|
|
By Martin Luther
Works, since they are irrational things, cannot glorify God,
although they may be done to the glory of God, if faith be
present. But at present we are inquiring, not into the quality of
the works done, but into him who does them, who glorifies God,
and brings forth good works. This is faith of heart, the head and
the substance of all our righteousness. Hence that is a blind and
perilous doctrine which teaches that the commandments are
fulfilled by works. The commandments must have been fulfilled
previous to any good works, and good works follow their
fulfillment, as we shall see.
But, that we may have a wider view of that grace which our inner
man has in Christ, we must know that in the Old Testament God
sanctified to Himself every first-born male. The birthright was
of great value, giving a superiority over the rest by the double
honor of priesthood and kingship. For the first-born brother was
priest and lord of all the rest.
Under this figure was foreshown Christ, the true and only
First-born of God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, and a true
King and Priest, not in a fleshly and earthly sense. For His
kingdom is not of this world; it is in heavenly and spiritual
things that He reigns and acts as Priest; and these are
righteousness, truth, wisdom, peace, salvation, etc. Not but that
all things, even those of earth and hell, are subject to Him--for
otherwise how could He defend and save us from them?--but it is
not in these, nor by these, that His kingdom stands.
So, too, His priesthood does not consist in the outward display
of vestments and gestures, as did the human priesthood of Aaron
and our ecclesiastical priesthood at this day, but in spiritual
things, wherein, in His invisible office, He intercedes for us
with God in heaven, and there offers Himself, and performs all
the duties of a priest, as Paul describes Him to the Hebrews
under the figure of Melchizedek. Nor does He only pray and
intercede for us; He also teaches us inwardly in the spirit with
the living teachings of His Spirit. Now these are the two special
offices of a priest, as is figured to us in the case of fleshly
priests by visible prayers and sermons.
As Christ by His birthright has obtained these two dignities, so
He imparts and communicates them to every believer in Him, under
that law of matrimony of which we have spoken above, by which all
that is the husband's is also the wife's. Hence all we who
believe on Christ are kings and priests in Christ, as it is said,
"Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who
hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1
Peter ii. 9).
These two things stand thus. First, as regards kingship, every
Christian is by faith so exalted above all things that, in
spiritual power, he is completely lord of all things, so that
nothing whatever can do him any hurt; yea, all things are subject
to him, and are compelled to be subservient to his salvation.
Thus Paul says, "All things work together for good to them who
are the called" (Rom. viii. 28), and also, "Whether life, or
death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; and
ye are Christ's" (1 Cor. iii. 22, 23).
Not that in the sense of corporeal power any one among Christians
has been appointed to possess and rule all things, according to
the mad and senseless idea of certain ecclesiastics. That is the
office of kings, princes, and men upon earth. In the experience
of life we see that we are subjected to all things, and suffer
many things, even death. Yea, the more of a Christian any man is,
to so many the more evils, sufferings, and deaths is he subject,
as we see in the first place in Christ the First-born, and in all
His holy brethren.
This is a spiritual power, which rules in the midst of enemies,
and is powerful in the midst of distresses. And this is nothing
else than that strength is made perfect in my weakness, and that
I can turn all things to the profit of my salvation; so that even
the cross and death are compelled to serve me and to work
together for my salvation. This is a lofty and eminent dignity, a
true and almighty dominion, a spiritual empire, in which there is
nothing so good, nothing so bad, as not to work together for my
good, if only I believe. And yet there is nothing of which I have
need--for faith alone suffices for my salvation--unless that in
it faith may exercise the power and empire of its liberty. This
is the inestimable power and liberty of Christians.
Nor are we only kings and the freest of all men, but also priests
for ever, a dignity far higher than kingship, because by that
priesthood we are worthy to appear before God, to pray for
others, and to teach one another mutually the things which are of
God. For these are the duties of priests, and they cannot
possibly be permitted to any unbeliever. Christ has obtained for
us this favor, if we believe in Him: that just as we are His
brethren and co-heirs and fellow-kings with Him, so we should be
also fellow-priests with Him, and venture with confidence,
through the spirit of faith, to come into the presence of God,
and cry, "Abba, Father!" and to pray for one another, and to do
all things which we see done and figured in the visible and
corporeal office of priesthood. But to an unbelieving person
nothing renders service or work for good. He himself is in
servitude to all things, and all things turn out for evil to him,
because he uses all things in an impious way for his own
advantage, and not for the glory of God. And thus he is not a
priest, but a profane person, whose prayers are turned into sin,
nor does he ever appear in the presence of God, because God does
not hear sinners.
Who then can comprehend the loftiness of that Christian dignity
which, by its royal power, rules over all things, even over
death, life, and sin, and, by its priestly glory, is all-powerful
with God, since God does what He Himself seeks and wishes, as it
is written, "He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him; He
also will hear their cry, and will save them"? (Psalm cxlv. 19).
This glory certainly cannot be attained by any works, but by
faith only.
From these considerations any one may clearly see how a Christian
man is free from all things; so that he needs no works in order
to be justified and saved, but receives these gifts in abundance
from faith alone. Nay, were he so foolish as to pretend to be
justified, set free, saved, and made a Christian, by means of any
good work, he would immediately lose faith, with all its
benefits. Such folly is prettily represented in the fable where a
dog, running along in the water and carrying in his mouth a real
piece of meat, is deceived by the reflection of the meat in the
water, and, in trying with open mouth to seize it, loses the meat
and its image at the same time.
Table of Contents | Previous: Concerning Christian Liberty-sec-3 | Next: Concerning Christian Liberty-sec-5
eBooksHome | Inspirational Articles | General Essays | Sermons | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home
-------
Malankara World
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox
Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by
International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio
