the practical treatment of the doctrine of justification by stöckhardt

7/28/2019 The Practical Treatment of the Doctrine of Justification by Stckhardt

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The Practical Treatment of the Doctrine of Justification1

The article of justification, as the center point of Christian doctrine, is also the chief

content of Christian preaching. The renowned Catholic priest Martin Boos2, who in the midst of

papist surroundings had recognized the gospel of the glory and grace of God, called himselfwith fondness a preacher of righteousness which avails before God. All preachers should make

claim to this title. The pericopes of the church year give ample opportunity to secure Christian

hearers in this main part of Christian doctrine. It is surely true that in choosing the epistle

pericopes the texts that describe sanctification have been predominantly considered. However,

if one really looks, one may find in the Epistles enough saying that deal with faith. And certainly

a preacher does right and good when, first of all, he presents and explains to his congregation

in particular the actual sedes doctrinae3

from which our church from time immemorial has

drawn the doctrine of justification, such as the well-known passages from Romans and

Galatians. Generally, however, even an evangelical preacher, when it is proper with him, always

preaches Christ, whatever text series he might follow, and to preach Christ is the same as to

preach on justification. And how one should now speak and teach about Christ and the

righteousness which is present in him, how one could explain this important matter quite

clearly and comprehensibly to simple-minded Christians, may here be shown from Scripture. If

one rightly examines the principal Scripture passages that here come into consideration, pays

attention to the individual terms that the Holy Spirit has chosen, to the ordering and connecting

of ideas, then one may herein find enough hints and clues for practical treatment, particularly

homiletical treatment of the article of justification.

First of all, Scripture clearly indicates thepunctum criticum4

to which we are here

concerned, namely, how man may exist in time and eternity before God, before Gods

judgment. The that particularly Paul extols in his epistles is not righteousness

that God demands from mankind, not righteousness of life, not the normal moral condition ofman, but righteousness that avails before God, that God regards as such. It here concerns God's

judgment, how man may obtain for himself God's judgment. Such expressions as

() "will be justified in His sight"5, prove it. And so a Christian preacher must

above all things and again and again refer his listeners to this point and in each of them bring to

life the question that is still the most important question for every person: How do you intend

to be justified before God? How do you stand before God? What does your God say and judge

about you? And everything is truly located on this: not what men say and think about you or

what you yourself have as an opinion about yourself, but what God considers about you. It

1 What is reported here was based on a presentation of this year's proceedings of the Pastoral Conference of the

Minnesota and Dakota District. The publication of this in the "Magazine", which takes place at the request of the

conference, should correspond to the tendency of the current volume our homiletic magazine, which will guide to

a practical treatment of epistle texts.2

Martin Boos (1762-1825) was a German Roman Catholic theologian who developed a doctrine of salvation by

faith which came very near to pure Lutheranism. This he preached with great effect.3

Seat of doctrine.4

Critical point.5

Romans 3:20.


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cannot be denied that more experienced senses already somewhat include those who rightly

comprehend the concept of "justification", righteousness that avails before God". Scripture

thus also makes available easier, more comprehensible terms and expressions for us, from

which one can first start with and through which one can convey the understanding of that

difficult concept. Where the apostle wants to explain the example of David in Romans chapter

four, how God "imputes righteousness"6

to men, he imports the words of Psalm 32: "Blessedare they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered!"

7Therefore imputed

righteousness, the righteousness of God, is so much more than forgiveness of sins. The apostle

uses both termspromiscue.8

That is why one couches that question of conscience in the form

of: How do you attain forgiveness of sins? How can you obtain a merciful God? And this must

justifiably be your main wish, your greatest desire, that God not consider your sins and may not

attribute them to you. The question: How may I be justified before God? How will I be justified

before God? or How do I obtain forgiveness of sins? The question ultimately boils down to the

cardinal question: How am I saved? How do I obtain eternal life? The apostle says in Romans

chapter four, where he deals with the doctrine of justification, from verse 13 on about the

inheritance, how one gains eternal life. He emphasizes in Romans 5:9 that the ones being

justified, someday are kept from wrath, and Romans 5:17 that those who have received the

abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness someday will reign in life. In other words:

Where there is righteousness, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

The critical question is then expressed fully: how are we justified and saved before God. And

who, then, would not like to be saved? Every shepherd of souls has the experience that his little

sheep avert their eyes all too easily from the actual purpose and goal of life and want to lose

themselves in earthly matters in their thoughts, questions, concerns, that honor and respect

among men, temporal goods and happiness is still far too much among them. Now he thus puts

the question in the foreground, in the center, again and again in public preaching, as well as in

private, when he deals with individuals: How will you be justified before God? How will you get

along with God? No one can escape from the length of the hand and the judgment of God. Eachone must come to grips with God. How? Should this not be your main concern: that you may

obtain a merciful verdict where men may not have a say, where men can no longer help you;

that you may inherit eternal life when this temporal life with all its goods and pleasures has

vanished?

Where Scripture answers this fundamental question, it consistently opposes the false

opinion of mankind. In Romans, where St. Paul outlines the doctrine of justification, St. Paul

fights Jewish-Pharisaic self-righteousness. In Galatians, where he undertakes the same subject,

he has to deal with false teachers who had intruded into the Christian community, who

behaved like Christians, could speak beautifully of Christ and faith, but they set faith alongside

works, e.g., argued circumcision as a necessary requirement of salvation. Likewise inPhilippians.

9We must never lose sight of this contradiction. Because the largest part of visible

Christianity by far is leavened by that Jewish leaven. The papacy establishes salvation on

6Romans 4:6.

7Romans 4:7-8.

8Together.

9See 3:1ff.


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external sanctimoniousness. The sects and enthusiasts also urge works, only more inward

works, inward struggles, all sorts of penitential exercises, where they talk about the path that

leads to heaven. Modern theology, whether it makes many words about justification by faith,

nevertheless describes justifying faith as a moral act and power of mankind. Yes, that is the

religion of reason that also still lies in the flesh and blood of Christians. It seems only to be all

too natural and self-evident that man must somehow participate in his eternal fortune, thatGod's judgment over mankind is determined by man's conduct. We must defend and control

against such common human delusions as often as we counsel our Christians about their soul's

salvation and life.

Scripture gives repeatedly in short, concise sentences the correct answer to the

question, "How are we justified and saved?". Romans 3:28 says: "So we conclude that a man is

justified without the deeds of the law through faith alone." This is the shibboleth of the

Lutheran Church. Christian preachers would be well advised when they drive home to their

Christians in flesh and blood, so to speak, such short, easy, comprehensible, powerful

sentences, in order that they immediately find ground under their feet as soon as they get into

serious moral dilemma. We find a similar concise confession of justification in Galatians 2:15-

16: "Albeit we are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles; yet we know that a man is

not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in

Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by

works of the law no one will be justified." Three times St. Paul here professes the same truth,

almost with the same words, that a man is justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the

law. Such an apparent tautology and verbosity is intended by Holy Spirit. We should not be

tired of always saying the same thing. For flesh and blood, proud reason and tiresome Satan,

unceasingly persuade Christians to the contrary, that faith in Christ is still not enough, even that

the work of men is necessary for salvation. It is necessary to react to this and to silence reason

and Satan and counter the old lie and old truth with: Not by works, but by faith alone in Jesus

Christ. St. Paul says: We know that a man is not justified by works of the law, is justified bynothing other than () by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus we also should speak and instruct our

Christians to say with us: We know and have experienced it since we came into the throng, God

disputes that with us, that there was no reliance on our works, that nothing else helped and

saved there but faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. St. Paul says: We Jews, we are not sinners of the

Gentiles, have not lived in such disgraceful works like the heathen, we also believe in Christ

Jesus, we would be justified in no other way, as the godless heathens. And we say, and invite

our Christians to agree with us: Even we Christians, who are reborn by God's grace and have

worked much good, are able to display better works than the godless world, we even want to

be justified and saved in no other way as in the way a poor thief and malefactor is justified and

saved, without works, through faith alone in Christ. What the apostle further expresses as theopinion and attitude of his heart in Philippians 3:8-9: "I count everything as loss because of the

surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all

things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not

having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith

in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" - we should hold as a rule10

to our

10Philippians 3:16.


