We shall treat the doctrine of good works under three heads: a) Definition of Good Works; b) The Works of the Heathen; and c) The Christian's Growth in Good Works.
Good works, according to Holy Scripture, are the fruits of justifying faith, 1 John 5, 4; Gal. 2, 20; 5, 6; He b. 11, 4-39. Hence, when we speak of good works in the strict Scriptural sense of the term, we include every thought, desire, word, and deed which a believer does through faith in Christ Jesus. The element of faith is therefore rightly stressed in all definitions which our dogmaticians have given of good works.
Hollaz defines good works thus: "Good works are free acts of justified persons, performed through the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit according to the prescription of the divine Law, true faith in Christ preceding, to the honor of God and the edification of men."(Doctr. Theol., p. 493. So also the Augsburg Confession says Art. XX, 28-30 : "It is only by faith that forgiveness of sins is apprehended, and that for nothing. And because through faith the Holy Ghost is received, hearts are renewed and endowed with new affections, so as to be able to bring forth good works. For Ambrose says: 'Faith is the mother of a good will and right doing.'" Faith in Christ is therefore the true source from which all truly good works flow.
In opposition to the false definition of good works current in papistic theology Hollaz emphasizes the fact that also the "internal affections of the heart and the movements of the will" which flow from faith must be regarded as good works. He writes: "By works here are understood not only external visible actions (which proceed from the hand or tongue), but internal affections of the heart and movements of the will and thus the entire obedience and inherent righteousness of the regenerate. A distinction is therefore to be made between internal and external good works. The former are seen by the eyes of God alone and comprise the inner thoughts of the mind, the movements of the will, and the pure affections of the heart (such as love, the fear of God, confidence toward God, patience, humility). The latter are seen not only by God, but likewise by man and manifest themselves by outward demeanor, words, and actions." Doctr. Theol., p. 493.
It is necessary to remember this point whenever the doctrine of good works is being considered; for otherwise one's definition of good works may become too narrow and exclude from their sphere many elements that properly belong to it.
Our Lutheran dogmaticians were compelled to set forth and defend the Scriptural doctrine of good works especially in opposition to the papistic perversion of it. For this reason they were obliged, in the first place, to determine the true norm of Christian good works. According to Scripture the norm, or standard, of good works is a) neither man's own will (Col. 2, 23 : "will worship"; cp. Luther, St. L., I, 866 ff.1 ; b) nor the will of other men (Ezek. 20, 18: "neither observe their judgments"; Col. 2, 16: "Let no man judge you"); c) nor the will of the Church (Matt. 15, 9 : "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men") ; d) nor even the "good intention" of man, 1 Sam. 15, 22; John 16, 2 ; Acts 2 6, 9 ; but e) alone the revealed Word and will of God (Deut. 5, 32: "Ye shall observe to do as the Lord, your God, hath commanded you"; Matt. 4, 10: "Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve"). (Bona opera sunt actiones, quae secundum Dei legem e fide proficiscuntur.) To disregard the Word of God as the norm of good works is tantamount to apostasy from God and therefore to gross idolatry, 1 Sam. 15, 22. 23.
Luther rightly remarks: "Scripture calls it a most horrible sorcery, idolatry, and idol-service not to listen to the Word of God, but to purpose to do something without or against God's Word; and this is indeed a most dreadful verdict, especially when you see how common this is and how much it is done in the world." St. L., I, 866.
This judgment is true. All who put as a source and rule of faith the commandments of men in the place of God's Word degrade themselves by becoming "slaves of men," 1 Cor. 7, 23; in fact, by their unlawful obedience they really honor men as gods. Even the sufferings (das Kreuz) of Christians dare be imposed only by God, 1 Pet. 3, 17, and should not be self-chosen, 1 Pet. 4, 15. 16. 19: (πάσχοντες κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ).
