The Gospel Seminar

"Luther Quotations": #22

" So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."Galatians 2;16


Are we made acceptable (justified) by Christ alone, or by a mixing together of Christ's work plus our works of love and obedience? Luther continues:

"We do not dispute whether we ought to do good works...Our question concerns justification. and whether the law (OUR OBEDIENT EFFORTS) justifies or not. Our enemies...will not make any distinction as we do, but only cry out that good works ought to be done, that the law ought to be observed. We know that well enough. But... we will not mix them together.That good works ought to be done, we will declare, at the right time. But since we are now on the matter of justification, WE SET ASIDE ALL GOOD WORKS...Saying that people who believe in him are condemned because they have faith without works is to pervert everything...They say that faith in Christ does not make us free from sin, but only faith combined with love. This is to say...faith justifies you because it has works, without which faith is no help. Therefore, works (MY OBEDIENCE) justify not faith, they claim. What a pernicious and cursed teaching this is! It is, therefore, great impiety to say that faith (CHRIST ALONE) does not justify unless it is combined with works of love. If faith and works together justify us, then Paul's words are not true when he says we are 'justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law (2;16)' "