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Christians that they may be similarly minded11

, to let all other things go and only esteem as gain

Christ and His righteousness.

What the apostle presents in the passages cited, and similarly in short, almost

stereotypical form, is presented in more detail in other places of Scripture. The locus classicus

for the doctrine of justification is Rom. 3:21 ff: "But now the righteousness of God has been

manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it -- therighteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his

blood, to be received by faith" etc. As we lay the basis for further discussion this ,

we look first to the order of the terms that come into consideration here. The well known

sentence of the Augsburg Confession, that we are justified and saved before God by grace, for

Christ's sake, through faith, is the form, as taken from the content according to Paul's words. In

the first place is "by grace". The grace of God is the moving cause of. In the second

place belongs "for Christ's sake". Paul makes redemption, as is done through Christ Jesus, or

more accurately, which is available in Christ Jesus, as the designated means of justification. We

are redeemed by Christ from our sins, our sin is atoned for by Christ (). And faith

appears in this context as means and organ, by which man applies to himself Christ and

redemption, the atonement, the righteousness which is available in Christ Jesus. Therefore,

faith is the final link in this affair. Whoever believes this has a share in the grace of God, in the

merit and righteousness of Christ and therefore also has everything he needs. The modernists

pervert this order usually by putting faith first in their doctrinal books and preaching books and

superimpose what God does to the sinner on faith and thus already betray that they

understand something completely different about faith and justification by grace that what

Scripture reveals about this. We should, as often as we speak, preach, teach about justification

always maintain the train of thought that Scripture provides us: by grace, for Christ's sake,

through faith. We then remain factually on the right track. This disposition is based on thepreaching of Luther and other orthodox fathers, and is also formally expressed, e.g., in

Walther's sermons on justification.

As we now set about further to examine the aforementioned concepts with Scripture,

and watch how we bring our Christian people to the best understanding of it, it should be noted

only in advance that every time we touch this material it should not be necessary that we treat

all parts of the doctrine in extenso.12

The preaching of righteousness that avails before God

indeed passes through all preaching, if they are the right kind [of preaching]. One time we talk

about this topic in detail, another time less, another time we only indicate it. What we say

about it, be it much or little, will always bring to remembrance the entire article and shed new

light on it. We thus only speak and teach truly and clearly along the lines of Scripture. If wepraise the grace of God one time, another time speak about Christ's redemptive work, another

time about faith, then that would also go a long way to secure the hearts and consciences of

Christians in the truth of the Gospel, provided we concern ourselves only within the confines of

Scripture.

11Philippians 3:15.

12at full length.


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1. By Grace

We are justified "by His", that is God's "grace", .13

The apostle repeatedly

thinks of the grace of God where he speaks about righteousness that avails before God.14

Grace

is the reason that God determines to consider us and accept us as righteous. Grace is favor and

kindness. The grace of God is the supreme proof of God's love. The goodness and kindness ofGod extends over all creatures, the mercy of God over the poor and miserable, the grace of God

benefits poor sinners. Grace is God's love of sinners. Grace belongs to the unworthy, as Luther

so often emphasizes.

Everyone can now perhaps easily understand if one says to him that God loves sinners

and accepts the poor sinner into favor. But it is important that poor sinners also get a deep,

lasting impression of this unique love of God that we call grace, that they see and taste some

from it, how gracious is the Lord, that they heartily rejoice and learn to take comfort over the

grace of God. Therefore, we must continue to pay attention to how the Apostle explains and

interprets the expression, "By grace". He writes "and are justified without merit by His grace".

"Without merit",

, free, for nothing, or what is the same, "without help of the law"15

, or

"without works of the Law"16

, that is a more full explanation of the term, "By grace". Grace is

the counterpart of works of the Law. It says in Romans 4:4: "But to the one who deals with the

Law, the reward is imputed not by grace, but by obligation." Two instances are conceivable.

Either God gives something to someone by obligation and duty, namely when he has earned

something with his works. Or He gives something to someone by grace, namely when he can

present absolutely no work and merit. The one instances excludes the other. We read in

Romans 11:6: "And if it is by grace, then it is not by merit of works; otherwise grace would not

be grace. But if it is by merit of works, then grace is nothing; otherwise merit would not be

merit." It thus serves for defining the term "By grace" when we show that we are justified

without merit of works. In the previously quoted sayings the phrase "not by works of the law"

stands out. "Not by works" or "Not by works of the Law" is inculcated probably about fifty timesin the writings of the apostles. For this reason the Holy Spirit has strongly involved the

interpreters of Scripture to inculcate this word well to their hearers. When we have made quite

distinct and clear to our Christians what "Not by works" wants to say, and when we have

convinced them of the fact that no flesh is justified by works of the Law, then we have taught

them what grace is.

The papists understand under works of the Law the works that God had specifically

imposed in the Jewish law, in the ceremonial law. These are now of no more use in the New

Testament. But with it they thumb their nose at Scripture. "Works of the Law" are obviously all

works that God has prescribed in the Law, above all the works of the Ten Commandments,

which all people are commanded. All these works are excluded from the article of justification.The one says or thinks to himself about it, and yet even such thoughts come to a Christian,

because he still has flesh and blood: I have killed no one robbed and cheated no one, have not

13Romans 3:24.

14Cf. Romans 5:17, 20; Galatians 2:21.

15Romans 3:21.

16Romans 3:28.


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committed adultery, I have never knowingly done harm to my neighbor, I have spent my days in

discipline and honor. Should God ignore the whole thing if He enters into judgment with me?

We must answer: Not by works! The fact that you have avoided vice and shame does not clean

and purify you before God. Another has something more to utilize than an honest name. He

speaks and thinks: I have applied all good works to myself according to my ability, strived after

that which is praise and virtue, I have not forgotten to do good and to share, I have not failed inalms and sacrifices. Should these good works not balance the scale when God delivers His

judgment about me? We answer: No! Not by works! You cannot gain God's favor with your best

works. Man may not so soon deny his own ideas and concepts about righteousness and

otherwise conclude: Well then, I admit that the mere external work avails nothing before God.

But God still looks at the heart. It depends on the attitude of the heart. The attitude of the

heart is the only right value to men and his works, especially before God's eyes. And God now

knows my heart's point of view and attitude. God knows that I sincerely mean it, that I dearly

fear and love Him. My deeds always fall short of my will. But the will is still good. I just want

what is right and best. Can God repudiate me? Many recent exegetes interpret the expression:

"not by works" in this sense. They understand it as meaning that not the outward work, but the

attitude of the heart the justifies people. God accepts the good will for the deed. The right

attitude should be the bud and root of all good works, and God now already can see the future

fruit in the bud. Thus Abraham had become justified before God not by outward works, but

because he believed the promise of God and therefore had declared the right, God-pleasing

attitude. But like the papist interpretation, this is no less of a gross distortion of the simplistic

words of Scripture. Among the works of the law belong all works that God demands from men

in the Law, and not only the works of the Second Table, but also above all things the works of

the First Table. Also that man fears, loves and trusts, prays, praises and thanks God, falls under

the rubric "works of the law". And even these noblest works that concern the true worship of

God, these inward works, movements and resolves of the heart help nothing for the

righteousness that avails before God. And so we must cut off all ways out of our Christians andevasions of their proud reasons and bear witness to them: Do not depend on the good opinion

of your hearts, on your religious feelings, on your honest intentions! You cannot stand before

God's judgment seat with them. All your works, external and internal, your perceived good

works, and also the true good works that you accomplish by the power of God, your own

thoughts, feelings, wishes, actions, behavior, you may call them how you want, whether you

call it faith, you must do much, much in your eyes, if you ask for it and think about it, how will

you stand in time and eternity before the most high God.

We must also convince those who hear us why no flesh can ever be justified before God

by works of the Law. Scripture demonstrates this with the words: "They are altogether sinners

and lack the glory that they should have in God."

17

The works of mankind are evil and cannotplease God. Man does precisely nothing that God commands of him in the Law. Even the

apparent good works of men, the children of this world, are an abomination before God.

Because they come from hearts that are estranged from God and enemies of God. And the truly

good works that a Christian does are still so weak and frail and imperfect and not enough in

God's eyes. Because God demands perfect righteousness. And without this even Christians

17Romans 3:23.


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indeed still plentifully sin every day. And what good they do, this wrong and evil they do cannot

possibly be compensated and render them harmless. Yes, God looks at the heart. But also evil

thoughts still arise without ceasing from the hearts of Christians, of which they must be

ashamed before God. Particularly in the critical moment when God again lets us feel His hard

hand and obliges us to reflect on ourselves, in the hour of trial, in the hour of death, that we

know that all our own work is a lost thing, that it falls on our conscience how much we fail, howlittle we have taken advantage of our lifetime for eternity, because we feel poor, bare, blind

and miserable before God. It is then a welcome message to us, a sweet Gospel, when we hear:

Not by works! You may dispense with all your works. Even God wants to dispense with them.

Your works determine and influence nothing in the least of the opinion that God has of you, the

judgment of God upon your person.

Whoever has quite vividly recognized what "not by works" means also knows what it

means that we are justified "by grace". Scripture also explains even further "by grace" to the

positive side. The Scripture passages where it is emphasized that it is God, He alone, who

justifies and saves mankind, that God for His own sake freely wipes out sins and accepts the

sinner, that God puts His honor in it, that He spares the sinner instead of condemning them,

declare and explain the matter that concerns us here, even if the word "grace" itself does not

appear in them. And it is the task of the preacher of the Gospel, to make their hearers familiar

with such greater, dearer promises of God.

The prophet Isaiah writes: "You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or

honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with

frankincense. You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of

your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your

iniquities. I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not

remember your sins. Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that

you may be proved right."18

God here gets involved in a dispute with His people. Israel should

say how it wants to be justified before God. It is perhaps inclined to remind God of His manysacrifices, the battle sacrifices, food sacrifices, frankincense. But these sacrifices did not serve

for God's glory, were not according to God's good pleasure. Israel lacked the right attitude,

obedience. In reality, Israel can only bring one thing before God: its sin and iniquity. God has

made it hard and with their sin and iniquity prepares heavy heartbreak. So man will appear

before God as a poor sinner and offender, and he has nothing with which he could excuse his

sin. His noblest work, sacrifice and worship is, if not hypocritical, then but a poor patchwork

and piecemeal and does not conceal his nakedness. But behold, in this prosecution God speaks

a merciful judgment to the sinner and offender who cannot defend himself. He wants to

redeem his iniquity, and remember his sins no more. He says, "I, I blot out your transgressions."

That He does, He solely and exclusively, as He says in Isaiah 43:11: "I, I am the Lord, and next tome there is no Savior." No other can otherwise contribute to the rescue of a poor sinner, least

of all the sinful man himself, for he just brings only sin and with it the judgment of God. And

God does it for its own sake. "I, I blot out your transgressions for My sake." Absolutely no cause

and reason lies in man that God might identify to acquit him. The blotting out of sin has its

foundation in God Himself, in God alone. Therefore, in the first place, it is God's good pleasure

18Isaiah 43:23-26.


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to mention our sins no more, to forgive us our sins. Thus God Himself declares by the mouth of

prophets: Sola gratia! By grace alone! The nature of grace is, as [Franz] Delitzsch one time aptly

remarked, that it is "motiveless" grace that has no reason, no motive outside its own, but is its

own reason and cause, or is grounded alone in God. God is gracious to the sinner because He is

gracious to him.

The words of Isaiah 1:18 are about a legal transaction between God and sinful men: "Socome then and let us reason with one another, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be white as snow: and though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool." Israel

stands before God's judgment seat as a people heavy with iniquity, with blood-red sins, loaded

with blood guilt. What can it otherwise justifiably expect there except the judgment of

condemnation. But how does the Lord face up to the guilt-ridden and accursed sinners? What is

His verdict? He says: Come, let us reason with one another. I want to give for your hearing a

verdict about which you shall marvel. Freely, without sinners doing something about it, before

they simply call and ask, from free compassion He offers them grace, that He wants to endure

grace for judgment. He wants to change their blood-red sin into snow white. It does not say

here how else that God grows and cleans sinners from their iniquities, but it is said about sins

that are scarlet that they shall be as white as snow and wool. God regards the matter as if the

sinner instead of being covered with transgression and blood guilt with vain virtue and

righteousness, would be dressed in sheer innocence. Truly the Judge Who judges this way has

weighed the hearts of sinners. That is grace.

We see further in Isaiah 40:2 how the grace of God is reckoned with sinners: "Speak to

Jerusalem and preach to her that her servitude has an end, that her iniquity is forgiven: for she

has received twofold from the hand of the Lord for all her sin." What matters here is the last

statement. Jerusalem has received twofold from the Lord, i.e., as the context requires: twofold

grace and goodness. Her iniquity is forgiven, for that matter: paid; and now the prophet

enhances the expression and emphasizes that the debt is paid twofold, more than once. And

twofold grace and kindness she has received "for all her sins"; . It is this so-called pretiithat establishes the price, that someone uses in order to obtain from him a treasured

good. A purchase of commerce is presented here. God gives to sinners double goodness and

mercy. And with what do sinners purchase and earn the grace of God? With their sins. They do

not have another use, they are not able to pay another price. God deals with us as if we had

earned vain mercy and blessing with our sins. In truth, we have earned wrath and punishment

with our sins. But God is gracious, and now the prophet rightly wants to put into light and

emphasize the wonderful justice of grace, that God, from Whom we deserve vain evil, instead

of evil recompenses us vain good, that He devotes to us just as much and even more blessing

than we deserve punishment. If sin abounded, then grace abounded much more. So

exuberantly great is God's love to sinners.We finally recall the Scripture passages in which God is given praise and glory: that He

forgives sins and justifies sinners. When the Lord passed by with His glory before the face of

Moses on Sinai, the Lord preached about the Name of the Lord: "The LORD, the LORD, a God

merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping

steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."19

The Psalmist agrees

19Exodus 34:6-7.


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in the same praise of God in the familiar words: "The Lord is merciful and gracious...."20

The

unique glory of God is that He freely forgives iniquity, transgression and sin, for nothing.

Without this the sinner comes to meet Him. God wants to share this glory with no one else. The

prophet Micah concludes his prophecy with the following doxology: "Who is a God like you,

pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does

not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again havecompassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the

depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you

have sworn to our fathers from the days of old."21

Yes, even Abraham believed in the wonderful

God Who justifies the ungodly.22

Israel's God has no equal among the gods of the nations. The

prophets praise in manifold ways the great deeds of the God of Israel. He has created heaven,

earth and sea, and all that is in them. He has redeemed Israel from Egypt, guided through the

wilderness, has given Him the heritage of the nations. He has glorified the enemies of his

people in justice and righteousness. The incomparable greatness of God culminates in His grace

that repays sin, the fact that He cancels the iniquity of His people. This is our God's majesty,

that He is gracious to sinners and speaks righteousness to the Godless. And so the Christian

preacher should never be tired to proclaim the luster and the splendor of the grace of God.

