievement. Paul reminds us that “everything is possible” for the person who believes (see Rom. 9:23). Nowhere in Scripture does it say one’s success is dictated by his or her stature in the community. Moreover, we are not to compare ourselves to ourselves, or we run the risk of stunting further growth by looking back and saying, “I’ve come a long way. I am nothing like I was before.” This is a recipe for complacency. Rather, we are to compare ourselves to Jesus Christ, aiming every day to emulate Him in all that we do. Grace should propel us to grow in holiness after the pattern of Jesus Christ.
Our path in life can be likened to a tightrope. Consider how tightrope walkers never look back after they take their first step. Seldom do they look up or they would become concerned about how much of their walk remains, making it seem as though they have made little progress. But they do look down, watching their feet, making sure to take measured and accurate steps. Each step, at the moment it is taken, is what is present. It represents what the tightrope walker must do “at that moment.” As Christians, we are not to regret the past, nor should we worry about the future, for in doing so we squander today. Isaiah wrote, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19). Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
God’s Continuing Grace
God’s grace continues to bless us and keep us after conversion. Jesus is the true human being (wholly man and wholly God) in whom we are to be able to participate by grace. Grace propels believers to grow in holiness after the pattern of Jesus Christ. Peter tells us, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity” (2 Pet. 3:18). Johnson believes God’s grace comes to us more like a power, bonding us to Christ so that we may live with Him in accord with our status as God’s beloved children (2). He believes prevenient grace comes to sinners before salvation to convict them of their unrighteousness, call them to repentance, and enable them to freely cooperate with God’s grace by ceasing to resist its work. Other theologians argue that God’s irresistible grace enlightens the minds of sinners, changes their hearts, and draws them to salvation. They’re being led to the living water. Although the condition of beginning the covenant of grace is by faith alone (per fidem), the condition of continuing in grace rests in obedience to God’s commands (3). James said, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
It is critical for us to admit how undeserving we are of God’s grace and mercy. When faced with the consequences of bad or illegal behavior, justice is rendered when people “receive their due” according to violation of the law. In fact, justice is “what the accused deserves,” whereas mercy applies kindness and forgiveness to our lives without merit. We receive God’s grace and mercy through Christ, receiving the free and unmerited gift of His righteousness, then begins the practice of recognizing and receiving God’s ongoing grace. There is a often grave misunderstanding that Jesus had one sole mission: to suffer and die for our sins. To be the scapegoat for mankind. The crucifixion of Christ redeems us, but it also must serve to sanctify us as we step out in faith to live as Christ would have us live. Christ is all things to us. He has been made to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. All glory belongs to the Lord. Our part is to receive Christ as LORD and Savior. He is grace, mercy, forgiveness, direction, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. We cannot complete ourselves any more than we can save ourselves because He is both our redemption and our sanctification. He is all and in all. There is nothing left for us to do or earn. A missionary friend of mine puts it this way: justice is getting what we have coming to us (our just punishment) and mercy is receiving what we do not deserve.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt (Matthew 18:21-35).
In this parable we learn that God forgives on request without restitution being required. We also learn something important about unforgiveness. The man’s refusal to forward the grace he received resulted in a series of divine consequences. If we remain unforgiving of the unforgiveness of others, we turn back toward legalism. We are being as exacting and demanding as the law; like we are keeping a precise balance sheet on debts owed to us. We selfishly hold everyone to payment in full. This, of course, is an example of justice rather than grace. Unforgiveness is grounded in “debtors-mentality,” a merciless mindset that refuses to release others until they pay all that is due, rather than a “grace-receiving” mentality. When God forgives, He frees the forgiven from all obligation to repay. We have been forgiven and set free as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Despite this divine explanation of God’s grace, too often we demand forgiveness from those we have wronged as if we can change their heart. Nothing could be more contradictory to the example of Jesus. God didn’t send Jesus into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). He didn’t come to browbeat sinners, but to set the captives free.The whole of Christianity is about forgiveness, not about holding a “balance sheet” on others.
A Prime Example
A prime example of grace-receiving mentality can be found in John 4. Jesus and the disciples were headed for Galilee. Jesus decided to take a shorter route, which involved going through Samaria despite Jews and Samaritans being sworn enemies. While Jesus rested at Jacob’s well, a Samaritan woman approached to draw water from the well. Jesus asked her for a drink. She responded, “How is it that you, a Jew, asks for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (see John 4:9). Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). Jesus continued: “Everyone who drinks of this [well] water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (4:13-14). The woman asked for a drink of this everlasting water. The Hebrew word hallomai (to “well up”) occurs only here in John’s gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. The water that Jesus gives is vibrant and cleansing, and produces the abundant life Jesus was promising to the woman.
