The Smalcald Articles – part 73
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:4–5
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
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From the Confessions: The Smalcald Articles
Others become blind and arrogant, having the opinion that they can and do keep the law by their own powers, as was said above about the scholastic theologians. This is how hypocrites and false saints are produced.
Pulling It Together: Justification always comes through faith in God’s gracious promises in Christ. Being right with God is never a result of one’s devotion to God. The opposite is the case on two levels. One, the blindest and most arrogant people are created when they believe their righteous standing before God is the result of their piety. I once knew a woman who never sinned. That is what she insisted. Blinded by her own goodness, she no longer had use for the Savior. Two, justification comes to us because of God’s devotion to us—not the reverse.
Prayer: I need you, Jesus, because I am a sinner. Amen
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Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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