We see that Scripture offers us ample material in order to bring to awareness and to

take to heart what grace is and what it means, and to comfort them with the grace of God and

to extol the grace of God among them. There are those, of course, who do not always hear the

Gospel in a broken mood, so that they would be anxious for comfort. Nevertheless, it is the

duty of the Christian preacher to open up to them the entire, full comfort of grace. Hours of

anxiety and distress come to everyone who wants to be saved and would be naked before the

hour of death, in which he confronts His God solitary, poor, and naked and is frightened before

God's judgment. And he would be lost there if grace was not his anchor. Preachers equip their

commanded souls with God's Word especially for the time they need help. And when this time

is at hand, we apply directly the promises of God's grace to anguished, frightened hearts. Whena poor sinner is tormented by his sins, his sin is always before him, then we give him the word

of the Lord: "I, I blot out all your sins for my sake." You cannot excuse yourself before God. It is

God Who justifies you. And it all comes down to what God judges about you, not on what you

think about yourself. When someone is weighed down by the amount of his sins, then we tell

him that God sets His glory and honor on him, that He covers the amount of sin, that He

forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. If someone has blood guilt on his conscience, then we

say to him God can and will change scarlet sin into white as snow. If one is worried about his

estranged from God, evil heart that is still carried about by so many wicked thoughts, and if he

thinks that he is not able to appear before God as he is, then we remind him of the wonderful

way that God justifies the wicked. We should certainly not be weary in every possible way,publicly and privately, to shape into the hearts of our hearers the great, dear word "By Grace".

20Psalm 103:8-10.

21Micah 7:18-20.

22Romans 4:3, 5.


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2. For Christ's Sake

It is our God's glory and greatness that he forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. God

freely justifies sinners, for nothing, without all their merit and worthiness. Now one might now

draw the conclusion, as he certainly judges according to carnal reason, as it was not so much

the sin in itself, as God considers sin not so great and severe, as God takes sin, as it were, intothe bargain when he deals with mankind and accepts the sinner into favor. We must control

such thoughts to the best of our ability. Even rationalistic preachers preached and preach about

justification. They represent the matter as though God were a good, weak Father Who easily

overlooks the errors of the children of men and turns a blind eye when the poor man follows

his sensual inclination, once he exceeds the right measure in the enjoyment of earthly goods

and pleasures. But this is a caricature of the doctrine of justification. No, sin is truly no trifle. Sin

is , transgression of the unchanging commands of God. And our God is a holy God Who

hates and detests all evil, Who is not pleased with wickedness. Our God is a just God and

forgives nothing to the standard of righteousness that He has placed in His Law and renders to

everyone according to their works. The soul that sins shall die. This is the irrefutable

requirement of divine righteousness. The law of divine justice is also inscribed in the sinful

man's conscience. If one tried to persuade a sinner who feels his sin, whose conscience is

awakened: Oh, don't grieve so much about your sin, God doesn't care, you shall not surely die;

he would thus reply: That's not true, that's a poor consolation, my conscience will not thereby

rest. The holy, righteous God is about His Law and Order and accuses sinners and transgressors

and rules them under curse, death, and damnation. But behold, Scripture reports, the Gospel

now witnesses that divine righteousness and all requirements of divine righteousness has in

fact actually taken place, for this reason, that Christ suffered and died.

St. Paul emphasizes these thoughts precisely where he deals with justification. He

teaches in Romans 3:24ff that we are justified by the redemption that is present in Christ Jesus,

Whom God has set forth by virtue of His blood as a propitiation, and continues: "This was toshow God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It

was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of

the one who has faith in Jesus." God has sent Christ and surrendered in death, Christ has shed

His blood so that in this way He would demonstrate His righteousness, His considerable

righteousness that demands the death of sinners. God has heretofore passed over ()

sins in the time of the old covenant, has let go of them for the time being, has not suitably

punished, has borne the sinner in great patience, and even if He did not leave them entirely

unpunished, still He has recompensed them not according to merit, He did not corrupt or ruin

them. Because of that He has foreseen it in the rendering of His righteousness at the present

time. Now, in the new covenant, God has allowed His reciprocating righteousness full, freecourse, has repaid their actual wages of sin, while Christ died, the death of the sinner died. God

wanted to justify sinners, while at the same time be and remain the righteous one, wanted,

while He justified the sinner, not to conceal in the least His righteousness. Because He is the

righteous one, He has punished sin precisely in Christ. Because He wanted to justify sinners, He

has punished sin in a way that sinners do not perish but were finished from sin, guilt, and

chastisement. So He justifies those who believe in Jesus, in Whom all demands of divine

righteousness are fulfilled. We must never withhold this truth, which is variously attested in


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other ways in Scripture, from our Christians when we comfort them with the forgiveness of

sins. The consolation of forgiveness does not begin in the hearts and consciences of sinners if

we do not also give them the assurance that satisfaction is rendered for sins, that divine

righteousness is satisfied. The vicarious satisfaction of Christ, or what the thing is according to

itself, the redemption that happens through Christ and is present in Christ, is the solid and

unshakable foundation on which rests our justification and the comfort of justification. If thisbasis would be pulled away, then such words to a sinner in which sin has come to life like "God

is gracious. Be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven you" would not catch on much. The

sinner would reply: No, my sin is always before me, is still in force and validity, my sin accuses

me with a vengeance.

And so everything lies on the fact that a preacher presents and extols the great work of

redemption to those who hear him and properly paints the crucified Christ quite spiritedly

before the eyes. They find rest for their souls in this [preaching]. If we are justified through

redemption, then it happened through Christ Jesus. Christ, God's Son, has come and walked in

our place. He is the Lamb of God Who bears the sins of the world.23

The Lord cast all our sins on

Him.24

God has made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us.25

Christ bears our sins. Of course,

sin is no external load that one carries on one's back. Christ has taken our sins upon Himself,

i.e., He has take our sins on His conscience. He has attributed our sins to Himself. He has shown

Himself to God as if He were the sinners and wrongdoers. He has made the declaration to God:

I want to be the guilty one. Demand it from me! And God has hung our sins on Him. God has

attributed to Him our sins and iniquities. God looks at Him as if He had done wrong all the

things we have done wrong. Christ is the offender before God's eyes. No doubt we still feel the

sin in our members and still feel the sting of guilt in our conscience. But it does not hinge on

how we view the matter, what we feel and sense. It all depends on how God views the matter.

God now simply sees all our sin and transgression lie on the one Christ. This is the wonderful

swap and exchange Luther so often points out, that a poor sinner may say to Christ: You are my

sin. And all our sins Christ has borne in His body on the tree, the tree of the cross.26 Christ diedon the cross. Death on the cross was punishment of the criminal. The cross was a tree of the

curse. What we have perpetrated is recompensed on Him. Christ was a curse for us.27

He was

wounded for the sake of our transgression and bruised for the sake of our sins. The

chastisement lies on Him, therefore we are free.28

Christ died for our sins.29

Christ has suffered

once for our sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones.30

And so we are redeemed from

sin, guilt, chastisement. The great, precious Word of redemption through Christ is the center of

all Christian preaching. And no preacher should imagine that he need not tell His people

anything more, they would know this well enough. No, so long as we still have to deal with sin,

23John 1:29.

24Isaiah 53:6.

252 Corinthians 5:21.

261 Peter 2:24.

27Galatians 3:13.

28Isaiah 53:5.


301 Peter 4:18.


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so long as we still sojourn in this sinful flesh, we have need of the Gospel of our redemption.

This is the bread of the soul, the remedy for our wounded consciences.

Scripture relates the redemption that is done by Christ not only with clear, plain words,

but also uses all sorts of images and parables from ordinary human life or from the history and

circumstances of the people of Israel in order to make quite clear this important matter. And it

is the duty of an evangelical preacher to speak in just the way Scripture speaks, to retain theforma docendi

31that the Holy Spirit has chosen and to illustrate by interpretation the actual

figurative ways of speaking the high and blessed mystery of our redemption and to give this

comprehension to the simpleminded.

