The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church Part 9

"I know that my Redeemer lives!

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, He lives, who once was dead, He lives, my ever-living Head.

"He lives to bless me with His love, He lives to plead for me above, He lives my hungry soul to feed, He lives to help in time of need.

"He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears, He lives to calm my troubled heart, He lives all blessings to impart.

"He lives, all glory to His Name!

He lives, my Jesus, still the same; Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer lives!"

CHAPTER XX.

CONVERSION--HUMAN AGENCY IN

What part and responsibility pertain to the human will in this matter?

Before we leave the subject of conversion, it is important that we consider and understand this question also. For on this point also grievous and dangerous views and practices prevail. Human nature tends to extremes. Here too, there is a tendency to go too far, either in the one direction or the other. There are those, on the one hand, who virtually and practically make this change of heart and of nature a _human_ work. They practically deny the agency of the Holy Spirit, or His means of Grace. On the other hand, there are those whose ideas and teachings would rid man of all responsibility in the matter, and make of him a mere machine, that is _irresistibly_ moved and controlled from above.

Is either of the above views the correct and scriptural one? If not, what is the Bible doctrine on this subject? What has the human will--_i.e._, the choosing and determining faculty of the mind--to do with conversion? What, if any part of the work, is to be ascribed to it? Is it a factor in the process? If so, in what respect, and to what extent? Where does its activity begin or end? In how far is the human will responsible for the accomplishment or non-accomplishment of this change? These questions we shall endeavor briefly and plainly to answer.

We must necessarily return to man as he is before his conversion, while still in his natural, sinful, unrenewed state. In this state of sin, the will shares, in common with all the other parts of his being, the ruin and corruption resulting from the fall. The natural man has the "_understanding darkened;_" "_is alienated from the life of G.o.d, through the ignorance that is in him, because of the blindness of his heart_." He "_receiveth not the things of the Spirit of G.o.d ... neither can he know them_." He is "_in darkness_," "_dead in trespa.s.ses and sins_."

Thus is the _whole man_ in darkness, blindness, ignorance, slavery to Satan, and at enmity with G.o.d. He is in a state of spiritual death. The will is equally affected by this total depravity.

If the natural man cannot even _see_, _discern_, or _know_ the things of the Spirit, how much less can he _will to do_ them!

Before his conversion, man is utterly impotent "_to will or to do_" anything towards his renewal. The strong words of Luther, as quoted in the Form of Concord, are strictly scriptural: "In spiritual and divine things which pertain to the salvation of the soul, man is like a pillar of salt, like Lot's wife, yea, like a log and a stone, like a lifeless statue, which uses neither eyes nor mouth, neither senses nor heart." (Matt. iii. 9.) But that same G.o.d who could, out of the very stones, raise up spiritual children to Abraham, can also change the stony heart of man, and put life into those who were dead in trespa.s.ses and sins.

The first movement, however, must always be from G.o.d to the sinner, and not from the sinner to G.o.d. G.o.d does, indeed, in His great mercy, come first to us. This He does through His own means of Grace.

In holy baptism He meets us even on the threshold of existence, takes us into His loving arms, places His hands in blessing upon our heads, breathes into us a new life, and adopts us into His own family.

If the sinner afterwards fall from this baptismal Grace, goes back into the ways of sin, and breaks his side of the covenant, G.o.d is still faithful and comes to him again by His Holy Spirit through His Word; strives with him and endeavors to turn or convert him again _from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto G.o.d_.

We should notice here a distinction between those, who have at some time been under divine influence, as by virtue of the sacramental Word in baptism, or the written or preached Word, and those who have never been touched by a breath from above. When the Spirit of G.o.d comes to the former, He finds something still to appeal to. There is more or less _receptivity_ to receive the Grace of G.o.d, as there is more or less life still in the germ formerly implanted. When He comes to the latter cla.s.s there is nothing to work on. The foundations must be laid. A receptivity must be brought about, a new life must be inbreathed. In other words, in the conversion of the latter the Holy Spirit must do what He has already done in the former. The one is the conversion of a once regenerate but now lapsed one. The other is the regeneration and conversion of one heretofore always dead in sin.

