Although I'm lifelong Lutheran, I've never before read a book written by Martin Luther. I chose it as part of the book challenge I've been doing this year Read With Me.
In this brief book, Luther explains how to understand this paradox:
"A Christian is a free lord of everything and subject to no one. A Christian is a willing servant of everything and subject to everyone."
Because the gift of our faith in Christ releases us from the penalty of our sins, we are no longer under the law. We are freed from trying to save ourselves through good works. However, there are other reasons for those works. Being joined to Christ, and understanding what He has done for us, our inner man will naturally desire to serve God and our neighbor without a thought of reward. However, our outer man will still struggle with what Luther calls "a rebellious will which wants to serve the world." As Christians, we will want to keep this outer will in check through spiritual disciplines like fasting, vigils and worship. The point is, this -- our faith must come first -- the good works will flow from who we already are in Christ.
This is Lutheranism 101. We are saved by grace, through faith, for works. Although this is not new to me, or most Lutherans, this work gives a complete and thorough explanation of the doctrine, using some helpful analogies. For example, Luther reminds us that a bishop does not become a bishop by performing the rites of the church -- he is ordained as a bishop first, and that is what gives his work validity. In the same way, as Christians, we have been chosen by God to do good works in the world.
In addition to the work written by Luther, this Crossways edition published as part of the Short Classic series contains an introduction by Carl Truman (The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman–Book Review) and a brief biography of Luther. It is a new translation by Robert Kolb, a well-known Reformation scholar.
VERDICT: 5 STARS. A clear and understandable explanation of this foundational doctrine.
I received a free copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. If you would like to purchase it, follow the link below:
https://www.crossway.org/books/the-freedom-of-a-christian-tpb
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