Romans 14
What an amazing thing faith is. Through
faith God delivers life, forgiveness, and salvation to us. By faith we understand
that God created us, Jesus has saved us, and the Holy Spirit makes us holy.
Faith takes hold of God’s gifts and receives them as His good blessings upon
our lives – even gifts like food, clothing, and family.
Love, too, is an amazing thing. Love
turns our attention outward, away from ourselves. Love leads us to sacrifice
for the sake of others – both God and our neighbors. Love translates into
action, decision, and good works. Love is the sign we look for in a person’s
life as evidence of their faith in Jesus.
The two go together: faith and love. On
the one hand faith gives a clear conscience to live freely trusting solely in
Jesus for our salvation. On the other hand love constrains us to limit our
freedom for the sake of others and to sacrifice our freedom for the benefit of
our neighbor.
Martin Luther compared Faith and Works
to the Two Natures of Christ. He says, “Faith is constantly justifying and
vivifying. Yet it does not stay alone, that is, remain idle. Not that it does
not stay in a class and office by itself, for it alone justifies constantly.
But it becomes incarnate and becomes a man, that is, it does not remain idle or
without love. So Christ, according to His Godhead, is a divine and eternal
Being or Nature, without a beginning; but His humanity is the nature which was
created in time. These two natures in Christ are unconfused and unmixed. … Just
as, therefore, I must distinguish between humanity and divinity and say:
Humanity is not turned into divinity and yet man is God, so I distinguish here:
faith is not turned into Law, and yet faith performs the works of the Law (and the law is fulfilled by love – author’s
note). Faith and works, then come together and form a union, and yet both
have and keep their nature and characteristic office.”
We should not confuse faith and love. The
pure teaching of God’s Word – Law & Gospel – are essential to healthy
strong faith. Yet that faith leads to love and is essential to building
relationships where others will hear the Gospel and receive the gift of faith
the Holy Spirit gives through it. So we are free in faith, but freely restrained
in love.
Lord, help me be free in faith, and yet not
use my freedom in any way other than for the benefit of my neighbor and Your
kingdom. Amen.
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