‘An active, mighty thing’

The German Reformer Martin Luther was insistent that our salvation is based upon faith alone.

‘Faith alone, … before works, and without works, appropriates the benefits of redemption, which is nothing other than justification, or deliverance from sin.’ Given such a theological affirmation, there have been some who have argued that Luther’s view of saving faith inevitably leads to indifference to good works. But this is a very unjust accusation.

Luther was convinced, to cite him, that faith is ‘a living, busy, active, mighty thing’. Thus, Luther continued, ‘it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate burning and shining from fire’.