AC XIX: The Cause of Sin
Concerning the cause of sin, our churches teach that–although God creates and preserves nature–the cause of sin is located in the will of those who are evil, that is, of the devil and ungodly people. Without God’s help, the will of the wicked turns itself away from God, as Christ says, “When the devil lies, he speaks according to his own nature.” (John 8:44)
Rome’s Response:
The nineteenth article is likewise approved and accepted. . . .
Commentary
Sometimes we ponder, “If God created Adam and Eve without sin, then how could they have sinned in the first place?” Perhaps, these conclusions from Scripture may help us better understand the causes of sin.
- God is good, He has no sin within Him, and He does not commit sin (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 11:13; Psalm 118:1, 29; 119:68; 1 John 1:5; Zephaniah. 3:5; Psalm 33:4; 111:7).
- The sin that exists in the world is not something that God created in the beginning, nor did He approve it. (Psalm 119:90-91; Gen. 1:31; 3:6; 6:5-6; 1 John 2:16; 2 Timothy 2:20-21; Romans 9:22-23, compare Rom. 5:12).
- Even after sin came into the world through the devil’s deception and the guilt of Adam (Romans 5:12), when people commit evil, such evil doesn’t take place because God approve of it. Instead, God hates sin and is angry, not only at the original fall into sin, but at our actual sins. (Psalm 5:4-6; Isaiah. 65:12; Zechariah 8:17)
- God does not force or entice people into sin. (James 1:13-14; Acts 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5).
- The will of the devil is the first cause of sin, because 1.) he is a liar and the truth does not in him (John 8:44; Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4), and 2.) he is the father of lies (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8, 12; Ephesians 2:2). Not only has the devil, by his own free will, turned himself away from God, but he also seduced mankind and led him into sin (Genesis 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians. 2:2; Acts 5:3; John 13:2; 1 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Timothy 2:26).
- However, we may not use the evil of the devil as an excuse for our own sin (James 1:14-15), as if we were unwillingly forced into sin, since our will is, attracted to the trickery of Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26). The devil finds human nature field ready for the harvest, because it is sinful (Romans 5:12, 7:14; 1 John 2:16), although this evil was not in man before the Fall into sin.
- The devil carries on his tyranny, not among the good angels, but when dealing with our human nature, that is, within this fallen world. (Romans 5:12, 7:14; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 2:16)
- This inclination toward sin did not exist in Adam before the Fall, but by the exercise of human free will. (2 Corinthians 11:3).
- Discuss questions.
AC XX: Good Works
Our people are falsely accused of forbidding good works. But their writings on the Ten Commandments, and other writings, show that they have usefully taught about proper Christian walks of life and works. They have taught well what is pleasing to God in every station and vocation of life. Before now, pastors taught too little about such things. Instead, they encouraged childish and needless works–such as rosaries, the cult of the saints, joining religious orders, pilgrimages, appointed fasts, holy days, brotherhoods, and the like. Our opponents have been reminded of these things, they no longer praise such unnecessary works as much as they once did. In the past, there was only stunning silence about faith, but now they are beginning to mention it. They now teach that we do not become righteous before God by works alone–but they combine faith and works, saying that we are justified by both! Such talk may offer a little more comfort than the teaching that one should rely on works alone.
For so long, they have not emphasized the teaching concerning faith–which is the principal doctrine in the Church! Everyone has to admit that there was the deepest silence in their sermons concerning the righteousness of faith. They only taught about the doctrine of works. Our people, however, have taught as follows:
First, our works cannot reconcile us with God or earn grace. We teach that our works cannot reconcile God or merit forgiveness of sins and grace. This happens through faith alone when a person believes that God forgives our sins because of Jesus Christ, who alone is the mediator to reconcile us to the Father. Now all who imagine that they can do this themselves by works and can merit grace, despise Christ and seek their own way to God contrary to the gospel.
This teaching about faith is publicly and clearly treated in Paul at many places, especially in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God–not the result of works, so no one may boast. . . .”
