Only Jesus takes away our sin. Our works cannot justify us before God. Do you experience this as good news?

Isaiah 49:1-7

…he says,
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
— Isaiah 49:6

Verse 6 is cited through editorial insert as being partly quoted in the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article 5: Law and Gospel (FC, SD 5.23) along with Psalm 110:1 and Isaiah 40:10—all of which use the phrase “light to the nations.” In this section, the German reformers look to show that even in the Hebrew Scriptures, God’s Law and God’s Promise worked together. God’s promise that Abraham’s seed will be a light to the nations provides comfort and hope even through the Old Testament.

Psalm 40:1-11

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
— Psalm 40:6

Verse 6 is quoted in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 24: The Mass (AP 24.29) along with several other quotes from the Psalms as Melanchthon builds the case that scripture itself is against an ex opere operato understanding of worship and the sacraments. (Ex opere operato: that the sacraments works just by doing them. The Lutheran reformers insist that faith is necessary for the sacraments to be efficacious.)

Remember that one of the issues Luther and his followers had with Rome was that faith was not necessary. A service with communion was entirely valid—argued Rome—if only the priest receives communion. Those who had come to the mass needed only see the moment of transubstantiation, which those present were notified about by the ringing of bells at the altar. The act of seeing this moment counted as an act of penance, taking years off of time in purgatory. Because people always game the system, the laity would often gather for the mass, but say the rosary or do other acts of penance until the moment of transubstantiation. If just seeing that moment is what matters, then why not get some extra penance in while you’re waiting?

Luther and others took issue with this idea, which is the ex opere operato idea. There is no benefit of the act, argue Luther, Melanchthon, and others, if faith is not involved. Verse 6 here makes that same point. It’s not about the works, but the open ear. Hear the word of God and believe, then receive the sacraments in faith.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
— 1 Corinthians 1:8

Verse 8 is cited in the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article 11: Election (FC, SD 11.32) at the beginning of a string of citations that point to God’s persistence in finishing our salvation, “to the end.” Once God starts working in our lives, God does not give up.

God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
— 1 Corinthians 1:9

Verse 9 is called out in a footnote to the Large Catechism, Part 2: The Creed, Third Article (LC 2.52, n. 156) to explain Luther’s use of the word “co-partner,” or Mitgnoffe in the German.* Apparently when Luther translated the Bible, he added some marginalia at this verse, which the footnote tells us says, “That is, you are co-heirs and co-associates of all Christ’s blessings.”

* I was given a Concordia Triglotta for Christmas. You have no idea how happy this makes me!

John 1:29-42

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
— John 1:29

Verse 29 comes up six times in the Book of Concord, and mostly in the Smalcald Articles.

First, verse 29 is quoted in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 4: Justification (AP 4.103). As Melanchthon is getting geared up to really take the Confutation to task about how we are justified, he quotes John the Witness to build to this (oft repeated) line, “let no one glory in works, because no one is justified by their deeds.” Only Jesus takes away our sin. Our works cannot justify us before God.

Next, Luther quotes verse 29 in the Smalcald Articles, Part 2, Article 1 (SA 2.1.2) as part of the scripture-based presentation of who Jesus is. He then reiterates that who Jesus is and what he has given us must be believed because it “may not be obtained or grasped otherwise with any work, law, or merit” (SA 2.1.4). Only Jesus takes away our sin. Our works cannot justify us before God.

A little later, verse 29 comes up again (Smalcald Articles, Part 2, Article 2 (SA 2.2.7)) as a proof that an understanding the Mass as a human work, which was widely taught by the Catholic Church at the time, undermines the gift of Jesus and goes against the Agnus Dei which is part of the Mass and quotes this very verse. Only Jesus takes away our sin. Our works cannot justify us before God—not even the Mass.

Just around the corner, verse 29 is cited in a footnote to Part 3, Article 3: Concerning Repentance (SA 3.3.32, n. 119) to explain part of Luther’s restating of John’s call to repent. Apparently Luther reads John 1:16 (“From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”) as if it is John saying it, based on verse 29.

Expounding on John’s call to repentance a little later in the same article (SA 3.3.38), Luther returns to verse 29 here as the clear statement of true satisfaction before God for those who honestly “confess that everything is pure sin with them” (SA 3.3.37). Everything we have to offer God is sin, which is why only Jesus takes away our sin. Our works cannot justify us before God, for they are also sin.

Finally, verse 29 is one of the verses quoted in the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article 11: Election (FC, SD 11.28) that show the promise of salvation is universal. Jesus does not take away just the sin of the elect, but the sin of the world. This is not to say that all people will be saved, but only to state that God intends all people to know that Jesus died so their sin could be forgiven.

TheoThru

The good news of God’s love for us is only good news when we realize there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love or make ourselves right before God. But when that moment comes, we discover how awesome God’s grace is—always calling and strengthening us so that we can believe, always forgiving our sins, always present and doing what we cannot.

What does your congregation do in an attempt to justify itself before God?
What have you learned is the thing you have to do to be saved?
Your works cannot justify you before God. Only Jesus takes away your sin. Do you experience this as good news?