I'll come clean and admit I had to google impute to make sure I had it right and here's what I found: "ascribe (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another."
I can handle giving Christ the reigns when it comes to matters of righteousness (see answer to question 1), but even MY faith? I can't even do God a solid by at least initiating this whole thing by believing in the God who has blessed me so much and given his only Son to die for my sins? That one little thing isn't something I can claim as my own as a work for God? Doesn't he at least deserve that from me? Can't I have at least that virtue of Faith as my own? Even my faith is given to me by virtue of Christ??? At this point old Kyle has to get off the boat and join his friend John McEnroe: "You CANNNOT BE SERIOUS!!!"
Well, now that I'm cooled off from that rant and took a cold shower and thought about it I guess it makes sense: Faith really isn't about the virtue or work of the person having faith, it's always about what we have faith in. I can work all I want at the art of faith to try to make myself seem virtuous, but ultimately it comes down to having something trustworthy to believe in. When Jesus says, "This is my body, given for you," that means I have Christ given to me! That is a word I can trust much more than any of my efforts at faith. Looking to the words of Christ and his promises to me for faith makes a lot more sense than clutching prayer beads trying to convince God and myself that I have faith saying "I believe, I believe, I believe. . . " Man, I feel kind of silly for freaking out that first paragraph. oh well. . .
YES! My faith, and your faith, needs something to believe in. You can, indeed, point to the promise of the Lord's Supper that delivered the forgiveness of sins (and with it, life and salvation)! Or the promise given to you in Baptism. Or, a spoken Word from a baptized believer who God uses to deliver it. The prayer bead image, or "general" faith that stops at "Yes, Jesus was alive" or "Jesus was raised from the dead" or even "Jesus is the savior" is haunting for my conscience. Why? Yes, Jesus IS the Savior. But, will he save...... me? We get to go even further than "general" faith as Christians to say something "specific", since the Promise is so specific. We get to say this: "Jesus is the Savior of ME." Jesus is the actor, and I am acted upon. And I say "Amen" to that, just like you do, Kyle, after the John McEnroe rant. :)
2b. What is so controversial about Justification by Faith Alone? This places all of the efficacy in hearing the word of God and his promises to us, not what we do, which is controversial takes a bit of getting used to. We always want to be the one in charge, but the most life changing thing (It kills the old Adam in us and makes us new!), is hearing the word of God, a blessed promise to us from our creator. We can try to do many things like "leading by example," "being the change we want to see," or even "living out our faith," or whatever the catch phrase of the day is, but just saying or trying to do those things doesn't actually change or do anything, it is impotent. But when we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what he has done for us, and who he says I am? Now, all of those things I've been trying and failing to do have already been accomplished in faith. With faith in Christ as the source our hearts overflow with good news that cannot help but spill out to the benefit of ourselves and our neighbor.
500 years ago? Placing the efficacy all in hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not what we do, sure did take a lot of "spiritual power" from the church 500 years ago. Of course this eroded "spiritual power" also led to eroded economic and political power, which only increased the controversy and had major implications for years to come.
TODAY?
Efficacy of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through faith alone, with the mirror placed firmly away from ourselves and what we do and say also takes power from the preacher who is intent on turning the mirror on themselves and teaching you how to "live out your faith." It exposes this way of thinking and preaching for what it is: Impotent, and that is even the best case scenario (if the advice seems good, it still doesn't change anything). No longer are we reliant on a preacher to interpret what the bible reading means for us today as if it is some riddle they need to solve each week so they can turn this outdated text to life and tell us what it really means when putting it in "today's context," because with faith alone we have been given Christ! Praise be to God for that, because us humans, when intent on coming up with new and better ways to preach our new improved version of adherence to the law, always end up inventing new and innovative ways to sin. Controversial: yes. Takes away power from those intent on turning the mirror to themselves as the source of good: yes. Thanks be to God!
This is great stuff, Kyle! Awesome words to be hit by. We esteem the Word highly -- for it is not impotent, but full of power, as you say. It has Effect. It is impossible to overstate this. The Word caused the creation, AND it causes the NEW creation and the communion of saints. This power of the word is foundational, and this comes out in Article IV and, perhaps even more so in Article V - The Ministry of the Church -- or "how the means of justification is obtained". It is a powerful External Word that is delivered, freeing the Christian from the sin of having to look internally for this promise (or worse, to have to deliver a promise to yourself by an inner feeling or work). Word and Sacrament, baby. Isaiah 55:10-11 plays a vital role here, and says what you're saying, Kyle:
The promise of God accomplishes what it promises!!
