Living By Faith: Justification and Sanctification
By Oswald Bayer

            Justification by faith is arguably above all other the unifying doctrine of which the Protestant tradition shares.  It takes different shapes, and is composed of different colors, but the core content, on the surface level, is the same.  It is important to note the surface level because if one compares much of what passes for 'by faith' in many churches to those during the Reformation, and better yet, those under the direct influence of Luther, the present day idea of justification looks much like the works-based program out of which Luther was striving to reform.  In response to this seeming confusion of doctrine, Oswald Bayer has penned this work, Living By Faith, to trace the idea of justification throughout philosophical history, and to bring out implications of the good and poor uses of it.

Summary

            Bayer's main thesis of this work is that the doctrine of justification is the central doctrine in the life of the Christian, and that any attempt to mix it with Law is but to forsake striving by faith and to commence with a works-based righteousness.  Bayer begins arguing for this thesis by delving into issues surrounding the mere idea of justification, i.e., why one would need to be justified and what does it look like in everyday life.  To be justified, or the need to be, 'makes for our happiness or unhappiness and is an essential part of our humanity' (2).  It is as if we perceive our judgment as we walk through life, wondering to whom we should be justified, but attempting to do so just the same.  Why are we, instead of not?  Or more common, why are we important over against the next person, who may or may not being justifying himself in the same manner?  We find ourselves, though, acting as this 'tribunal' throughout our lives, judging other people on the basis of what they do, what they wear, and who they are.  Why would they not be doing the same in return?  So, we set about the task of having a defense for every found fault, and what more, creating reasons for people to look favorably upon us.  By this judgment of myself, and the perceived judgment of others, my 'self' is created, and it is a forensic title (4). 

This same process of justification is not only at work in our personal lives, but also in the realms of world history and natural history, as well.  Historical revisionists attempt to justify, or un-justify, history to bring truth into the bounds in which they would like to move.  In seeing this broad aspect of justification, it is easier to determine that all reality is involved in the theme of justification.  And if God is seen as the creator of all that is, then He too is brought into the necessity of needing justification, thus the question of theodicy arises.  Bayer splits theodicy into contemplative and active aspects.  The former aspect of theodicy can be followed down through philosophical thought beginning with Plato and his idea that suffering is only an appearance, because it is not related to the world of the forms, through Augustine, who saw the 'part of suffering' as being not greater than the whole of order, and arriving at Hegel, who much like Augustine, saw God as being justified throughout history, the whole being greater than the part (11-12).  The latter aspect of active theodicy is found in the ideas of Kant, who distrusted anything outside sense experience, so to attempt to justify God, which is outside sense experience, is impossible without having a prior conception of God's justness (13).  These aspects are joined together in many people's conception of God, so that as Hans Jonas writes concerning theodicy, 'We can build and we can destroy, we can heal and we can wound, we can nourish the deity or leave it hungry, we can perfect its image or distort it' (14).

Having outlined the progression of though with regard to the justification of God, Bayer next ventures into the justification of God's creatures, contrasting the lack of hope found in most present day philosophical justifications with the great hope in the thought of Martin Luther.  Luther finds his hope for an 'open door' to paradise not in the justification of himself, having to force open the doors, but a passive righteousness, in which the doors are opened by grace as a gift.  This, then, is neither an active nor contemplative righteousness, but wholly passive.  The reason that the world, and we at times, are busy trying to justify themselves is that they do not have a right conception of God as the just and the justifier.  In the same way, Christians have a wrong conception of God if they fail to classify evil as evil, and good as good, instead of being content with evil as evil, but working for good through Christ's work on the cross.

Bayer then draws distinction lines between the schemes of faith & works and faith producing works.  In his view, sanctification is not a separate event from justification, but they are one in the same.  If one has the view that he must sanctify his life after the event of justification, then he is looking to himself and striving after an active righteousness that he claims to already have.  Bayer seeks to follow Luther in saying that sanctification is just as passive as is justification, and that they both are inseparable.  One cannot be just without being holy, or vice versa, and neither of which can be brought about apart from the active working of Christ in the believer's life through faith.  This faith, then, is brought about by the Word of God in preaching.  Justification, though, does not come about primarily by the persuasion of the mind by the Word of God, though it does do that; 'It is the 'nature' of God to create out of nothing, to be the Creator by the Word alone' (43).  He creates faith in a person, therefore justifying them through the work of Christ on the Cross.

