Martin Luther in His Own Words

Essential Writings of the Reformation

Jack D. Kilcrease and Erwin W. Lutzer

• Publisher: Baker Books
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781493406487
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Religionsgeschichte

Though most of the Protestant world can trace its roots back to the Reformation, many people today have only a vague knowledge of Martin Luther's writings. Didn't he write the Ninety-Five Theses? Jack Kilcrease and Erwin Lutzer step into this vacuum with a carefully selected collection of Luther's works.Centered around the five solas of the Reformation (sola Scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, sola Christus, soli Deo gloria), the selections offer readers an accessible primer on works that are foundational to the theology of Protestantism in all its forms. Introductions to each writing include an explanation of the historical context and the theological significance of the piece. Students of the Bible, pastors, teachers, and seminary students will find this collection an enlightening introduction to Luther in his own words and a useful addition to their libraries.

Sola Fide

1
On Christian Liberty

Luther’s treatise On Christian Liberty (1520) was written in the wake of several significant events, including the Leipzig debate, his excommunication by Pope Leo X, and very probably his so-called Reformation breakthrough. Luther’s main purpose in this treatise was to explain his new understanding of the justification of the sinner before God.

Luther begins the treatise by telling his readers that the Christian is a “free lord of all and subject to none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all and subject to everyone.” Luther explicates the first part of this description (“free lord of all and subject to none”) by noting that it describes only the believer’s inner person before the eyes of God. The second statement applies to the external person as the believer exists and acts before the eyes of the world.

Throughout this treatise, Luther often uses the language of “spirit” and “flesh.” This may confuse many readers into thinking that Luther is speaking of a mind/body dualism not dissimilar to Greek philosophy or some East Asian religions. But this would be a misinterpretation. Rather, Luther merely wishes to distinguish between one’s inner person (spirit) whose conscience stands before the judgment seat of God, and the external person who relates to other human beings and the created world in general through the medium of the body.

Luther tells his readers that in order to receive justifying faith they must first be humbled through the condemnation brought by God’s commandments. Although God does give us commandments as a means to guide our lives, according to Luther, this is only a secondary function of the law. Primarily, God has given his law as a means of revealing human sin. The revelation of sin necessarily humbles people into recognizing that they need God’s gift of salvation in Jesus.

Faith is created through the preaching of the promise of the gospel only after God has worked repentance through the preaching of the law. By faith, the believer receives the fullness of Christ’s righteousness through the Word. In the gospel promise, Christ utterly surrenders himself to the believer. Just as there is an exchange of assets and property between a man and woman when they get married, so too there is an exchange of realities between Christ and the believer. Christ gives the believer his life and righteousness, whereas the believer gives Christ his or her personal sin and death.

Faith therefore gives the believer a share in Christ’s infinite riches of righteousness, life, and dominion. Because Christians share Christ’s riches, they are therefore free to give of these riches to their neighbors. God does not need our good works, since all has been paid for by Christ. Instead, the neighbor needs the believer’s good works. The believer obeys God and gives the neighbor a share in the riches of Christ through the good works of loving service.

The following is a selection from the treatise.

I first lay down these two propositions, concerning spiritual liberty and servitude. A Christian is the free lord of all and subject to none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all and subject to everyone.

Although these statements appear contradictory, yet when the agreement between them is seen, they will be highly useful to my purpose. They are both the statements of Paul himself, who says, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all” (1 Cor. 9:19), and “Owe no one anything, except to love each other” (Rom. 13:8). Now love is by its own nature dutiful and obedient to the object that it loves. Thus even Christ, though Lord of all things, was yet born of a woman, placed under the law, at once free and a servant, at once in the form of God and in the form of a servant.

Let us examine the subject on a deeper and less simple principle. Man1 is composed of a twofold nature, one spiritual and the other bodily. Regarding the spiritual nature, which is named the soul, he is called the spiritual, inward, new man. As regards the bodily nature, which is named the flesh, he is called the fleshly, outward, old man. The apostle speaks of this: “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). The result of this diversity is that in the Scriptures opposing statements are made concerning the same man; the fact being that in the same man these two men are opposed to one another; the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5:17).

First, let us consider the inward man so as to see by what means a man becomes justified, free, and a true Christian—that is, a spiritual, new, and inward man. It is certain that nothing outward, under whatever name they may be called, has any ability in producing a state of justification and Christian liberty or, on the other hand, unrighteousness and one of slavery. A simple argument will prove this statement.

