Michael Reeves

That is what justification by faith alone gives. We can approach a most holy God with absolute honesty and absolute boldness because of Jesus.

That is what justification by faith alone gives. We can approach a most holy God with absolute honesty and absolute boldness because of Jesus.

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God is not one who builds on our foundations. He creates life out of nothing. And it meant that instead of looking to God for assistance, but ultimately relying on self, Luther was turning to rely entirely on Christ, in whom all righteousness is achieved.

God is not one who builds on our foundations. He creates life out of nothing. And it meant that instead of looking to God for assistance, but ultimately relying on self, Luther was turning to rely entirely on Christ, in whom all righteousness is achieved.

Years before the Reformation, in his days as a monk, Martin Luther had begun lecturing on the Bible at the University of Wittenberg. And there, years before the Reformation, he taught his students that salvation is by grace. I quote, he said, Not because of our merits. Salvation is given out of the pure mercy of the promising God. No alarms went off.

Years before the Reformation, in his days as a monk, Martin Luther had begun lecturing on the Bible at the University of Wittenberg. And there, years before the Reformation, he taught his students that salvation is by grace. I quote, he said, Not because of our merits. Salvation is given out of the pure mercy of the promising God. No alarms went off.

Not a single eyebrow was raised among all the inquisitors in Rome. And why not? Because Martin Luther the monk was still then upholding Rome's own theology. He was loyally teaching standard medieval Roman Catholicism that salvation is by grace. Now, eyebrows might not have arched in Rome, but yours might have done.

Not a single eyebrow was raised among all the inquisitors in Rome. And why not? Because Martin Luther the monk was still then upholding Rome's own theology. He was loyally teaching standard medieval Roman Catholicism that salvation is by grace. Now, eyebrows might not have arched in Rome, but yours might have done.

For it wasn't the whole point of the Reformation that medieval Roman Catholicism falsely taught salvation by works. And that certainly is how many see it. But that idea actually fails to grasp quite how things were. And more importantly, it fails to grasp the true wonder and acuteness of the Reformers' message. So let's see a comparison.

For it wasn't the whole point of the Reformation that medieval Roman Catholicism falsely taught salvation by works. And that certainly is how many see it. But that idea actually fails to grasp quite how things were. And more importantly, it fails to grasp the true wonder and acuteness of the Reformers' message. So let's see a comparison.

Let's compare grace in medieval Roman Catholicism to grace as the Reformers understood it. First then, what did Martin Luther the monk before the Reformation mean when he taught salvation by grace? He could teach that salvation, I quote, is not on the basis, said Luther, of our merits, but on the pure promise of a merciful God, which all sounds very reformational, until he goes on to explain that

Let's compare grace in medieval Roman Catholicism to grace as the Reformers understood it. First then, what did Martin Luther the monk before the Reformation mean when he taught salvation by grace? He could teach that salvation, I quote, is not on the basis, said Luther, of our merits, but on the pure promise of a merciful God, which all sounds very reformational, until he goes on to explain that

Luther said, as a monk, the teachers correctly say that to a man who does what is in him, God gives grace without fail. To a man who does what is in him, God bestows everything gratis and only on the basis of the promise of his mercy, although he wants us to be prepared for this as much as lies in us.

Luther said, as a monk, the teachers correctly say that to a man who does what is in him, God gives grace without fail. To a man who does what is in him, God bestows everything gratis and only on the basis of the promise of his mercy, although he wants us to be prepared for this as much as lies in us.

So according to this, God does save by grace, but that grace is given to those who are prepared for it, who do what is in them to be fit for grace. Or as the teachers of his day like to put it, God will not deny grace to those who do their best. Romans chapter 5 verse 5 is perhaps the single most helpful verse for understanding this view of salvation by grace. And we'll return to it a few times.

So according to this, God does save by grace, but that grace is given to those who are prepared for it, who do what is in them to be fit for grace. Or as the teachers of his day like to put it, God will not deny grace to those who do their best. Romans chapter 5 verse 5 is perhaps the single most helpful verse for understanding this view of salvation by grace. And we'll return to it a few times.

God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us, writes the Apostle Paul. So instead of being read as a verse about the transformative work of the Spirit in those who Romans 5 verse 1 have been passed, have been justified by faith. That's the context of Romans 5 verse 5. It's talking to those who have been justified.

God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us, writes the Apostle Paul. So instead of being read as a verse about the transformative work of the Spirit in those who Romans 5 verse 1 have been passed, have been justified by faith. That's the context of Romans 5 verse 5. It's talking to those who have been justified.