Confessional Corner: Justification by Faith (SD III 1-35)

One side has contended that the righteousness of faith, which the apostle calls God's righteousness, is God’s essential righteousness. They say this is Christ Himself as God's true, natural, and essential Son, who dwells in the elect by faith and moves them to do right. And so He is their righteousness. Compared with this great ocean of righteousness, the sins of all men are as a drop of water. Against this, others have held and taught that Christ is our righteousness according to His human nature alone. In opposition to both these groups it has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our righteousness not according to His divine nature alone, nor according to His human nature alone, but according to both natures. For He has redeemed, justified, and saved us from our sins as God and man, through His complete obedience. Therefore, the righteousness of faith is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as God’s children only on account of Christ's obedience. Christ's obedience alone--out of pure grace--is credited for righteousness through faith alone to all true believers. They are absolved from all their unrighteousness by this obedience. Besides this controversy, other disputes have been caused and stirred up because of the Interim. Other disputes about the article of justification will be explained in antitheses, that is, listing the errors that are contrary to the pure teaching in this article. (SD III 2-5) https://wrestlingwiththeology.org/media/podcast/cc_230807.mp3 Subscribe on Breaker (https://www.breaker.audio/wrestling-with-theology) or your favorite podcast app.