Justification of Faith in Early Protestant Thought

Justification Of Justification
Justification is defined as "an acceptable reason for doing something" in the Merriam–Webster
Dictionary ("Justification"). Since the beginning of time, people have been justifying their words,
actions, and thoughts. People are taught to defend their answers or explain why they hold certain
beliefs in order to convince others to side with them. In other words, justification is the reasoning
behind a certain concept. Justification can also be used to validate or invalidate more complex ideas
such as betraying the government for freedom. One major example of justification of unjust actions
occurred at the hands of the controversial Sons of Liberty during the Revolutionary War in America
when they tried to propagate rebellion.
Originally known as "The Loyal Nine," the Sons of Liberty was first established in the summer of
1765 in order to oppose the various taxations Great Britain had placed upon the colonies ("Sons of
Liberty"; "Taxation and Colonial Protests"). The Sons of Liberty got their name came from a speech
given in British Parliament by Isaac Barre referring to the general populous as "Sons of Liberty"
("Sons of Liberty"). However, the term "Sons of Liberty" could refer to anyone within this infamous
group or those who generally opposed British policies (Carp 37). This group claimed that they stood
for their rights lawfully but that was not always the case (Crompton 13). It is true that they used
legal petitions, assemblies, and propaganda, nevertheless they also used
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Justification in The Old and New Testaments Essays
When a man is justified before God, he is declared not guilty with reference to the sins he has
committed against God. Amazingly, God's "not guilty" verdict does not relate to just one crime, but
to every sin the justified man has ever committed or will commit. Paul declares that we have no
penalty to pay for sin, which includes past, present or future sins that we may commit. Those who
have been justified by faith, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Therefore, if we are justified there is no penalty to pay for sin and we are free to
any charge of guilt or condemnation. Douglas Moo writes it beautifully, "Because we are justified
by faith in conjunction with our ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Abraham inherited his sinful nature through Adam, so he was sentenced to a physical and spiritual
death. Abraham was credited righteousness by being obedient to the Law of God.
In Genesis 6:8 it describes God and Noah's relationship, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the
Lord." In Hebrews 11:7 it states, "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet
unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned
the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." Noah was righteous through
his faith. Noah was not righteous by his works or obedience to God.
Paul quotes David as a blessing in Romans 4:6–8, "just as David also speaks of the blessing of the
one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds
are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count
his sin." Paul introduces David as a example of righteousness by faith. Paul cites Ps. 32:1–2 to
demonstrate that David's righteousness was not based on his works. This demonstrates the idea of
full forgiveness of sins is prominent when Paul discusses justification by faith alone.
In Psalm 14:1–3 David says every person sins. Also, David states in

The Beliefs Of Faith In Martin Luther's The Freedom Of God
When you hear the word "faith," what comes to your mind? Do you think of religion, purpose, or
your belief in something?
What is faith? Is it a feeling, a thought, or a concept? As Martin Luther said in his book Freedom of
a Christian, faith is "God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God." When one
thinks of faith, they maybe think about their personal relationship with God and the unconditional
love He has. "He who through faith is righteous shall live." The Word of God cannot be interpreted
by any works but only by faith. Martin Luther had stated that, "It is clear that, as the soul needs only
the Word of God for its life and righteousness, so it is justified by faith alone and not any works."
(Janz, A Reformation Reader, pg 109)
There are three powers or virtues of faith that Martin Luther describes. Firstly, justification through
faith alone, which means we are free from the law and works as regards our justification and
salvation. Secondly, unity of man and Christ like bride to bridegroom which means faith unites the
soul to Christ, and lastly, the ability to "ascribe to [God] truthfulness, righteousness, and whatever
else should be ascribed to one who is trusted." (Luther, The Freedom of a Christian, p. 103)
The first proposition of the three powers of faith is, "Every Christian is by faith so exalted above all
things that, in spiritual power, he is completely lord of all things, so that nothing whatever can do
him any hurt; yea, all things are

Analysis Of Paul 's ' The Letter Of Romans ' Essay
Romans Project
Chapter 1
Summary:
Paul begins the letter of Romans by introducing himself and stating his mission. Concisely stating
the gospel message, Paul encourages the Roman Christians to "bring about the obedience of faith for
the sake of his name" (1:5), or for the glory of Jesus Christ. He goes on to write of his desires and
intentions to visit Rome in order to preach the gospel of Christ to the Jews as well as the Gentiles.
Paul continues by explaining his excitement for the gospel as well as the need to live the gospel out
in our lives. Finishing the first chapter, Paul presents the inexcusable idolatry, sinfulness, and
evilness of the ungodly.
Key Verses:
1:16–17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
Question:
In 1:15, why is Paul eager to preach the gospel to a church that has presumably already received the
gospel?
Answer:
In Romans 1:15, the "you" could possibly refer to Rome and all of its citizens. While this is a
possibility, Douglas Moo notes that the "you" in verse 15 more likely refers to the members of the
Roman church. In this case, Paul is referring to the gospel as "the ongoing work of teaching and
discipleship that builds on initial evangelism" (Moo, p. 63). Therefore, not only is Paul eager to
spread the gospel

Martin Luther Splintering Of Religion
Divine grace was a particularly prominent concern in sixteenth century Europe, it prompted the
splintering of Christendom and was therefore responsible in large part for the subsequent violence.
With the extensive conflict motivated by debates over the delivery of divine grace, it comes as no
surprise that leading figures of the era harbored vastly differing opinions on the subject. Martin
Luther, John Fisher, and Hans Staden, drawing from the exact same source material, came to
drastically different conclusions regarding the bestowment, acceptance, and discovery of divine
grace. Martin Luther's personal interpretation of divine grace differed so greatly from that of other
christians that it facilitated the splintering of a religion. Luther's influential interpretation was
formed on the basis of two claims made by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans. First, "a justified
Christian lives by faith alone," and second "Christ is the end and the fulfillment of all
commandments for those who believe in Him," (Luther 22). Luther interpreted St. Paul's words to
mean that divine grace is bestowed through faith, that "Faith... will abundantly justify those who
have it, such that they require nothing more to be righteous and pious," (Luther 22). The idea of
being saved through nothing but faith resonated with Luther, a man obsessed with his own
repentance, to the point that he visited confession several times daily (Smith). The inherent nature of
faith, as Luther viewed it, was quite

