The Gospel Seminar

"Luther Quotations:" #18

"Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ."
   (Galatians 2;16)

The fundamental issue that Paul is addressing in his epistle to the Galatians and that Luther is also adamant about in his Galatians commentary is this: What truly defines a Christian? How does the bible define a Christian?

If you were to ask 100 religious people:"How would you define a Christan?" 95 of them would respond with the following sort of statement:
     "A Christian is someone who follows the basic teachings of the bible, who tries to live a good life modeled by Jesus Christ. A Christian is someone who models his life after the life of Christ as portrayed in the New Testament."

But Paul and Luther are saying that a true Christian is defined in extremely different terms!

Here is Luther's first (of two) ways in defining a true Christian:

"First, a person must learn to know himself from the law (OF GOD). With the prophet he will (FIRST) confess; 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' And,'There is none that doeth good, no, not one.' And, 'Against thee, and thee only, have I sinned.' (THUS), We see ourselves to be such great sinners that we can find no way to be delivered from our sins by our own strength, works (FOLLOWING CHRIST'S EXAMPLE), or merits"

Luther and Paul are saying that to be a Christian is not first trying to model your life after Christ's life. The opposite is true! To be a Christian is to first understand that there is nothing I have done, am doing, or will ever do that will make me acceptable with God. One needs first to be brought to that personal place of utter and complete helplessness and hopelessness in the sight of God before one can become a Christian.

(To see Luther's second point on definition of true Christianity see "Luther's Quotations" #18A)