Quenstedt is right in saying: "The directing norm according to which good works are to be done and judged is the word of the divine Law, which offers an absolutely perfect rule of righteousness and divine holiness and prescribes both what should be done and what should be omitted." (II, 1387; cp. Christl. Dogmatik, III, 45.) "Truly good works are not those which every one contrives himself from a good intention or which are done according to traditions of men, but those which God Himself has prescribed and commanded." Triglot, p. 939.
By setting up false standards of "good works" (man's own devotion, the commandments of the Church, the infamous system of morals established by the Jesuits), the Church of Rome proves that it is the Church of Antichrist. Luther rightly condemned the fictitious holiness of the monks and nuns and praised the true holiness of works performed by all believers in the humblest calling as works hallowed by God's commandments. St. L., IX, 952 ff.
The rule just stated is not weakened by the fact that God in His Word commands subjects to be obedient to the civil government and children to their parents, Eph. 6, 1 ff.; Col. I, 20; Rom. 13, 1-7, provided, of course, that the government and parents do no~ command anything that is in opposition to His own commandments, Acts 5, 29. All lawful commands of governments and parents are God's own commandments since He Himself has given them authority to rule. The same applies to Christian ministers whenever in the name of God and by authority of His Word they command or exhort their hearers to do what God enjoins upon them, Reb. 13, 7; 1 Thess. 5, 12. 13; 1 Tim. 5, 17. 18. In all other cases, however, Christians should not recognize as a norm of their works the will or commandments of other men, Matt. 15, 9; Gal. 2, 3. 5. 11-14. Under given circumstances it even becomes the sacred duty of Christians to renounce human norms and standards, namely, in all cases where these conflict with the Word of God, Gal. 5, 1-3.
So, then, the norm of good works is not the will of men, Matt. 15, 9; not conscience, John 16, 2; Acts 26, 9 ff.; not the Law of Moses as given to the Jews, containing both ceremonial and political elements designed only for the Old Testament, Lev. 11; Num. 15, 32ff., cp. with Col. 2, 16. 17; not the special commandments given to individual persons, Gen. 22, 1
In his Large Catechism, Luther writes very emphatically on the norm of good works: "Therefore I constantly say that all our life and work must be ordered according to God's Word if it is to be God-pleasing and holy. Where this is done, this commandment the Third Commandment is in force and is being fulfilled. On the contrary, any observance or work that is practised without God's Word is unholy before God, no matter how brilliantly it may shine, even though it be covered with relics, such as the fictitious spiritual orders, which know nothing of God's Word and seek holiness in their own works." Triglot, p. 607, §§ 92. 93. Cp. also Luther's sermon on Titus 2,13; St. L., IX, 952 ff.
On the basis of Scripture our dogmaticians have always pointed out against the Romanists that the "good intention" of the doer can never make any work good, nor can it change an evil work into a good work.
Though the Moral Law, or the immutable will of God, as revealed in Holy Scripture, is the norm of good works, yet it is not their source,· for truly good works of Christians are not "works of the Law," but "fruits of the Spirit." Between the two the Formula of Concord rightly distinguishes as follows Epit., VI, 5. 6: "The works which are done according to the Law are, and are called, works of the Law as long as they are only extorted from man by urging the punishment and threatening of God's wrath. Fruits of the Spirit, however, are the works which the Spirit of God, who dwells in believers, works through the regenerate and which are done by believers so far as they are regenerate (spontaneously and freely), as though they knew of no command, threat, or reward; for in this manner the children of God live in the Law and walk according to the Law of God, which St. Paul in his epistles calls the Law of Christ and the Law of the mind, Rom. 7, 2.5 : 8, 7 ; 8, 2 ; Gal. 6, 2."
As the Formula of Concord here correctly teaches, all good works of the regenerate flow from a willing spirit, or from love toward God. This is a clear doctrine of Scripture, Ps. 110, 3; 54, 6; Rom. 6, 18; 7, 22 ff.; 2 Cor. 9, 7. In fact, every work which does not flow from love toward God is a transgression of God's Law; for "love is the fulfilling of the Law," Rom. 13, 8-10. It is for this reason that Luther so emphatically begins his explanations of the Ten Commandments with the words: "We should fear and love God" ; for by these words he indicates the true source from which all obedience to the Law must come.