3. The Reformed Understanding Of Faith In Calvin: The Uniting
3. The Reformed understanding of faith in Calvin: The Uniting Faith
The doctrine of justification is at the center of the theological debate in sixteenth century. With the
more developed doctrine of justification, the understanding of faith in from the Reformers shifts its
focus that
The Reformed understanding of faith starting from Luther and Lutheran tradition is not a work by
human beings but rather a response to the divine work, an accepting mental attitude. In Calvin, the
emphasis is that faith is a gift which is a work by the Holy Spirit in human side. For Calvin, God's
work in us is mediated through the work of the Holy Spirit. The understanding of the role of the
Holy Spirit in the saving event is one of the most significant ... Show more content on
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Through faith, the principle work of the Holy Spirit, we receive Christ and all the benefits God has
done in him for us. We are united with Christ with this faith which is not an idle faith because it
seals and persuades God's will for us in our hearts. The significant understanding of faith in Calvin
lies in that faith is recognition which is a kind of existential knowledge. The mechanism of how
faith unites, takes hold, grasps, and receives Christ is that faith is revelation from the Holy Spirit
attesting and persuading the truth of Christ and his saving works to our minds and hearts. Through
faith made by the revealing power of the Holy Spirit, we are persuaded and believe in God's promise
which is all in Christ so that we would be consequently and continually persuaded in faith by the
Holy Spirit to follow the obedience of Christ even though our mind "does not comprehend what it
feels."
By giving us faith, Holy Spirit unites us to Christ. Faith is the spiritual bond of our union with Christ
in which "we have fellowship of righteousness" with Christ. The "fellowship of righteousness" is
without doubt not mingling of Christ's essence with us. Rather, it is a communion with Christ in
which we benefit from the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Faith as a recognition of God's
saving work in Christ persuades our mind to receive

Justification by Faith Essay
Justification by Faith
In verse 15, Paul writes, "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners" Paul seems to be
telling his gentile reader that the Torah has no bearing on their salvation. I feel that he purposely or
inadvertently gives the law merit more merit than intended by suggesting that Jews are not sinners
because they received the law. He draws a distinction between himself and "the gentile sinners" yet
he is telling his audience that the ways, some of which are still a part of his own way of life, are
irrelevant. He seems to almost make a separation of culture and religion. He seems to be saying that
the rectitude of the Jews dates from birth, because the Jewish religion is a part of their culture. Peter
claims to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was such an incredible experience that he felt that every one needed to know that it was by faith
alone that they could be justified. As a devout Jew he had followed the Law his entire life and felt it
important that people know that in spite of his doing all the works of the Torah he was not justified
before his vision.
Verse 17." But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are
found sinners; is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid."
Some critics of this passage would argue that there are two sets of behavior standards given for
Christian and Jews. In order to obtain salvation in Jewish faith one must follow the rule of like and
ceremony. In order that a Christian obtain salvation they must only believe in Christ. Some were
worried that this new religion would be saturated by people who wanted to commit acts against the
law and still be saved because they professed to believe in Christ. The concept of grace and mercy
was a foreign one and harsh judgment was a reality of the day. The other part of this verse was, is
Christ a master of sin?
Paul knew that some would argue that if all Christian had to do was believe that Christ must be a
proponent of sin because he didn't threaten any penalty comparable to that of the old testament. Paul
inserted that Christ was certainly not a master of sin. The Martin Luther commentary of Galatians
states " All who say that faith alone in Christ does not justify a

Reflection On Faith
Faith is a very complex subject on how it can be obtained and what can be done after it has been
achieved. The treasures of having faith brings a person to be saved from any evil. In the last chapter
of Mark, it explains "therefore true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison which brings
with it complete salvation and saves man from every evil" (Mark [16:16]). When faith is within the
person it also brings them righteousness, which gives the ability to break the chains within the
person (Luther pg 11 par 2). In Luther's perspective, the Word of God contains wisdom, liberty, joy,
and other morals, which faith alone can only obtain those moral traits. The term "work" Luther uses
in his writings is mainly about a certain action people will do such as community service or
volunteering. Faith is difficult to have since any type of services work cannot make a person to have
faith. Luther claims that person is divided up in two parts, and any type of work of the outer part of
the body has no effect in faith, but when a person is saved by faith, Luther suggest giving back by
helping other people or do good causes. In the Christian life, there are two main parts in a person
which is the spiritual part and the bodily part (Luther Pg 9 par 2). The spiritual part can also be
called as inner or new man and the bodily part can also be called carnal or old man. Apostle explains
the reason behind the spiritual part of a human being called new man and the bodily being called the

The New Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible
List of key terms and/or loaded terms: Justification (justified by faith ... by blood). Boast in ...
Reconciled (Reconciliation). Wrath of God.
Justification: Paul tells us that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are justified by our faith in Christ;
and that we have been justified by the blood of Jesus. In Macmillan Bible Dictionary, justification is
defined as, "basically a legal concept, and refers to a person's status in a court of law rather than to
their moral character." The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible describes justification as "to
being set right, to being vindicated by a judge, to having a debt removed, or to having a right
relationship restored or granted." Paul is saying that we have been made right in our relationship
with God when, "even while we still were ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Albert Barnes states that "we rejoice" should have been used in both verses. "Boast in ... " is used
again in verse 11, where Paul declares that we rejoice in God through Jesus Christ.
Reconciled (Reconciliation): Paul uses the word reconciled twice in verse 10 and the word
reconciliation in verse 11. In The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, A. Andrew Das states
that reconciliation "indicates a change in social relationship in which two parties previously at
enmity with each other exchange friendship and peace." Throughout history God has had to punish
His people for disobedience. In effect, when we sin we become enemies of God. Through the blood
of Jesus, and our faith in Him, we are brought back into God's grace, and we will achieve eternal life
through His resurrection and his ongoing life.
Wrath of

Justification By Faith: Core Value Of The Reformation
Justification by faith (Sola Fide), which known to be the core value of the Reformation. Is the
believe that righteousness from God is viewed as being credited to the sinner 's account through
faith alone, without works is the core value of the Reformation.(Reformation is a 16th–century
movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Catholic Church ending in the establishment of the
Reformed and Protestant Churches). Reformers like "Martin Luther and John Calving" were known
as one of the most significant figures in the history of Reformation. They both proclaimed
"Justification" as the main subject of the gospel of God's grace. They were well acknowledged for
their common doctrines of Salvation (deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by
Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ), Election (election refers to the fact that God
chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He best sees fit), Predestination
(is the belief that everything that happens has already been determined by God) and so on. Despite
their common doctrines, yet they had several disagreements on issues like free will and the role of
the state in Christianity. They also had different approaches to some of their common philosophies
(salvation, election etc.). They had different measures to severity of sin and degree of solace for the
sinners. I will compare Luther 's and Calvin 's view on the condition of sinful persons, I will
examine the excessiveness of

The New Perspective On Paul
Introduction
The New Perspective on Paul is mainly about redefining the understanding of Justification by faith
through re–reading of narratives on Second Temple Judaism. NPP proposes that Judaism was a
religion of grace, however, NPP strictly challenges the traditional Reformation view for doctrine of
Justification. NPP insists the understanding of the phrase " works of the Law" is only to refer the
boundary marking practices of Judaism rather than used them as means for salvation. E. P. Sanders,
James D. G. Dunn, and N. T. Wright stand as monumental figures in scholarship on Pauline
theology and are main proponents. Their prolific writings on Pauline theology are to redefine the
justification by faith through the mirror of NPP. Nevertheless, their proposals contain errors and
stand in sharp contrast with the apostolic teaching of Justification by faith alone as only means for
salvation. The New Perspective argues that the traditional Reformation practice of reading Paul's
polemic against Judaism in Galatians and Romans has led to a misunderstanding of the apostle's
doctrine of justification. Further, they insist, the Justification is not about how the sinner finds a
gracious God. Instead, it is about how to tell who is in the community of the saved and who isn't.
The Anglican Bishop N. T. Wright in his works on Pauline epistles states–"Justification" in the first
century was not about how someone might establish a relationship with God. Rather, it was about
God's

