Luther: faith is a living and an essential thing, which makes a new creature of man, changes his spirit...
Faith cannot help doing good works constantly...
if faith be true, it will break forth and bear fruit...
where there is no faith there also can be no good works; and conversely, that there is no faith..
where there are no good works. Therefore faith and good works should be so closely joined together that the essence of the entire Christian life consists in both.
if obedience and God's commandments do not dominate you, then the work is not right, but damnable, surely the devil's own doings, although it were even so great a work as to raise the dead...
if you continue in pride and lewdness, in greed and anger, and yet talk much of faith, St. Paul will come and say, 1 Cor. 4:20, look here my dear Sir, "the kingdom of God is not in word but in power."
It requires life and action, and is not brought about by mere talk.
Works are necessary for salvation, but they do not cause salvation...
faith casts itself on God, and breaks forth and becomes certain through its works...
faith must be exercised, worked and polished; be purified by fire...
it is impossible for him who believes in Christ, as a just Savior, not to love and to do good.
If, however, he does not do good nor love, it is sure that faith is not present...
where the works are absent, there is also no Christ...
References and more by God's grace. http://peacebyjesus.net/Reformation_faith_works.html
Therefore faith and good works should be so closely joined together
that the essence of the entire Christian life consists in both. Thanks for adding a meaningful post.
Not only are they so closely "joined together" and "consists in both"
as CS Lewis said they
depend on each other,
as like the blades of a pair of scissors do, working together. Though it is for sure uncomfortable for Catholics
to give Luther any affirmation of his theological work,
the Bishop is right to say Luther was correct about declarin Grace through Faith.
He could have gone further,
as Paul takes it further
into a companion of Love in a very overlooked way...
as the Sermon showed.
As St. Paul wrote...
"Faith, Hope , Love...
With the GREATEST of these being LOVE.
No ambiguity there...