But in every case, G.o.d comes first to the sinner; whether it be in the sacramental, or the written and preached Word. It is always through that Word, as we have already shown, that the Spirit of G.o.d operates on the sinful heart, enkindling penitence and begetting faith in Christ.

Now, what part does the will perform in this great work? Is it entirely pa.s.sive, merely wrought upon, as the stone by the sculptor?

At first, the will is doubtless entirely pa.s.sive. The first movements, the first desires, the first serious thoughts, are beyond question produced by the Spirit, through the Word. These are the advance signals and heralds of Grace. They are the preparatory steps, and hence these first approaches of divine influence are called by theologians _Prevenient Grace_, that is the divine influence of Grace which precedes or goes before all other movements in the return of the soul to G.o.d.

This preparatory Grace comes to the sinner unsought, and is so far unavoidable. It is purely and entirely the work of the Holy Spirit _upon_ the sinner. The human will has nothing whatever to do with the first beginnings of conversion. Of this our Confessions testify: "G.o.d must first come to us." "Man's will hath no power to work the righteousness of G.o.d, or a spiritual righteousness, without the spirit of G.o.d." Of this the Prophet speaks when he says, Zech. iv. 6, "_Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord_." Also, 1 Cor. xii. 3, "_No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost_."

After prevenient Grace, however, begins to make itself felt, then the will begins to take part. It must now a.s.sume an att.i.tude, and meet the question: Shall I yield to these holy influences or not? One or the other of two courses must be pursued. There must be a yielding to the heavenly strivings, or a resistance. To resist at this point requires a positive act of the will. This act man can put forth by his own strength. On the other hand, with the help of that Grace, already at work in his heart, he can refuse to put forth that act, of his will, and thus remain non-resistant.

If man, thus influenced from above, now deliberately uses his will power, and _resists_ the gracious influences of prevenient Grace, he quenches the Holy Spirit of G.o.d, whereby he is sealed to the day of redemption. He has hardened his heart. His last state is worse than the first. He remains unconverted, and on himself alone is the responsibility.

If, on the other hand, he even _with_ the a.s.sistance of prevenient Grace, permits it to do its work, the process goes on. His will is being renewed. It experiences the pulsations of a new life. It realizes the possession of new powers. There is an infusion from G.o.d's will into his will, and now prevenient Grace is changed into operating Grace. The Word has _free course_. _It runs and is glorified._ He "_works out his own salvation with fear and trembling_," while it is all the time "_G.o.d that worketh in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure_."

Such a person is a new creature in Christ Jesus. Operative Grace goes out into cooperating Grace. He becomes a worker with G.o.d, and as he grows in Grace and in knowledge, his will becomes more and more free as it comes more and more into harmony with G.o.d's will.

Again we ask, What has the human will to do with this great change? We answer, Two things.

First, man can and will to go to church where the means of Grace are, or he can will to remain away. If he deliberately wills to absent himself from where their influence is exerted, he remains unconverted, and _on himself is the responsibility_. If, on the other hand, he wills to go where G.o.d speaks to man in His ordinary way, he does so much towards permitting G.o.d to convert him.

Secondly, when the means of Grace do carry renewing power, and he is made to realize their efficacy--though it be at first only in an uneasiness, dissatisfaction with self, and an undefined longing after something better--he can, as we have seen, permit the work to go on.

Thus he may be said, negatively, to help towards his conversion. On the other hand, he can shake off the good impressions, tear away from the holy influences, resist the Spirit, and remain unconverted.

Clearly, _on himself is all the responsibility_ if he perish. G.o.d desired to convert him. He "_rejected the counsel of G.o.d against himself_." Luke vii. 30.

And thus our Lutheran doctrine of _Grace through the means of Grace_, clears away all difficulties and avoids all contradictions. It gives G.o.d all the glory, and throws on man all the responsibility.

Sailing thus under the colors of scriptural doctrine, we steer clear of the Scylla of Calvinism on the one hand, and also escape the Charybdis of Arminianism on the other.

