8. Justification by Works.
Scripture also teaches a justification from works. This is the justification that happens and is to happen before men. The justification before God (evam.ov Sov) happens in every case (1400 oGp&) without the works of the law, through faith (Rom. 3:20, 28) and does not fall under human observation, because we humans cannot see faith in our hearts. Therefore, it is God's will and order that we human beings judge the justification or the state of grace of other people according to the works or the perceptible fruits of faith. The Apology says (113, 35 [Zrigl. 164, Apol., Il, 35 German text]): "Faith in the heart of others cannot be shown or indicated except by the fruits, which show faith in the heart before men. Thus Christ speaks to the sinner in relation to their justification before God (Luther: interna remissio), Luke 7:50: "Your faith has helped you; go in peace. But to the Pharisee Simon, Christ proves the justification of the woman by the works of the woman: "Her many sins are forgiven, for she has loved much. Luther points out in his Disputation on Luke 7:47 '5*) that the same order still applies and must apply in the Christian Church [Sr L. VII: 1460]: "In the same way, sinners are publicly (publice) absolved in the Church if they prove the righteous fruits of repentance. For those cannot be publicly absolved who apparently persist in sins the object of the justifying faith, in so far as it justifies, it is not considered in the latter, but in the former relationship. This is clearly expressed by the Apology when it says that "the object of justifying faith is the promised mercy", "the forgiveness of sins is something promised for Christ's sake". With this emphasis on objective justification as the object of justifying faith, Carpzov at the same time refutes an objection of the Romanists. They find a contradiction in the fact that, according to Lutheran teaching, justification is both an object of faith and is carried out through faith. But there is so little contradiction between these two facts that they rather demand each other. Because justification or forgiveness of sins is the object of faith acquired by Christ and offered in the Gospel, therefore the justification or forgiveness of sins takes place through faith and through nothing other than faith, as the Lutheran Confessions repeatedly emphasize (102, 84; 616, 30, etc. [Trigl. 145, Apol., Art. [V [1], 84; 925, F.C., Sol. Decl., HI, 30]).
and do not show that they have repented." The Christian community must adhere to this order with great seriousness. It must reject the vocation from the faith of the heart in the face of the evident absence of Christian works and insist on justification through the works. To the extent that the Christian congregation fails to press its members for justification through the works, it is torn apart by lack of discipline and ceases to be a light of the world and salt of the earth to those around it. Justification from works is taught throughout Scripture. Joh. 13:35: By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples if ye have love one to another.; Matt. 12:37: "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. '*?*) But not only other people, but also the individual Christians themselves should be able to read a justification judgment from their works. This is expressed in scriptural statements such as the following: 1 John 3:14: "We know that we have come from death into life, because we love our brethren"; 1 John 2:3-4: "By this we know (ytv@o«opev) that we have known him (éyv@Kapev), if we keep his commandments. Whoever says, "I have known him, and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"; 2 Peter 1:10: "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure"; Matt. 6:14: " If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. The Apology speaks of this (136, 154 f. [Zrig/. 199, Apol., Art. I, 154]) with reference to the last quoted passage:. Christus saepe '™ annectit promissionem remissionis peccatorum bonis operibus, non quod velit bona opera propitiationem esse, sequuntur enim reconciliationem, sed propter duas causas. Altera est, quia necessario sequi debent boni fructus. Monet igitur, hypocrisin et fictam poenitentiam esse, si non sequantur boni fructus. Altera causa est, quia nobis opus est habere externa signa tantae promissionis, quia conscientia pavida multiplici consolatione opus habet. Tit igitur baptismus, ut coena Domini sunt signa, quae subinde admonent, erigunt et confirmant pavidas mentes, ut credant firmius remitti peccata: ita
incredulitas et impietas iudicium ferri potest et feretur, sive absolutorium, sive condemnatorium. Quid enim aliud sermones sancti quam fides sonans? (From the speech we can and do judge whether faith and piety or unbelief and impiety dwell in the heart. For in holy speech we hear the loud voice of faith.