From this it is clear that true obedience to the divine Law is rendered only by true Christians, whom the Holy Spirit has endowed with spiritual powers through faith, Phil. 4, 13. Unbelievers perform only externally good works, as these flow either from natural love toward those whom they serve (parents, children, country, etc.) or from ambition or love of fame and praise, as also from the desire to earn salvation by good works. Because of their remaining evil nature also the regenerate may be misled to do good works from these motives. But all "good works" which are done after the flesh are sinful and worthless before God. (Opera bona non-renatorum coram Deo sunt peccata.)
However, after the inward man, or as new creatures in Christ, believers perform good works from love and gratitude toward Him who is their Father in Christ Jesus, 1 John 4, 19. Such spiritual works are not designed to earn heaven, but are prompted by the joyful assurance that in Christ they already have heaven, Rom. 12, 1. Cp. Luther, St. L., XII, 136. Luther therefore is right in saying that first the person must be good before his works can be good; that is to say, a person must be sanctified through faith in Christ before his works can please God.
So also the Apology says III, 4: "After we are justified by faith and regenerated, we begin to fear God, to love, to ask and expect assistance of Him. . . . We begin likewise to love our neighbors, because our hearts have spiritual and holy emotions. These things cannot take place unless, being justified by faith and regenerated, we receive the Holy Spirit." This is the meaning also of the theological axiom: "Good works must not only be good, they must also be done in a good manner" (bent fieri debent), i. e., they must be done in faith, Heb. 11, 6.
Though the good works of believers flow from faith, they nevertheless are not perfect in themselves, since they are tainted by the sin and corruption which still cleaves to their flesh, Rom. 7, 14-19. Their good works are either not done entirely and exclusively according to the norm of the divine Law (other motives or considerations prompting their actions), or they are not done with an altogether free and willing spirit, they being prompted in part by the threats of the Law, Rom. 7, 22. 23. For this reason the good works of the believers are qualitatively deficient, or not as perfect as God desires them to be, Gal. 6, 8.
To this we must add also a deficiency in quantity, for the Christian never performs so many good works as he should, Gal. 6, 9. 10; 2 Cor. 8, 7. 10. 11; 1 Cor. 16, 1. 2. The good works of the regenerate are therefore never "good" in the strict sense of the term, or, what is the same, they never measure up to the perfect standard of the divine will, Rom. 7, 24. 25. If they are accepted as good by God, it is only because the perfect righteousness of Christ, which the believer appropriates by faith, covers their imperfections. In other words, God mercifully forgives their inadequacy for Christ's sake, 1 John 2, 1. 2.
The Formula of Concord thus writes Thor. Decl., IV, 8: "Nor is there a controversy as to how and why the good works of believers, although in this flesh they are impure and incomplete, are pleasing and acceptable to God, namely, for Christ's sake, by faith, because the person is acceptable to God." And again (Thor. Decl., VI, 22): "But how and why the good works of believers, although in this life they are imperfect and impure because of sin in the flesh, are nevertheless acceptable and well-pleasing to God is not taught by the Law, which requires an altogether perfect, pure obedience if it is to please God. But the Gospel teaches that our spiritual offerings are acceptable to God through faith for Christ's sake, 1 Pet. 2, 5; Heb. 11, 4 ff."
So also Quenstedt declares: "The works of the regenerate, in themselves considered, are not perfectly good, but are rendered sordid and polluted by the stain of sin; but in Christ they are· perfectly good, and in such a sense that what is not done in them is pardoned through and on account of Christ, and what they lack in perfection is compensated for by the imputation of the· most perfect obedience of Christ." Doctr. Theol., p. 493. The fact, then, remains that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, must cleanse us also from the sinfulness of our good works, 1 John 1, 7.