The phrase is found in Romans 3:24 ,

literally: through the ransom that is in Christ Jesus. Scripture says something similar, e.g., in 1

Peter 1:18-19: "And know that you were not redeemed with corruptible silver or gold", literally:

are redeemed, "from your vain way of life according to fatherly ways, but with the precious

blood of Christ, as an innocent and unblemished lamb." Jesus Himself testifies that He wants to

give His life as a ransom in the place of many, .32

The image of a debt and

imprisonment for debt is based here. We men with our numerous transgressions have

contracted a heavy debt before God. We owe ten thousand talents to the heavenly King. And so

we are indebted to God, imprisoned by God. We are legally children of wrath and damnation.

And we do not come out sooner from this imprisonment, from this prison, until we have paid

the last penny. But we are not able to pay back a single penny of our guilt. We are not able to

undo sin with our effort. Christ has come, our friend and guarantor, and has paid it for us. He

has applied His own life, His blood for us. And the precious blood of Christ, the Holy and

Righteous One, the Son of God, compensates for all sin and guilt of the entire world. Yes, the

debt is settled, balanced, paid ( ), twice, yes, paid a thousand times.33 We are thus

ransomed, redeemed, done with guilt and imprisonment from debt. We rightly say: God

forgives our guilt. God freely forgives our sins, for nothing, without our merit, without

demanding any compensation from us. On our part, we are not able to pay and do not need topay. We add: Someone else has paid for us, Christ our Savior. God thus regards it not only as if

the debt would be balanced, but also the debt is truly balanced. We have won through Christ,

as it were, an entitlement to God's forgiveness. The writing of debt that testifies against us is

crossed out, precisely crossed out with the blood of Christ, through which the debt is settled

and wiped out. Thus our conscience has a firm basis and support. If our sins make advances on

us, if Satan enumerates our many debts, if we are frightened before God's judgment, then we

utilize this precious ransom, Christ's blood and righteousness, that shrinks guilt and

consciousness of guilt, and we can confidently lift up our head to God. We owe him nothing

more. He has nothing more to require of us. How beautifully and accurately the highest and

most important transaction that the sinner has with God can be illustrated with this example!Sin is presented elsewhere in Scripture as dirt and uncleanness. We are all as an unclean

thing before God and cannot allow ourselves to be seen before God as we are. The petition is

31form of teaching.

32Matthew 20:28.

33Isaiah 40:2.


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made to God: "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."34

And now

in the New Covenant we have a free, open fountain against sin and uncleanness.35

We are

washed with pure water and from an evil conscience.36

Christ has made the purification of our

sins through Himself.37

The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sin.38

Jesus Christ has washed us from our sins with His blood and has made us kings and priests

before God and His Father.39

Christ is called the Paschal Lamb, the sacrificial Lamb in Scripture.

40Christ has given

Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a sweet savor.41

One may instruct

Christians about the importance of Old Testament sacrifices, they are useful for understanding

New Testament redemption. When an Israelite had sinned against one of the commandments

of God, he brought a sacrificial animal to the temple, laid his hands upon it, confessed his sins

over it, and thus symbolically transferred his sins onto the sacrificial animal. The innocent

animal was then slain, handed over to death instead of the man who had deserved death. The

blood of the sacrificial animal in particular served as the covering, as the atonement of sins, as

is often highlighted in the Law. By means of the blood poured out by the priest at the altar or

painted on the horns of the altar and thus, as it were, was held before God, it covered up the

sins of man before God. The sacrificial meat was finally lit on the altar for a sweet odor to God.

God's pleasure was now turned towards the sinful man again. This was all shadow and type and

is fulfilled in Christ. Christ is the true sacrificial Lamb and Paschal Lamb. The sin and iniquity of

mankind is transferred to Him. This is slaughtered, sacrificed for us. The blood of Christ, the

innocent and spotless Lamb, atones for the sin of mankind. Our guilt and iniquities are made

good before God. There is no memory of sin with God. Christ is the Atonement () for

our sins and the sins of the whole world.42

We are reconciled () to God through

the blood of His Son.43

We are now again children of delight.

The apostle calls Christ a mercy seat in Romans 3:25. God has presented Christ as a

mercy seat in His blood, by virtue of His blood. The Old Testament mercy seat was a holy device

of the Israelite holy place and also had some significance. It was a cover manufactured fromsolid gold. This cover covered the Ark of the Covenant. The stone tablets of the Law were kept

in the Ark of the Covenant. The Law formed in stone continually reminded Israel of its

transgression. The golden cover of the ark was sprinkled every year on the great Day of

Atonement with sacrificial blood, with the blood of atonement. The two golden cherubim were

located on the cover above the mercy seat. The God of Israel lived and reigned among His

people above this mercy seat. When God remembered His Law and the transgression of Israel,

He had to be angry with His people. But now the mercy seat covered up the law and

34Psalm 51:2.

35 Zechariah 13:1.36

Hebrews 10:22.37

Hebrews 1:3.38

1 John 1:7.39

Revelation 1:5-6.40

John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 Corinthians 5:7.41

Ephesians 5:2.42

1 John 2:2.43

Romans 5:10.


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transgression of the law before God. The cover sprinkled with the blood of atonement was an

atonement device (), He atoned for the sins of Israel. The mercy seat sprinkled with

blood was in the middle between the people of the Law that was accused by the Law and the

great God. God's countenance was continually directed on the mercy seat and the blood of the

atonement, and as God looked on the atonement and the atonement device, He no longer

remembered the sins of the people. The mercy seat with His blood changed God's view ofwrath in a glimpse of grace. God was reconciled to His people. All this was shadow and

prophecy. Christ is the true Mercy Seat. He is marked with blood, with His own blood. The

sprinkled, overflowing with blood Christ, Christ with His blood and wounds stands in the middle

between sinners on earth and the holy God in heaven and covers and protects sinners from

God's wrath, conceals their sins before God, and obtains grace, exemption, and reconciliation

for sinners. We sinners no longer appear before God in our own form, but in the person of

another, in the person and form of Christ. God regards us through Christ, and so He no longer

regards us as we are, but only as Christ is, no longer sees our sins, impurity, unworthiness, but

sees us covered with Christ's blood and righteousness, wrapped in Christ's blood and wounds.

Our sin is extinguished in the blood of the atonement. We are now so pure and beautiful and

perfect in God's eyes, as if we were Christ Himself. In these and similar ways a preacher sets the

New Testament mercy seat before the eyes of children of the new covenant! The "Mercy Seat"

is truly a striking image of the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.

We return to our starting point44

after we have explained the term "redemption". It says

that we are saved through the redemption or by means of () the redemption that is in Christ

Jesus. Through the redemption of Christ is established the righteousness that avails before God,

our forgiveness of sins and life and salvation is acquired with it. The modern theologians make a

sharp distinction between redemption and justification or forgiveness of sins. They teach the

"possibility" of forgiveness of sins is revealed by Christ's redemptive death, and faith lifts up this

possibility of this human behavior into a reality. This goes directly against Scripture. No, we are

justified by Christ, by the redemption of Christ. What justifies us before God is not any of theseacts and conduct on our part, but only what Christ has done and suffered for us. God regards

solely the work and merit of Christ when He declares us righteous. This whole business, God's

judgment of our person, is already decided in and with the redemptive work of Christ. Scripture

testifies that we, as we are redeemed and reconciled, in so doing have been justified. We read

in Romans 5:9-10: "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall

we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled

to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by

his life." Here the other certain fact is inferred from the fact that we are reconciled by the death

of the Son of God, or what is the same, being now justified by His blood, that we are kept by

Christ once from wrath, that we shall be saved by Christ's life. "Reconciled" is considered hereas synonymous with "justified". The apostle writes in Romans 5:18-19: "Therefore, as one

trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and

life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the

one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." Through the righteousness of one

Man, Christ, has come the justification of life of all mankind. Through the obedience of one

44Romans 3:24.


