Luther’s Legacy
There has long been contention in the Christian world concerning the relationship between faith and good works. Over 500 years ago in late October, Martin Luther, opened up this “can of worms” in the fall of 1517. He had posted his 95 Thesis on the Wittenberg church door in the hopes of stimulating intellectual debate. But 4 years later at the “Diet of Worms” he found himself fighting for his life over the questions he had raised. He had broken the church monopoly and championed the ideas of freedom of conscience, speech, and religion. This was a great boon to all those who wanted to embrace the principal of ‘sola scriptura’ and reject the authority of church councils.
Modern “Framework” has Medieval Roots
Unfortunately, Luther’s tentative steps towards recapturing the ‘faith once delivered to the saints’ were limited due to Medieval misconceptions. The Gospel of the Kingdom — the literal return of the Messiah to restore all things on earth — had been co-opted. The false framework of Heaven and Hell had prevailed. Along with this was the notion that to get to the “good place” you needed to ‘balance good deeds with bad’ do penance, or pay indulgences to escape negative consequences. In response to these false notions, Luther developed his doctrine of faith without works. But was Luther correct?
Faith and Good Works
If you are a Christian you know the importance of faith in God. But faith is more than mere belief. Faith has power to change us. Why? Because faith is that wholehearted loyal response to God. It is more than our trust in God. It is active. The just will live by faith. For it is faith that makes us God’s children, and his agents of change in the world. Faith must produce good works. But what are ‘good works’ and are they necessary for salvation?
Paul Explains Our Vocation
Having been made children of God by faith there is work to do. Paul tells us that our faith and love for others will be the motivating force behind our actions. Faith will empower us with wisdom and a greater knowledge of God and his purpose. Why? So we can be transformed spiritually, and prepared to travel the ‘road’ of good works. God has a purpose for us and he gives us each good gifts according to our abilities. In using these gifts to accomplish good works we become productive Ambassadors for Christ.
As children and servants of God we are in a vocation of transforming the world. God has created us as working models of God’s new creation, for we are his ‘handiwork’ — his craftmanship. Our job is one of ‘rescue and renewal,’ as we are God’s agents of change through our good works. So real faith cannot help but produce good works, that loyal and faithful obedience to God and his standards in everything we do. For we were given faith to be working models, examples of how to live godly lives in a godless world. We are to go into the world and ‘teach all things’ by our example of faith with good works.
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