We give to Sovereign Grace all the glory of our salvation just as much as the Calvinists do. And yet we make salvation as free as the boldest Arminian does. Whatever is excellent in both systems we retain. Whatever is false in both we reject. We refuse to make of man a machine, who is _irresistibly_ brought into the kingdom of G.o.d, and forced indeed to accept of Sovereign Grace. On the other hand, we utterly repudiate the idea that man is _himself_ able to "get religion," to "get through," to "grasp the blessing," or to "save himself." To such self-exaltation we give no place--no, not for a moment!

With Luther we confess, "I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him.

But that the Holy Spirit hath called me by His Gospel, enlightened me by His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith; in like manner as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the true faith. In which Christian Church He daily forgives me abundantly all my sins and the sins of all believers, and will raise up me and all the dead at the last day, and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true."

"Grace first contrived the way To save rebellious man; And all the steps that Grace display Which drew the wondrous plan.

"Grace taught my roving feet To tread the heavenly road; And new supplies each hour I meet, While pressing on to G.o.d.

"Grace all the work shall crown Through everlasting days; It lays in heaven the topmost stone, And well deserves the praise."

CHAPTER XXI.

JUSTIFICATION.

Among all the doctrines of our holy Christian faith, the doctrine of Justification by Faith alone, stands most prominent. Luther calls it: "The doctrine of a standing or a falling church," _i.e._, as a church holds fast and appropriates this doctrine she remains pure and firm, and as she departs from it, she becomes corrupt and falls.

This doctrine was the turning point of the Reformation in the sixteenth century. It was the experience of its necessity and efficacy that made Luther what he was, and equipped him for a Reformer.

Naturally, therefore, it occupies the chief place in all our Confessions, and is prominent in all the history of our Church.

In these chapters on the "Way of Salvation," it has been _implied_ throughout. There is indeed no doctrine of salvation that is not more or less connected with or dependent on this one.

Some time ago we noticed a statement of a certain bishop in a large Protestant Church, declaring that "not Justification, but the Divinity of Christ, is the great fundamental doctrine that conditions the standing or falling of a church." At first sight this seems plausible. But when we come to reflect, we cannot but see that the true doctrine concerning the Person of Christ is not only implied, but embraced in the doctrine of Justification by Faith. A man might be sound on the Divinity of Christ, and yet not know aright the Way of Salvation. But a man cannot be sound on Justification without being sound, not only on the Person of Christ, but also on His work and the Way of Salvation through Him.

So much has been written and preached in our Church on this subject, that it is not necessary for us to enter upon a full discussion here. We will endeavor, therefore, merely in outline, to call attention to a few of its most prominent and practical features.

We inquire briefly into its meaning and nature. Justification is an act of G.o.d, by which He accounts or adjudges a person righteous in His sight. It is not a change in the person's nature, but it is a change in his _standing_ in the sight of G.o.d. Before justification he stands in the sight of G.o.d, guilty and condemned. Through justification, he stands before G.o.d free from guilt and condemnation; he is acquitted, released, regarded and treated as if he had never been guilty or condemned. The justified person stands in the sight of G.o.d, as if he really had never committed a sin and were perfectly innocent. Thus it is clear that justification treats of and has regard to the sinner's _relation_ to G.o.d. It has nothing to do with his change of nature. It is of the utmost importance that this be kept constantly in mind. It is by applying justification to the change in the sinner's nature that so many become confused, and fall into grievous and dangerous errors.

The original source, or moving cause of justification, is G.o.d's love. Had G.o.d not "_loved the world_" there would have been no divine planning or counseling for man's justification. Truly it required a divine mind to originate a scheme by which G.o.d "_could be just and yet justify the unG.o.dly_." All the wisdom of the world could never have answered the question: "_How can mortal man be just with G.o.d_?"

Man stood, in the sight of G.o.d, as a rebel against His divine authority, a transgressor of divine law, guilty, condemned, and wholly unable to justify himself, or to answer for one in a thousand offences. G.o.d had given His word that, because of guilt, there must be punishment and suffering. This word was given before sin was committed, and was repeated a thousand times afterwards. There must then be obedience to an infinite law, or _infinite_ punishment for transgression. How could this gulf be bridged, and man saved?

There was only one way. "_G.o.d so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son._" That Son, "_the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person_," "_in whom dwelt all the fullness of the G.o.dhead bodily_," came into our world. He came to take the sinner's place--to be his subst.i.tute.