75. Brief Analysis

See §73 above for the point that Matthew 24 presents the Lord’s predictions and descriptions of the successive states of decline and corruption the Christian church would go through. As this chapter in Matthew continues, there is a mention of false prophets yet to come who will bring on an abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:11, 15). That chapter speaks of “a great affliction such as has never existed since the world began until now and will never exist again” (Matthew 24:21). Clearly, then, a “great affliction,” both here and elsewhere in the Word, means an attack by falsities against truth until no genuine truth drawn from the Word, no truth that has not been falsified and completely ruined, remains.

This has happened because the churches have not acknowledged that God’s unity in trinity and trinity in unity exist in one person rather than in three persons. As a result they have based their church on a mental picture of three gods, but an oral confession of one God. By doing this they have separated themselves so far from the Lord that they have completely lost the idea of any divinity in his human manifestation (see Revelation Unveiled 294). Yet the Lord in his human manifestation is the divine truth itself and the divine light itself, as he himself teaches comprehensively in his Word. This is why there is such a great affliction today. As we will see in what follows [§§79– 81], this affliction has been caused primarily by the churches’ teachings that whether we possess faith (as the churches define it) or not is the sole thing that determines whether we are justified and assigned Christ’s merit.

12. Particular teachings from the Formula of Concord concerning our being justified by faith apart from the works of the law:

(a) Faith is attributed to us as righteousness apart from the works of the law, because of the merit of Christ that faith brings us (pages 78, 79, 80, 584, 689).

(b) Goodwill comes along only after we have the faith that makes us just. Faith actually does not make us just if it has been formed through acts of goodwill, although Catholics say it does (pages 81, 89, 94, 117, 688, 691; appendix, page 169).

(c) The contrition that precedes, and the renewal, sanctification, and good works that follow, have no part to play in the business of being justified by faith (pages 688, 689).

(d) It is foolish to dream that the works enjoined by the second tablet of the Ten Commandments make us just before God. We follow them in our dealings with other human beings, but not with God. In the process of being justified we must deal with God and placate his wrath (page 102).

(e) Any who believe their sins are forgiven because they do acts of goodwill are insulting Christ; their confidence in their own righteousness is wicked and futile (pages 87, 89).

(f) Good works must be completely excluded from any discussion of our justification and eternal life (page 589).

(g) Good works are not necessary to make us deserving of salvation; they play no part in activating the process of being justified (pages 589, 590, 702, 704; appendix, page 173).

(h) We must reject the proposition that good works are necessary for our salvation. This position takes away the consolation of the gospel, gives us a reason to doubt God’s grace, and strengthens the presumption that we ourselves are righteous. Papists adopted these views in support of a bad cause (page 704).

(i) We reject and condemn the expression that good works are necessary for salvation (page 591).

(j) Statements that good works are necessary for salvation are not to be taught or defended, but should be excluded and rejected by our churches as false (page 705).

(k) Works that do not proceed from true faith are actually sins in God’s sight. That is, such works are tarnished with sin, since a bad tree cannot bear good fruit (page 700).

(l) Our good works do not preserve or maintain faith or salvation in us; they are just a testimony that the Holy Spirit is present and dwelling within us (pages 590, 705; appendix, page 174).

(m) People ought to reject the decree of the Council of Trent [and whatever else is used to support the opinion] that our good works preserve salvation or that our works either completely or only in part preserve and maintain the righteousness received by faith or even faith itself (page 707).