# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1855_S124
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

124 James’s Teaching on Justifying Faith

the righteousness of faith and reveal it to their neighbor. The fact that those same commandments also convict him of the sin that clings even to the noblest works of his obedience of faith is no more nullified by this than the second use of the Law—that it serves to bring about the knowledge of sin—is nullified by the third, according to which it is the rule for the conduct of believers. Deeply grieved, the Christian sees the sinful nature of his works when he considers them in the mirror of the Law, and through such knowledge he grows in repentance; but in those same works, which he performs according to the rule of the Law, he also sees the righteousness of faith by virtue of which he performs them, and thereby he is made more certain of his faith. A Christian life grows in repentance and faith together, not in repentance alone. This is precisely what Dr. Luther presents so often and so beautifully when he leads the poor sinner—who before God, as though in the bridal chamber, has been justified by faith without the contribution of works—out from there among men and shows how he cannot do otherwise than demonstrate and prove his righteousness of faith there in works, and how through them he himself becomes assured of his faith (cf. Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity, Erlangen edition XIII, 66, and Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, XIII, 266, Church Postil). Indeed, the Lord Christ himself recognizes, on the basis of the love of the “poor sinful woman” in Luke 7:47ff., that she has received the forgiveness of sins in faith; and in Matthew 25:34 he pronounces an acquitting judgment upon those whom he has placed at his right hand, grounding it upon their works as works in which they had demonstrated their faith in him. Before the angels and heavenly hosts, before those also who have been placed at his left hand (cf. v. 37), before the whole creation, which cannot disclose hearts as he can, he proclaims the faith and righteousness of faith of the righteous from their works.

God, God’s Word, ascribes the righteousness of faith to believers on the basis of their works, just as God’s Word ascribes the righteousness of Christ to them on the basis of their faith. If, however, in the former case the work is the basis of the judgment or declaration, then it also brings it about in a certain sense, and therefore the Greek “from” could quite properly be translated as “through.” For this reason we may also say that works declared Abraham righteous, without thereby denying that it is actually God’s Word that does so on the basis of the works. Likewise, because faith is the basis of the justifying judgment in justification through faith, it is said that through faith a person is declared righteous, Romans 3:28, and that faith justifies.

(Conclusion follows.)