The passage from Romans that Luther uses as the basis of his
doctrine –
“The just shall live by his faith” is misinterpreted and decontextualized.
In its original context, this verse speaks of the forgiveness of sins that the believer receives by forsaking his sins.
Practical faithfulness: In Habakkuk, the righteous man who lives by faith, taken up by Paul and falsified by Luther, is the one who perseveres in righteousness and holiness in the face of the attacks of the enemy, demonstrating his faithfulness to God by his obedience.
This faithfulness is translated by a life in conformity with the divine Law, because “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father.” (Matthew 7:21).
This reading, although central to the Reformation, distorts the connection between Paul and the prophet Habakkuk. In reality, Habakkuk 2:4 emphasizes the personal righteousness of the believer, a righteousness that is manifested in constant fidelity and loyal obedience to the Law of God. The righteous, in the Hebrew perspective, is the one who lives a harmonious
relationship with God through his practical fidelity, expressed
in his way of acting.
The word πίστις (pistis), used by Paul in Greek, cannot therefore be reduced to a purely passive faith, as Luther understood it. It also includes this notion of active fidelity.
In Romans 1:17, Paul aligns himself with the Hebrew view by emphasizing that the faith (pistis) of the justified believer is not a simple trust in God, but a living relationship that is expressed in faithfulness and obedience. Paul does not
oppose faith to the Law, but shows that true faith leads to practical faithfulness, to a righteousness lived out in daily life.
This righteousness is not only a gift received passively, but also an active and constant response to God’s grace, by remaining faithful to his commandments.
Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers, the fulfillers (poietai) of the law, who will be justified.
The blood of Jesus, after repentance justifies us and at the same time it sanctifies us, nevertheless there is a difference between the moment when you become holy (the initial sanctification, which depends on God) and the fact of REMAINING holy (the entire or final sanctification WHICH DEPENDS ON MAN).
Salvation is not about being justified and sanctified once and for all, but it is about continually walking in victorious holiness by being in accordance with the Law of God, being forgiven by the blood of Jesus of PAST sins.
Philippians 2:12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
Without the forsaking of sins there is no forgiveness of sins.
Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Abandoning sins preecedes the forgiveness of sins
Acts 26:18 that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God , that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me …
Notice carefully in Acts 26:18, the turning from darkness to light precedes the forgiveness of sins. This refers to the forsaking of sins first.
Man cannot save himself without the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ whether before his death or after his death, it is absolutely essential, because one sin and that is enough for man to be condemned even if he obeys the law of God to the letter.
God makes a sinner righteous by the forgiveness of sins through the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ. It is essential to distinguish between the initial justification, which purifies man by the blood of Jesus for the forgivness of past sins and the victorious process of sanctification of keeping one’s “white robe” until the end of the race of salvation.
This process involves loving God’s law and obeying it in deed,
word, thought, and imagination.
The truth is that this righteousness we receive by God’s grace is the forgiveness of sins obtained through faith in Jesus.
This is the initial justification and sanctification, not the imputation of Jesus’
personal righteousness.
Philippians 3:9 confirms this: “For this righteousness we have of God is the forgiveness of sins, the making righteous, justified by grace through faith.”
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
Jesus did not come to transfer his righteousness to men, but to forgive their sins by becoming a sin offering, so that they could live righteously and be freed from the chains of sin.
Acts 26:18 …that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in me.
Regarding 2 Corinthians 5:21, it is also wrong to assert that Jesus was transformed into the substance of sin. The text indicates that he became a sin offering, as expressed in
Matthew 26:28: “The new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
Paul emphasizes the forgiveness of sins as the starting point of justification. He teaches that man cannot erase his past sins or be declared righteous before God by obedience to the moral and Mosaic Law (especially its ceremonial practices such as circumcision or rituals). This forgiveness can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, for only His atoning
sacrifice fully satisfies God’s justice (Romans 3:25).
This faith is not a intellectual belief; it requires sirious repentance, a total abandonment of sins once for all, and an acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior
“The wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23), and only the sacrifice of Jesus, through his
redemptive work, can offer forgiveness of sins and justify the sinner before God.
This passage rejects any human claim to merit justification by works, recalling that justification is a free gift based on the forgiveness of sins granted by Christ. It is by relying on this living faith that the believer is made righteous, not by ignoring God’s Law, but by fulfilling it by grace which
transforms the heart and produces fruits worthy of repentance.
Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
This verse highlights the fundamental work of Jesus Christ in the salvation of mankind. The Son of Man came with a clear purpose: to serve and offer His life as a ransom. Through His sacrifice, Jesus offers the forgiveness of sins to those who turn to Him with a heart that forsakes sin. This forgiveness is
not an end in itself, but a starting point for walking in complete holiness and purity of heart, in accordance with the Law of God for final salvation.
The salvation and atoning work of Jesus consist in the forgiveness of past sins and moral regeneration, which are absolutely essential and vital for man. Without this justifying faith, man is banished from the presence of God and His approval. Thus, salvation in Jesus comes through the
forgiveness of past sins for the repentant man at the moment of conversion. This salvation takes effect with repentance, that is, the forsaking of sins by a contrite heart that implores grace for the forgiveness of sins.
Those who do not fulfill the essential conditions of salvation, namely, the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ and entire holiness without sin through obedience to the law of God, have their final fate committed to the decision of God. We affirm with certainty that only a life
marked by forgiveness of past sins through the blood of Jesus and the new birth in pure and complete holiness without sin qualifies a man to inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Acts 26:18 that thou mayest open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me.