Martin Luther and Justification for salvation

Martin Luther’s ideas

• Luther, the protestant reformer, was influenced by St Paul, especially Romans 1:16-17 where Paul claimed that salvation comes to “everyone who has faith”

• Luther proposed Sola fide, which means justification by faith alone. Luther was also influenced in this by Augustine’s teaching on original sin. As mankind is fallen and sinful, humans are incapable of saving themselves.

• Therefore, it is by faith alone that humans can be saved, not works. Justification is received by humans passively, meaning that it is not because of any effort that they make.

counter to iraneus

• Luther’s theology, aligned with Bonhoeffer’s view, is that while salvation is by faith alone and not earned through works, a true understanding of Christ’s role in salvation transforms individuals

• This transformation leads to good deeds as a response to God’s love, not as a means to earn salvation

• Bonhoeffer distinguishes between:

• Cheap grace: Grace that requires no real change, no discipleship, and no obedience.

• Costly grace: True grace that demands a transformed life and active discipleship.

• costly grace makes someone turn into the image of god: just because good works is not intrinsic to salvation, it does not mean that justification is not transformative.

person of christ

• The basis of Martin Luther’s teaching is that it is through Christ’s righteousness that humanity is saved

• Christ united himself with humanity through his incarnate life and atoning death

• Humanity, in return, is united with Christ through faith

• Christ identified himself completely with humanity and took the guilt of human sin on the cross with him, and even, in his humanity, felt abandoned by God at the moment of his death: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34)

sin + sacrifice

• Luther believes that humanity, although stained by sin, is deeply loved and respected by God and that the believer sees in Christ the eternal love and goodness of God

• The believer was able to unite with Christ, as a child of God, so that all Christ has is theirs, as the forgiven sinner becomes united with Christ

• Christ died to pay the legal penalty for the sins of humanity and, as a result, humanity is forgiven

• Atonement is the reconciliation of God to humanity: Christ died so that sin could be removed and the relationship between God and his people was restored

• Jesus conquered and destroyed sin, and his suffering was an infinite sacrifice for all time

revelation of god

Luther believed that it was God’s will that he made himself known to mankind only through Christ

• God is known only through Christ, especially through Christ’s humility, weakness and suffering: ‘to seek God outside Jesus is the devil’

• This knowledge of God is possible because of the two natures of Christ: human and divine

justification by faith

• Justification is God's act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time declaring a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice. It is how God justifies us going to heaven.

• For Catholics, this starts at Baptism and continues with the seven sacraments. Justification occurs after a lifetime of striving to do God’s will and avoiding grave sins.

• For Protestants, justification is a singular act in which God declares an unrighteous individual to be righteous, an act made possible because Christ was legally “made sin” while on the cross. Justification is granted to all who exercise faith.

• The Greek verb tense used in this verse means a once-and for-all transaction. We have been justified - that is, declared not guilty once and for all.

• Luther emphasises the critical role of faith in establishing an intimate relationship between Christ and the believer