We May Have Been Mistaken About Faith…

One of the great joys of being a Lutheran is witnessing the wealth of scriptural knowledge which our fathers have left to us. A month or so ago, I was listening to a conversation between two American evangelicals on faith, and I was utterly surprised that they had no clear definition of faith at hand. While they tried to clearly define faith, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Don’t you all know that faith is like a hand? That historical faith is distinguished from saving faith?” The Lutheran confessions and Lutheran dogmatists set forth a clear scriptural definition of faith, and since we stand within the bounds of the confessions, because the confessions sets forth the teaching of the Scripture, and upon the shoulders of these giants, a clear definition sits at the fingertips of every Lutheran.

Giertz provides wonderful discussion on faith within his Hammer of God:

“It may very well be that we have drawn wrong conclusions regarding faith ,” he continued. “Faith does not dwell in our brain or in our thoughts. Faith is not a work which we accomplish; it is not a gift that we give to God. Being made righteous by faith does not imply that faith is some kind of payment that will serve as well as our almsgiving and good works. Is it not written that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are poor in spirit? Faith is, then, a poverty of spirit, a hunger and thirst, a poor, empty heart opening toward God so that He can put His grace into it. When God bestows His grace upon us, we are born anew and become partakers of the new life.”

 

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