The Smalcald Articles – part 22
Scripture Text: 1 John 1:7–9
Click above for larger graphic • Index of Scripture graphics and posts
Click for a recording of today's lesson.
1 John 1:7–9
From the Confessions: The Smalcald Articles – part 22
Now, because this can not be acquired or apprehended by any work, law, or merit, but must be believed, it is clear and certain that only this faith justifies us. St. Paul says, “For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law” (Rom 3:28). A few verses earlier, Paul states that, God alone “is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26).
Pulling It Together: Divine justice owes humanity nothing. We do not deserve to be justified to God because of anything we do. Indeed, our sin and sinfulness deserve exactly the opposite. This is not a system of quid pro quo, as though one good deed makes up for one bad, or that a promise to do better, along with a little community service, gets one off the hook. We are on sin’s hook from the get-go. The only way we are gotten off that hook is through faith in God’s justice, his system of merit. We confess our sins and have faith that God will do as he promised: forgive us of our sins and purge us of all unrighteousness. He is not merely faithful to do so but also just, not because we have earned it but, for Christ’s sake.
Prayer: Help me to walk in the light—not any dim ray from my own deeds, but in the full, glorious light of Christ alone. Amen.
Receive these daily Sola Devotions by email. Write mryman@solapublishing.com with "Subscribe" as your subject. To unsubscribe, send an email to the same address with "Unsubscribe" as your subject.
We Still Believe is offered as a resource for reflecting on key themes in biblical, Lutheran doctrine that are at risk in the Church today. It is offered in the hope that it will inspire individuals and congregations to examine the core beliefs of traditional Lutheranism and how these beliefs apply to our own present context. Written in a question and discussion style, the participant's book includes an introduction to and copy of the faith statement known as the Common Confession.
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
Click Here For Content Archives