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout...., so shall my WORD be that goes out from my mouth; IT SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PURPOSE, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Let's get that Word out there then, huh? Let it create things new! Woohoo!
1. What seems “normal”, or even “mundane” about Article 4? "Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works" Of course this is self-evident, especially when you consider the alternative. Who in their right mind would dare go in front of God and say, "please judge me and my strength, merits, or works by your perfect standard of righteousness. Oh, by the way, please make it fair, don't do any of that funny business with grace or anything like that, I want my strength, merits, and works to be judged as harshly as possible. I think you'll find that you have no right to do anything other than justify me and my perfect self!" Yikes! That's not a demand I'd like to be giving God any time soon. I don't think many of our Christian brother's and sisters outside of the Lutheran faith alone tradition would disagree with this part without even invoking grace! I'll need more than my lunch break to take on the other questions, so I'll save those for later. . .
Yes - from the person who recognizes he is trapped in sin (and cannot free himself), it would be a very bad move to go before God and say -- "You really should like me, for I deserve it. I've merited it." The other good point you put forth -- is that it IS self-evident. Whether you've been given Jesus Christ and his forgiveness or NOT, your NATURAL end is evident. You're dead meat. The law is on our hearts, and, naturally, we'll look into the mirror and not like what we see. This is what Romans 1 puts right in front of us. The Law as a Mirror doesn't make you look very attractive.
Still, a part of us will deny this -- we deny death at many turns -- and like to think we could really earn our way. Go on some "journey of progress" that would make God pleased with us. Makes me think of Cain's sacrifice. "God put me in the field to work for SOME reason, here.... He must want me to give him something for God to love me back". God said -- "Cain? Your sacrifice stinks." Abel was chosen unfairly, and it drove Cain mad. Mad to the point of killing the person God gave his blessing to! Righteousness is a gift, and it is not a gift given in return of a lousy sacrifice.
2a. What seems “explosive” to you?
"This faith God imputes."
I'll come clean and admit I had to google impute to make sure I had it right and here's what I found: "ascribe (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another."
I can handle giving Christ the reigns when it comes to matters of righteousness (see answer to question 1), but even MY faith? I can't even do God a solid by at least initiating this whole thing by believing in the God who has blessed me so much and given his only Son to die for my sins? That one little thing isn't something I can claim as my own as a work for God? Doesn't he at least deserve that from me? Can't I have at least that virtue of Faith as my own? Even my faith is given to me by virtue of Christ??? At this point old Kyle has to get off the boat and join his friend John McEnroe: "You CANNNOT BE SERIOUS!!!"
Well, now that I'm cooled off from that rant and took a cold shower and thought about it I guess it makes sense: Faith really isn't about the virtue or work of the person having faith, it's always about what we have faith in. I can work all I want at the art of faith to try to make myself seem virtuous, but ultimately it comes down to having something trustworthy to believe in. When Jesus says, "This is my body, given for you," that means I have Christ given to me! That is a word I can trust much more than any of my efforts at faith. Looking to the words of Christ and his promises to me for faith makes a lot more sense than clutching prayer beads trying to convince God and myself that I have faith saying "I believe, I believe, I believe. . . " Man, I feel kind of silly for freaking out that first paragraph. oh well. . .
YES! My faith, and your faith, needs something to believe in. You can, indeed, point to the promise of the Lord's Supper that delivered the forgiveness of sins (and with it, life and salvation)! Or the promise given to you in Baptism. Or, a spoken Word from a baptized believer who God uses to deliver it. The prayer bead image, or "general" faith that stops at "Yes, Jesus was alive" or "Jesus was raised from the dead" or even "Jesus is the savior" is haunting for my conscience. Why? Yes, Jesus IS the Savior. But, will he save...... me? We get to go even further than "general" faith as Christians to say something "specific", since the Promise is so specific. We get to say this: "Jesus is the Savior of ME." Jesus is the actor, and I am acted upon. And I say "Amen" to that, just like you do, Kyle, after the John McEnroe rant. :)
2b. What is so controversial about Justification by Faith Alone? This places all of the efficacy in hearing the word of God and his promises to us, not what we do, which is controversial takes a bit of getting used to. We always want to be the one in charge, but the most life changing thing (It kills the old Adam in us and makes us new!), is hearing the word of God, a blessed promise to us from our creator. We can try to do many things like "leading by example," "being the change we want to see," or even "living out our faith," or whatever the catch phrase of the day is, but just saying or trying to do those things doesn't actually change or do anything, it is impotent. But when we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what he has done for us, and who he says I am? Now, all of those things I've been trying and failing to do have already been accomplished in faith. With faith in Christ as the source our hearts overflow with good news that cannot help but spill out to the benefit of ourselves and our neighbor.