What can it profit the soul that the body should be in good condition, free, and full of life, that it should eat, drink, and do what it wishes? For in these respects even impious slaves of every kind of vice can prosper. Again, what harm can ill health, bondage, hunger, thirst, or any other outward evil do to the soul when even the most pious of men, and the freest in the purity of their conscience, are afflicted by these things? Neither of these states of things has to do with the liberty or the slavery of the soul.

And so it will not profit the body if it is adorned with sacred vestments, or dwells in holy places, or is occupied in sacred offices,2 or prays, fasts, and abstains from certain meats, or does whatever works can be done through the body and in the body. Something widely different will be necessary for the justification and liberty of the soul, since the things I have spoken of can be done by any impious person and only hypocrites are produced by devotion to these things. On the other hand, it will not at all injure the soul that the body should wear profane clothing, should dwell in profane places, should eat and drink in the ordinary fashion, should not pray aloud, and should leave undone all the aforementioned things, which may be done by hypocrites.

And, to cast everything aside, even speculations, meditations, and whatever things can be performed by the exertions of the soul itself are of no profit. But one thing is necessary for life, justification, and Christian liberty. That is the most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ, as he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25); and also, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36); and, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

Let us therefore hold to be firmly established that the soul can do without everything except the Word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided for. But, having the Word, it is rich and lacks nothing, since that is the Word of life, truth, light, peace, justification, salvation, joy, liberty, wisdom, virtue, grace, glory, and all good things. It is on this account that the prophet in a whole psalm (Ps. 119) and in many other places sighs for and calls on the Word of God with so many groans and words.

Again, there is no crueler blow of the wrath of God than when he sends a famine of hearing his words (Amos 8:11). Likewise, there is no greater favor from him than the sending forth of his Word, as it is said, “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction” (Ps. 107:20). Christ was sent for no other office than that of the Word, and the order of apostles, that of bishops, and that of the whole body of the clergy have been called and instituted for no object but the ministry of the Word.

But you will ask, “What is this Word, and by what means is it to be used, since there are so many words of God?” I answer, the apostle Paul (Rom. 1) explains what it is—namely, the gospel of God, concerning his Son, incarnate, suffering, risen, and glorified through the Spirit, the sanctifier. To preach Christ is to feed the soul, to justify it, to set it free, and to save it, if it believes the preaching. For faith alone, and the efficacious use of the Word of God, brings salvation. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). And again, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4); and, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). For the Word of God cannot be received and honored by any works, but by faith alone. Hence it is clear that as the soul needs the Word alone for life and justification, so it is justified by faith alone and not by any works. For if it could be justified by any other means, it would have no need of the Word, nor consequently of faith.

But this faith cannot consist at all with works—that is, if you imagine that you can be justified by those works, whatever their character. For this would be to stand between two opinions, to worship Baal and to kiss one’s own hand, which is a great sin, as Job says [Job 31:27]. Therefore, when you begin to believe, you learn at the same time that all that is in you is utterly guilty, sinful, and damnable, as according to that saying: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). And also, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10–12). When you have learned this, you will know that Christ is necessary for you, since he has suffered and risen again for you, that, believing on him, you might by this faith become another man, all your sins being remitted, and you being justified by the merits of another—namely, of Christ alone.

Since then this faith can reign only in the inward man, as it is said, “For with the heart one believes and is justified” (Rom. 10:10); and since it alone justifies, it is evident that by no outward work or labor can the inward man be at all justified, made free, and saved, and that no works whatever have any relation to him. And so, on the other hand, it is solely by impiety and unbelief of heart that he becomes guilty and a slave of sin, deserving damnation, not by any outward sin or work. Therefore the first care of every Christian ought to be to lay aside all reliance on works, strengthen his faith alone more and more, and by it grow in the knowledge not of works but of Christ Jesus, who has suffered and risen again for him, as Peter teaches, when he makes no other work [but faith] to be a Christian one. Thus Christ, when the Jews asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God, rejected the multitude of works, with which he saw that they were puffed up, and commanded them one thing only, saying, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29). “For on him God the Father has set his seal” (John 6:27). . . .

