Why the Reformation Still Matters

by Michael Reeves, Tim Chester

Overview

Does the Reformation Still Matter?

In 1517, a German monk nailed a poster to the door of a church, disputing key doctrines taught by the Roman Catholic Church in that day. This moment set in motion a movement that changed the entire trajectory of church history. But do the Reformers still have something to teach us?

In this accessible primer, Michael Reeves and Tim Chester answer eleven key questions raised by the Reformers—questions that remain critically important for the church today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433545344
Publisher:	Crossway
Publication date:	09/14/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Michael Reeves (PhD, King's College, London) is president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology in Bridgend and Oxford, United Kingdom. He is the author of several books, including Delighting in the Trinity; Rejoice and Tremble; and Gospel People.

Tim Chester (PhD, University of Wales) is a faculty member of Crosslands and a pastor with Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. He is an author or coauthor of over forty books, including A Meal with Jesus; Reforming Joy; and, with Michael Reeves, Why the Reformation Still Matters.

Michael Reeves (PhD, King’s College, London) is president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology in Bridgend and Oxford, United Kingdom. He is the author of several books, including Delighting in the Trinity; Rejoice and Tremble; and Gospel People.

Tim Chester (PhD, University of Wales) is a faculty member of Crosslands and a pastor with Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. He is an author or coauthor of over forty books, including  A Meal with Jesus;  Reforming Joy; and, with Michael Reeves,  Why the Reformation Still Matters.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Justification

How Can We Be Saved?

Luther's Story and Justification

The first biography of Luther was written by his friend Philip Melanchthon in 1549. Melanchthon tells us that after Luther graduated, he started to study law. His family and friends confidently expected that the bright young Luther would make a major contribution to the state, but instead he joined the Augustinian monks.

On his entrance there, he not only applied with the closest diligence to ecclesiastical studies; but also, with the greatest severity of discipline, he exercised the government of himself, and far surpassed all others in the comprehensive range of reading and disputation with a zealous observance of fasting and prayer.

But all his religious endeavors could not give Luther any assurance. When a close friend died, Luther became terrified by the thought of the judgment of God. And it was all made worse by the theology of the day.

Medieval theology saw sin as a problem of being that needed healing. This took place through sacraments. In this life the Christian is suspended between the grace of God (mediated through the sacraments) and the judgment of God. Medieval theology, then, added a distinction between actual grace and habitual grace. Actual grace gave forgiveness of sins, provided they were confessed. Habitual grace changed people deeper down, in their very being — overcoming the problem of original sin.

Luther's problem was that since only actual sins confessed were forgiven, he was obsessed with not overlooking sin. He would spend hours in confessing to his superior in the Augustinian order, and then come rushing back with some new misdemeanor he had remembered. At one point his superior said: "Look here, Brother Martin. If you're going to confess so much, why don't you go do something worth confessing? Kill your mother or father! Commit adultery! Stop coming in here with such flummery and fake sins!"

In 1512 Luther, aged twenty-six, was sent by his order as a lecturer of biblical studies to the new university at Wittenberg. It was here, studying Augustine and lecturing on the Psalms, Romans, and Galatians, that Luther came to a radically fresh understanding of the gospel.

Sorting out the development of Luther's thought is notoriously difficult. Luther's new convictions took time to form. There is a lot of debate among scholars about what he believed and when he believed it. So we shall present it in a simplified form as a double movement. It is more complex than this, with significant overlaps, but this form will help us understand what was going on in theological terms.

Luther's First Step: Righteousness as a Gift

One key moment is what is known as Luther's "tower experience." Its date is contested, and it may have a longer process than one "eureka" moment. Luther described his experience like this:

Meanwhile in that same year, 1519, I had begun interpreting the Psalms once again. I felt confident that I was now more experienced, since I had dealt in university courses with St. Paul's Letters to the Romans, to the Galatians, and the Letter to the Hebrews. I had conceived a burning desire to understand what Paul meant in his Letter to the Romans, but thus far there had stood in my way, not the cold blood around my heart, but that one word which is in chapter one: "The justice of God is revealed in it." I hated that word, "justice of God" (iustitia Dei), which, by the use and custom of all my teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically as referring to formal or active justice, as they call it, i.e., that justice by which God is just and by which he punishes sinners and the unjust.