Bayer goes on after describing the inseparableness of justification and sanctification to bring out the special meaning of sanctification, and how it is enacted in the lives of God's creatures.  Luther said that there were three specific institutions through which one is sanctified: church, economy, and politics.  God causes his people to be holy by these institutions in their everyday lives.  These means of God delineate metaphysical and ethical progress, the two of which must never be confused.  If there is any ethical progress, it is because of the metaphysical progress by the working of Christ through faith.  True ethical progress is never due to adherence to Law for believers, because Law has not use in shaping the ethical life of believers, outside of its intended use of pointing out sin, in which case we run to Christ, not to our abilities.  The gospel is the believer's means for ethical progress.  It is a continual reminder that our righteousness is alien, and never our own (68).  God alone is righteous, but we cannot perceive this righteousness, much less it in us, apart from hope (79).  Bayer closes by asserting, along with Hegel and Kant, that we are waiting for God to justify Himself in history in a perceivable way, so that our hope will be made manifest.

Strengths

Bayer has written much that is valuable in this little volume.  One of the better strengths of the book is his insistence on righteousness as alien, rooted in Christ, and attained only by faith apart from works.  Especially those works that we may claim to be sanctification, but in reality are expressions of our inherent cultural need to justify ourselves before ourselves, others, and ultimately God.  This need 'is very unwilling to die and to suffer, and it is a bitter holy day for nature to cease from its own work and be dead' (21). 

Another strength is Bayer's insistence that God not only justifies, but also sanctifies the believer.  The Christian is not left up to deterioration in sin, nor is he left to strive after that which cannot be attained in sinful flesh, but God provides for the believer a progressive holiness through the working of the Spirit.  Luther has been misunderstood with regards to his view of liberty; it being misconstrued as anti-nomistic chaos.  Luther wrote positively, though, of the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer, sanctifying him apart from his own striving, but according to the will and work of God.

Weaknesses

Related to these strengths, there is one distinct weakness.  In relation to the good works produced by faith, how does one know what are the good works prepared for him (Eph. 2:10)?  Bayer, implying in other places that the Law is for no other use than shutting up one under sin, responds that the Spirit is one's guide to know good works, but he does not leave it on this subjective level.  He goes on to quote Luther as saying, '[The inner heart that does works] is given only by God's Spirit who fashions a man after the law, so that he acquires a pleasure in the law in his heart, doing nothing henceforth out of fear and compulsion but out of a willing heart' (39).  So, there is a love for the Law that is produced through the working of the Spirit in the formerly corrupted heart of the believer, causing him to look upon that which was once his accuser as being that which is now his delight because of the work of Christ in changing his nature to that of a new creation.  It would have been helpful for Bayer to reconcile these two lines of thought, not only among his own pages, but in those of Luther as well.

Remaining Questions

As far as remaining questions, I think it would be helpful for Bayer to explain a little further what he considers to be 'gospel,' along with its effects in the world.  He claims that 'the Gospel is not what one finds in books and what is written in letters of the alphabet; it is rather an oral sermon and a living Word, a voice that resounds throughout the world and is proclaimed publicly, so that one hears it everywhere' (48).  Firstly, is the Gospel non-formulaic, as he seems to be claiming?  There have been many studies on the similarities of the gospel presentations in Scripture, and while there are differences between the Pauline, Lukan, and Petrine accounts, it is clear that there is an overall cohesion to the Gospel that should be followed, and that is written in letters of the alphabet.  It seems that Bayer is getting metaphysical where he needs to remain in the physical realm of meaning.  The effects of the gospel are outside of the letters of the alphabet, but the Gospel itself is related and consists of a message known only through the Word of God.  I also wonder what he means by 'so that one hears it everywhere?'  Is he again waxing metaphysical, or is he referring to the extent to which the gospel is being or should be preached?  Clarification would be helpful.

Conclusion

Overall, Bayer is beneficial to gaining a better understanding of justification and the relationship of this doctrine to everyday life.  This book pointed me to many places where I have been seeking to justify myself, especially in my distant past, and how even now, I can grow in my dependence on Christ as my full righteousness.  I have no need to show myself as righteous to anyone, because to do so would not only be selfish, but it would also be dishonoring to the perfect righteousness already at work in me through the Spirit.  Though there are some clarifications and changes that would be helpful, Bayer has produced a work that encourages contemplation and varying views so that as a people, the churches of Christ can become more Scripturally centered in theology and practice. 

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