Most people know that Dr. Luther nailed his “Ninety-five Thesis against Indulgences” on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on the Eve before All Saints Day. To a certain extent that is somewhat of an irony. Throughout her History the Lutheran Church has been accused of being against good works. Sadly some of the criticism is valid. So this month I offer some thoughts on the Christian Life for you to ponder.
An aversion to sanctification has taken hold in certain quarters in Confessional Lutheranism. It is a subset of Gospel reductionism, and a sad legacy of those years in our Synod when there was active and open denial of the third use of the law. Under that influence there developed unfortunate views of Christian sanctification. Also there are those who appear to think that the best antidote to legalism is a certain kind of antinomianism. Or, put another way, a view that if Pietism is the problem a demonstration of impiety is the solution.
It is a sort of pendulum move. If there are Christians who lose sight of Christ and the Gospel in their quest to be about good works, there is this odd notion that the way to counteract that is attempting to reduce the entire Christian experience and life to a rather formulaic, rote articulation of the doctrine of justification and denunciation of works righteousness. The proper distinction between Law and Gospel has come to be understood to mean that a sermon should not speak about the Christian’s life transformed by the Gospel.
As a result of all this, it is no wonder that there are Lutheran Christians who regard the Gospel as not much more than a way to be “let off the hook” for personal responsibility for moral, virtuous Christian behavior. I’ve had more than one conversation with a pastor who has indicated that this is cropping up increasingly in pastoral ministry. A person comes expressing a sense of remorse for a situation but is not capable of recognizing their own culpability for the situation and their contribution to the situation in their lack of commitment to virtue and morality as a Christian living out their lives in grateful obedience to God. They come seeking forgiveness, or perhaps, to be made to feel better, with some sort of pastoral, “Oh, that’s ok. You are only human. Don’t worry, you are forgiven” when they have no intention to stop the sinful behavior. Simply put, Christ did not shed His blood on the cross to give you “freedom” to live like a pig, unconcerned about good works and living your life to glorify God.
The Gospel sets us free from sin, not free to sin. The Gospel liberates us from captivity from sin, but does not excuse a libertine life. The Gospel forgives sin, it does not excuse it. We are justified by Christ’s perfect righteousness, but unrighteousness is never justified.
As you meditate upon these things I pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you.
His servant and yours for His sake,
Pastor Froh
