LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 426

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426 ADDITIONAL THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS—OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

46:13; 51:5-8; 56:1 (cf. 53:11]; Jeremiah 9:24) and “judgment”
(Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth 12:14; Psalm 9:5f.; 76:7—9).

9. In the New Testament diverse treatments of “righteousness”
and “justification” are found in the writings of Matthew (5:10;
6:33; 21:32), John (16:8-11), Hebrews (5:1~3; 10:37-38), and
James (2:14—26).(10) In Paul’s letters also, the gift of salvation is
described in various ways, among others: “for freedom Christ has
set us free” (Galatians 5:1--13; cf. Rom. 6:7), “reconciled to God”
(2 Corinthians 5:18-21; ef. Rom. 5:11), “peace with God” (Rom.
5:1), “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), “alive to God in Christ
Jesus” (Rom. 6:11, 23), or “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (cf.
1 Corinthians 1:2; 1:31; 2 Corinthians 1:1). Chief among these is
the “justification” of sinful human beings by God’s grace through
faith (Rom. 3:23-25), which came into particular prominence in
the Reformation period.

10. Paul sets forth the Gospel as the power of God for salvation
of the person who has fallen under the power of sin, as the mes-
sage that proclaims that “the righteousness of God is revealed
through faith for faith” (Rom. 1:16-17) and that grants “justifica-
tion” (Rom. 3:21-31). He proclaims Christ as “our righteousness”
(1 Corinthians 1:30), applying to the risen Lord what Jeremiah pro-
claimed about God himself (23:6). In Christ’s death and resurrec-
tion all dimensions of his saving work have their roots for he is
“our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for
our justification” (Rom. 4:25). All human beings are in need of
God’s righteousness, “since all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God” (Rom. 2:23; cf. Rom. 1:18-3:22; 11:32; Galatians
3:22). In Galatians (3:6) and Rom. (4:3-9), Paul understands Abra-
ham’s faith (Genesis 15:6) as faith in the God who justifies the sin-
ner and calls upon the testimony of the Old Testament to undergird
his gospel that this righteousness will be reckoned to all who, like
Abraham, trust in God’s promise. “For the righteous will live by
faith (Habakkuk 2:4; cf. Galatians 3:11; Rom. 1:17). In Paul’s let-
ters, God’s righteousness is also power for those who have faith
(Rom. 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21). In Christ he makes it their right-
eousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Justification becomes ours through
Christ Jesus “whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement
by his blood, effective through faith” (Rom. 3:25; see 3:21-28).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works”
(Ephesians 2:8-9).

11. Justification is the forgiveness of sins (cf. Rom. 3:23-25;
Acts 13:39; Luke 18:14), liberation from the dominating power of
sin and death (Rom. 5:12-21) and from the curse of the law (Gala-
tians 3:10—14). It is acceptance into communion with God: already
now, but then fully in God’s coming kingdom (Rom. 5:1-2). It
unites with Christ and with his death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5). It
occurs in the reception of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and incorpo-
ration into the one body (Rom. 8:1-2, 9-11: 1 Corinthians
12:12-13). All this is from God alone, for Christ’s sake, by grace,
through faith in “the Gospel of God’s Son” (Rom. 1:1-3).

12. The justified live by faith that comes from the Word of
Christ (Rom. 10:17) and is active through love (Galatians 5:6), the
fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). But since the justified are as-
sailed from within and without by powers and desires (Rom.
8:35-39; Galatians 5:16—21) and fall into sin (I John 1:8, 10), they
must constantly hear God’s promises anew, confess their sins
(1 John 1:9), participate in Christ’s body and blood, and be ex-
horted to live righteously in accord with the will of God. That is
why the Apostle says to the justified: “Work out your own salva-
tion with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you,
enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure”
(Philippians 2:12-13). But the good news remains: “there is now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1),
and in whom Christ lives (Galatians 2:20). Christ’s “act of right-
eousness leads to justification and life for all” (Rom. 5:18).

2001 Convention Workbook

The Doctrine of Justification as Ecumenical Problem

13. Opposing interpretations and applications of the biblical
message of justification were in the sixteenth century a principal
cause of the division of the Western church and led as well to doc-
trinal condemnations. A common understanding of justification is
therefore fundamental and indispensable to overcoming that divi-
sion. By appropriating insights of recent biblical studies and draw-
ing on modern investigations of the history of theology and dogma,
the post-Vatican IT ecumenical dialogue has led to a notable con-
vergence concerning justification, with the result that this Joint De-
claration is able to formulate a consensus on basic truths concern-
ing the doctrine of justification. In light of this consensus, the
corresponding doctrinal condemnations of the sixteenth century do
not apply to today’s partner.

3. The Common Understanding of Justification

14. The Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church have
together listened to the good news proclaimed in Holy Scripture.
This common listening, together with the theological conversations
of recent years, has led to a shared understanding of justification.
This encompasses a consensus in the basic truths; the differing ex-
plications in particular statements are compatible with it.

15. In faith we together hold the conviction that justification is
the work of the triune God. The Father sent his Son into the world
to save sinners. The foundation and presupposition of justification
is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. Justification
thus means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we
share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father.
Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving
work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by
God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while
equipping and calling us to good works.(11)

16. All people are called by God to salvation in Christ. Through
Christ alone are we justified, when we receive this salvation in
faith. Faith is itself God’s gift through the Holy Spirit who works
through Word and Sacrament in the community of believers and
who, at the same time, leads believers into that renewal of life
which God will bring to completion in eternal life.

17. We also share the conviction that the message of justifica-
tion directs us in a special way towards the heart of the New Tes-
tament witness to God’s saving action in Christ: it tells us that as
sinners our new life is solely due to the forgiving and renewing
mercy that God imparts as a gift and we receive in faith, and never
can merit in any way.

18. Therefore the doctrine of justification, which takes up this
message and explicates it, is more than just one part of Christian
doctrine. It stands in an essential relation to all truths of faith,
which are to be seen as internally related to each other. It is an in-
dispensable criterion, which constantly serves to orient all the
teaching and practice of our churches to Christ. When Lutherans
emphasize the unique significance of this criterion, they do not
deny the interrelation and significance of all truths of faith. When
Catholics see themselves as bound by several criteria, they do not
deny the special function of the message of justification. Luther-
ans and Catholics share the goal of confessing Christ, who is to be
trusted above all things as the one Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
through whom God in the Holy Spirit gives himself and pours out
his renewing gifts [cf. Sources, section 3].

4. Explicating the Common Understanding of Justification
4.1 Human Powerlessness and Sin in Relation to Justification

19. We confess together that all persons depend completely on
the saving grace of God for their salvation. The freedom they pos-
sess in relation to persons and the things of this world is no free-
dom in relation to salvation, for as sinners they stand under God’s