The three readings for the Easter Sunrise worship service on April 8, 2007 are Job 19:23-27 (I know my Redeemer lives); 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (Victory over death) and John 20:1-10 (The empty tomb). Selected to apply is 1 Corinthians 15:56 which reads, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.”
If you were to ask most people what separates human beings from God, the answer 95% of the time would be “sin”. However, then one would have to conclude that even Christians are still separated from God because we continue to sin! While it is true that every other religion in the world assumes sin is the problem, they then attempt their followers either to stop sinning or somehow to make up for their sin.
Christianity teaches that because God demands PERFECTION, it is impossible for any human being either to stop sinning or to make up for sin even with all the help of the Holy Spirit. The gift of sinless good works will never be given while we are here on earth. That is a gift which will only find fulfillment after the Day of Judgment when this mortal puts on immortality.
So what does separate us from God? Verse 56 of the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians reveals that though sin is the sting of death, the real power of sin is the law. Think of the difference between a mosquito and a scorpion. Both sting but normally the mosquito bite is harmless in contrast to the scorpion. It is not the bite that causes the damage but the poison that enters the blood.
So also with sin which is disobedience against God’s will. While a tree was not created to fall on a house during a storm, even if that happens there is no sending of the tree to hell. Only two elements in creation receive the curse of the law; namely, angels and human beings. What separates us from God is death, not in the sense of temporal death but spiritual death which is God forsaking us.
The reason that sin no longer has any power is because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the accursed cross on Good Friday which demonstrated victory on Easter Sunday. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He took upon Himself the curse you and I should have received. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Through His sacrfice and resurrection, we need not be concerned any longer about sin because it no longer has the power of the curse of the Law.
To conclude, therefore, that we ought to continue to sin is not logical. The proper conclusion is that good works are necessary but not to become saved or stay saved. Rather good works, motivated by the Holy Spirit, are fruit of the Spirit that are proper responses to what God in Christ has done for you. So while we no longer look to our good works to save us or keep us saved, the resurrection of Jesus Christ indeed motivates us properly to give Him thanks and praise, serve and obey, not because we HAVE to but because we WANT to!
Name:Tom Baker
We always do struggle with Gospel and good works, faith and faith’s fruit. I think that is because the old man procures everything for the purpose of working to heaven and thus confuses EVERYTHING. But I think there is a way to understand it!
I’ve heard it said many ways but the ONE single thing that holds us from Grace is not our obvious evil works or inclinations. Who in any resemblance of a right mind would go before God and say, “Well I lusted after this or that woman, hated so and so, stole here and there, gossiped over so and so and did it repeatedly, SO based on these works let me into heaven.” Not even the blindest of heathen would be so foolish, NOT even when I was a rank atheist would I have thought that. BUT, what holds us from grace is our “good works” and our goodness. It’s as Luther said, “The Law of God is the most salutary doctrine of life, but it cannot help a man toward salvation, in fact it HINDERS him.” (paraphrased from HD Thesis 1). The observer of works in us, the old man, cannot grasp grace because to do so LITERALLY means his death. Luther brilliantly captured it under Theology/religion of glory (all fallen ideas/philosophy/religion) Vs. Theology/religion of Cross.
I think where we have the MOST trouble in American Christianity today is POST conversion, how does grace LOOK. We don’t know how to “spell that out” without tipping the boat over into works salvation again. So, TOO often it looks like the Pharisee, or some would so think it does. But a quick glance at Luther’s paradox shows some very revealing things about faith/assurance and what true “obedience of faith” actually looks like. Luther, per se, to the rescue even today. I always struggled with understanding what he meant when he said, “faith is free and the servant of none, but the dutiful servant of all” (paraphrased). But looking a bit into his thoughts on ToG Vs. ToC seems to unlock it (more at the end on that).
Theology of Glory (pietism and its kindred) functions thus (I experienced this a lot in my former denomination SB):
1. Christ is presented or represented subjectively within the heart or inwardly. Assurance is ALWAYS directed inwardly. E.g. conversion experience or some pulling of the soul’s eye to the self which is ironically the very definitive essence of sin.
2. THEN works, fruit and good deeds take on an objective delineated form. They can now be marked out, numbered, delineated, measured and all of the same refined over time (i.e. the numbers smaller and finely tuned). This is the squeezing effect of the Pharisee living by the Law as opposed to the RELEASE of the Gospel.
The sum of what you have is doubt about salvation since number 1 is subjective and hard to estimate, find or number, yet “good works” become increasingly a numerical finite pile of certain churchyard things done and measured for quality, quantity, frequency and magnitude.
In a word: GRACE (false grace) is subjective since it is tied inwardly and “to you”, innumerable and so elusive resulting in doubt and NOT faith NOR assurance. And WORKS become the objective thing that is numbered and relentlessly refined, narrowed and sought after (the Pharisee’s tightening).
Theology of the Cross (the true faith) functions thus:
3. Christ and His work is presented and GIVEN objectively FOR me (the Gospel is ultimately in the FOR ME) in objective Word and objective Sacrament. One begins to see the reality of the objective necessity of the sacraments as REAL means of grace based upon God and not some secondary work loosey goosey detected inwardly as in number one above.
4. Works, that is true fruit of faith or the true obedience of faith that really is living itself out, then takes on a subjective undelineated form (i.e. no measuring stick of any kind and again this also shows why the Sacraments MUST be objective and sacraments. Otherwise the “fruit rod” or “fruit ruler” has to come out and measure the works to see if they are ‘up to snuff’). What comes at you in life in your stations, all that you do is truly fruit of faith, literally faith living.
