Works & Salvation: Luther vs. Scripture

[T]he soul . . . is justified by faith alone and not any works . . . This faith cannot exist in connection with works . . .

[S]ince faith alone justifies, it is clear that the inner man cannot be justified, freed, or saved by any outer work or action at all, . . . 

[F]aith alone, without works, justifies, frees, and saves . . .

It is clear, then, that a Christian has all he needs in faith and needs no work to justify him . . .

This obedience, however, is not rendered by works, but by faith alone.

[H]e needs no works to make him righteous and save him, since faith alone abundantly confers all these things.

In doing these works, however, we must not think that a man is justified before God by them, . . . (The Freedom of a Christian, 1520, in Three Treatises, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2nd revised edition, 1970, 280-282, 284-285, 291, 295)

Anti-Catholic Reformed Protestant polemicist James Swan wrote a post on this topic, in which he was addressing taken-down words from Luther from the book called Table Talk: “He that says the Gospel requires works for salvation, I say, flat and plain, is a liar.” Swan comments on this:

It often appears to fall on deaf ears when I point out to the defenders of Rome that Luther didn’t write the Table Talk. Since the statements contained therein are purported to have been made by Luther, they should serve more as corroborating second-hand testimony to something Luther is certain to have written. . . .

As with many of the Table Talk sayings, this one exists independently of a greater context or background. It is though [sic] consistent with Luther’s basic understanding of faith and works. There is nothing radical about this sola fide statement. . . .  the Gospel doesn’t require works. If works are required, people become enemies of God. . . . the Gospel does not require works.

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Now I shall proceed to demonstrate that such a view is not in harmony with Holy Scripture.

Obadiah 1:15 (RSV) For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

The word faith and its cognates (faithful, faithfulness, etc.) appears 175 times in the Protestant Old Testament (RSV). So if faith alone were true, why wouldn’t one of those words appear in these two passages? The ones who follow God’s commands, and are righteous and humble are saved. We don’t deny that faithfulness is part of the equation, too (hence it is mentioned 175 times over the OT). It’s just odd that it’s not present in passages like this, about the Day of Judgment, if indeed Protestantism is correct on this score.

Matthew 7:17-21, 24-25 So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. [18] A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will know them by their fruits. [21] Not every one who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. . . . [24] Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; [25] and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Luke 3:9 (+ Mt 3:10; 7:19) Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-11 . . . when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by his power, . . .

1 Peter 1:17 . . . who judges each one impartially according to his deeds . . .

Revelation 2:23 . . . I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.

Note the entire emphasis on what a person does and with their “fruit” . . . and it has to do directly with who is saved; with entrance into hell or heaven. “The fire” is, of course, hell, as contrasted with “the kingdom of heaven” which the saved — who bear good fruit — will “enter.”

Matthew 10:22 (cf. Mt 24:13; Mk 13:13) . . . But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Hebrews 10:36, 38-39 For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised. . . . but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls.

Why would anyone have to “endure” till the “end” to be saved, if indeed salvation comes through faith alone in an instant? The salvation appears to be a direct result of the endurance. Those who endure “do the will of God.”

Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

Revelation 20:11-13 Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done.

Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done.

The saved persons “inherit the kingdom . . . for” [that is, because] they fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and prisoners. But the damned go to hell “for” they did none of these things. It’s all works. One must do “good” (Jn 5:29). Faith is never mentioned at all. How, then, can Luther assert that persons cannot be “saved by any outer work or action at all”? Jesus strongly disagrees with that! We (and the Bible) are saying that works are inherently part of the overall equation of grace + faith + works, as pertaining to salvation.

Matthew 19:16-22 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” [17] And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” [18] He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, [19] Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [20] The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” [21] Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [22] When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

Romans 2:5-13 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works: To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

This is perhaps the clearest verse in the New Testament that directly connects sanctification (which entails good works and is arbitrarily, unbiblically separated by Protestants from justification) to salvation itself.

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Paul again directly ties sanctification to salvation, which is anathema to standard Protestant soteriology and Luther’s faith alone.