LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 107

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108 DEVOTIONAL ESSAYS

fore, we are no longer under the oppression of the Law
with its slavery and its curse on sinners. Luther says,
“Faith alone, without works, justifies, frees, and saves.”
Note the Reformer’s logic when he says, “It is clear that
a Christian has all that he needs in faith and needs no
works to justify him; and if he has no need of works, he
has no need of the Law; and if he has no need of the Law,
surely he is free of the Law. . .. This is that Christian
liberty, our faith, which does not induce us to live in
idleness or wickedness, but makes the Law and works
unnecessary for any man’s righteousness and salva-
tion.” At another place in his Freedom of the Christian
Luther rejoices “Yes, since faith alone suffices for
salvation, I need nothing except faith exercising the
power and dominion of its own liberty. Lo, this is the
inestimable power and liberty of Christians.” Thus
Luther points out that the Christian has no need of
indulgences, no need of the fancied merits of the saints,
no need to try vainly to outbalance‘his sins with good
works. In Christ we are free.

In that spiritual freedom we still rejoice today, 500
years after the birthday of Martin Luther and almost
2,000 years after Paul wrote to the Galatians. We need
not fear that we cannot please God enough to win His
eternal favor. We need not fear the curse of a Law that
no sinful man can keep to perfection. We are sure that
we are God’s children. We are free by grace, through
faith in our Savior. With Luther, we rejoice in the words
of Jesus recorded in John 8:36, “If the Son makes you
free, you will be free indeed.” Thus we, like Luther,
recognize the vital importance of evaluating everything
in relation to God and His revelation in Christ. Luther
points us to the center of God’s self-revelation in the
Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. Unless we possess this
forgiveness of sins, we cannot have a saving relation-
ship with our Lord.

This, then, is the liberty to which we witness when as
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod we meet under
the theme “Him We Proclaim.” This is the most basic of
all freedoms, the one thing needful. It is even more vital
than political freedom, precious as that is to people
everywhere. How important then that all our plans and
energies and prayers be focused on proclaiming Him
who made us free. This is the objective of our Synod, as
Article III of the Constitution states—to “strengthen
congregations and their members in giving bold witness
by word and deed to the love and work of God, the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and extend that Gospel
witness into all the world.” We do that personally
through our congregations and Districts, and in a very
special way through the general Synod.

Yes, we are freed for a purpose! Paul in his letter to
the early Christians in Galatia says we are not to use
our liberty as an excuse for a fleshly, sinful life. To do
that would be to return to the slavery of sin. Rather the
apostle exhorts us, “In love serve one another.” We are
to “walk in the Spirit.’”’ Or as Paul wrote to the Romans,

“Being then free from sin, you became the servants
righteousness.” a
Yes, we are freed for a purpose, freed to serve! Luth *
writing about the “outer man” speaks of his se Bo
thesis, “A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servgn :
subject to all.” Luther bids us look to Jesus Christ
example. He refers to Paul’s description in Philippig a
Chapter 2, of Christ’s state of humiliation. Even thou ‘
Jesus Christ is Lord of the universe, the Scriptures s ;
‘He humbled Himself and became obedient unto dea’ .
even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8), Luther
exhorts “I will therefore give myself as a Christ ton
neighbor, just as Christ offered Himself to me.” Wha a
powerful motive for service—“to give myself as aC. *
to my neighbor.” Christ is not only our Savior; Hei oe
example and our inspiration to serve. .
Luther then says it is the wicked man who ignorg ‘5
Christ’s example and abuses his liberty and asks,"
not take our ease and do no works and be contéiit ‘
faith.” Rather the Christian recognizes the importalgs “
of the warning of the apostle Paul who speaks 8g; -
the “flesh.” In 1 Cor. 9:27 he writes of the importan
discipline: “I pound my body and subdueit.” Ind
Christian does good works, not for justification
we read in the Freedom of a Christian, the believe
“out of spontaneous love in obedience to “Got woe
considers nothing except the approval of God w] *
would most scrupulously obey in all things.’ crs
Thus there is no room for “situational ethics: “ay
is no implication that man goes his own way, § :
own standards. The law of God expresses the. om
will of God. The third use of the Lawis that of ag ae
the Christian who still needs this guide. ©‘ a ms
The historian Bainton points out that re
frequently quoted out of context when he is re :
have advised his colleague Philipp Melanchtho#
boldly.” In reality, Luther was joking with M
who was a timid soul, constantly fearing thai
committing a sin. In fact, the great Reformer
goal is to live as Adam and Eve original:
paradise. All our works are to be “done onl. to
God,” even though our faith and love are not ,
We are to be aware of our Savior’s words in ©
“A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a
bear good fruit.” “