In a word: GRACE (true grace) is objective since it is tied to God and His name, numerable (only Word and two sacraments, here grace is found not searched for inwardly), and so clear and apparent resulting in faith/trust and bold assurance (hope or expectation), and NOT doubt. And WORKS become the subjective things that are innumerable and naturally coming at you as life comes at you in your stations in life, widely everywhere and NOT sought after (the Gospel release).
The sum of what you have is sure assurance as Christ is very specifically objectively given in Word and two specific Sacraments, very distinct as opposed to a subjective conversion experiences or some other such subjective nonsense that leads into an infinite search for “grace” (false grace) working IN me. And works become “where you are”, what you are, to whom you are, completely unnumbered and coming “at you” as opposed to seeking them out in the numbered box of “church works” as defined by the opinions of men EVEN if they derive their delusions from Scripture.
When we speak about the obedience of faith it is important to understand that the truly NEW MAN sees this as indicative as to how faith operates and NOT as the OLD MAN reads it as yet another task on the works list. Even the simple term “obedience of faith” is heard differently by the new man of as opposed to the old man of works.
This is how true saving faith operates (live and walks), it so trusts that the least of things it does is holy and God pleasing because it roots itself in trusting, yet it NEVER considers the “deed done”. Thus, only saving faith WOULD actually without nervousness or doubt rest most peacefully in the most seemingly meaningless act as an outcome of itself (operation, life, walk), though it NEVER considers what it does. Rather this is describing HOW saving faith operates or lives. Picking a daisy is a glorious work as saving faith does it. This seemingly NOTHING act is “obedience of faith” as faith does it without concern for this faith lives in and by Christ alone. The flesh, however, would never and can never trust such a thing for it is far too tiny. Why? It is showing forth its operation or its livingness or walk and that is by works it lives, literally, that’s why it measures the ‘daisy picking’ as an unworthy work. Think about that for a minute. Right now many reading this who are Christians are saying to themselves, “picking a daisy”, that’s not good works, that’s not evangelism or missions or being a doctor. NOTE: nothing wrong with those things at all, as Luther says of the Law in Thesis 1, it’s the principle we need to see for living faith versus a deluded false faith that is really a code word for works and hiding UNDER the best works. It goes back to WHAT really prevents a man from actual saving grace, namely the BEST works do or rather the fleshes glory in them. Why would ANYONE react to “picking a daisy” this way? There is but ONE single answer, you are living works and not faith in spite of what you profess. Your works so spoken show forth what you REALL believe, that was James’ ENTIRE point.
This is why Jesus said ‘giving as little as a cold cup of water in His name’ is rewarded. The key is IN His name, “In HIM I (the Father) am well pleased”. Why? Because that has now become a good work to do and be executed? No, that’s the old man’s interpretation of Jesus. The old man just hears another law ‘now to do’ and says, “I must be about doing cold cups of water or washing feet”. The old man must execute what he thinks is a prescription of law to be done in order to have favor with God. The old man doesn’t perceive that Jesus is NOT ‘prescribing’ but ‘describing’ so the old man just “chalks up” another duty to do that has just been prescribed, picking up on #2 of the ToG. But faith perceives with TRUE ears to hear and TRUE eyes to see. Faith says, “Ahhhh, it is still Christ alone and my Lord is describing by way of example how true saving faith operates, lives and walks…it does ANYTHING, small things, mundane and very ordinary things…it changes diapers and plants flowers and sleeps at night and enjoys a good meal, wine, beer, tea and coffee, serves neighbor as clerk, policeman, geologist, theologian, mom, dad, garbage man, grass mowing, breathing, walking, etc…Why? Because it lives by Christ alone in naked trust and worries not the least about the work…it just lives in the offices of life that it is given to work in.”
So what did Luther mean when he said, “faith is free and the servant of none, but the dutiful servant of all”?
Looking at ToG Vs. ToC along with understanding vocation/calling and offices I think it is this:
“faith is free and the servant of none…” means true saving faith that beholds and rests in Christ alone more and more is NOT bound up increasingly in #2 of ToG, which is how works operate under “working ones way to heaven”. The works increasingly narrow as to nature, magnitude, frequency, quantity and etc…as the person working their way to heaven is BOUND by them ever increasingly. The result is not really being the servant of anyone, though you outwardly do some things for folks, but serving yourself to save yourself (against the Law which is Love).
“…but the dutiful servant of all” means true saving faith that beholds and rests in Christ alone more and more finds its duties in offices BEFORE it as life COMES at him and does not RESTRICT more and more as to nature, magnitude, frequency, quantity and etc… but is literally free from those BOUNDS created by working one’s way to heaven. This FREEDOM from the BOUNDS makes the believer literally the dutiful servant of ALL. Because he/she is not serving self, and if one does Christ still covers that, and two works OPEN up in ways that a ToG would NEVER conceive of as works (e.g. the planting a daisy and changing a babies diaper).
In summary we have:
ToG makes Jesus subjective and fuzzy inwardly (false gospel) and as a result works become very objective and distinct or numerated in many ways. This results in “a false faith that is anything but free and a servant of these captors (the churchyard works and opinions of men), but a dutiful servant of none by one, less and less works being good works (e.g. the babies diaper is NOT a good work to ToG) and even what he/she does is to save themselves (selfishness)”
ToG makes Jesus objective and distinct utterly out side of us (true Gospel, Word and sacraments) and as a result works become subjective (though the real Law gives us a guide) and unnumerated. This results in “a true faith that is totally free and not a servant of anything (esp. the churchyard works and opinions of men), but a dutiful servant of all (e.g. NOW the babies diaper IS a good work to ToC) and what he/she does is good not because it saves them but because Christ has ALREADY fulfilled all righteousness for US to God”
The first chokes out the new man of faith and starves him to death, the second kills the old man and raises and feeds the new man of naked trust.
At the end of the day this is nothing less than two different religions EVEN if both label themselves “Christian”.
Blessings,
Larry KY