Michael Reeves

And despairing of yourself, say, you, Lord Jesus, are my righteousness. I am your sin. You've taken upon yourself what is mine, my sin, and given to me what is yours. You've taken upon yourself what you were not and given to me what I was not.

And despairing of yourself, say, you, Lord Jesus, are my righteousness. I am your sin. You've taken upon yourself what is mine, my sin, and given to me what is yours. You've taken upon yourself what you were not and given to me what I was not.

Now there is far, far more than first meets the eye standing between the Roman Catholic idea of salvation by grace and the Reformation's message of salvation by grace alone. And the fact that just one little word alone distinguishes them can make you feel like this is a difference only the fussiest theologian can notice.

Now there is far, far more than first meets the eye standing between the Roman Catholic idea of salvation by grace and the Reformation's message of salvation by grace alone. And the fact that just one little word alone distinguishes them can make you feel like this is a difference only the fussiest theologian can notice.

But the difference actually involves even more than where we should look to for confidence before God. In reality, the very meaning of the word grace is different in each. See, in Roman Catholicism we've seen grace was seen as a thing. A force or a fuel like Red Bull. And so Catholics would pray, Hail Mary, full of grace. Because Mary's got a lot of this grace in her.

But the difference actually involves even more than where we should look to for confidence before God. In reality, the very meaning of the word grace is different in each. See, in Roman Catholicism we've seen grace was seen as a thing. A force or a fuel like Red Bull. And so Catholics would pray, Hail Mary, full of grace. Because Mary's got a lot of this grace in her.

She's wired with spiritual caffeine. And that was nothing like how Luther and his fellow reformers saw grace. For them, grace was not a thing at all. It is the personal kindness of God by which he doesn't merely enable us, but by which he rescues and freely gives us himself. or to be even more precise, there is no such thing as grace. There is only Christ, who is the blessing of God given to us.

She's wired with spiritual caffeine. And that was nothing like how Luther and his fellow reformers saw grace. For them, grace was not a thing at all. It is the personal kindness of God by which he doesn't merely enable us, but by which he rescues and freely gives us himself. or to be even more precise, there is no such thing as grace. There is only Christ, who is the blessing of God given to us.

And that being the case, Luther actually tended not to talk that much about grace in the abstract, preferring to speak of Christ himself.

And that being the case, Luther actually tended not to talk that much about grace in the abstract, preferring to speak of Christ himself.

For example, he said, therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ, the Christ who is grasped by faith and who lives in the heart of the true Christian righteousness on account of which God counts, asks righteousness, and grants us eternal life.

For example, he said, therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ, the Christ who is grasped by faith and who lives in the heart of the true Christian righteousness on account of which God counts, asks righteousness, and grants us eternal life.

In other words, the grace and righteousness we receive in the gospel is not something other than Christ. I quote Luther again, Christ is the divine power, righteousness, blessing, grace, and life. So for Luther, God does not give us some thing other than Himself. In His grace, He unites us to His Son by His Spirit that we might share the life and righteousness of the Son.

In other words, the grace and righteousness we receive in the gospel is not something other than Christ. I quote Luther again, Christ is the divine power, righteousness, blessing, grace, and life. So for Luther, God does not give us some thing other than Himself. In His grace, He unites us to His Son by His Spirit that we might share the life and righteousness of the Son.

Instead of throwing out some enabling blessing, Christ makes Himself ours. and so totally that we may plead what is his as ours. Now, what difference does it make living under grace alone? We've seen a very different understanding of grace, but what difference does it make?

Instead of throwing out some enabling blessing, Christ makes Himself ours. and so totally that we may plead what is his as ours. Now, what difference does it make living under grace alone? We've seen a very different understanding of grace, but what difference does it make?

Now clearly, anyone who can know that they are accepted and loved by God because of Jesus, and not because of how well they feel they've done, they can know a confidence as secure as Jesus Himself. In Him they have an unsurpassable righteousness that is, like Him, the same yesterday, today, forever. Might that lead them to be a little too confident?

Now clearly, anyone who can know that they are accepted and loved by God because of Jesus, and not because of how well they feel they've done, they can know a confidence as secure as Jesus Himself. In Him they have an unsurpassable righteousness that is, like Him, the same yesterday, today, forever. Might that lead them to be a little too confident?

With heaven in the bag, might they feel we can continue in sin, that grace may abound? Couldn't they argue, I like sinning, God likes forgiving? And that was just what many Roman Catholic theologians wondered when they heard the Reformer's message. And ever since, it's not just been Roman Catholics who've felt the dangers.

With heaven in the bag, might they feel we can continue in sin, that grace may abound? Couldn't they argue, I like sinning, God likes forgiving? And that was just what many Roman Catholic theologians wondered when they heard the Reformer's message. And ever since, it's not just been Roman Catholics who've felt the dangers.