Jacob: Pastor, I heard from someone today, that Jesus has freed us from the law and thus we can live as we please.
Pastor: Well Jacob, you are correct that Jesus has freed us from the law and in a sense, yes we can live as we please. However, I need to ask you something. Do you trust in God? Do you believe that God tells us the truth and that God loves us?
Jacob: Pastor, all of these things I believe and have been taught all of my life. In fact,you have taught us all of these also.Pastor: Good Jacob, I am glad you have been paying attention to my sermons and recall this even back to Sunday school lessons. Martin Luther tells us in his writings, The Freedom of a Christian, that as a Christian, that even though we are lord of all and subject to none, we are also to be a “…perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all”.[i]Luther looks to 1 Cor. 9:19, where it says “For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all…”[ii]
Jacob: I think I understand but I am not sure. If we are free, than why do I have to do anything such as works? I thought works did not save us, Jesus did.
Pastor: Yes, you are on the right track there. You are free and your works do not save but your faith in Jesus Christ has saved you. Glad you see that. Jacob, should we do things that are harmful to our body or could be harmful to our body?
Jacob: Certainly not! That would be stupid to do something that harms us and we would not want to do that intentionally.
Pastor: Good thinking there Jacob, you are correct. The same thing can be said of the soul as well. Luther says that there is no profit for the soul if it does as it pleases.[iii] When the soul does as it pleases “…the mostgodless slaves of vice may prosper.”[iv]
Jacob: Pastor, I believe I get what you are saying. If I do nothing, no works at all, because I know that I am freed from the law, this can be dangerous to my soul because I am not doing good works. Therefore I might do evil instead?
Pastor: Jacob, you are really getting this down. Glad to see you take this all in. Please indulge me a little further. I want to go back to a question I asked earlier in that you agreed that God loves us and God is trustworthy. Luther says;
When, however, God sees that we consider him truth and by the faith of our
heart pay him the great honor which is due him, he does us that great honor
of considering us truthful and righteous for the sake of our faith. Faith works
truth and righteousness by giving God what belongs to him.[v]
heart pay him the great honor which is due him, he does us that great honor
of considering us truthful and righteous for the sake of our faith. Faith works
truth and righteousness by giving God what belongs to him.[v]
Luther also goes on to say with regard to good works and our soul (inner man),
The inner man, who by faith is created in the image of God, is both joyful and happy because of Christ in whom so many benefits are conferred upon him; and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully and without thought of gain, in love that is not constrained.[vi]
Jacob: Pastor, are you telling me that although I am free from the law and do not have to do works that I still have to do works.Because I trust in God, believe that Jesus freed me from the Law and sin. That by doing these good works, not for the sake of my salvation, I keep my soul free in good works without tempting my soul to idleness or works of evil?
Pastor: Jacob, I see you have this nailed down. I am so glad that you understand the need of works not for the sake of salvation but as a response to God for what God does for us in Christ Jesus. Let me wrap this up with what Luther says;
Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals with him.This he should do freely, having regard for nothing but divine approval.[vii]
Jacob: Thankyou, Pastor. This Martin Luther guy was pretty smart. Thank you for taking the time to explain th
Bibliography
Luther, Martin. “Freedom of a Christian.” In Luther’s Works, Volume31: Career of the Reformer, edited by Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton Oswald, and Helmut Lehmann. Vol. 31.lw31.lbxlls ed. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999.
The Holy Bible: NewRevised Standard Version. Nashville: ThomasNelson Publishers, 1989.