ViaCrucis
Confessional Lutheran
- Oct 2, 2011
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Faith gives birth to works.
Faith without works is dead.
When I began as a Christian, I only had Faith. It was all I knew for a start; I didn’t know enough for works.
Now as I have been maturing in Faith, I try to do Good Works when I’ve got a chance.
It goes hand in hand.
Lutherans would agree with this, that our faith should be exemplified in works, that we are called to "fruit worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8), for in the same breath that St. Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith, and this is not of ourselves, but the gift of God and not by our own efforts he also says that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared for us beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10). The same Apostle says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). But what Lutherans make as a critical point is that these works do not earn us favor with God, these works do not count toward us as righteousness that renders us just before God, as though such works offset the unrighteousness of our sinful works.
These good works are not to earn brownie points with God, but rather that in light of God's mercy with which He has so super-abundantly saved us by what Christ has done, we ought to now go and do as we ought in the freedom of our faith. For God has freed us from the bondage of the Law, by which we were held in contempt by our own sin, that we might walk in the freedom as the children of God in good works out of liberty and love--that a heart full of love moved by the Spirit outward toward the needs of our fellow man and the world around us.
For our neighbor is hungry, let us feed him. Our neighbor is thirsty, let us give her drink. There is a child without mother, mother without child, let us console, comfort, care, and bring the kindness of God to those who suffer and are in need.
-CryptoLutheran
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