Living in Light of Our Justification

By Hayden Smith

Pietism isn’t just a product of the 17th century. It has reared its ugly head in all theology, in all men, at all times. Historically, speaking, pietism was a reaction to what was seen as a lack of heartfelt faith borne out in the Christian life with too much focus on an intellectualized faith. Pietism countered this with an emphasis on more subjective inner faith and so purity of doctrine and the sacraments were de-emphasized Over time, pietism has come to mean a functional works’ righteousness created by looking to our own works as evidence for our salvation. It comes naturally to us. There is always a beckoning; there is always a “still small voice,” if you will, that calls our attention to our works for justification and, I dare say, sanctification. “Live the victorious and rigorous Christian life and if you don’t…we all know you never really were a Christian in the first place.”

Pulpits in all corners of Christianity promote this false theology week in and week out to prod people toward living more “holy” lives. The main flaw with this approach is that it seems detached from the working of forgiveness through the Holy Word and Sacraments and leaves the Cross, where true forgiveness for the whole world for Christ’s sake comes forth, somewhere in the distant rear-view mirror.

Pietism feels natural. We all desperately want to play a part in the free salvation won on Calvary’s cross. We naturally want to be accepted by the Most High on some basis of our own— our being or doing. We don’t like the God who seems to sit back and forgive the chief of all sinners for Christ’s sake alone. It’s as if it is too easy for us, isn’t it? Why...that just isn’t fair! And yet, the reality of it all is that this is exactly how God operates: forgiving us sinners apart from our the keeping of the works of the law because of His Son—the Lamb slain on our behalf before the foundation of the world.

So let’s grant that we are justified and have forgiveness for the sake of Christ. Enter in pietism, which comes in the guise of sanctification by putting our attention on our subsequent works. What happens? When we see our lack of tangible progress, we begin to believe that maybe we aren’t really justified. To put it another way, when we struggle with sin, we easily conclude maybe we aren’t saved at all.

This insidious invasion of pietism is due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the distinction between the Law and the Gospel. How many times have you heard sermons on the Law of God without the Gospel to console you? How many times have you been crushed by His immovable Law without ever hearing the free promise of forgiveness in Christ for you? Or, how often have you heard a sermon in which nothing but “Christian living” is described, without any announcement of Christ’s forgiveness? This is the heart of pietism: striving to be justified and sanctified by the Law instead of by the Gospel and the Sacraments. The death and resurrection of Jesus—the very center of all life, forgiveness, justification, and sanctification—is treated as a hurdle to jump over in order to move on to the dealings that really matter: our good works. Who needs the bloodied Lamb of God constantly? It’s much too radical, much too free, far too cheap.

Pietism wants a Christian to be a holy person. This sounds like a noble goal. However, pietism ultimately perceives this holiness by looking to the progression in good works—to the self—for sanctification. The Gospel declares the promises of Christ’s gifts, which ultimately cannot be perceived through good or bad works, but only in the Word and Sacraments freely given and offered for the forgiveness of all sin. It is in our baptism that the Lord saves us and drowns our old Adam; that is where He buries us with Christ, and washes us with the waters of regeneration. It is in the Sacrament of the Altar in which Christ, really and truly, becomes one flesh and blood with us. In Holy Baptism, we are already buried with Him— baptized into His holy cross, suffering, and death. Through the Holy Supper, Christ truly lives in us and promises to raise us on the Last Day. We are already holy in the Holy Son of God.

It is only through faith in the finished work of Christ alone, which is freely given to us through His gifts, that we may properly avoid pietism. Our Lord Christ says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” and again, through the author of the epistle to the Hebrews “without holiness no man shalt see the Lord” (Matthew 5:48; Hebrews12:14). This is good, right, and salutary. How can we ever assent to such perfection—to be even like God ourselves? Pietism answers in this way: We can achieve this in the present life through our works. The Gospel answers with a much more radical approach.

Consider the church father St. Augustine when he says that “the law is perfectly kept when all that is not kept is forgiven.” Therefore, in the places that we are not perfect as He is perfect, He purifies us in forgiveness. In the condition of our evil desires and passions, He assists us with His promises and with great grace. In the midst of lusts and temptations, He gives us solace in the Sacraments and the Holy Gospel, announcing before all men at all times, “I forgive you. I love you. I am saving you. I’ve got you. You’re mine.

I wash you in my waters. I fill you with my Body and Blood: the true manna from above.”

Take heart, dear Christian! You have a scandalous God who justifies the ungodly—even those who are naturally pietistic—because natural pietists are all there are, and that means He justifies you, too!

Hayden Smith is a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He can be contacted at haygsmith@yahoo.com.