But I, blameless monk that I was, felt that before God I was a sinner with an extremely troubled conscience. I couldn't be sure that God was appeased by my satisfaction. I did not love, no, rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners. In silence, if I did not blaspheme, then certainly I grumbled vehemently and got angry at God. I said, "Isn't it enough that we miserable sinners, lost for all eternity because of original sin, are oppressed by every kind of calamity through the Ten Commandments? Why does God heap sorrow upon sorrow through the Gospel and through the Gospel threaten us with his justice and his wrath?" This was how I was raging with wild and disturbed conscience. I constantly badgered St. Paul about that spot in Romans 1 and anxiously wanted to know what he meant.

I meditated night and day on those words until at last, by the mercy of God, I paid attention to their context: "The justice of God is revealed in it, as it is written: 'The just person lives by faith.'" I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. I began to understand that this verse means that the justice of God is revealed through the Gospel, but it is a passive justice, i.e. that by which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: "The just person lives by faith." All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light. I ran through the Scriptures from memory and found that other terms had analogous meanings, e.g., the work of God, that is, what God works in us; the power of God, by which he makes us powerful; the wisdom of God, by which he makes us wise; the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.

I exalted this sweetest word of mine, "the justice of God," with as much love as before I had hated it with hate. This phrase of Paul was for me the very gate of paradise. Afterward I read Augustine's "On the Spirit and the Letter," in which I found what I had not dared hope for. I discovered that he too interpreted "the justice of God" in a similar way, namely, as that with which God clothes us when he justifies us. Although Augustine had said it imperfectly and did not explain in detail how God imputes justice to us, still it pleased me that he taught the justice of God by which we are justified.

In Romans 1:17 Paul writes, "For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" Luther could not understand how the righteousness or justice of God could be gospel — good news. It seemed to offer only the threat of judgment. Not only does the law condemn us, but so does the gospel! "For in the gospel a righteousness of God is revealed." But Luther began to see the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel not simply as a quality of God — his impartial justice by which he judges sinners. Instead he saw it as a gift from God. The righteousness of God is the righteousness he gives to us so that we may be righteousness before him. The righteousness of God is not an attribute of God that stands over and against humankind, judging us on the basis of merit. It is the gift of God by which God declares us righteous even though we are not in ourselves righteous. Luther says:

[Paul] says that they are all sinners, unable to glory in God. They must, however, be justified through faith in Christ, who has merited this for us by his blood and has become for us a mercy seat [compare Ex. 25:17; Lev. 16:14–15; 1 John 2:2] in the presence of God, who forgives us all our previous sins. In so doing, God proves that it is his justice alone, which he gives through faith, that helps us, the justice which was at the appointed time revealed through the Gospel and, previous to that, was witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets.

This first step in Luther's thought was from a troubled conscience, created by medieval theology, to a rediscovery of the view of Augustine — and Augustine's view of sin. Luther came to see sin not simply as a weakness of being or lack of good, but as rebellion against God. It was a relational problem. Moreover, man coram Deo (before God) had no resources. Luther said, "If anyone would feel the greatness of sin he would not be able to go on living another moment; so great is the power of sin."

But Luther would go beyond Augustine. Augustine had said that when a sinner recognizes his need of salvation, he turns in faith to God. God gives him the Holy Spirit, who begins to change him. In this view of Augustine's, the righteousness of God is the gift of transforming grace within us. And justification is the process of healing which the Spirit works within us. God changes us from a selfish person into a loving person so that we can obey him from the heart. Righteousness is a gift, but it still requires a process of change from us in response.

