Reformation Day Reading - Luther's "Christian Liberty"

On this day, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, an act which seemed inconsequential at the time but became the spark for the Protestant Reformation. For that reason, October 31st is not only Halloween, but more significantly for those of us who cherish the Protestant understanding of the Christian faith, it is "Reformation Day". With that in mind, I set out this week to re-read Christian Liberty, a little tract written by Martin Luther that I had first read in seminary. In it, Luther describes the Christian faith in a clear, powerful, and memorable way.

Luther sets out to explain the true freedom a person comes to possess and enjoy in Christ. As I read it, I thought about the very title of the booklet: "Christian Liberty". Many people would consider that an oxymoron, since by nature we are prone to view Christianity is anything but the way of true freedom. Christ is not the source of personal freedom, but a threat to it!

In any case, Luther begins the work with this seemingly paradoxical statement:

I shall set down the following two propositions concerning the freedom and the bondage of the spirit:

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

As he goes on to explain, a Christian is perfectly free in that he no longer pursues good works as a means of salvation. Moreover, he is a "lord" because God causes all things - even the cross and death - to serve his salvation. And a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all in that he is called to serve his neighbor for the sake of Christ. Indeed, he is to be nothing less than a Christ to his neighbor.

The key to this paradox is understanding that a Christian, because he possesses all things in Christ through faith and faith alone, has no need to pursue works as a means of obtaining righteousness and eternal life. And because of his deliverance from works as a means of salvation, a Christian is now free to serve. Therefore, according to Luther, a Christian ought to think this way:

Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes this is true. Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches? I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ.

Again, the freedom of the Christian consists in his full and free justification apart from works. But this freedom, which is through Christ, is a freedom to become like Christ - a humble servant of others:

Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought in his liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals with him.

In this way, Luther in this tract draws out for the Christian the implications of that glorious Reformation truth which Luther championed, justification by faith alone.

I'm no scholar of Luther or Calvin, but my understanding is that while Luther emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith alone, Calvin gave far more stress in his theology to the believer's union with Christ. Which is why I found the following passage remarkable. In it Luther gives a thrilling description of our being united with Christ as a bride is with her bridegroom:

Christ is full of grace, life, and salvation. The soul is full of sins, death, and damnation. Now let faith come between them and sins, death, and damnation will be Christ's, while grace, life, and salvation will be the soul's; for if Christ is a bridegroom, he must take upon himself the things which are his bride's and bestow upon her the things that are his. If he gives her his body and very self, how shall he not give her all that is his? And if he takes the body of the bride, how shall he not take all that is hers?

Here is the "great exchange" - we give Christ our sin and death, he gives us his righteousness and life. And by faith in Christ we obtain eternal salvation and enjoy perfect freedom. Now there is something worth celebrating on October 31st!