Salvation
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners, 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ.[d] And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by the faith of Christ[e] and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
Galatians 2:15-16 (NRSV)
STORY
Martin Luther is recognized as the father of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation took place in Germany in the sixteenth century. The movement began when the governmental leaders would no longer tolerate the political influence of the Roman Catholic church. Even more distressing was the atrocious taxes placed upon the populace to support cathedral construction projects in Rome. Another central issue was the rituals and rubrics that parishioners were required to follow to remain in good standing with the church and be assured of their salvation.
One of the theological issues that the reformers opposed was the Catholic doctrine of works righteousness. Works righteousness maintains that salvation can be earned by doing good works. The doctrine advocates that an individual can make himself righteous before God by his obedience to the rules, rites, and rituals of the Catholic church. The doctrine of works righteousness negates the biblical belief of salvation by faith alone.
Martin Luther, who was both a priest and a monk, was always fearful of the state of his soul. He feared that for a lack of obedience that salvation would escape him and that upon his death he would be assigned to purgatory, that station between heaven and hell.
To atone for his sins, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. In the Eternal City he embarked upon every ritual of redemption that was sanctioned by the Vatican. One such appointment was climbing Pilate’s Stairs. These 28 marble steps, while one ascended on hands and knees, the penitent would kiss each step one while reciting the Pater Noster, which is the Latin name for the Lord’s Prayer. Each one of the 28 marble steps acted as an indulgence that would lessen one’s time in purgatory. Reaching the top step and having completed this legalistic ritual, Luther raised himself to his feet and in disillusionment of what he had just done exclaimed, “Who knows whether it is so?” This was one of several watershed moments in Martin Luther’s life when he realized that he could never be saved by works, and that he could only be saved by faith alone.
Luther wrote a number of treatises dismantling the doctrine of works righteousness and affirming that salvation is by faith alone. Luther wrote in one theological dissertation:
Many have been deceived by outward appearances and have proceeded to write and teach about good works and how they justify without even mentioning faith. … Wearying themselves with many works, they never come to righteousness.
In another theological dissertation Luther wrote:
The first care of every Christian ought to be to lay aside all reliance on works, and strengthen his faith alone more and more, and by it grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who has suffered and risen again for him.
DEVOTION
From the conception of Christianity there were two conflicting views on who could be a Christ follower. One group were the Jews who converted to Christianity but still held firm that that the laws as recorded in the Pentateuch, as reprinted in the first five books of the Bible, must still be adhered to. This faction also held firm to the belief that Gentile converts to Christianity must also accept all Jewish rites and rituals, especially that of circumcision. This was in contrast to an opposing group that no one, neither Jew nor Gentile, had to conform to the laws as recorded in Pentateuch.
It was the Apostle Paul’s position, and the prevailing position of the church today, is that salvation comes by faith alone, making obedience to a church’s legalistic rites and rituals null and void for obtaining salvation. Sadly, some denominations still impose religious mandates upon their constituents.
For example, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, better known to most people as the Mormons, requires all adults to wear full length white underwear. This undergarment is officially called a “Temple Garment.” The color white is a symbol of purity. According to the church, “This garment, worn day and night, serves three important purposes. It is a reminder of the sacred covenant made with the Lord in His holy house, a protective covering for the body, and a symbol of modesty of dress and living that should characterize the lives of humble followers of Christ.” This may be an important expression of faith for the Mormons, though this is not a route to salvation.
These rules, rites, and rituals may help one to stay focused on Christ, though they will never be an avenue for salvation. These acts of obedience will never prevail over our sinful natures, and upon dutifully obeying these church mandates we will still find ourselves saying, as Martin Luther did, “Who knows whether it is so?” It is only then that we will fully comprehend that our salvation comes by faith alone.
Anyone who has ever attended Sunday school has been engaged in this discussion of whether a good person, though not a believer, is saved? There are multiple opinions on this question, though I caution you that your class discussion doesn’t place works as a substitute for faith.
So now, the question points directly at you: Have you concluded that your righteousness is obtained from being legalistic and obedient or by having faith?