In 1520 Martin Luther wrote a treatise entitled “On the Freedom of a Christian.” This work is regarded as one of the three great works of 1520 which outlined Luther’s program for the reformation. This particular treatise describes the whole of the Christian life. One of the biggest critiques against Luther’s teaching was that if people are justified by faith apart from works then people won’t do good works because there is no purpose for them. Against this critique, Luther sets forth the relationship between faith and works. He teaches the proper place for good works and the way that they should be regarded. He introduces this concept by setting forth two paradoxical statements:

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

On the one hand, the Christian is a “perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.” That is, through faith in Christ, he has received everything. Christ the Bridegroom has taken all his sin and endured all of God’s wrath on his behalf. Christ has lavishly bestowed upon the Christian his own victory over sin, death, and the devil, as well as his own perfect righteousness. Thus, through faith, the Christian is perfectly free. No one, be it Pope or bishop, and nothing, whether law or ceremony, can demand anything from him. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). Thus, having received everything from Christ, the Christian is forgiven, free, and in need of nothing. He certainly doesn’t need the supposed righteousness gained from works and keeping the law.

On the other hand, “A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” Having received righteousness and freedom as a gift from Christ, now the Christian seeks to follow the example of Christ, who gave up his freedom to serve others. He doesn’t do this in order to gain righteousness, for this he already has through faith, but he does it out of gratitude to God, out of a desire to please God, out of a concern to curb his flesh, and out of love for his neighbor. The Christian relates to God through faith in Christ. On the other hand, he relates to his fellowmen here on earth through love. Thus, Luther does not reject good works, but only the teaching that we should trust in them to achieve righteousness.

I will close with Luther’s own description of the Christian. He ought to think: “Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches? I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ.”

Pr. Jarrod Hylden
Skrefsrud Lutheran Church
Beresford, SD

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NOTE: “The Freedom of a Christian,” also known as “On Christian Liberty,” is a treatise by Martin Luther excerpted from Volume 31 of Luther’s Works. The edition used by the reviewer is The Freedom of a Christian: Luther Study Edition, which includes an informative introduction to Luther and the context of his writing, as well as helpful explanatory notes, a glossary of key terms, a map of Reformation Europe, and several illustrations. Two other editions are available from Ambassador Publications: The Freedom of a Christian: 1520, The Annotated Luther Study Edition edited by Timothy Wengert is part of a new series containing helpful introductions, annotations, illustrations, and notes to shed light on Luther’s context and to interpret his writings for today. On Christian Liberty is a simple, inexpensive, pocket-sized book without all the additions.