More wise words from Master Philipp Melanchthon regarding justification and the forgiveness of sins: We are debating about an important matter, namely, about the honor of Christ and the source from which the faithful might seek a sure and certain consolation—whether we should place our confidence in Christ or in our own works. But if we put it in our works, Christ will be robbed of his honor as our mediator and propitiator. And, faced with God’s judgment, we will discover that such confidence was futile, and consciences will then plunge into despair. For if the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation take place not freely on account of Christ but on account of our love, then no one will have the forgiveness of sins until he or she has kept the entire law, because the law does not justify as long as it can accuse us. Thus it is clear that, since justification is reconciliation on account of Christ, we are justified by faith, because it is most certain that the forgiveness of sins is received by faith alone (Article IV, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Book of Concord, ed. Kolb-Wengert, p. 145).
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 22:33:59 +0000
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