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Man, through the active and passive obedience of Christ many were set forth as justified before

God. Scripture testifies that in and with the redemption and atonement is the forgiveness of

sins. We have in Christ "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."45

"God was in

Christ and reconciled the world to Himself, and did not impute their sins to them." Here the

statement is explained in more detail, that God reconciled the world to Himself in Christ,

through the other, that he did not impute their sins to them, to mankind. If a preacher brings tolight the redemptive work of Christ, when he unsheathes the "It is finished" of the dying

Redeemer, when he rightly preaches Christ, then he bestows the comfort of justification to his

hearers, the forgiveness of sins. He will comfort poor troubled sinners in the following way:

Behold, Christ died for you, has given Himself for you, He has taken your guilt upon Himself,

atoned for your chastisement, so you go free from sin, guilt, and chastisement. Christ has

satisfied the righteousness of God with His suffering, death, and blood, has satisfied God's

wrath, so now God's favor and pleasure is turned to you, you are reconciled to God, you have a

gracious God in Christ. Christ has entered for you before God with His blood and His

righteousness, with His perfect merit, so you are pure before God's eyes, righteous, perfect,

just as God wants you.

We have first explained that God justifies the sinner by grace, and what we have then

added, that we are justified by Christ's redemption, entirely agrees with it. "For Christ's sake

alone" does not negate, but only confirms "by grace alone". Because that Christ has redeemed

sinners with His blood, it is itself an outflow and effect of divine grace. We sing: "By grace God's

Son, our only Savior, Came down to earth to bear our sin", etc.46

Christ Himself says: "For God

so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son" etc.47

The apostle writes: "God shows

His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."48

The fact that Christ came

into the world and died for sinners is a proof of the unimaginable and inexpressible love of God,

of God's love for sinners. God has set forth Christ to be a mercy seat in His blood. "God was in

Christ and reconciled the world to Himself."49

In other words, it was the gracious will of God

and God's pleasure to reconcile the sinful world to Himself through Christ. We said earlier thatGod, because He justifies sinners, at the same time satisfies His righteousness. He proves the

righteousness of God in Christ's suffering and death. God cannot and will not forget His

righteousness. The righteousness of God is now and forever the motive of redemption, it has

happened through Christ Jesus. God could have given His righteousness in other ways. He

would have remained that He was, the Righteous One, the Good One, the Perfect One, even if

He would have relinquished their self-inflicted doom. Yes, the natural course of righteousness

would have been that the sinner himself atoned for his sin, eternally atoned. The fact that

righteousness now took a different direction, that Christ substituted for sinners and has died

the death of the sinner, we have grace alone to thank, the unfathomable and gratuitous grace

of God. It is the abyss of divine mercy that has swallowed up all sins through Christ's death. Leta preacher therefore beware, above all things, Rationalists and do not portray redemption

through Christ as a kind of necessity, as if God would have owed the world or His own self, to

45Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14.

46LSB 566:3.

47John 3:16.

48Romans 5:8.



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rescue and to save the world. That would be reducing and defaming the grace of God and the

merit of Christ. We are right in saying that God reconciled the world by Christ's sacrificial death,

this is a change of mind, God's wrath is transformed into love and pleasure. But we go one step

further according to Scripture and add that God Himself also has planned and organized this

according to His incomprehensible grace, that righteousness is satisfied by Christ and wrath

would be appeased. God has in Christ reconciled the world to Himself. We arrive here at last ata mystery that we are not able to clear up with our reason. One time God appears as the

wrathful God Who does not let sin go unpunished, another time as the gracious and merciful

God Who does not desire the death of a sinner and therefore has disposed Himself to save

sinners from death and wrath. The one is the revelation of the Law, the other the revelation of

the Gospel. We cannot possibly summarize with our own devices both revelations, both

pretences of God in one picture, in one overall view. But here we should not speculate and

search, but unconcernedly hold fast both views about the critique of reason and preach and

especially also in preaching and instruction, on the one hand, the wrath of God over sinners,

that burns down to the lowest hell, but on the other hand and above all things, extol the grace

of God in Christ that has been intent to extinguish wrath and hell fire.

3. Through faith.

We are justified before God by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. The two terms

"faith" and "justification" are intimately linked in Scripture and are in many ways associated

with each other. It means that we are justified "through faith", 50

, or 51

. In

addition, the manner of speech "by faith" is found, e.g., in Romans 1:17, 3:30; Galatians 2:16.

We usually speak of "justification by faith". One can also perhaps translate in

German with "as a result of faith". The translation "because of faith" or "for the sake of faith"

also is appropriate with the sense of the Greek particles. It would be wrong, one wanted to ban

from ecclesiastical language the expression that we are justified "for the sake of faith" becauseit is often misinterpreted. Scripture speaks that way. Luther, for example, often says in his great

Galatians commentary:propter fidem justificamur, as well asper fidem justificamur.52

The

sentence, "that faith is reckoned as righteousness to man"53

essentially contains the same

thoughts, or the other statement that we are justified when we believe "with the mouth one

confesses and is saved".54

But how is this now to be understood and explained: that we are justified by faith or

from faith, that faith justifies us? That is the main point. The moderns describe justifying faith

as a moral act of man. This is now the demand of God to man in the New Testament: that he

believes in the Son Whom God has sent. Faith in Christ is the proper New Testament behavior.

This belief excludes fear, love and trust in God, includes in itself the fulfillment of the wholeLaw. Whoever therefore believes in the heart, that is, according to his conviction, then, as God

would have it, he appears before God's eyes as a righteous man. In the sayings of Scripture

50e.g. Romans 3:22, 25, 30.

51Romans 3:28.

52"We are justified because of faith", "justified by faith".

53Romans 4:5, 22.

54Romans 10:10.


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quoted above and many others also faith is in direct contrast to all work and activity of man.

Not only grace and works, but also faith and works are opposites according to Scripture. We

read in Romans 3:28: "We now hold that one is justified without works of the Law by faith.".

And Galatians 2:16: "Yet we know that man is not justified by works of the Law but through

faith in Jesus Christ, so we also believe in Christ Jesus, in order that we are justified by faith in

Christ and not by works of the Law." "Not by works", "by faith alone" - what does that mean?That does not mean: Not by others works and goodness, not by any others conduct, but only by

this one Man's work and conduct, this one Man's goodness and disposition, namely by faith is

man justified and saved. No, with the phrase, "not by works" is excluded from the article of

justification any works and conduct of man, any disposition, even faith, faith as action and

disposition of mankind, and by faith that alone justifies, that is set against all the work and

conduct of mankind, is clearly taught that faith here in no respect comes into consideration as

the conduct of mankind. God regards nothing that man does or thinks, nothing that is on or in

him, when He declares mankind as righteous. And this is the first thing that a preacher must

also inculcate to his hearers when he speaks about faith: Not that you all are so pious and

faithful, not these good dispositions of your heart, faith, not that you do God a favor and

believe in His Son, that is not what helps you before God and rescues you from judgment. He

must carefully avoid all expressions and statements which could give the impression as if faith

therefore justifies, because he has such a good work or has such a beautiful virtue.

But it is not time to determine positively what faith has to mean in the business of

justification. A comparison between Galatians 2:16 and the following verse makes this quite

clear. In Galatians 2:16 the apostle emphasizes, "that we believe in Christ Jesus, so that we

might be justified by faith in Christ." This is followed by the sentence in verse 17: "But if we

were found to be sinners, that we sought to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a servant of

sin? Far be it." The apostle again here incorporates in the antecedent the statement of verse

16, in order to reject in afterthought an inference that one could draw from this. From the fact

that we are justified by faith in Christ, it does not follow that Christ was a servant of sin, andnow we are likely to serve and obey sin. But while Paul again incorporates the thoughts of verse

16, he gives it another form. He does not say in verse 17 that we are justified by faith in Christ,

but that we are justified by Christ (). Justified by faith in Christ and justified by Christ

is one and the same thing. And that's the way it is in every place where Scripture speaks about

faith in Christ, the emphasis is on the object. Faith is directed to Christ, we believe in Jesus

Christ (), faith apprehends Christ, faith adheres to Christ, holds and seizes

Christ. Even where only summarily "faith" is mentioned, still specifically the Christian faith, faith

in Christ, is meant. And it is just Christ and His merit that faith holds and seizes, that justifies us.