Martin Luther And John Calvin Views On Sinful People
Martin Luther and John Calvin Views on Sinful People
Justification by faith (Sola Fide), the core value of the Reformation, is the belief that
righteousness from God is a recompense for sinner 's accounts through faith alone. The sixteenth–
century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Catholic Church resulted in the
establishment of the Reformed and Protestant Churches. Reformers like Martin Luther and John
Calvin were two of the most significant figures in the history of The Reformation. They both
proclaimed Justification as the main subject of the gospel of God's grace. They were well–
acknowledged for their common doctrines of salvation as the deliverance from sin and its
consequences. They believed that to be brought ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To compare Martin Luther's and John Calvin's view on the subject of a sinful person, I
thoroughly looked into their common doctrines and considered how they differ in implementing
the rules that manage their ideology. I was able to conclude that even though Luther and Calvin
shared similar doctrines, their conceptualization and interpretation of those doctrines is very
different. Based on their opinions of sinners, I further realized that not only do they have divergent
interpretations of similar doctrines, but they also have different ambitions and their personalities
are extreme opposites.
Luther often blamed the flesh, which Protestants refer to as "our sinful nature" (they
believed is the cause of human impurities), for the sins of every human and he gave credit to the
Spirit for every good things that man does. The Reformers and the Protestants believe that there

are two types of spirits: the Holy Spirit, which they proclaim to be the spirit of God, and the human
spirit, which is the part of humans that opens up to the spirit of God. The spirit that is often
refereed to when talking about the flesh is the "human spirit" (what does the Bible mean by "the
flesh" by Msgr. Charles Pope). We might argue that Luther is trying not to be judgmental, that he
acknowledged the fact that efforts to live a sin
free life is a mere dream, and the best approach to
reduce people being

Fear Of The Unknown Has Been A Constant Thread Intricately
Fear of the unknown has been a constant thread intricately interwoven throughout the tapestry of my
life. Although intricate in color and vast in depth, it has furrowed a chasm in my past, present and
dare I say future. As a seminarian on the verge of graduation the prior statement may appear
somewhat odd. Aptly applying a biblical scripture such as "God has not given us the spirit of fear,
but power, love and a sound mind", should suffice to calm anxiety and trepidation. However, I have
not found this the case. With greater scrutiny, I ponder what are the next steps in my life and what
are my expectations for ministry? For the immediate future, I desire rest to regain a sense of peace
and spiritual renewal. Solace and time alone ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
My pastor, who served as my site supervisor was supportive of my interning at church, although
there were occasions where we differed on matters of best methods to fulfill ministerial obligations.
He strongly affirms that nothing comes before God. Unfortunately, this includes all obligations
outside of the church, i.e. family, work, and school. Vacation may be permissible, but not time off to
attend to matters outside of church. On one occasion, my place in the leadership training course was
at stake due to my seeking time away to handle school deadlines that were steadily approaching.
This caused great angst for all parties concerned, which was very disconcerting for me. The
reasoning for taking such a hard stance is primarily due to this course being the first leadership
training class held at the church, taught by the pastor. He wants to see a return on his investment of
time and resources. Although, I do understand the importance of dedication and commitment,
equally vital is the necessity to allow for life's random and intrusive moments to be allotted for.
Feeling overwhelmed is not a matter of choice, but in most instances an end result of taking on more
than you are able to handle at one time. The plenary sessions were very beneficial in addressing my
stress related issues. I have often heard it said, "What the mind cannot contain will impose itself on
the body." Consequently, I found this true as my health issues took a turn for

The First Reason Is Not Written By An Apostle
In the beginning of the "Preface to James" from Luther Works, he provides his personal opinion
about the epistle, James. He believes that James is a good book, although not written by an apostle.
Luther makes these claims because of two main reasons. The first reason is " It is flatly against
St.Paul and all the rest of Scripture in ascribing justification to works". (Luther, "Preface")He
explains how James and St.Paul have a complex differentiation between Abraham and his works.
James teaches that Abraham was justified by his works when he offered his son Isaac (2:20).
However, in Romans 4:22–22 St.Paul states that Abraham was justified apart from works, by his
faith alone, before he offers his son. Further behind the two scriptures, St. Paul provides proof by
Moses in Genesis 15:6. This proof can not be denied by the epistle and sets him in his place without
the title as an apostle. Luther 's second reason is " It 's purpose is to teach Christians, but in all this
long teaching it does not once mention the Passion, the Resurrection, or the Spirit of Christ."
(Luther, "Preface")James was known for spreading the word of God, although this good work was
not approved of Luther. He comes to the understanding that James cared about his faith with God,
but did not preach about the most important events about Jesus. Luther acknowledges his belief that
" Whatever does not teach Christ is not yet apostolic."(Luther, "Preface) His article comes to an end
with his conclusion that

The And The Doctrine Of Salvation
Soteriology or the Doctrine of Salvation is perhaps the grandest and greatest them in Scripture. If we
look at our world it's easy to see man's condition in sin. Mankind is completely helpless when the
message of salvation is ignored. Our world remains shattered and town by the condition of sin, but
God's gracious rescue plan through salvation and Jesus Christ will redeem us all and provide a
solution to man's problems. () This union with Christ is called the "magical exchange" in which
Christ assumes our debts and we inherit his wealth so that nothing (Horton pg.271) "will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ro 8:39) (Horton pg. 323–324) Let's
visit the different layers of salvation.
In our textbook, Horton starts with the blessing of Justification. "God justifies the wicked."
Justification is a legal act, wherein God deems the sinner righteous on the basis of Christ 's
righteousness. Horton tells us on pg. 280, "God justifies the wicked – not those who have done their
best yet have fallen short, those who might at least be judged acceptable because of the sincerity, but
those who, at the very moment of being pronounced righteous, are in themselves unrighteous." This
means full repentance, which is defined as such, "as a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to
God. And the relinquishment of any practice from the conviction that has offended God." When we
accept salvation we are also testifying to God that we are a changed person from