We are introducing no new interpretation here, as we show from Augustine. He diligently dealt with this matter and taught that we receive grace and become righteous before God through faith in Christ, and not through works. His whole book On the Spirit and the Letter proves it. Ambrose teaches similarly in The Calling of the Gentiles, where he says: “Redemption by the blood of Christ would be of little value, and the God’s mercy would not surpass human works, if justification, which God carries out by His grace, were owed to earlier merits. If so, then justification would not be a gift from a donor but the reward owed to the laborer.”
Now, although spiritually inexperienced people despise this teaching, it is nevertheless the case that it is comforting and valuable for timid and terrified consciences. For the conscience cannot find rest and peace through works but by faith alone, when it is certain that it has a gracious God because of Christ. Paul says (Rom. 5:1): “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God.” This whole doctrine must be tied into that struggle of the terrified conscience, and it cannot be understood apart from that struggle. That is why inexperienced and irreverent people have poor judgment in this matter, for they think Christian righteousness is nothing else than civil or philosophical righteousness.
Until now, consciences were plagued by the doctrine of works. They did not hear comfort from the Gospel. As a result, all sorts of works were undertaken. For the conscience forced some into monasteries, in the hope of gaining grace there through the monastic life. Some devised other works as a way of earning grace and making satisfaction for sins. Many of them discovered that someone could not achieve peace through such means. That is why it became necessary to restore and pass on this teaching about faith in Christ, so each person may know that God’s grace is grasped by faith alone, without merit.
We must also explain that the term “faith” here doe not signify only historical knowledge. That the devil and the ungodly may also have such “faith.” Instead, it means a faith that believes, not merely history, but also the effect of history–the forgiveness of sins. It believes that we have grace, righteousness, and the forgiveness of sins through Christ.
All who know that, in Christ, they have a gracious God, call on him and are not, like the heathen, without God. For the devil and the ungodly do not believe this article about the forgiveness of sin. That is why they are enemies of God, cannot call on him, and cannot hope for anything good from him. Even more, as has now been pointed out, Scripture talks about faith but does not label it knowledge such as the devil and the ungodly have. For Hebrews 11:1 teaches that faith is not only a matter of historical knowledge, but a matter of having confidence in God to receive his promise. Augustine also reminds us that we should understand the word “faith” in Scripture to mean confidence in God–that God is gracious to us–and not merely such knowledge of these stories as the devils also have.
Further, we teach that it is necessary to do good works. This does not mean that someone is to rely on them to earn grace, but because it is God’s will. Faith alone takes hold of grace and forgiveness of sin. Ambrose says, “Faith is the mother of the good will and the righteous deed.” Because the Holy Spirit is given through faith, the heart is also moved to do good works. For before, because it lacks the Holy Spirit, the heart is too weak. Besides, such people are in the power of the devil, who pushes them into various sins, ungodly opinions, and open crimes. We see this in the philosophers, who, although they tried to live an honest life, still could not do so, but were defiled by many obvious crimes. Such is human weakness, without faith and without the Holy Spirit, when governed only by human strength.
Obviously, that is why it no one should accuse this teaching of forbidding good works. On the contrary, it should be praised all the more because it shows how we are enabled to do good works. For without faith and without Christ, human nature and human power are much too weak to do good works. Without faith, human nature does not call on God, expect anything from Him, or bear the cross; instead, it seeks and trusts human help. So where there is not faith and trust in God, all kinds of urges and human designs rule the heart. That is why Christ said in John 15:5: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” And the Church sings:
Where Thou art not, man hath naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Rome’s Response:
In the twentieth article . . . concerning good works, that they do not merit the remission of sins . . . is also rejected and disapproved now. . . . Moreover, this opinion concerning good works was condemned and rejected more than a thousand years ago in the time of Augustine.
Read James 2:17-18 and then circle and discuss the correct statement(s) below:
Good works are necessary for salvation.
Good works are not necessary for salvation, but they are necessary.
Faith without works needs to be taught. Explain.
Faith without works is dead.
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