500 years ago? Placing the efficacy all in hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not what we do, sure did take a lot of "spiritual power" from the church 500 years ago. Of course this eroded "spiritual power" also led to eroded economic and political power, which only increased the controversy and had major implications for years to come.
TODAY?
Efficacy of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through faith alone, with the mirror placed firmly away from ourselves and what we do and say also takes power from the preacher who is intent on turning the mirror on themselves and teaching you how to "live out your faith." It exposes this way of thinking and preaching for what it is: Impotent, and that is even the best case scenario (if the advice seems good, it still doesn't change anything). No longer are we reliant on a preacher to interpret what the bible reading means for us today as if it is some riddle they need to solve each week so they can turn this outdated text to life and tell us what it really means when putting it in "today's context," because with faith alone we have been given Christ! Praise be to God for that, because us humans, when intent on coming up with new and better ways to preach our new improved version of adherence to the law, always end up inventing new and innovative ways to sin. Controversial: yes. Takes away power from those intent on turning the mirror to themselves as the source of good: yes. Thanks be to God!
This is great stuff, Kyle! Awesome words to be hit by. We esteem the Word highly -- for it is not impotent, but full of power, as you say. It has Effect. It is impossible to overstate this. The Word caused the creation, AND it causes the NEW creation and the communion of saints. This power of the word is foundational, and this comes out in Article IV and, perhaps even more so in Article V - The Ministry of the Church -- or "how the means of justification is obtained". It is a powerful External Word that is delivered, freeing the Christian from the sin of having to look internally for this promise (or worse, to have to deliver a promise to yourself by an inner feeling or work). Word and Sacrament, baby. Isaiah 55:10-11 plays a vital role here, and says what you're saying, Kyle:
The promise of God accomplishes what it promises!!
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout...., so shall my WORD be that goes out from my mouth; IT SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PURPOSE, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Let's get that Word out there then, huh? Let it create things new! Woohoo!
https://youtu.be/JNcmNfeqWBE
1. What seems “normal”, or even “mundane” about Article 4? "Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works" Of course this is self-evident, especially when you consider the alternative. Who in their right mind would dare go in front of God and say, "please judge me and my strength, merits, or works by your perfect standard of righteousness. Oh, by the way, please make it fair, don't do any of that funny business with grace or anything like that, I want my strength, merits, and works to be judged as harshly as possible. I think you'll find that you have no right to do anything other than justify me and my perfect self!" Yikes! That's not a demand I'd like to be giving God any time soon. I don't think many of our Christian brother's and sisters outside of the Lutheran faith alone tradition would disagree with this part without even invoking grace! I'll need more than my lunch break to take on the other questions, so I'll save those for later. . .
Yes - from the person who recognizes he is trapped in sin (and cannot free himself), it would be a very bad move to go before God and say -- "You really should like me, for I deserve it. I've merited it." The other good point you put forth -- is that it IS self-evident. Whether you've been given Jesus Christ and his forgiveness or NOT, your NATURAL end is evident. You're dead meat. The law is on our hearts, and, naturally, we'll look into the mirror and not like what we see. This is what Romans 1 puts right in front of us. The Law as a Mirror doesn't make you look very attractive.
Still, a part of us will deny this -- we deny death at many turns -- and like to think we could really earn our way. Go on some "journey of progress" that would make God pleased with us. Makes me think of Cain's sacrifice. "God put me in the field to work for SOME reason, here.... He must want me to give him something for God to love me back". God said -- "Cain? Your sacrifice stinks." Abel was chosen unfairly, and it drove Cain mad. Mad to the point of killing the person God gave his blessing to! Righteousness is a gift, and it is not a gift given in return of a lousy sacrifice.