Romans, A Wonderful Letter Essay
Romans is a wonderful letter, written by Paul in 56 A.D. to the believers in Rome. At the time of it's
composition, Paul was in Corinth on his third missionary journey. Paul explains that his audience is
the Christians of Rome (1:7), and that his desire is for them to read what he has to say. Paul had
always desired to visit the church of Rome, but had not found an opportunity to do so (1:11). Paul's
purpose in writing to the saints of Rome was to proclaim the gospel to both the Greek and Jewish
believers. As evidenced in Romans 1:16–17, we can see Paul emphatically and passionately
scratching out his letter: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to
everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God's righteousness is
revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith". Paul was very
intentional and honest to his audience. He wanted his readers from the beginning of his letter to
realize that the gospel is for all people. This is important for people to grasp. The gospel is for all
people, and that is the theme I would personally use for teaching Romans.
Timeline & Setup
All that to say, here is the Romans teaching plan I have constructed. My audience would be found in
small groups. I believe small groups allow for more discussion, more discipleship, more
intentionality, and greater opportunities for open discussion. I would preferably want to teach adults,
because

Pilgrim's Progress: The Theology of Justification by Faith...
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan tells the story of Christian, a deeply religious man whose
self–imposed pilgrimage takes him through a variety of locations in his quest to reach Celestial City.
However, to better understand Bunyan's perspective on Christianity as given in his novel, we must
examine the life experiences of the author. Born in 1628, Bunyan lived in a time period that was
undoubtedly heavily influenced by the Reformation movement incited by Martin Luther only a
century earlier. The lives of Luther and Bunyan parallel in that both disagreed with fundamental
doctrines applied by the Church in their lifetime. Additionally, both were labeled as dissenters and
subsequently persecuted for adhering to their own principles ... Show more content on
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Christian initially accepts this suggestion, for he is told by Mr. Worldly–Wiseman that Legality is a
man who is known for his good works (Bunyan, 19). Christian them embarks on the trip to the
Village of Morality, but in transit he encounters a hill that proved an insurmountable obstacle, along
with the reappearance of Evangelist who shames him for trusting in the earthly qualities of morality
and legality (Bunyan, 20–22). Therein we see confirmation of the notion that justification is by faith
alone. For Christian, via the instruction and teachings of Evangelist, discards the knowledge and
virtues of the concepts of morality and legality as nothing more than a fruitless diversion in
comparison to seeking the Celestial City (Bunyan, 22).
Second, we see the concept of justification by faith alone supported by the definition of By–ends as
a hypocrite and his ill–fated end. When By–ends first meets Christian, he was hesitant to reveal his
name. He then admits he differs in Religion from those of the stricter sort in that he abides by two
rules. He does not strive against Wind and Tide, and that he is most zealous when Religion goes in
his Silver Slippers, but not in his rags (Bunyan, 98). When Christian delivers the ultimatum that By–
ends must be willing to go against Wind and Tide and must also own Religion in his Rags as well as
his Silver Slippers, and stand by him too, when bound in Irons, as well as when he

Martin Luther Justification
Martin Luther wrestled over justification his whole life, it tore him apart and tore him away from the
church. He set out to challenge the belief of the church at the time. He came to the opinion, from his
study of the gospel and the early church, that justification comes from God's gift of grace, that only
must be accepted through faith. To have salvation, one must be justified in front of God. Luther
struggled with this in his early years. He felt that to be saved he had to be righteous, which caused
Luther an immense amount of guilt since he saw how unrighteous he was. However, soon he
realized to be justified the only thing one must do is to have faith in God and His Son's resurrection.
There is no amount of works that one could do to be justified; one must only have faith. Faith alone
bring righteousness and thus justification. Luther had a very strong belief that salvation comes from
faith alone. All that is needed to be justified in front of God is to have faith. Michael M. Ramos
writes "Martin Luther believed that salvation depends not on human effort or merit but only on the
freely given grace of God, which is accepted in faith" (35). Luther believes that first God extends
grace, which is the death of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit. God reaches out to man and
offers grace. The grace is not because humans deserve it from merit or human accomplishments.
God extends grace because he is a righteous God. Now the only thing that humans must do to be
justified

Martin Luther 's Jr And The Christian Believer Free
Martin Luther's three major treaties were "attempts to persuade Pope Leo X and Roman Catholics
that the theology of the Reformation was not a novelty in the faith, but a pure confession of the
Word of God and consistent with the truth of the Holy Scriptures" Each one focused on various
practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church that Martin Luther deemed were wrong. One of Martin
Luther 's three major treatises, On A Freedom of a Christian, reprimands the widely held Christian
belief that good works justified our salvation. Martin Luther had hoped that his writings would
educate and remind the people and religious officials that salvation stems from our faith. Faith
should not be categorized as a virtue but rather a trust in God in which one builds when they
encounter the trials and temptations in life. Therefore, it is the Gospel, the word of God, that sets the
Christian believer free. However, this new insight had led people to believe that both faith and good
works is necessary for justification. Martin Luther wanted to separate the truth from the false
teachings. Therefore, Martin Luther explains that although the Christian is freed good works are still
compulsory because it's function is to help Christians discipline themselves in order to better serve
the needs of their neighbor as long as they have the faith first in order for their works to be
considered good and pleasing to God.
The purpose of good works is not for the sake of justification but rather to

Justification And Justification For The Act Of Being Set...
The simple noun "justification" refers to the act of being set right or made right. Justification,
however, is not just limited to just being corrected. It has influences in other various meanings to it
as well. For example, justification also means the act of removing debt, being vindicated by judge,
or having a relationship restored all fall under the meaning of justification. This is essentially God 's
act of removing the sin within us humans while considering us to be righteous through Christ 's
sacrifice. As stated in "Christ Our Salvation", "Those who are righteous will live by faith"
(Larondelle, 10). This means that justification must exist in order to have people who live by faith
and for these people to be saved and redeemed. Justification helps to show that we humans are in
need of daily justification through faith in Christ (Abrams, 97). Sanctification is defined to be the act
or process by which people are cleansed and set apart from others to do God's will. Some synonyms
used in the "New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible" are: to be set apart, to dedicate, to purify, to
make sacred, and to manifest holiness. The Dictionary states that to be sanctified is to be graciously
taken up and set apart for participation in the saving or reconciling purposes of God. For Christians,
this happens when they become and remain part of the community of God's people, who are shaped
by the Holy Spirit in the image of God. This is where God makes us Holy. It is done by

The Doctrine Of Salvation And Salvation
DOCTRINE OF SALVATION
INTRODUCTION
This week we have studied soteriology or the doctrine of salvation. Salvation must be grounded in
the work of Christ and is how God saves what was lost to sin and death and restores life. Salvation
is called many things, i.e. redemption, resurrection, victory, peace, rebirth, or ransom. However, the
New Testament contains two primary descriptions of salvation, the arrival of God's kingdom and
justification of the ungodly by faith in Christ. (Lecture 2). This paper will examine these two
descriptions.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD Jesus began his ministry in Galilee by proclaiming that the kingdom of
God and telling people that the time had come to repent because the kingdom was at hand. (Matthew
4:17, 23). This ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Paul Jesus' work concerned adjudicating the covenant God established with Abraham which was
later mediated by the law given to Moses by God. (Lecture 2). In Old Testament days, there was
great emphasis on obeying the letter of the law. Jesus taught the spirit of the law. In Paul's theology,
salvation comes through God saving one from one's sin and thereby saving one from the demands of
the law. Being justified by faith in Christ rather than by one's fulfillment of the law means being
open to loving others for who they are, humans made in God's image. (Lecture 2). The Westminster
Shorter Catechism defines justification this way, "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein
he pardoneth all our sin, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of
Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." (Bird, 2013, p. 562). Justification by faith
liberates us from having to "do it myself." Christ died for us and so long as we believe that fact we
have salvation. We are no longer compelled to define ourselves as good or just or true, and we are
free to love our neighbor for his sake. Luther speaks to the question of works by stating, more than
once, "So, also, our works should be done, not that we may be justified by them, since, being
justified beforehand by faith, we ought to do all things freely and joyfully for the sake of others."
(Peters, 2014,

