We conclude that a man is saved by faith, apart from the works of the Law: A Reformation Day reflection on Romans 3

This is the great conclusion St. Paul articulates, after having laid the ground work of Biblical theology in chapter’s one and two of Romans.  For if all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, then by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight.  There is no salvation for mankind that can come of his own works, no matter how noble they seem, because the Law of God convicts all mankind of being hopelessly wicked and twisted to the core.  The only salvation that mankind can hope for, must be by God’s work, and given to mankind as a gift—an unmerited gift of grace that can only be received by faith, and never earned.  And lest anyone think this is simply St. Paul’s peculiar theological opinion, he grounds his theology solidly on the witness of the Old Testament, and speaks on behalf of the whole Apostolic band, when he says, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Romans 3:28, KJV)  This is the very core of the united Apostolic doctrine.

While the Biblical theology of Justification by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ alone is radically simple, it also has radical implications.  If I am dead in my sins, I cannot save myself… not even a little.  If my slightest fault or wicked inclination, at any time in my life, is severe enough to damn me to hell, then no positive work I can do will outweigh it, no matter how long I live or suffer; i.e., if the just demands of the holy Law of God are that I be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect, then no amount of good works no length of penance can erase the presence of one wicked thought.  In the light of the Law of God, there is only perfection and imperfection, purity and corruption.  The holy, pure, and penetrating light of the Law of God reveals me for who I really am as a rightfully condemned sinner, and shows me that there is nothing I can do to save myself… ever.  Of my own powers, I am hopelessly destined to an eternity of just destruction, suffering forever for the eternal guilt in my own body and soul.  My God is holy, pure, good, and righteous.  I am not.  I do not deserve to be where He is, nor to enjoy His fellowship, His goodness, His mercy or His grace.  I deserve His judgment for all the evil I have concocted between my ears, and the wickedness I have brought to bear in my words and deeds… things spoken and done, as well as things unspoken and undone.  I am not worthy of God’s goodness.  I am rather only worthy of His wrath.

This proper understanding of man before the face of the One True God, strips from us every pretention and pride.  We can do nothing but fall upon our knees, confess the truth of His greatness, and the truth of our wretchedness.  But this total destruction of our pride is the great work of the Law, and it is necessary for us, because our pride is that last and greatest idol to which we cling most grievously.  Our pride always whispers to us the lie we so long to believe:  that we are our own gods, and we are worthy to steal the glory of the only True God, even if only a little.  This last bastion of our wicked idolatry must be destroyed, and truth be told, we are powerless to defeat it.  Pride rises up from the depths of our crooked nature, corrupted as it was in the Fall.  Pride, which became the mark of our race, as we yielded to the devil’s temptation that we might become like gods ourselves, now marks and mars our every thought, word, and deed.  Pride is our great and common corruption, refusing to be who God created and called us to be, preferring to seek only our pleasure, lust, and passion.  Pride is the sin we celebrate, even in polite society, and the wound we nurture even in our tender children.  Pride is the last work of the devil that separates us from God, just as it separated him from God.  Pride is the wickedness we received freely from the evil one, which he used in his rebellion against the only True God.  Pride is the dark sacrament of our unholy communion with the devil, and the offensive fist we shake in the face of our Creator.  Pride is the face of our slavery to sin and death, and our rightful destiny in hell.

But it is our pride that our Lord Jesus Christ comes to slay.  In His life, death, and resurrection, He lays aside His own rightful glory as the Lord God Almighty, taking our place as a suffering servant.  He takes our pride upon Himself and carries it to His Holy Cross, where the ancient idol of our fall is destroyed.  There, in His suffering and death, the penalty for our pride is paid, and the curse of the Law is satisfied—from the beginning of time, to the Last Day.  With Christ as victor over sin, death, hell, and the devil, He comes to us with a new Word of Gospel and Grace:  to we who could not save ourselves, He has come as Savior and Lord, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins for the sake of His bitter suffering and death.  It is a Gospel written in His most holy blood, and a lavish forgiveness that receives nothing from us as payment… but everything from us in thanksgiving and praise.

So where is boasting?  It is excluded.  Who may boast of their own works, when it is Christ alone who saves?  Having seen the price of our salvation, who can cast their eyes anywhere or upon anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and His saving Cross?  Having been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, who would think to add to Christ’s works or merits, or to accuse Him of having failed to complete His saving work?  Shall we, having begun in grace, return to the Law that condemns us for our salvation?  God forbid!

And this is the simple, revolutionary, Biblical witness of the Reformation.  This is the great and reverberating witness of the Prophets and the Apostles, which declares that man is nothing, and Christ is everything.  This is the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ that shall never be removed from the Church of Jesus Christ.  This is the hope of the saints and the martyrs, who know who they are, and who their Savior is.  This is not just the voice of the 16^th century Reformation, but the voice of Christ and His people in every age.  For we conclude that a man is saved not by his own sinful works, but by grace through faith in Christ alone.  On this hangs the whole story of redemption from the dawn of man until the end of the world—and upon this great and unshakable truth, the Church of Jesus Christ stands forever.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.