Since St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, avers that the heathen "by nature do the things contained in the Law," Rom. 2, 14. 15; cp. also 1, 19. 20. 32, it is necessary to consider the question in what sense also the heathen or the unregenerate can do good works. While it is true that, properly speaking, only those works can be called good that flow from faith and true love of God, Heb. 11, 6, we may nevertheless apply the term "good" to all works of the unregenerate that are done according to the norm of the divine Law written in their hearts, Rom. 2, 15; 1, 32, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping the oppressed, being diligent in one's calling, etc. Luther once said that, viewed externally, these works frequently surpass those of the believers; for "Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Scipio accomplished greater deeds than ever a Christian" St. L., II, 461 ff..
But despite this fact both Luther and our Lutheran Confessions declare that the difference between the good works of believers and unbelievers is one of kind and not one of degree; that is to say, the good works of the unregenerate do not properly belong in the class of Christian good works at all, but are good only outwardly (qtwad materiale), not inwardly (quoad formale). Luther says: "Cursed are all works which are not done in love." St. L., X, 407; cp. also VII, 1862.
The works of unbelievers are indeed also actuated by God, not, however, in His Kingdom of Grace (regnum gratiae), where the Holy Spirit produces spiritually good works (iustitia spiritualis) through the means of grace, but in His Kingdom of Power (regnum potentiae), where God, for the purpose of preserving this world, effects civilly good works (iustitia civilis), or externally good works (opera externa), through His divine Law inscribed in the heart of man. These externally good works (iustitia civilis) are necessary for the welfare of human society, and hence God rewards them with temporal blessings in His Kingdom of Power. In this sense, then, the works of the unregenerate may be called good; they are done according to the divine norm and accomplish much temporal good in the domain of the earthly life.
But when these works are considered with regard to the source from which all spiritually good works flow, namely, faith, a regenerate heart, the new life in Christ, etc., we cannot call them good at all, but must condemn them as utterly sinful. The reason for this is evident. Holy Scripture declares without qualification that all unregenerate persons are "dead in trespasses and sins," Eph. 2, 1 ; "alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them," Eph. 4, 18; "without God and having no hope in this world," Eph. 2, 12; and addicted to "dumb idols," 1 Cor. 12, 2, so that what they sacrifice "they sacrifice to devils and not to God," 1 Cor. 10, 20.
It is significant that both Romanists and Romanizing Protestants regard the works of "moral heathen" as good, meritorious, and even as saving. This proves that they understand neither the Law nor the Gospel. They regard the works of the heathen as good because they themselves teach the pagan doctrine of workrighteousness and have thus fallen from grace.
Since, therefore, the unregenerate are in a state of spiritual ignorance and hopelessness, they certainly are unable to do good works from spiritual motives. Moreover, as they themselves displease God, Titus 1, 16; Ps. 53, 1-3, so also their works displease Him, since they are evil, Matt. 12, 33; Luke 6, 43. 44. Hence with respect to the good works of the unregenerate we maintain this distinction: In the sphere of God's Kingdom of Power (regnum potentiae), or of earthly matters, they may be called good; in the sphere of His Kingdom of Grace (regnum gratiae), or of spiritual things, they are sin (Augustine: "glittering vices").
This is the clear teaching of our Confessions. The Augsburg Confession Art. XVIII declares: "Although nature is able in a manner to do the outward work, (for it is able to keep the hands from theft and murder,) yet it cannot produce the inward motions, such as the fear of God, trust in God, chastity, patience, etc."
The Apology says Art. IV (II), 33 ff.: "If the carnal mind is enmity against God, the flesh certainly does not love God; if it cannot be subject to the Law of God, it cannot love God. If the carnal mind is enmity against God, the flesh sins even when we do external, civil works. If it cannot be subject to the Law of God, it certainly sins even when, according to human judgment, it performs deeds that are excellent and worthy of praise. The adversaries consider only the precepts of the Second Table, which contain civil righteousness that reason understands. Content with this, they think that they satisfy the Law of God. In the mean time they do not see the First Table, which commands that we love God, that we declare as certain that God is angry with sin, that we truly fear God, that we declare as certain that God hears prayer. But the human heart without the Holy Ghost either in security despises God's judgment or in punishment flees from, and hates, God when He judges. Therefore it does not obey the First Table. Since, therefore, contempt of God and doubt concerning the threats and promises inhere in human nature, men truly sin even when, without the Holy Ghost, they do virtuous works because they do them with a wicked heart, according to Rom. 14, 23. . . . For such persons perform their works with contempt of God, just as Epicurus does not believe that God cares for him or that he is regarded as heard by God. This contempt vitiates works seemingly virtuous, because God judges the heart."