Christianity: Justification by Faith Essay
INTRODUCTION
Justification by faith is viewed by Christians as one of the greatest gifts from God given to the sons
of Adam's lost race. Nothing can compare to the God given gift. Since the beginning of the church
however, the doctrine justification has been quite an issue. For many years, scholars have been
researching justification, the basis, as well as the ways to attain it. Once the definition was defined,
the problem that scholars faced was the outcomes that followed it. In order for one to understand
justification, one must comprehend the writings of Paul in his epistle of Romans.
THE DEFINITION OF JUSTIFICATION Scholars have faced difficulties trying to find the true
meaning of justification. One reason why finding the meaning ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Even though there is controversy about the true definition of Justification, the obvious conclusion of
all is that justification is similar to being in a court session with God, Jesus, and Satan. God would
be the judge, Jesus would be our lawyer, and Satan would be the prosecutor of Christ believers.
Satan would provide all accusations against us, but Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, would come
to our defense declaring us righteous due to justification. God, our Judge, sits high and mighty
satisfied for the righteousness granted to us by Jesus.
BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION
Scholars battled with the basis of justification just as they did with the definition of justification.
Many thought justification could be attained through good works alone. This basis was obviously
incorrect because this would mean that one may be granted justification by us and not by God. Good
works can be as simple as following the law. in Romans 3:21–22, Paul stress that it is not the law
that saves us, but is God. (Dockery).
THE OUTCOME OF JUSTIFICATION
Justification isn't just a verdict that declares one as "not guilty", but it declares one as totally
innocent. Not only does our savior declare us as innocent, but in his eyes, it is as if we never
committed sin. To add to God's everlasting blessing, not only does he see us as sinless, but once
justified, we are viewed as equal to Christ. Christ stated:

While acknowledging the divergent views of Nygren and Bornkamm that Romans reflects Paul's
past experience, this essay, however, sides with the view that the Sitz im Leben of Romans
manifests itself as a letter addressed to the social interactions between Jews and Gentiles and the
situation of the Roman Jewish community whom Paul hopes to persuade, as in 14:1 and 15:3, to
build up a Christian community net–work in order to give concrete support to his mission to Spain
and spiritual support for his journey to Jerusalem (L. K. Lo, 1998 and Ziesler, 1989). This
manifestation is again revealed in Paul's discussion of the commonality of sinfulness of Jews and
Gentiles in 1:18–32 and 2:21–24, arguing that their solidarity in sin has put them in ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the other hand, Bassler's discussion of divine impartiality, though non–contentious in character,
only demonstrates the all–embracing nature and goodness of God's righteousness and fairness but
fails, this essay argues, to bespeak itself as an essential ingredient or constituent in the process of
human salvation which is attainable only by sola gratia on God's side and sola fide on human side
(Ziesler, 1989). Any attempt to belittle or sideline the doctrine would have the effect of placing the
pudding out of reach of the eating, thus rendering its proof impalpable.
As mentioned above, this essay is premised on the basis that the letter is addressed to the Roman
Christians for the sake of changing their attitudes and the concrete situation (Lo, 1998). It is
desirable, this essay says, to examine those important themes appearing in the preceding chapters
that spur Pauline discussion of the doctrine of justification in Romans 3:21–31. Prior to his
description of the plight of human situation in 1:18ff, Paul has, in Barclay's words, sounded out the
trumpet call and the quintessence of the gospel in 1:16–17, thus drawing out the conception of
salvation which is much needed for the deliverance of human beings from tyranny of sin which has
the effect of breaking up human relationship with God and from God's wrath both vented now and
to be vented

Douglas Moo Justification Summary
In this summary of justification we first start out with Douglas Moo's interpretation of the word
justification and what it means to him. Moo starts out with the views of justification he was taught
as a kid and was commonly taught before him. Moo starts out how he was first taught that
justification was forensic. This was how God declared a person right before him. The next view of
justification Moo was taught was how justification was before God. The focus of the doctrine is on
the individual human who is placed in a new relationship with God. Moo then learned how
justification is on account of Christ. That means God justifies a person not on the basis of anything
that a person does but on the basis of what Luther called "alien righteousness", the righteousness of
Christ that is imputed to that individual. He also learned that ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This means that no one can contribute anything to their justification and that its entirely a gift from
God. These views are what Moo would call a classic reformation doctrine. These views; however,
have changed in today's world. The classic reformation doctrine of justification has changed due to
academic, ecclesiological, cultural, and practical pressures. Moo then switches to the reformation
view and modern academic view of how people get to sanctification. The reformation view is they
emphasize on having a genuine faith that will lead to works and that if you truly have been justified
then you will be sanctified. The modern academic views blurs the distinctions if faith and works
together. They also do they same with justification and sanctification. Moo then goes on to answer
some key questions that we face today on justification. Moo first answers what does justification
mean. Moo says that justification is forensic only and he believes that. Moo then answers at what
time does justification happen and he says that justification happens at your conversion to the

The New Perspective On Paul
The New Perspective on Paul is a view which reexamines the first century context in which Paul
wrote and thus certain messages he conveys in his Epistles. It challenges the traditional views on
various doctrines drawn from Paul's writings during the Reformation, suggesting the Reformers
were incorrect in their interpretations. While the New Perspective on Paul is certainly thought
provoking and even brings up some good points regarding historical context, the Church should
treat it with caution and not regard it as a replacement for the traditional views of justification,
righteousness, or salvation.
‫ﰀ‬ Major NPP Scholars & Their Publications E.P. Sanders authored the book which spurred the
questioning of the traditional view of Paul's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Dunn is also a proponent of the New Perspective on Paul. It was he who gave the name 'The New
Perspective on Paul' to the view asserted by Sanders, while also adding his own conclusions about
Second Temple Judaism to the growing concept. In 1983 he published an article titled The New
Perspective on Paul in which he argued that Paul's problem with Judaism was Jewish nationalism
rather than legalism, in contrast to the notions asserted by the Reformers (Williams 'What is'). Along
with Sanders and Dunn, N.T. Write is also a scholar of the New Testament who holds and supports
the views of the New Perspective, albeit with his own additions. Twenty years after the publication
of Paul and Palestinian Judaism, Write published his own work on the subject; What Saint Paul
Really Said. What sets Write apart from Sanders and Dunn is his assertion that the curse found in
Deuteronomy 27–29 was still in effect against Israel in the first century, manifested by the Roman
rule of Palestine. It is this exile and curse that the Messiah came to end, in addition to fulfilling the
one and only Covenant, in the view of Write (Write, Justification 60, 95). 'Thus...Pauline theology
and justification by faith have less to do with the individual and their problem with sin...than with
the plight of the Jewish nation as a whole' (Williams 'What Is').
‫ﰀ‬ Major Tenets of the NPP The primary claim of the New Perspective is that Judaism in the first
century was not a legalistic, merit–based