Jesus told her to go home and bring her husband, to which she announced that she had no husband. Jesus replied, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband;’ for you have had five husbands, and the [man] you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” She immediately decided this man must be a prophet. In the Greek and Roman world, for Jesus to possess such knowledge of the woman’s marital history would certify him as a miracle worker, but in the religious world of Israel it would be recognized as the distinguishing mark of a prophet. When she expressed the longing she had for the coming Messiah, Jesus said, “I who speak to you am he” (4:26). It is at this point the woman grasps the magnitude of what Jesus has said to her. It’s as if the very atmosphere changed. Nevertheless, she asked Jesus to “explain everything.” What is this living water? Who is this man, Jesus, that he dares to use the “I AM” remark? Is this man Yeshua? I have no doubt that Jesus chose to travel through Samaria because He knew of the Samaritan woman he would encounter at the well. As she sped off down the hill, spreading the good news through the streets of her village, Jesus told the disciples it was time to go forth and preach the gospel (see Luke 9:1-6).
How to Get It
God’s grace is seen throughout all of creation; in our daily living as well as our salvation. Some believe grace and mercy are synonymous. However, grace is defined as unmerited divine favor or assistance given to us for regeneration or sanctification. Mercy is compassion or forbearance shown, especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another; leniency or compassionate treatment. It is through grace that God presented His Son Jesus for sacrifice; there is literally nothing we could ever do to earn God’s grace, or to obey the letter of the Law, in order to be saved from eternal damnation. Martin Luther struggled with this concept, becoming increasingly anxious over how he could be clothed in righteousness. Luther initially failed to grasp the meaning behind Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith'” (ESV). This conflict drove Luther to extremes, such as self-flagellation, remaining outdoors in the winter without a coat or shoes, solitary meditation for days, asking incessantly for God’s forgiveness. He feared he would die in his sleep without having confessed everything. His understanding regarding God’s grace had roots in Roman Catholic teaching: man is justified by God’s grace plus some merit of our own.This, of course, is against Christian doctrine.
Grudem writes, “Justification comes to us entirely by God’s grace, not on account of any merit in ourselves” (4). God’s grace forms believers into the image of Christ in anticipation of their eternal life as God’s beloved children (see Rom. 8:29-30).Because we cannot hope to earn sanctification by obedience to the Law (i.e., through our works), it was necessary for God to provide a means by which we can be redeemed from our sin. God established a covenant with man, setting only one condition: faith alone (sola fide) in Christ alone (sola Christus). God’s grace means His goodness toward those who deserve only punishment. God’s mercy means His goodness toward those who are in misery or distress; God’s patience is manifest in His willingness to withhold punishment toward those who have sinned (5). Because of God’s grace, mercy, and patience cannot be earned, it is reasonable that we provide our bodies (as a living sacrifice), living a life of worship and faith. Regardless of our circumstances, we can have a quiet heart, but this requires total confidence in God. Luther wrote, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times” (6).
Specific to Luther’s trouble with righteousness, he said Romans 1:16 presents the gospel as a power which saves all who believe it. Luther came to believe that Romans 1:17 speaks of God’s righteousness. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are clothed in righteousness. When the Father looks upon us, He sees the righteousness of Christ. He separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west. Luther said, “The righteousness of God is the cause of our salvation… it is called the righteousness of God in contradistinction to man’s righteousness which comes from works” (7). The phrase “from faith to faith” is meant to establish that the righteousness of God comes through, but without ignoring the “works” of our faith as an outward sign to others that we have become a new creation. It is the adage, “We are not saved by good works; we are saved unto good works.” Luther added, “The words ‘from faith to faith’ therefore signify that the believer grows in faith more and more, so that he who is justified becomes more and more righteous” (8). Augustine defined from faith to faith as, “From the faith of those who confess it with the mouth to the faith of those who actually obey it” (9).
In order to receive God’s grace we need first to admit that there is nothing in us that can merit it. We need to honestly admit, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (Romans 7:18). Jesus didn’t come to justify the godly, but the ungodly. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus about eating with sinners, Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Unfortunately, many Christians forget the importance of God’s grace in their daily walk. The heart of this deception is the belief that after being redeemed by the sole merit of Christ’s finished work, we must then sanctify ourselves. Though seemingly responsible, this denies the grace of Christ. Not only was our redemption purchased by Christ, but also our sanctification. When God places us in Christ, He makes Christ to be all things to us.
According to Peter, grace and peace are multiplied in us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, and that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness to the end that we may become partakers of the divine nature (see 2 Peter 1:2-3). Peter went on to exhort us to add to our faith moral excellence and to moral excellence, knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. Many of these things are listed in Galatians 5 as fruits of the Spirit. Paul was who he was by the grace of God. He labored abundantly, but not by his own might or capabilities. He said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). This is what is meant by having a “grace-receiving” mentality.
References
(1) K.L. Johnson, “Means of Grace” in the Evangelical Dictionary, 3rd. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: 2017), 358. (2) K.L. Johnson, Ibid., 358. (3) Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: 1994), 519. (4) Ibid., 729. (5) Ibid., 200. (6) Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954), xvii. (7) Ibid., 40-41.
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