Apology to Augsburg, Article IV. Justification, Part 1 - Law and Gospel - February 21, 2018 - Lenten Midweek 2 - Text: Apology to Augsburg Article IV

This year during the season of Lent through to Easter Sunrise and Easter morning we are continuing our celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation as we did at Advent through Christmas. During Lent through Easter we are covering what is considered the most important doctrine of the Church and the Lutheran Church, Article IV of the Augsburg Confession and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Article IV is the article on Justification and how we are made just and right in God’s eyes. Indeed, this article is the article on which the Church stands or falls, because we are saved either by ourselves, our good deeds, our obedience, and so forth or our salvation comes from outside of us, namely it comes from Jesus, who has earned and paid for our sins by His suffering and death on the cross and which He gives freely to us with out any merit or worthiness within us.

Today we consider the distinction between the Law and the Gospel. We begin with a proper understanding the Law. As we learn in confirmation class the threefold purpose of the Law is that it serves as a curb, a mirror and a rule. Just as a curb is used to keep cars on the street and off the sidewalk, so the Law serves as a curb to keep us on the straight and narrow road which leads to salvation. Just as we look in a mirror in order to see our flaws, so the Law is a mirror which shows us our sins and how sinful we truly are. Just as a rule is a guide to make life fair, so the Law is intended to be a guide to keep us on the straight and narrow as well.

When I was in confirmation, a mere few years ago, I was taught a simple way to remember the purpose of the Law and the Gospel. I learned the S.O.S. of the Law and the S.O.S. of the Gospel. The purpose of the Law, the S.O.S. of the Law that it Show Our Sins and as such it always points us to ourselves. The Law tells us what we are to do and what we are not to do. The Law gives us boundaries and shows us how we trespass beyond those given boundaries. In telling us what we are to do the Law shows us how we have not done what we should be doing, in other words, not only does the Law show us that we sin sins of commission, that is not only do we sin by doing something we should not be doing, the Law also shows us how we sin sins of omission, that is that we are not doing the things we should be doing. Again, the very purpose of the Law is to show us our sin.

The Law cannot save us. In and of itself, if preached alone the Law only leads to despair or works righteousness. The Law leads to despair when we see how sinful we are and think there is no hope of forgiveness and salvation. The Law leads to works righteousness when we see how sinful we are and yet we think that we can actually do something to overcome our sins or work them off.

On the other hand, the purpose of the Gospel, the S.O.S. of the Gospel is that it Shows Our Savior. The Gospel points us away from self and only to Jesus. First and foremost the Gospel is gift with no conditions, as we so well pointed out last week. To help us understand the gift nature of the Gospel perhaps we could differentiate between gift and present. Very often at Christmastime we exchange presents. I will give you a present and you will give me one in return. While this is a worthwhile tradition, this tradition is not gift giving but rather a present exchange. True gift giving is giving without demanding nor expecting something, anything in return. God is the only true and great gift giver. Indeed, God gives all things. What we are born with and what we take with us when we die is what is truly ours. Nothing is ours. All that we have while in this world is God’s and is on loan to us from Him to use while we are in this world. God gives and we are given to. Gift giving has no conditions as if you do this thing then I will give you this gift. Gift giving is giving with no demand nor expectation.

The Gospel always points only to Jesus. The Gospel does not point to self nor ask anything of self. The Gospel speaks of Jesus and His doing and giving. In other words, the Gospel says, Jesus chose me; Jesus lived for me; Jesus died for me; Jesus loves me; Jesus gives me faith; Jesus gives me forgiveness of sins. There is no I in the Gospel. There is no I chose, I decided, I was obedient, I did this or I did that. That I talk, that talk of self is not pointing to Jesus talk. Pointing to Jesus talk is talking about Jesus’ doing and giving and our being done to and given to.

The Gospel saves because the Gospel is the good news of Jesus. The Gospel saves because it is the Word of God and God’s Word always gives and does what it says. As the Word of God says we are given faith, so we can be sure we are given faith. As the Word of God says we are forgiven our sins, so we can be sure our sins are forgiven. As the Word of God says we have eternal life in heaven, so we can be sure we have eternal life in heaven.

What does this mean? When we speak of Law and Gospel we must always do so making a proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel. We must not mix Law and Gospel as is done in moralism, such as is done in Aesop’s fables. Aesop always ended with the moral of the story, that is with the lesson learned in the story. Also please note that Parables do not have morals, rather parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning and that heavenly meaning is a Gospel, or a Law meaning, a meaning that warns or gives the gifts that God gives through the parable.

A proper distinction of Law and Gospel gives us a certainty of our eternal salvation. With a proper distinction of Law and Gospel there is never any hint of uncertainty, that is, wondering if you have done enough for salvation. The Law pointedly declares that you are a sinner unfit for heaven and that is what it is supposed to do. The Gospel declares that you are forgiven for Jesus’ sake because He paid the price for your sins and that is what it is supposed to do. Our confidence is in the certainty of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus forgiveness.

As we said last week and as we will most certainly say several more times, the Law does not motivate repentance that is the work of the Gospel. The Law by itself brings uncertainly, either to works righteousness or despair.

However the Law does pave the way for the Gospel. As Paul reminds us, if we did not know what sin was or that we were sinners then we would not know that we need forgiveness. If we did not know we were sinners in need of forgiveness and we did not repent then our sin would remain on us, we would not be forgiven and we would be eternally lost. The price for heaven is perfection and in and of ourselves we would be imperfect. Thus the Law shows our sins and stirs in us the need for forgiveness.

On the other hand the Gospel soothes the soul. The Gospel comes in and says, your sins are forgiven. The Gospel points us to Jesus who was perfect for us in our place. The fullness of the Gospel is not simply Jesus’ death, but His perfect life for us as our substitute. By faith, given to us through the means of grace, by the Holy Spirit, when God looks at us He sees Jesus’ perfection and He is satisfied that it is our perfection. When we look at God we see Jesus’ perfection and we too are satisfied that He died for us.

The Gospel is gift and gives the gifts of God. The Gospel is gift and never asks anything from the one being given to, rather it simply gives without demand nor expectation. The Gospel never coerces. The Gospel never has teeth. The Gospel never has conditions. The Gospel simply gives. The Gospel gives the gifts of God, faith, strengthening of faith, forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

When we speak and point to ourselves, that talk is Law talk and does not save. When we speak and point to Jesus, when we extol the gifts of God and point to Jesus as the One giving the gifts, when we give thanks to God for His good gifts and blessings, that is Gospel talk, that is Jesus talk, that is getting the proper distinction correct. So we rejoice and say, thanks be to God for His indescribable love and gifts. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.