Field Notes from a Religion-Less Christian

November 28, 2021

Luther’s Breakthrough on Grace

Martin Luther’s breakthrough Scripture passage, “the righteous shall live by faith,” (Romans 1:16-17) is not liberating, is no breakthrough, until or unless we see that the schemata and structure of law – the necessity of “reciprocity, preparation, contribution or mutuality, however small,” is defeated, nay destroyed, by God. Righteousness is given, not attained. Created by God, not found by God when God encounters us. Thus, the “forgiveness of sin” is the absolution on our way of living that sees our contributions as not only important, but literally vital. 

The whole enterprise of religion is built upon the foundation that we have ability and desire to love God if we would just get the proper, correct, accurate thinking and actions formulated and enacted. When God in Scripture, from the First Commandment (You shall have no other Gods before me) on, calls upon us to find singular and particular allegiance in Godself, we assume (and do so because it allows us agency and self-sufficiency) we can and should do this. But what if we cannot and we will not? Then what becomes of the demand? It is a pressing us to the point of seeing the only way out: Promise from and in God Godself. “You shall have no other Gods before me” becomes “I will have my way with you come hell or high water.” “You shall have no other Gods before me” is transformed from a Demand to a Promise. 

The Scholastic Tradition that Luther grew up in, and later rebuffed, had the spiritual practices sequenced to overcome our inability to love and serve God: Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Comtemplatio. The promise is that we are in darkness but can climb to the Light, given God’s aid. Grace was an Assist. A necessary assist, but nevertheless an assist to our own capabilities. Luther saw, or perhaps better described, felt the trap that this places on us. We are always striving and never secure. His breakthrough was, however, exegetical first, and then experiential. Romans 1:16-17 gave him opportunity to see how righteousness is not defined by our making a grade, but rather by God conferring a judgement. And that judgement is mercy, at all costs. Given, not merited. Luther, then, redefined the spiritual practices: Lectio, Meditatio, Tentatio. We are brought to judgment and it leads us to a suffering of God, the suffering of allowing God to be all in all, to be alongside no other God but to be only God, and at precisely that point and not in some sequence of enlightenment, to discover faith. The moment you are damned is the moment you are saved. But be clear, the one who damns is the one who saves. One and the same. “You shall have no other Gods before me” then becomes the promise. Not a demand that we must meet, but a promise to be received.