Not that we are the ones who believe it, not that we do this noble work or bear in our bosom

these noble sentiments and show we are faithful, but that it is Christ, with Whom we are unitedin faith, it is He Who justifies us before God and brings us God's merciful judgment. Even in

Romans 4:5: "But to the one who does not work but believes in Him Who justifies the ungodly,

his faith is counted as righteousness", all weight lies on the object of faith. Faith adheres to

Jesus Christ, trusts in God, the wonderful God Who justifies the ungodly, and to that extent and

for that reason it is reckoned as righteousness. In Romans 4:16 it says: "Therefore

righteousness must come by faith, in order that it may be from grace." Therefore, that

righteousness comes by faith is to prove that it comes from grace. Faith adheres to grace, builds


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and trusts solely on the free grace and mercy of God. Faith adds nothing to what God does and

has done in Christ, but sprouts, as it were, entirely in its object: God's grace and Christ's merit.

So in the 4th Article of the Augsburg Confession the term "by faith" is explained in detail by the

apposition: "so we believe that Christ has suffered for us, and that for His own sins is given

forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life." Whoever rightly recognizes the content and

subject matter of faith, Christ, and His righteousness also knows what faith is and what is themeaning of faith in justification.

In other words, justifying faith is, as the ancients called it, medium. Faith

conducts itself as purely receptive in the business of justification; it takes what God gives. The

Apology says: "Faith is a divine service and latria, in which we are the recipients of gifts."

Romans 3:25 illuminates this quite clearly in comparison with Romans 3:22. We read these

words in Romans 3:25: . God

has presented Christ as a propitiation or mercy seat by faith in His blood or by virtue of His

blood. What does this mean here, this "by faith"? The opinion is apparently not

that mankind's faith only makes Christ to be a propitiation, that atonement and salvation is

wrought by mankind's faith. Christ is propitiation, mercy seat by virtue of His own blood. Sin is

atoned for once and for all by Christ's blood and death. Redemption has long been

accomplished by Christ. And by faith we obtain, seize, we apply the atonement and redemption

that is in Christ Jesus, that it becomes our own. But likewise this , "by faith" is

understood in Romans 3:22. It says: . Luther has

aptly translated it: "But I say about such righteousness before God, that it comes by faith in

Jesus Christ." Paul does not mean that the righteousness that avails before God comes about, is

caused by faith. No, he explains in the following the term , "righteousness

before God" by the completion of the redemption that happened by Christ Jesus. Through

Christ's suffering and death, through Christ's redemption the righteousness that avails before

God is obtained and established once for all. And faith now increases in this precious

commodity, the righteousness before God that is in Christ Jesus, and it is suitable to him. Sorighteousness "comes" to us by faith. Romans 5:17 expressly describes justifying faith as a

"receiving". St. Paul writes: "Much more will those who receive () the abundance

of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." The

righteousness that avails before God is here called a gift, a gift of God, a gift of grace. Romans

5:15 had already said that this grace and gift is in the one man, Jesus Christ. This gift is finished

and prepared in Christ. And it all comes down to receiving the gift. This receiving is faith.

Whoever receives this gift appropriates and takes up for himself, whoever believes this, will

then one day with Christ prevail in life. Therefore by faith we seize, receive, grasp, and keep

Christ, God's grace in Christ, and in and with Christ the redemption by His blood, forgiveness of

sins or, what is the same, the righteousness that avails before God.So we now understand the aforementioned various ways of speaking of Scripture. We

say according to Scripture that we are justified by faith. That is to say that we take delivery by

faith the righteousness that avails before God, whoever receives this, has it, and therefore is

justified before God. We say with Scripture that faith is reckoned as righteousness to man, that

faith justifies. But faith justifies precisely only insofar as he appropriates the justifying verdict of

God, which is based only in God and Christ. We say that we are justified from faith, as a result

of faith. But precisely as a result of faith that involves and pulls together Christ and His


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righteousness. We say that we are justified when we believe and because we believe. That is to

say: when and because we apply to ourselves Christ and His righteousness in faith. It is always

God and Christ alone Who work and create everything that serves for our salvation. And faith

simply recognizes this and accepts what God in Christ does and has done. Thus "by faith alone"

"from grace alone" and "alone, for Christ's sake" is not altered but only confirmed and

reaffirmed.The proper practical treatment of the lesson about faith appears by itself positively from

the aforementioned. A preacher has broad discretion, which initially affects the expression

forma dicendi.55

He must and should speak about faith in the same way Scripture speaks about

it. He must and should impress upon his hearers: It is faith alone that justifies you, by faith you

are able to stand before God. Whoever believes is justified, is saved. Whoever does not believe

is condemned. So if you believe from the heart, you are justified. Not by works, by faith alone,

from faith! But now the preacher must also only diligently apply it to explain these different

ways of talking and to get across to his hearers the proper concept of faith. Everything is

located in the object of faith. So let the preacher set this object, Christ and the righteousness

that is in Him, the grace of God in Christ, in the proper light, indeed precisely even when he acts

by faith. Luther consistently used both ways of speaking, "proclaim by faith" and "proclaim

Christ", as identical statements. One doesn't struggle too much to analyze the psychological act

of faith. No, let one paint quite lively the crucified Christ before the eyes of his hearers, direct

their attention, thoughts, and ideas on this one Man, Jesus Christ, seek to imagine Christ in

their heart. If this succeeds, then the purpose that one has in mind is achieved. Whoever has

Christ in heart and mind has proper faith. Justifying faith is the taking hand, solely a taking,

nothing else in addition or incidentally. This proper, Scriptural notion of faith should never

come from the mind of a preacher. When he speaks about faith, provokes and entices to faith,

the fundamental of his speaking should be: Behold, God justifies you by vain mercy and

compassion. Christ, the Lord, is your righteousness. The gift of God in Christ is righteousness,

perfect righteousness that avails before God. So only take what God gives you, take it, grab itwith both hands. You do not need to give or pay something for it. God commands no

commitment from you, nothing in return behind it. He gives free of charge, freely,

unconditionally: you need only to take, grasp, and hold what He gives you, then you have it,

then you are justified before God. Yes, all preaching about faith should sound this way: you only

need to take and believe that God requires nothing of you, not: God has done His part, now you

must do yours and at least do and believe this one Man. Of course, one might also, following

the example of Scripture, thus turn around and say: This is God's will, that you believe in His

Son. Believe in Christ! God seriously wants to have this from you. But one should not forget that

this is not a legal requirement, chiefly not a demand in the true sense of the word. No, it is

Gospel in the highest potency when one suggests to poor, afflicted sinners that this is God'searnest, holy will that they believe and are saved, when one urges and compels them in God's

Name to come to Christ, and persuades them and impresses on them: "Come, everyone who

thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and

milk without money and without price!"56

The faith by which we are justified before God is a

55style.

56Isaiah 55:1.