Luther's Second Step: External Righteousness

The second step in Luther's thought moved him from Augustine's view to a distinctive evangelical position. If that first step in his thought was a rediscovery of Augustine, the second movement can be seen as a rediscovery of Paul. Luther now sees that "justify" does not mean to make righteous or to change a person, but to reckon righteous, to declare righteous, to acquit. Justification is about my status before God, not what God does within me.

Medieval theology thought of grace as a quality at work within us. Righteousness would be given to us so that we could become justified. We would be healed by God's grace so that we could be right before him.

But Luther said that grace was not some "thing" at work within us, but God's unmerited favor toward us. The cause of justification is the alien righteousness of Christ. It is "alien" not because it comes from outer space(!) but because it is external to us. It is not inherent within people or in any sense said to belong to them. It is extrinsic rather than intrinsic. Luther spoke of God's accepting the righteousness of Christ as our righteousness even though it is alien to our nature. We are declared righteous not on the basis of a future gradual process of healing, but on the basis of the finished work of Christ.

Melanchthon in particular developed the idea of extrinsic righteousness into the idea of "imputation" (though Luther, too, uses the phrase in his description of his experience in the tower). Medieval theology (and the early Luther) spoke of an impartation or infusion of righteousness that effected our justification. But Melanchthon spoke of the righteousness of Christ as being "imputed" to us — it is reckoned as ours by God. Our sins are not removed but are not counted against us. Justification, then, is not about God making us righteous, but declaring us righteous. It is the language of the law court rather than the hospital. Justification is not a process of healing but a declaration that we have a right, positive standing before God.

By Faith Alone

We are declared righteous in this way by faith alone. Luther saw people as passive in the process of justification. We cannot initiate the process. We are powerless and enslaved. We have nothing to contribute to our salvation. And so justification is — and can only be — by faith and by faith alone. Faith, here, is fiducia, "personal trust or reliance." In the medieval period, faith was often seen as a virtue (in the sense of "faithfulness" or "loyalty"). For Luther faith is simply taking hold of Christ. It is receiving what Christ has done.

If anyone thinks these are subtle distinctions or that the difference with Catholicism is exaggerated, consider the statements made at the Council of Trent (1545–1563). The Council of Trent was Catholicism's response to the Reformation, a response it has never retracted. It was quite explicit in its condemnation of justification by faith alone:

If any one says, that by faith alone the ungodly are justified in such a way as to mean that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to receive the grace of Justification and that it is not necessary for a man to be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema. (Sess. 6, Canon 9)

If any one says that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which forgives sins for Christ's sake; or that we are justified by this confidence alone; let him be anathema. (Sess. 6, Canon 12)

The contrast to Luther is stark. Luther says, "If faith is not without all, even the smallest works, it does not justify; indeed it is not even faith." Luther, as we shall see, was clear that faith goes on to produce good works in a person's life. But any hope of salvation based on good works, even in part, denies the adequacy of our only true hope, Jesus Christ.

Because in Catholicism salvation depends on faith plus works, the council denies the possibility of assurance. For the Reformers, to express assurance was to boast in Christ and his finished work. For Catholicism, to express assurance was a proud and presumptuous boast in your own good works.

If any one says that a man who is born again and justified is bound by faith to believe that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate. ... and that he has the gift of perseverance to the end (unless he has learned this by special revelation); let him be anathema. (Sess. 6, Canons 15–16)

In recent years Catholic contributors to ecumenical discussions have made statements on justification by faith that some evangelicals have felt able to affirm. But typically these statements lack precision on the key issues of the Reformation. They fall far short of a repudiation of the anathemas against Reformation theology made at the Council of Trent.

At Once Righteous and a Sinner

At first Luther thought of Christians as partly sinful and partly righteous. The phrase in Latin is simul iustus et peccator, "at the same time righteous and a sinner." Luther continued to use this phrase, but understood it differently. He would add the word semper, "always." The Christian was always righteous (in status) and always sinful (in lifestyle). We are not in a gradual process from one thing to another. We are sinful because we continue in our old sinful habits. But we have already appeared before the judgment seat of God and have been declared righteous.

