Saturday, October 1, 2011

Say What Herr Doctor Luther?


From all this it is easy to understand why faith has such great power, and why no good works, nor even all good works put together, can compare with it; since no work can cleave to the word of God, or be in the soul. Faith alone and the word reign in it; and such as is the word, such is the soul made by it; just as iron exposed to fire glows like fire, on account of its union with the fire. It is clear then that to a Christian man his faith suffices for everything, and that he has no need of works for justification. But if he has no need of works, neither has he need of the law; and, if he has no need of the law, he is certainly free from the law, and the saying is true: "The law is not made for a righteous man." (1 Tim. i. 9.) This is that Christian liberty, our faith, the effect of which is, not that we should be careless or lead a bad life, but that no one should need the law or works for justification and salvation.


I read that at least three times. Stunned.

Realizing how difficult it is to hear that those that live by faith have no need of works, and hence no need of the law. We think we can obey the law and thereby perform good works and Father will love us more than some other person.

Jesus accomplished our justification for us apart from our help. Father approves of us, apart from our works. Do not fret, dear Christian, over your works. Live by the faith given to you from above!

2 comments:

David Cochrane said...

Wonderful post lil sis. It is glorious to know that our Father, because we are in Jesus, can love us no more than he loves us now.

God's peace. †

Unknown said...

Hi Brother David,

It seems to be something we forget so easily, that we are loved right here and now by our Father. The world we live in functions in such a different manner,that it is truly foreign to us. "If you do this, you get that." When you work, you get paid; when you study hard, you receive your reward in a good grade.

But Father loves us right now because we are in Jesus.