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descended from heaven, became Man and died, has risen again from the dead and has

accomplished everything well, and then continues: "The word is near you, in your mouth and in

your heart; that is, the word of faith that we preach." In Christ, the God-man, the crucified and

risen, ready and prepared righteousness is available and comes near to individuals through the

Word. The word is preached, and one need only to hear the word, believe the word and to take

it to heart. Thus one has righteousness and is justified before God. That iniquity is forgiven, isatoned for, should be preached according to God's will now in the time of the New

Testament.59

It is Christ Himself, Who fulfills redemption and has acquired righteousness, Who

preaches to the poor as the One Exalted by the Spirit and announces redemption.60

He has

commanded His disciples to preach forgiveness of sins in His Name.61

And whoever receives

such preaching in faith boasts: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of

righteousness."62

Consequently a preacher must now also underline the importance of the word as a

means of grace, namely regarding its vis communicativa.63 The following circle of thoughts

should constantly recur in preaching: Here you have the Word. The Word is really near you, it is

always in your ears. Here you have Christ in the Word, here you have righteousness, grace,

comfort, peace, joy, happiness and everything good. Therefore hear only the Word! Believe in

the Gospel! Believe and accept what is given to you here in the Word! I proclaim and preach to

you in the name and mandate of God that iniquity is forgiven. Only hear and believe what I say

to you! When you rightly hear and learn and take to heart only the Word and preaching, then

you have everything that you need, a gracious God and eternal life.

What we have said about justifying faith on the basis of Scripture is explained by the

example of Abraham's faith at the end of Romans chapter four. And we should practically use

this kind of example. Exempla illustrant.64

We read in Romans 4:18-22: "In hope he [Abraham]

believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told,

'So shall your offspring be.' He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, whichwas as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the

barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but

he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do

what he had promised. That is why his faith was 'reckoned to him as righteousness.'" Abraham

believed in hope against hope. According to the common course of events there was nothing

for him to hope. But he did not consider his own deadened body and the deadened body of

Sarah, did not look at what lay before his eyes, but looked only at God and God's promise,

according to which he should be a father of many nations. He gave glory to God in that he did

not doubt, but knew in the most certain way, was firmly convinced about it, that God could do

what He has promised. We should apply this to ourselves. "But the words 'it was counted tohim' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe

59Isaiah 40:1-2.

60Isaiah 61:1-3.

61Luke 24:47.

62Isaiah 61:10.

63communicative force.

64They illustrate examples.


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in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and

raised for our justification."65

We believe in God, Who has raised Jesus from the dead. We

believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Crucified and Resurrected, in Whom we have perfect

righteousness, as the Gospel witnesses. And this is the type and nature of proper faith: he

completely disregards his own person and looks solely at the promises of God that promises us

vain grace, comfort, and joy in Christ. Faith is a marvelous thing. We go out, as we believe, as itwere, completely from ourselves and cling with every fiber of our hearts to the great and rich

promises of God, rest with our soul entirely in the Word that presents to us the righteousness

that avails before God. According to the natural course of things, according to the judgment of

reason and our own conscience there is nothing for us to hope. For we are sinners and deserve

only death and destruction. But we believe in hope against hope. We forget ourselves, who we

are, and direct hearts and thoughts solely on the Word that eternally stands firm outside

ourselves, on the gracious promises of God of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and not

doubt that God actually does and gives what He promises in His Word, that all of God's

promises are "Yes" and "Amen" in Christ, and give God glory with such confidence.

Accordingly, a preacher should say to his hearers: Pay no attention to what is before

your eyes! You probably still feel sin in your flesh daily. Your conscience often gnaws and bites

at you. If you look at yourself, you have to hope for nothing good. But you must and shall

entirely ignore your unworthiness and incompetence, your own person, your deeds and

conduct, your own righteousness and unrighteousness. This is proper faith. Behold what lies

outside of and around you! Fix your eyes straightaway on the Word. The comforting voice

presses against you throughout Scripture: Be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven! You

shall not die, but live! And what God promises you in His Word is Truth, it has power and

validity. Therefore give God glory and do not doubt, but believe in the most certain way that

the gracious promises of God also concern us and will come true for you. Let this be your

watchword: "I believe what Jesus' Word promises, whether or not I feel it."

Finally, it should be noted that the question of the origin of faith does not belong in theperiphery of the article of justification. When one discusses the doctrine of conversion, then

one has to tell them that God alone works faith. If one wanted to answer the question of how

we can exist in time and eternity before God, speak in detail of the gracious work of God in the

hearts of mankind, then one would avert the view of the hearers only about the nervus rei66

,

the "Christ for us", what God is doing outside of us. We fare best in preaching, in theology,

when we look for ourselves at each piece, each article of salutary truth. We now only know in

part. One is therefore content in the practical treatment of the doctrine of justification to bring

to light the type and nature of justifying faith, that it is the organ that apprehends and takes the

gift of God in Christ.

We investigated, step by step, the preaching of the Scriptures about the righteousnessthat avails before God. It has three parts. We are justified before God by grace, for Christ's sake,

through faith. But this preaching also has an introduction and a conclusion that we must not

overlook.

65Romans 4:23-25.

66chains of guilt.


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We must pay attention to the context in which the article of justification is found in

Scripture. Isaiah 1:18-20 introduces the gracious judgment that God speaks to sinners: "Though

your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" etc. What precedes it? A grave, sharp

reprimand of the prophet. Isaiah punishes the ingratitude and apostasy of Israel67

, the

hypocritical sacrifices with which the people sought to cover and gloss over its evil ways. The

reprimand continues at verse 21 and following. The princes of the people are "murderers","companions of thieves." We hear the New Testament preaching of comfort in Isaiah 40:1-2:

"Comfort, comfort My people! says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and preach to her

that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned" etc. At the same time another, harsher

voice is heard: "It is a voice of a preacher in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make

straight in the landscape a level way for our God" etc.68

The speech of the wilderness preacher

closes with the words "And thus", when the way is prepared, "the glory of the Lord", His

glorious grace, "shall be revealed." The way to the Lord and His grace is revealed by the

preaching of repentance. In the second half of Romans chapter one St. Paul describes in thirsty

colors the moral condition of the heathen world. The heathen have not honored God nor gave

thanks to Him as their God, have set the creature in the place of the living God. For this reason

God gave them over to shameful passions. Fidelity and faith have disappeared. They are "filled

with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy,

murder, strife, deceit, evil, whisperers" etc. In Romans chapter two the apostle passes

judgment on the Jews. They are no better than the heathen. They set themselves up as

magistrates and instructors who teach others that one does not steal, should not commit

adultery, and yet they do precisely what they forbid others to do. In chapter three the sins of

the heathen and Jews are summarized. The general human corruption is described with well-

known words of Old Testament Scripture: "There is no one who is righteous, not even one,

there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks for God, they have all deviated;

together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open

grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth isfull of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and

misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."

And at this point the introduction about justification is now introduced: "But now the

righteousness that avails before God has been manifested apart from the law" etc.69

Preachers must never lose sight of this connection when they bear witness about

justification by faith. What use is the most precious gift when one allows it to fall on the ground

or into the well instead of being handed to the needy? What help is the most powerful

ointment and pharmaceutical if it does not contact the sore spot? How good and helpful is the

most precious preaching about justification if it slides over the heads of the hearers, let alone

over their hearts and consciences? The consolation of justification, divine grace, sticks only in abattered and anguished heart and conscience. Secure and careless hearts are only angered and

hardened when one gives them only friendly, good words and comforts them with the grace of

Christ. Therefore, it is the sacred duty of an evangelical preacher, who does not blindly throw

67Isaiah 1:2.

68Isaiah 40:3-5.

69Romans 3:21ff.


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away the entrusted treasure, but shall bring to man, to prepare his hearers' hearts to receive

the blessings and consolations of the Gospel, and always to prepare anew the way to Christ by

the preaching of repentance. The Gospel is so dear to him, the salvation of hearers lie so near

and dear to him, he must so seriously chastise sin, and indeed so chastise that the sinner feels

his sin and is restless about it and therefore is worried how he may stand again before God.

And it is necessary, following the example of Scripture, not merely to speak in general aboutsin, but to point out individual sins, and especially those sins that are common to all mankind,

and also still cling to Christians. Even Christians still have, because they are flesh and blood,

their share of the general corruption of mankind. People do not thank God as their God. Their

heart hangs, instead of on the living God, on the corruptible creature. And how easy Christians

still forget about the daily blessings of

the practical treatment of the doctrine of justification by stöckhardt

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