. . . Meanwhile it is to be noted that the whole Scripture of God is divided into two parts, commandments and promises. The commandments certainly teach us what is good, but they cannot be done immediately when they are taught. For they show us what we ought to do but do not give us the power to do it. They were ordained, however, for the purpose of showing man to himself, that through them he may learn his own inability to do the good and may despair of his own strength. For this reason they are called the Old Testament and are so.3

For example, “Do not covet” is a commandment by which we are all convicted of sin, since no man can help coveting, whatever efforts to the contrary he may make. In order, therefore, that he may fulfill the commandment and not covet, he is driven to despair in himself and to seek elsewhere and through another the help that he cannot find in himself; as it is said, “O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper” (Hos. 13:9). Now what is done by this one commandment is done by them all. For all [commandments] are equally impossible for us to fulfill.

Now, when a man through the commandments has been taught his own impotence and becomes anxious by what means he may satisfy the law (for the law must be satisfied, so that no jot or tittle of it may pass away, otherwise he must be hopelessly condemned), then, being truly humbled and brought to nothing in his own eyes, he finds in himself no resource for justification and salvation. Then comes in that other part of Scripture, the promises of God, which declare the glory of God and say, “If you wish to fulfill the law, and, as the law requires, not to covet, believe in Christ, in whom are promised to you grace, justification, peace, and liberty.” All these things you shall have if you believe, and shall be without them if you do not believe. For what is impossible for you by all the works of the law, which are many and yet useless, you shall fulfill in an easy and summary way through faith. Indeed, God the Father has made everything to depend on faith, so that whosoever has it has all things and he who has it not has nothing: “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Rom. 11:32).

Thus the promises of God give that which the commandments demand and fulfill what the law commands, so that all is of God alone, both the precepts and their fulfillment. He alone commands. He alone also fulfills. Therefore, the promises of God belong to the New Testament. Indeed, they are the New Testament.

Now since these promises of God are words of holiness, truth, righteousness, liberty, and peace and are full of universal goodness, the soul that cleaves to them with a firm faith is so united to them, indeed, so thoroughly absorbed by them, that it not only partakes in but is penetrated and saturated by all their virtue. For if the touch of Christ was healing, how much more [does] that tender spiritual touch, indeed, absorption of the Word, communicate to the soul all that belongs to the Word? In this way, therefore, the soul, through faith alone, without works, is from the Word of God justified, sanctified, endued with truth, peace, and liberty, and filled full with every good thing and is truly made the child of God. As it is said: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

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 for a Christian his faith suffices for everything and that he has no need of works for justification. But if he has no need of works, neither does he have any 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 laid down for the just” (1 Tim. 1:9). 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.

. . . The third incomparable grace of faith is this, that it unites the soul to Christ, as the wife to the husband, by which mystery, as the apostle teaches, Christ and the soul are made one flesh. Now if they are one flesh, and if a true marriage—indeed, by far the most perfect of all marriages is accomplished between them (for human marriages are but poor types of this one great marriage)—then it follows that they hold all in common, good things as well as bad things. Likewise, whatsoever Christ possesses, the believing soul may take to itself and boast of as its own, and whatever belongs to the soul, Christ claims as his.

If we compare these possessions, we will see how inestimable the gain is: Christ is full of grace, life, and salvation; the soul is full of sin, death, and condemnation. Let faith step in, and then sin, death, and hell will belong to Christ, and grace, life, and salvation to the soul. For, if he is a husband, he must necessarily take on himself that which is his wife’s and, at the same time, give to his wife that which is his. For in giving her his own body and himself, how can he but give her all that is his? And in taking to himself the body of his wife, how can he but take to himself all that is hers?

In this is displayed the delightful sight, not only of communion but of a prosperous warfare, of victory, salvation, and redemption. Christ is God and man in one person, and as neither has sinned, nor dies, nor is condemned—indeed, cannot sin, die, or be condemned—and since his righteousness, life, and salvation are invincible, eternal, and almighty, therefore I say that when such a person, by the wedding ring of faith, takes a share in the sins, death, and hell of his wife—indeed, makes them his own—and deals with them in no other way than as if they were his and as if he himself had sinned; and when he suffers, dies, and descends to hell, that he may overcome all things, since sin, death, and hell cannot swallow him up, they must be swallowed up by him in stupendous conflict. For his...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sola Fide
• Sola Gratia
• Sola Scriptura
• Solus Christus
• Soli Deo Gloria
• A Note about Sources
• Back Ads
• Back Cover