We are in truth and totally sinners, with regard to ourselves and our first birth. Contrariwise, insofar as Christ has been given for us, we are holy and just totally. Hence from different aspects we are said to be just and sinners at one and the same time.

Summary

We may summarize Luther's theology of justification this way:

1. Justification is a forensic act by which a believer is declared righteous. Justification is not a process by which a person is made righteous. "Forensic" means legal — it invokes the image of a law court. It involves a change of status — not a change of nature.

2. The cause of justification is the alien righteousness of Christ. It is not inherent within a person or in any sense said to belong to us. It is "imputed" or reckoned to us. It is not "imparted" or poured into us.

3. Justification is by faith alone. We can contribute nothing. Christ has achieved everything for us already.

4. Because justification is an act of God and because it is based on the finished work of Christ, we can have assurance. Justification is future in orientation: it is acquittal on the day of judgment. But justification is the assurance in the present that the final verdict will be in our favor.

Justification and Sanctification

Erasmus, the great humanist scholar, objected to all this, saying, "Lutherans seek only two things — wealth and wives ... to them the gospel means the right to live as they please." In other words, all this talk of justification by faith alone was simply an excuse to live a decadent life. However, Luther would argue strongly that, while we are not justified by works, works should follow faith as its fruit. Saving faith will always be active in love. And this love is not expressed in religious duties to earn merit before God, but in practical service of one's neighbor. We are freed from the burden of self-justification to serve one another in love. In the medieval system you sought justification by retreating from the world into a monastery to spend your time in confession and religious discipline. Justification by faith meant you were free to go out into the world and spend your time serving others without always looking over your shoulder to wonder what God was thinking of you.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Why the Reformation Still Matters"
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Copyright © 2016 Michael Reeves and Tim Chester.
Excerpted by permission of Good News Publishers.
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Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Abbreviations,
Introduction,
1 Justification How Can We Be Saved?,
2 Scripture How Does God Speak to Us?,
3 Sin What Is Wrong with Us?,
4 Grace What Does God Give Us?,
5 The Theology of the Cross How Do We Know What Is True?,
6 Union with Christ Who Am I?,
7 The Spirit Can We Truly Know God?,
8 The Sacraments Why Do We Take Bread and Wine?,
9 The Church Which Congregation Should I Join?,
10 Everyday Life What Difference Does God Make on Monday Mornings?,
11 Joy and Glory Does the Reformation Still Matter?,
General Index,
Scripture Index,

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Rarely does one find such a rich combination of historical theology and passionate exegetical argument. This is a warm, pastoral, and rigorous defense of the central claims of the Reformation. It also includes a defense of this common heritage from the perspective of Anabaptist/Baptist distinctives that recognizes important differences with the magisterial Reformers. For both reasons, Why the Reformation Still Matters represents an important contribution to ongoing conversations in the global church.”
—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“Authors Michael Reeves and Tim Chester have made a solid contribution to the commemoration of the Reformation in their clear account of what the major Reformers, especially Martin Luther and John Calvin, taught about Jesus, God’s grace, Scripture, the sacraments, and other important subjects. With the five-hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-Five Theses quickly approaching, this timely book underscores the vital importance of what he and other early Protestants devoted their lives to teaching.”
—Mark Noll, Research Professor of History, Regent College; author, America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911

“Reeves and Chester clearly and straightforwardly explain the vital importance of the Reformation, summarize its message, and show its ongoing relevance. Why the Reformation Still Matters may be only two hundred pages long, but it vibrates with life. A brilliant achievement by two modern-day doctors of the church, and a great little book.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary; Teaching Fellow, Ligonier Ministries

“If there are any doubts over whether the Reformation still matters or whether the church needs to be always reforming, Reeves and Chester dispel them. Winsome and wise, this book provides solid reasons to be Protestant and offers biblically and historically accurate accountings of key doctrinal formulations. As Protestant Christians around the world celebrate the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, they will find strong encouragement here. Semper Reformanda!”
—Sean Michael Lucas, Senior Pastor, Independent Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tennessee; Chancellor’s Professor of Church History, Reformed Theological Seminary