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
An Apologist View
Professor John Markley
BIBL 425 – ROMANS
BY
KELLY RANDALL
JUNE 2012 Introduction
Dating to the writing of the book of Romans there has been a basic misunderstanding as to what
Paul meant by justification by faith. The Jewish culture had been educated in the law and yet the
Gentile culture was being instructed that the law was death. The Jewish community was confused
and aghast that God would justify sinners. Nonetheless that is exactly what Paul said God would do
and he would do it based on the simple faith of the believer.
Our early church fathers also struggled. Martin Luther and other reformers emphasized justification
over salvation by works. In response the Catholic Church ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Other Words to Define Sometimes when we hear the word justification we find it accompanied by
other "ation" words: sanctification, glorification, propitiation, regeneration and imputation. These
words are from time to time used interchangeably. This can be confusing and needs to be clarified
before continuing. Imputation is where credit has been given. It can also mean to lay responsibility
on someone. With God, imputation is where He accounts righteousness to the believer.
Sanctification is separate from justification. Justification is about one's position with God;
sanctification is about one's spiritual condition. Propitiation is defined in "Reformation tradition as
the satisfaction of divine wrath upon sin". Regeneration is the creation of a new heart and new spirit.
This change of heart and spirit is what allows us to live righteous lives. Glorification comes once we
receive our heavenly reward. It is the completion of our salvation. Righteousness is another word
that may be misunderstood. It involves our dealings and relations with others. When we behave in a
righteous way, it is because we are consistent in every given circumstance in regards to others. God
is our example of righteousness. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Even the devil
cannot call into question that God is righteous in all his dealings.

Wrath of God God's righteousness can also be seen in his wrath. We first see the wrath of God in the
Old Testament.

Who Is Martin Luther King On Christian Liberty
The battle for liberty has been fought on different scales with the beginning of thousands of
revolutions in the history. The ideal liberty is an ultimate goal that inflames the minds of many
people who yearn for individual freedom. In all these struggles, the definition of liberty is not the
same for different people. According to the text, "the idea of liberty has played a powerful role in the
history of Western society and culture, but the meaning and understanding of liberty has undergone
continual change and interpretation." For example in the Roman world, liberty meant the condition
of being a free man. In the Middle Ages, liberty meant having special privileges or rights. However,
the idea of liberty under religious dimension was rather new. Martin Luther King had interpreted
another important foundation of liberty in his treatise On Christian Liberty: the important of faith
and Scripture to Christian life.
King meant of liberty was based not on articulation of justification by faith alone but through the
word of Gospel. Perhaps, people should have liberty in terms of their connection to God not
controlled or managed by the Church. King understood human liberty, broadly, as the capacity for a
"spiritual, new and inward man" to make a man a "justified, free and true Christian." According to
King, "Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none." Of course, faith gives us true
Christian liberty. We are free from the law as regards our salvation.

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
RESEARCH PAPER
SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR BRADLEY MCDANIEL
201540 FALL 2015 BIBL 161–B01 LUO
BY
DEIRDRE JONES–SHOOK
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
OCTOBER 2015 Table of Contents
Definition 3–5
How is the term justification defined by scholars? What is your own definition based on your
research?
Basis 5–6
What is the act of being justified based or grounded on, that is, what is necessary to have happened
or to be true in order for justification to be possible?
Means 6–7
How does one obtain justification? What is the means by which one is justified?
Time Factors 7–8
Is justification an act or a process? Is it instantaneous or gradual?
Results/Fruits 8–10
Once one ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"To be sure, some scholars have in recent decades argued that justification is not the center of
Pauline thought but is rather a subsidiary doctrine. In its place they have proposed other integrating
doctrines. Barth thinks that the confession of Jesus Christ is more basic than justification, which he
defends–although he offers a novel doctrine of both: Justification he considers but a new insight into
an already universally effective Christological salvation. Yet many others, including J. Gresham

Machen and Leon Morris, have championed the evangelical mainstream view that justification is
basic and central."
Evangelical critics comment that when one speaks of justification it is indeed necessary but not
firmly sufficient to underscore that believers are both justified and kept by grace. The ground of
divine acceptance must be made patently clear. It is neither by our works, nor our love, that we are
justified.
DeVries argues, "It is not making ourselves righteous. It is not sanctification. It is not simply
belonging to the Christian church because you profess Christ as Lord. Justification has to do with
God as Judge. It is the declaration that you are free from guilt and condemnation in the sight of God.
It is an anticipation of future judgment." In his article "Justification: A Doctrine in Crisis," Carl
Henry asserts, "Justification is God's declaration and implementation of his eternal will giving

Justification : Justification And Justification Essay
Justification in Romans Justification, in simplistic terms, is what God does for us in Christ.
However, Paul's understanding of justification is not as simple. Rather, it is a multifaceted theology,
highly influence by his Jewish religious education, as much as, the revelation of God in Christ. We
are not simply being accounted justified before God, but rather as a redemptive process God is
regenerating all people, making them righteous in an ongoing process of sanctification. Justification
is only part of redemptive, regenerative work of God in Christ, as Long writes from a Wesleyan
perspective, "Regeneration is the process not only of being accounted justified before God, but also
being made righteous. The latter is our sanctification, and in the Wesleyan tradition that
sanctification can culminate in perfection." Justification is but the beginning of God's salvific work.
Consequently, understanding Paul's presentation of soteriology in Romans first requires examining
justification, and then later sanctification. The opening chapters of Romans establish that all have
sinned, broke covenant with God, and require justification of which they cannot earn. Paul begins
his Romans by declaring that "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith," and
continuing, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." Paul is establishing the righteousness of
God as being wrapped