scripta et picta est eadem promissio in bonis operibus, ut haec opera admoneant nos, ut firmius credamus. [Google] We recall here what was said earlier about the double witness of the Holy Spirit. °3> is present then and in that the Holy Spirit works faith in the objective grace present through Christ and offered in the Gospel (grace = favor Dei propter Christum, "God's grace or favor" for the sake of Christ). The external testimony (testimonium externum sive indirectum) is present then and in that the Holy Spirit brings forth in us and from us the fruits of faith: love for God and his Word, love for neighbor, patience, humility, etc. (Grace = gratia infusa). This outward testimony of the Holy Spirit in good works to our state of grace or our justification is very much appreciated, as the Apology recalls in the words cited. '*°° But since it is not far from good works that they are filled with sin because of the ebmepiotatov Guaptiav [the sin, which doth so easily beset us] (Heb 12:1)—for "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"—it is precisely by looking at our justification from the works that we are led to continually withdraw to the justification before God, which happens without works. Justification by faith and justification by works must be clearly distinguished. Whoever mixes justification from works with justification before God loses justification before God (Gal. 5:4) and reaps the curse (Gal. 3:10); for we know (sidd6téc), says the apostle, that man is not justified by works of the law, but (€&v pn) by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16). — In terms of terminology, Luther distinguishes "two kinds" of forgiveness of sins or justification, the "internal" and the "external". The "inside" is done through the promise of grace of the Gospel and the faith that takes the promise of grace. The
from works and before men] res magni momenti et mirabiliter fidem roborat et consolatur. [Public absolution [the justification from works and before men] is a matter of great importance and wonderfully strengthens and comforts faith.] Luther powerfully explains how the individual Christian works become an absolution or justification for the Christian, StL. VII, 514 f. is the justification before God. The external justification happens through the good works of Christians, which as a consequence and fruit of the internal justification fall under human perception, thus revealing the internal justification. This is the justification before men. Luther writes (VII, 511) on Matt. 6:14: "But how does Christ put forgiveness on our work with these words and says: If you forgive your neighbor, you shall be forgiven? This does not mean that forgiveness is based on faith! Answer: The forgiveness of sin, as I have often said, is twofold: first, through the gospel and the Word of God, which is received within the heart before God through faith; and second, outwardly, through works, of which 2 Peter says, teaching of good works: ‘Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure’. Then he wills that we should make such things certain, that we have faith and forgiveness of sin: that is, that we should prove the works, that the tree is felt by the fruit, and that it is manifest that it is a good tree, and not a corrupt tree. For where there is a right faith, there surely follow good works. Thus a man is both by heart and within pious and righteous, both before God and men. For this is the consequence and fruit, that may make myself and others certain that I believe rightly." But is it not difficult to find one's way around Scripture, when in a number of passages it so resolutely excludes works from justification and then again in many places teaches justification from the works? Not at all. Rather, it is the case that Scripture, together with justification from works, teaches and confirms justification by faith alone. For if we take a closer look at the works on the basis of which justification is pronounced, we can see that they are works that flow from faith or have faith as their precondition. They are thanksgiving sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins already received through faith. In other words, they are the works of those who have already been justified before God by faith alone. Wherever there is talk of justification from the works, therefore, the "mere work" or the opus externum is never taught and "of faith being forgotten", but on the contrary always the faith is always taught as that by which alone we are justified before God.!°3 We must therefore also not admit that there is any contradiction and that it would be possible to reconcile it if, on the one hand, Scripture ascribes justification to faith, to the complete exclusion of works, and, on the other hand, justification is also attached to works. On the contrary, as has already been said, justification from works, in the sense of Scripture, always leads to justification, and sharpens the justification that occurs without works. For as soon as a person looks around for the works on which Scripture bases the judgment of justification, he will realize that these are works that only the iustificatus fide sine operibus [justified by faith without works] can do.
stubbornly (pertinaciter) opposed the justification by faith Luke 7:47 ("Her many sins are forgiven, for she has loved much"): "They are to be avoided as people of broken senses. '**°) Here belongs
that eternal life is given to those who have done good, it indicates that it is given to those who have been found righteous through faith in Christ. Luther, VU, 513: "But it is also true that this work, as he calls it here" (namely, forgiving one's neighbor) "is not a mere work like others, if we do it ourselves; for it is not forgotten even by faith.
sayings that are drawn against us, namely, that the law cannot be done right without Christ"; 115, 38 [167, ibid., 38]: "Before we fulfill a title in the law, there must first be faith in Christ, through which we are reconciled to God and first obtain forgiveness of sins"; 107, 110 [153, Art. TV [II], 110]: Non diligimus nisi certo statuant corda, quod donata sit nobis remissio peccatorum.
can certainly shout, Scripture often speaks of doing and working; but we respond constantly, it speaks of believing action. uses LE LS ee ae. but if one has the right opinion and knowledge of God, as it were aright reason, the work also comes into being (incarnatur) and is incorporated into faith; so that everything that is added to faith can then also be added to works, but only for the sake of faith. It is therefore very useful that those who study theology learn to distinguish between right action and hypocritical action, moral and theological. For those who do so will easily be able to explain all the passages that seem to judge the righteousness of works. Cf. also the whole exposition of the