The Formula of Concord, quoting Luther, writes Thor. Decl., II, 43: "Herewith I Luther reject and condemn as nothing but error all dogmas which extol our free will, as they directly conflict with this help and grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. For since outside of Christ death and sin are our lords and the devil is our god and prince, there can be no power or might, no wisdom or understanding, whereby we can qualify ourselves for, or strive after, righteousness and life; but we must be blinded people and prisoners of sin and the devil's own to do and to think what pleases them and is contrary to God and His commandments."
Since, then, all works which do not flow from faith in Christ are, spiritually considered, sin before God, it is obvious why man by nature cannot qualify himself for grace or cooperate in his conversion and why therefore conversion is alone the work of God (monergism of divine grace). Those errorists who teach man's cooperation in conversion (Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians papists, Arminians, synergists) deny also the Scriptural truth that the good works of the unregenerate are, spiritually considered, sin before God. The Council of Trent (Seas. VI, Can. 7) has even anathematized those who on the basis of Scripture affirm this doctrine. (Si quis dixerit, opera omnia, quae ante iustificationem fiunt, quacumque ratione sint, vere esse peccata vel odium Dei mereri - anathema sit.)
Among modern Protestant theologians, Hofmann assumed that also the heathen will finally be justified on the basis of their good works which they did in agreement with conscience (Schriftbeweis, I, 470 ff.). We reject this unscriptural doctrine as a figment of reason, Eph. 2, 12. If Unitarians Modernists ascribe to the unregenerate good works in the strict sense of the term, this is only consistent with their general unbiblical system of belief; for they themselves boast of good works though they are outside the Church (extra ecclesiam) and can therefore produce nothing but evil works before God, Heb. 11, 6.
It is the will of God, clearly revealed in Holy Scripture, that Christian believers should perform good works in abundance, 1 Tim. 6, 18; 2 Cor. 8, 7; 9, 8-11. Their abounding in good works is the inevitable effect of the abundance of divine mercies which they have received in Christ Jesus, 2 Cor. 8, 9. Holy Scripture accordingly describes true Christians as regenerated persons, who consecrate themselves entirely to the holy, grateful service of God in Christ Jesus, Rom. 12, 1; Is. 60, 6-9.
Luther's comment on the last passage is apposite. He says: "Where there are true Christians, they give themselves and all they have to serve Christ and His own." St. L., XII, 312. This new mind and disposition all believers indeed possess according to their new or inward man, Gal. 2, 20; Ps. 110, 3. However, since their flesh remains corrupt even after conversion, they are always in danger of abusing the doctrine of justification by grace in the interest of neglecting good works. This was the case already m the early Apostolic Church, as the numerous exhortations of St. Paul clearly prove, Gal. 5, 13; 6, 6-10; Titus 3, 14.
When Luther restored the Gospel in its apostolic purity, he was obliged to publish similar admonitions St. L., XI, 216 f.; X, 456 ff., and to-day the situation in the Christian Church is very much the same. Instead of abounding in good works, Christians, impelled by their evil flesh, quite commonly are remiss in performing the good works which God gives them occasion to do (negligence in church-work, in prayer, in Christian giving, in personal missionary work, etc.).
It is for this reason that Scripture everywhere stresses not only the quality, but also the quantity of the Christians' good works, insisting on constant growth in the grace of doing the good God demands of them, 2 Cor. 8, 7. 20; 9, 8. 11. According to Scripture, believers should be "zealous of good works," Titus 2, 14; 2 Cor. 8, 4; should not "be weary in well-doing," Gal. 6, 9; should "do good unto all men as they have opportunity," Gal. 6, 10; should "redeem the time" in doing good works, Eph. 5, 16; should be "careful to maintain good works," Titus 3, 8; etc. In short, Scripture multiplies its exhortations and unweariedly repeats its admonitions that believers should bring forth fruits of faith in abundance (cp., for instance, the closing chapter of St. Paul's epistles).