Analysis Of The Article ' The Pericope Of Galatians 2 : 15-21
The pericope of Galatians 2:15–21 is the thesis of the entire letter to the early Christian communities
in Galatia (Furnish 1971). It begins after Paul greets the people of Galatia. The people of Galatia
have been visited by missionaries who still insist that the laws must still be adhered to especially the
laws of circumcision causing confusion in the people. Peter had drawn away from the gentiles over
purity issues and this was still greatly on Paul's mind in writing to the Galatians (Furnish 1971). So,
Paul wants to clarify that justification only comes through faith in Christ not through the works of
the law. After this pericope, Paul constructs his argument to flesh out what Paul states in these few
verses. This pericope gives the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His point would be an ethnic exclusivity that he was against in speaking against works of the law.
Looking back to Antioch at Peter's behavior in which Paul refers to in speaking about Peter, Peter
was not doing good works but was trying to put a boundary between his self and the Gentiles
(Colossians 2:8–15, Do Not Be Captured by Human Tradition 2000). It is in the key words we see
the purpose of this writing, to discuss justification by works of the law by maintaining the
observances of the covenant people or justification by faith in Christ, in what Christ did for one and
for all.
In the NRSV there are textual variants listed. These textual variants change the meaning in the
verses in which they appear. In verse 16 the text says 'faith in Jesus Christ' however the variant says,
'the faith of Jesus Christ'. The prepositions are in question here causing the meanings to be different
for each phrase. 'Faith in Jesus Christ' would mean one would need to actively have faith in Christ.
But in the phrase 'the faith of Jesus Christ' would mean Jesus was the one with the faith. Another
interpretation even has a different phrase in verse 16, the Common English Version (CEB) says, 'the
faithfulness of Christ' which would entail Jesus'

Martin Luther's On Christian Liberty
Martin Luther's On Christian Liberty was written as a way to explain his theology of justification by
faith. His work was written for many different people. His followers, people who disbelieved him
and people who were also confused by his theology. In order to make the way smoother for the
unlearned, Luther sets down two propositions. The first is "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all,
subject to none," and the second proposition is "A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all,
subject to all" (Luther, 2). While these two theses may seem to contradict one another they both
make perfect sense in the way individuals should lead their life. The first proposition explains that
humans are free since there is nobody controlling our ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Having faith must be the first step in being able to fulfill the commandments and be righteous. If an
individual is able to have faith and fulfill the first commandment, "You shall worship one God," then
that individual will have no problem in fulfilling the rest of the commandments. Works are not
enough to glorify God, although they are able to if faith is present (Luther, 22). Since faith can only
rule in the inner man, and since faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inner man cannot be save,
justified, or freed by any work or action at all. The works have nothing to do with the character of
the inner man (Luther,

Declaration Of Righteousness Through Christ
Declaration of righteousness through Christ
Presented to
Dr. Martin Sheldon
BIBL 425 – Romans
By
Nathan Garçonvil
L23590987
Date
09/08/2014
I. Intro
Understanding the doctrine of justification by faith should be every Christian primary objective, for
it represents the foundation of our entire religious belief. While justification by faith has been the
subject of many debates, and the target of many who are trying to undermine the Christian's faith, it
remains the most important doctrine in a Christian's life, for it is the only doctrine that separates the
Christian faith from many other religions and sects. This theological doctrine has been debated and
re–debated for years. What is the reasons behind all these disagreement? Why can't human accept
the free gift of salvation without associated it with extra work? Is it because we are trying to justify
ourselves? Or, is it because the human race is too far evil that it cannot accept being justified as
righteous before God?
Maybe Thomas Oden put it exactly, when he stated:
"We in our self–assertiveness would much prefer to justify ourselves rather than receive God 's free
gift....The message of justification is difficult to accept because it seems too good to be true. It says:
Stop trying to justify yourself. You do not need to." If we wake up one day and realize, "Hey! I don
't need to justify myself!"–then shackles will fall like dropped popcorn, and our inner soul will feel
an exhilarating liberation."
What

The Legacy Of Martin Luther
Introduction
Martin Luther grew up in a home with very strict parents. As a result, Luther's childhood was
plagued with anxiety at home and at school. Because his father planned for him to become a lawyer,
shortly after receiving a Master of Arts degree from Erfurt University he returned to the university to
study law. Consequently, after a life threatening experience in a storm, Luther left the university and
joined a monastery. In 1505, Luther became an Augustinian monk and subsequently became a priest
in 1507. According to John Dillenberger, "Luther was extremely sensitive to the problem of how to
become worthy to receive the grace of God rather than the damning consequences of His
righteousness".
Initially, Luther was at ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, through studying and, meditating he gained a new understanding of the phrase.
Dillenberger noted that because of Luther's new understanding "his eyes were opened to the center
of the Gospel". Luther's new understanding gave him peace and helped him understand his worth to
God.
Luther's View of God's Righteousness
Prior to his new understanding of God's righteousness Luther hated God because he did not know
the love of God, he only knew the judging angry God. Luther did not understand how an angry God
could be righteous. Consequently, Luther had been taught that, "God is righteous and punishes the
unrighteous sinner". As a result, he believed there was no way for sinners to be justified by God.
Luther felt crushed by the Mosaic Law and threatened with God's righteousness and wrath by the
gospel. However, through his studies and meditations Luther came to understand the true meaning
of the phrase "righteousness of God". He described his new understanding to be "the righteousness
of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith." In other words, the
righteousness of God is a gift from God to those who live by faith. Accordingly, Luther felt born
again. He found a new relationship with God and the Scriptures. In the light of his new views,
Luther was conflicted by the Roman Catholic Church teachings on penance and righteousness. As a
result, Luther developed his own doctrine of justification based on

The Age Of The Reformation
The age of the Reformation can be described as the period of bloodshed in the name of religion,
search for the truth, and the birth of the denominational church. According to Shelley (2008)
reformation brought about the end of papal leadership of western Christendom, while at the same
time gave birth to Protestantism and its four traditions, which include Lutheran, Reformed,
Anabaptist, and Anglican beliefs (Shelley, 2008). It is a period of enlightenment, in which Christians
begin to interpret the Bible themselves and realize that God is attainable without the need of papacy
bringing about queries of papal intentions. To gain further understanding of humility as a concept it
is imperative to examine the works of the following figures, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
228).
The forgoing quote appears to suggest that not only Christ sacrifice is an example of humility to His
people, but also it is through the prayer to and faith in Christ one can attain humility.
Similarly, in his works on the exposition of the Christian life named, A Treatise on Good Works,
Luther further accentuates prayer as an approach for humility attainment,
"Nay, you believe that God shall hear most of all when you are in the greatest need and fear. Why,
then, are you so foolish here, where there is immeasurable greater need and eternal hurt, and do not
want to ask for faith, hope, love, humility, obedience, chastity, gentleness, peace, righteousness,
unless you are already free of all your unbelief, doubt, pride, disobedience, unchastity, anger,
covetousness and unrighteousness. Although the more you find yourself lacking in these things, the
more and more diligently you ought to pray or cry " (p. 40).
Moreover, these quotes discredit the requirement of confection to the priests for the purpose of
forgiveness and salvation. In his, Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences, also know as the

