On the freedom of a christian man revised PDF

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Exploring to freedom relating to being a Christian...

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Tom Sullivan Theology 398 Due: 3/9/15 On The Freedom of a Christian Man

“A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.” This is one of the most important passages in Martin Luther’s, On The Freedom of a Christian Man. Throughout his writing, Luther examines the relationship between faith, works, and salvation. Must one perform good works in order to achieve justification? Luther argues that while good works are not necessary to be saved, the salvation of our inward man through faith alone allows our outward man the freedom to be truly selfless and dutiful. Luther’s idea of “by faith alone” relies on the concept of dualism. Luther states that “man is composed of a twofold nature, a spiritual and a bodily”. Only the spiritual, or “inward” self will carry on after death, and be saved. This means that the bodily, or “outward” self has absolutely no effect on our redemption, because it is an entirely separate entity. Luther writes “It is certain that absolutely none among outward things has any weight in producing a state of justification and Christian liberty.” Therefore, good works do not lead to our salvation. "If faith does everything, and by itself suffices for justification, why then are good works commanded? Are we then to take our ease and do no works, content with faith?” Luther asks these questions later on in his writing. Indeed, some critics believed that by arguing against the necessity of good works, Luther was invalidating their importance.

Erasmus, who at one time respected Luther, refused to join the Reformation, as he had observed reformers whose actions he believed did not meet the standards of a good Christian. He wrote “How can I persuade myself that those men are led by the Spirit of Christ, whose manners are so much at variance with the teaching of Christ?”1 To Erasmus, it seemed as though Luther had justified calling oneself a Christian, and yet not acting like one. However, in On The Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther answers his own questions. He argues that when we are no longer compelled to do good works to achieve our own salvation, we are then able to do good works for other reasons. This is the freedom that Luther speaks of. The Christian man, through his faith, has already been granted salvation. He is free to do what he pleases with is outward self. And it is our freedom to do good works that makes these works truly good. This is the key to Luther’s beliefs. You should be doing good works simply due to your love for God, and love for your neighbor. Not for your own salvation. Luther speaks with disgust about this throughout the text. He writes, “If works are done under the false impression that through them one is justified, they are made necessary and freedom and faith are destroyed; and this addition to them makes them no longer good but truly damnable works”. So, to Luther, doing good works simply for the purpose of salvation is actually not good at all. In fact, to do this is damnable. For

1. Erasmus was a Dutch theologian and scholar. At first, he and Luther had great respect for each other. He declined to join the Reformation because he viewed himself as a scholar with a neutral point of view. Luther believed that Erasmus had avoided committing to the Reformation because he was a coward. From then on, he and Luther became enemies, and disagreed on many topics such as Free Will and Luther’s audacity to depart from Christian traditions. The Reformers on the Reformation (foreign), London, Burns & Oates, 1881, pp. 13–14

good works to be sincerely good, they must not be done for such selfish reasons. He illustrates why Christians should be eager to do good works later on in his writing. One reason for a Christian to do good works is to show appreciation for God. By doing good works even though they are not necessary, you are being a true and dutiful servant of God. Mark Skillin explains this logic in an examination of Luther’s writing. He writes how a believer’s motivation for good works comes from his overwhelming appreciation of God’s mercy. “This”, Skillin writes, “is Christian freedom”2 . Christians are given the opportunity to show their appreciation for God while receiving no personal gain by doing so. This makes them more dutiful Christians than those doing works due to the promise of salvation. Christians should also do good works in an attempt to keep their outward self in correlation with their inward self. The inner self has been saved, but the outer self is a born sinner that will always fall short. It is important to subdue the temptations of the outer self, and for the outer self to, as Luther writes, “obey and conform itself to the inner man and faith”. Mary Gaebler explains Luther’s reasoning in a journal. She writes, “Luther does supply the underlying anthropology needed to support an incremental transformation of the outer self, as well as the expectation that the faithful will grow in righteousness.”3 Gaebler points out that while the outer self will never be perfect, it is possible to become more righteous. It is possible to bring the outer self closer to the inner self through small, incremental transformation. Luther believes that bettering

2

Mark Skillin, M.Div., ThM. An Examination of Martin Luther’s “Freedom of the Christian” pp. 3

3

Mary Gaebler, “Luther on the Self”, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics Vol 22 (2002): pp 116-118

yourself for the sole purpose of becoming a greater servant of God is a justified reason for doing good works. Near the end of the excerpt, Martin Luther writes about the simple responsibility of loving and helping your neighbor. He writes, “Here is the truly Christian life; here is faith really working by love; when a man applies himself with joy and love to the works of that freest servitude, in which he serves others voluntarily and for nought; himself abundantly satisfied in the fullness and riches of his own faith”. The life that Luther is describing is made possible by the freedom of the Christian man. This man is not forced to do good works, but instead can choose to do good works through his own dedication to God. It is this ability to choose that makes all the difference. By claiming that faith alone will bring salvation, the Christian man is now free to serve God on his own accord, making decisions based on love and gratitude, rather than fear of Hell. In Luther’s words, he is the most free lord of all, but also the most dutiful servant of all.

Bibliography Mark Skillin, M.Div., ThM. An Examination of Martin Luther’s “Freedom of the Christian” pp. 3 Mary Gaebler, “Luther on the Self”, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics Vol 22 (2002): pp 116-118 The Reformers on the Reformation (foreign), London, Burns & Oates, 1881, pp. 13–14...