Michael Reeves

Romans 5.5 was taken in medieval Roman Catholicism to be an account of salvation, meaning that God pours his love and grace into our hearts, transforming us internally, making us holy, ultimately holy enough to merit heaven. And our problem, according to this theology, is that while God is holy, we're lazy and And only holy people belong with a holy God in heaven.

Romans 5.5 was taken in medieval Roman Catholicism to be an account of salvation, meaning that God pours his love and grace into our hearts, transforming us internally, making us holy, ultimately holy enough to merit heaven. And our problem, according to this theology, is that while God is holy, we're lazy and And only holy people belong with a holy God in heaven.

But while here's our problem, while we might recognize we really ought to be holy, we really can't be bothered. Not quite enough. We don't seem to be able to muster up the energy that we need to be holy. But don't worry, said the Roman Catholic theologians, God in his kindness gives us grace. And so grace here was a bit like a can of spiritual Red Bull, an energy drink.

But while here's our problem, while we might recognize we really ought to be holy, we really can't be bothered. Not quite enough. We don't seem to be able to muster up the energy that we need to be holy. But don't worry, said the Roman Catholic theologians, God in his kindness gives us grace. And so grace here was a bit like a can of spiritual Red Bull, an energy drink.

So I find myself, I can't be bothered to pull myself together and get holy, and God gives me grace. And I suddenly, I take in this grace, and I find myself a lot more eager and ready to go out and be holy. This then, it was a theology of salvation by grace. So without the grace... We could never become the sort of holy people who belong in heaven.

So I find myself, I can't be bothered to pull myself together and get holy, and God gives me grace. And I suddenly, I take in this grace, and I find myself a lot more eager and ready to go out and be holy. This then, it was a theology of salvation by grace. So without the grace... We could never become the sort of holy people who belong in heaven.

But it was absolutely not a theology of salvation by grace alone. Here, grace provided the necessary boost, the fuel we need to earn eternal life, but it didn't actually give or guarantee eternal life. The Red Bull of Grace would be given to those who want it, who pursue it, and it only saved insofar as it enabled people to become holy and so win their salvation.

But it was absolutely not a theology of salvation by grace alone. Here, grace provided the necessary boost, the fuel we need to earn eternal life, but it didn't actually give or guarantee eternal life. The Red Bull of Grace would be given to those who want it, who pursue it, and it only saved insofar as it enabled people to become holy and so win their salvation.

Luther's Reformation message of salvation by grace alone that he came to later could hardly have looked more different to that old pre-Reformation teaching of his about salvation by grace. This is how Luther began to talk. Luther said, He is not righteous who does much, but he who without work believes much in Christ. Here, said Luther,

Luther's Reformation message of salvation by grace alone that he came to later could hardly have looked more different to that old pre-Reformation teaching of his about salvation by grace. This is how Luther began to talk. Luther said, He is not righteous who does much, but he who without work believes much in Christ. Here, said Luther,

Grace is not about God building on our righteous deeds or helping us to perform them. No, 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.

Grace is not about God building on our righteous deeds or helping us to perform them. No, 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.

He wrote, the law says, do this, and it's never done. Grace says, believe in this, and everything is already done. And here Luther found grace. a message so good it almost seemed incredible to him. It was good news for the repeated failure. It was news of a God who doesn't come to call the righteous but sinners. See, deep in our psyche is the assumption that we will be more loved

He wrote, the law says, do this, and it's never done. Grace says, believe in this, and everything is already done. And here Luther found grace. a message so good it almost seemed incredible to him. It was good news for the repeated failure. It was news of a God who doesn't come to call the righteous but sinners. See, deep in our psyche is the assumption that we will be more loved

when and only when we make ourselves more attractive, both to God and to others. And into that, Luther speaks words that just cut through the gloom like a glorious and utterly unexpected sunbeam. Luther wrote, the love of God does not find, it creates that which is pleasing to it. And rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good.

when and only when we make ourselves more attractive, both to God and to others. And into that, Luther speaks words that just cut through the gloom like a glorious and utterly unexpected sunbeam. Luther wrote, the love of God does not find, it creates that which is pleasing to it. And rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good.

Therefore, sinners are attractive because they are loved. They are not loved because they try to make themselves attractive. There's the counter-cultural, counter-intuitive, glorious message of the Reformation that we need again today. And for the rest of his life, Luther took this message as good news that needs to be continually reapplied to the heart of the believer.

Therefore, sinners are attractive because they are loved. They are not loved because they try to make themselves attractive. There's the counter-cultural, counter-intuitive, glorious message of the Reformation that we need again today. And for the rest of his life, Luther took this message as good news that needs to be continually reapplied to the heart of the believer.

Because from his own experience, he found we are so instinctively self-dependent. that while we'll happily subscribe to salvation by grace, our minds are like rocks drawn down by the gravitational pull of sin away from belief in grace alone. And so he would counsel his friends. Here's a letter he wrote to one friend. saying, my dear brother, learn Christ and him crucified. Learn to pray to him.

Because from his own experience, he found we are so instinctively self-dependent. that while we'll happily subscribe to salvation by grace, our minds are like rocks drawn down by the gravitational pull of sin away from belief in grace alone. And so he would counsel his friends. Here's a letter he wrote to one friend. saying, my dear brother, learn Christ and him crucified. Learn to pray to him.