The law can only produce “works of the law”(Rom 3:28). The Gospel creates faith, which brings forth good works, which are called “fruits of the Spirit”—“love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). So what are Christians to do with the law? How do Christians use the […]
The fruits of faith are so much more than good works. Without faith in Christ, which produces new spiritual impulses, we could not do good works. Those impulses include submitting to God’s will, contentment, love, mortifying the old Adam, enduring suffering, facing death with peace and hope, etc. “Therefore we also hold that the keeping […]
There is a Scriptural difference between “the new man” who should daily emerge and arise and what the new man does “to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” One is faith and the other is the fruits of faith. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the […]
The Small Catechism says, “…and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” According to the Scriptures (Eph 4:23, 2 Cor 4:16, Col 3:10, Gal 4:19), the new (inward) man is faith. This new man in the Christian is being renewed by God through the […]
A shorter and simpler study on the difference between general faith and personal faith. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XII. 60, “When our opponents talk about faith and say that it precedes penitence, they do not mean justifying but the general faith which believes that God exists, that punishments hang over the wicked, etc. […]
There are two parts to the baptized Life. After eight lessons of “putting to death the old Adam,” it is time to discuss “the resurrection of the new man.” Neither mortification, nor quickening can be found in the unbeliever. This second part will teach us about God’s work in the Gospel to give faith which […]
The baptized believer trusts in the forgiveness of sins and knows that his salvation is assured. Faith produces the fruits of faith: love toward the neighbor. It is in one’s vocation (father, mother, son, daughter, worker, citizen, etc.) that we serve our neighbor in love. In serving our neighbor we bear our cross as we […]
God ways are not simply external changes which are brought about by sociological principles and behavior modification. The Triune God works through the Word and Holy Spirit to give the gift of faith in the inner spirit. The only way in which the believer can mortify the old Adam is through faith, which gives a […]
The Triune God works through the Word to give the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit by means of which He daily puts to death the Old Adam in us. There are two ways in which others try to achieve a Christian life. Some groups become antinomian in their teaching, when they refuse to […]
The definition for the Old Adam includes both a lack of righteousness (fear, love and trust in God) and the addition of concupiscence(the evil desires and inclinations toward carnal things). The Old Adam does not cease to exist when a person is baptized. Although the punishment (guilt) is removed in baptism, the concupiscence remains and […]