The Righteousness Of God Can Not Be Received By Faith Essay
Means
This series of events culminates in the explanation of how this justification is appropriated to
believers: "To be received by faith" (Rom. 3:25). First, as the means of justification, this faith is the
sole grounds for being justified. This stresses the earlier point of Romans 3: "For by works of the
law no human being will be justified in his sight" (Rom. 3:20). The righteousness of God cannot be
earned by works of law; rather, as Constable notes on Romans 1:17, faith alone is "the vehicle that
brings the righteousness of God to people." Justification is given to believers through faith, not
through works. In Romans, this is a crucial point demonstrating the inability of all human efforts at
law–keeping to secure a restored standing with God. Schreiner writes, "The sustained emphasis on
faith in Christ is present because it distinguishes Paul's gospel from Judaism. Ultimately, the Jews
had a more optimistic view of human ability. By contrast, Paul asserts that human beings cannot
obey the law. They can only receive by faith the gift of God offered in Christ Jesus." Since all are
depraved, as Paul asserted in the first three chapters of Romans, none can please God by works of
law. After all, Isaiah writes, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous
deeds are like a polluted garment" (Is. 64:4). Even the most ardent law–keepers of Jesus' day did not
possess a sufficient righteousness (Matt. 5:20); only one offense made them culpable of the

Comparing Christian Liberty, Utopia, and The Prince Essay
Christian Liberty, Utopia, and The Prince
"A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none...A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant
to all, subject to none." (Luther Pg. 7) These lines show what Luther is truly about. In Christian
Liberty, Luther believes in the reestablishing of God as the inner authority. In Utopia, Thomas More
believes the power should be in one group and that the rest of the common people in the society
should all be equal like a communist society. In The Prince, Machievelli believes that the power is
within the prince. I choose Christian Liberty as the best form of authority because it is the closest to
being an honest and true way of authority. Although none of the books portray ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Is not such a soul most obedient to God in all things by this faith? ...What more complete
fulfillment is there than obedience in all things? This obedience, however, is not rendered by works
but by faith alone." (Luther page 13) In this passage Luther is explaining the inner man versus the
outer man. He is showing that if you trust and believe in God then he will never steer you wrong but
if you don't then, "what greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not
believing his promise...but to make God a liar or to doubt that he is truthful? That is to ascribe
truthfulness to one's self but lying and vanity in God?"
This quote shows the dismal side of not believing in God and his supreme power and authority. If
you were to doubt him whom would you go to for salvation once he gave up on you?
"Man has a two–fold nature, a spiritual and a bodily one. According to the spiritual nature, which
men refer to as the soul, he is called a spiritual, inner or new man. According to the bodily nature
which men refer to as flesh, he is called a carnal, outward, or old man." (Luther page 7) We have
first talked about the spiritual aspect of a person now we are going to talk about the physical aspect.
"Now let us turn to the second part, the outer man. Here we shall answer all those who, offended by
the word faith and by all that

The Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther's On Christian...
Martin Luther wrote "On Christian Liberty," as an attempt to avoid conflict with the Church. In it,
he justifies his beliefs, primarily on the importance of placing faith in Christ above works in the
grand scheme of salvation. Throughout the treatise, he address who a Christian should be, the nature
humanity, and the role he believes faith, works, and ceremonies playing in forming a good Christian.
This, in turn, entices the reader to critique and search of his or her self, what it means to be a good
Christian and how to gain salvation. Within the first few pages of "On Christian Liberty," Luther
creates a paradox that causes readers to think deeply about their own role as believers of Christ. In
it, he claims that a Christian is: "...a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none while, at the same
time, being a perfectly dutiful servant, subject to all (pg.2)." Through faith, the most important part
of a person's salvation, a Christian gains freedom and liberty. However, a Christian becomes a
servant of all through love, subjecting themselves to the needs of others as Christ did. Luther
identifies the "two natures of man" as the body and the spirit. These two natures continuously
conflict. The body is the flesh or a person's outward nature while the soul represents the inner
person. The bodily nature of humanity has no bearing on the righteousness of the soul. Luther states
that the soul cannot benefit if the body and flesh is well. Regardless of outward wealth,

When Jesus died at Calvary, He suffered the wrath of God that all of mankind deserves. Every
sinner, Old Testament or New, Jew or Gentile, is justified by faith in Jesus as their sin bearer. In His
death Jesus Christ satisfied God's righteous anger. He also offered justified sinners a righteousness
which men could never merit or earn by their works in following the law.
Given the condemnation of all men, Jew and Gentile alike, and the fact that justification is based
upon faith in Christ's work and not our own works, man has no reason to boast on his own
accomplishments or his standings. In chapter 4, Paul uses Abraham as an example to show that even
Abraham was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Romans 2 Paul turned to those Jews who prided themselves because of what they viewed as their
privileged position and chided them for boasting because they have the name "Jew"[4] , and in the
Law. After showing all men to be sinners, under divine condemnation, judged or justified without
partiality, Paul challenges man's boasting by asking who could dare to boast[5]. Men have nothing
to boast in, at least before God.
Some Jews boasted in their physical descent from Abraham. In the Gospels we find them boasting in
their identity as "the sons of Abraham".[6] In Romans chapter 4, Paul turns to Abraham. He begins
by raising the question as to whether Abraham could boast in his works. If so, then justification by
faith would be of no need or value but if it can be proven that even Abraham could not boast in his
righteousness, then none of his descendants could boast in Abraham either. Abraham was not the
only case to demonstrate that boasting of one's work was unacceptable. In Psalm 32, written by
David, he understood that men were made righteous by God, through faith, and not by human effort
or works. David's Psalm, based on his own experience, testified to his painful knowledge of man's
sinfulness. In spite of his great sin, David could rejoice as one of those whose sins and lawless deeds
were forgiven. This was not by good works

On November 10, 1483, In Eisleben, Saxony (What Is Now
On November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony (what is now Germany), Hans and Margarethe Luther
welcomed a son. The following morning, the Luther 's baptized their newborn son. Traditionally
Catholics of the period named their children after a saint. Thus, the child received the name Martin
as November 11 is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. The Luther family moved to Mansfield in
1484 and once Martin was old enough to attend a school he began his elementary schooling there.
Once Luther completed this primary education he began his next level of instruction in Magdeburg,
which is north of Eisleben, and finally, he attended grammar school in Eisenach itself. Luther 's
father desired Martin to study law so that Martin would by guided into a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In 1517, Luther created a document for debate with the church. The document, known as the
Ninety–five Theses, outlined what Luther saw were discrepancies between the actions of the church
and what Scripture teaches. He nailed the paper to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg on
October 31, 1517. Albert, the Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, received a copy of the
document the same day. (McKim 8) The church proceeded to charge Luther with heresy and over
the course of the next three years, he faced several panels. Finally, in 1520, the pope
excommunicated Luther and fearing for his life, Luther went into hiding. During this time, Luther
married a former nun named Katharina von Bora. During 1524 – 1526, Luther came out of hiding to
oppose a revolt lead by the peasants in Germany which the other Protestant clergy supported.
Finally, during 1531 – 1546 Luther 's health began to wane. Luther was busy struggling with the
conflict which was developing in the Reformation movement. As time progressed, his writings
became more judgmental of other people. Toward the end of his life, his writings became anti–
Semitic, calling for the deportation of all Jews from Germany. On February 17, 1546, Luther felt
chest pains after completing settlement negotiations; he died the next day.
Lutheranism has three main theological points. These points were unique to it at the time Martin
Luther listed his

Justification of Faith in Early Protestant Thought

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