Continuing from Luther's preface:
'So both these continue while we live here. The flesh is accused,
exercised with temptations, oppressed with heaviness and sorrow, bruised by the
active righteousness of the law; but the spirit reigns, rejoices, and is saved
by this passive and Christian righteousness, because it knows that it has a
Lord in Heaven, at the right hand of His Father, who has abolished the law,
sin, death, and has trodden under His feet all evils, led them captive, and
triumphed over them in Himself (Colossians 2:15). St. Paul, in this epistle, goes about
diligently to instruct us, to comfort us, to hold us in the perfect knowledge
of this most Christian and excellent righteousness. For if the article of
justification is lost, then all true Christian doctrine is lost. He who strays
from Christian righteousness falls into the righteousness of the law; that is,
when he loses Christ, he falls into the confidence of his own works. Therefore
we also earnestly set forth, and so often repeat the doctrine of "faith," or
Christian righteousness, that by this means it may be kept in continual
exercise, and may be plainly discerned from the active righteousness of the
law.
'Let
us diligently learn to judge between these two kinds of righteousness. We have
said before that, in a Christian, the law ought not to pass its bounds, but
ought to have dominion only over the flesh, which is in subjection to it, and
remains under it. But if it creeps into the conscience, play the cunning
logician, and make the true division. Say: “O law, you would climb up into the
kingdom of my conscience, and there reprove it of sin, and take from me the joy
of my heart, which I have by faith in Christ, and drive me to desperation that
I may be without hope, and utterly perish. Keep within your bounds, and
exercise your power upon the flesh: for by the gospel I am called to the
partaking of righteousness and everlasting life."' What do we do when our consciences remind us of our guilt before God's
Law? I fear that what comes "naturally" to us most often is to make
resolutions of new obedience - to try harder & do better.
"Penance" is a product of the flesh, just as much as the sin it
futilely tries to combat. It is the proud presumption that we can win
back God's favor by our works. Dr. Luther's medicine is a biblical
prescription: We must speak the Gospel to our troubled consciences -
and remind ourselves of the passive, Christian righteousness which is
ours in Christ, and is the sole basis of our acceptance with God.
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