In addition to this, Scripture insists that Christian ministers should constantly urge their parishioners to "maintain good works," Titus 3, 8. 14; "to do good, be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come," 1 Tim. 6, 17-19. Christian pastors are therefore Christ's watchmen, 1 Pet. 5, 1-4, who are in duty bound to produce, through preaching the divine Word, such works as please God both by their quality and quantity. For this purpose they are to employ the Law and the Gospel: the Law to point out what good works are, Matt. 22, 37-40, and the Gospel to make men willing to do good works, Rom. 12, 1; Reb. 13, 20. 21.
It is indeed very necessary for Christian ministers to pay unceasing attention to this important function of their holy office. Moved by love for Christ, they must strive also in this matter to give their congregations a maximum of consecrated service, attending to their sacred duty of making their parishioners zealous of good works with unwearying zeal. While faithless prophets and pastors are "dumb dogs, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber," Is. 56, 10, true ministers of Christ, after the example of their Lord and His apostles, perpetually seek to make their parishioners so minded in all things as God would have them be, 1 Cor. 15, 10; 1 Tim. 4, 15; 2 Tim. 4, 2, and, in particular, fruitful in every good work, Titus 3, 8. 14.
Of this fact Luther reminds all true ministri Dei et ecclesiae when he writes (St. L., X, 5)2 : "For this reason, my dear pastors and ministers, note that our office has now become an altogether different thing than it was under the Pope; for now it has become serious and salutary. But just for this reason it involves much more toil and trouble, danger and trial, and there is in addition little gratitude or reward in the world. But Christ will be our Reward if we labor faithfully."
The Christian minister must therefore urge the performance of good works for his own sake, namely, in order that he may be found faithful as a good steward of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 4, 1. 2; 2 Cor. 6, 3-10. But he must urge good works also for the sake of his congregation, namely, in order that they who have been entrusted to his care may please God by many praiseworthy deeds, Titus 2, 11-14. To accomplish this, he must urge good works, not feebly or timidly, but joyfully, decidedly, and forcefully, ever mindful of the fact that Christ Himself constantly and zealously admonished His hearers to be fruitful in all good works, Matt. 5, 13-16. To this end he must also rightly distinguish between justification and sanctification; for it is impossible to inculcate true sanctification unless the right relation of justification to sanctification is ever kept in mind, 2 Tim. 2, 15.
It is a most serious mistake to imagine that insistence upon justification leads to neglect of sanctification. On the contrary, wherever justification is not rightly inculcated, there can be no true sanctification; for justification supplies not only the motive, but also the power for sanctification. Hence, if the Christian minister would move his hearers to do good works, be must constantly point them to the grace of God, by which the regenerate have been endowed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, Epb. 1, 3-7; Rom. 12, 1; 2 Cor. 8, 9.
Luther is right in saying St. L., XII, 318 ff.: "A preacher of the Law forces by means of threats and punishments; a preacher of grace draws and moves by means of the divine goodness and mercy revealed to man; for he wants no unwilling works nor any unwilling service; indeed, he wants nothing else than a glad and joyous service of God. He who does not permit himself to be moved and drawn by the sweet and lovely words of God's mercy, given and granted to us so abundantly in Christ, so that he joyfully and lovingly does all this to God's glory and the welfare of the neighbor, amounts to nothing, and love's labor is lost upon him. . . . It is not man's, but God's mercy that has been given to us and that St. Paul would have us consider to urge and move us."
With respect to the tithe which God enjoined upon the Jews in the Old Testament, Lev. 27, 30, we must remember, on the one hand, that also this provision belonged to the Ceremonial Law, which has been abolished by Christ, Col. 2, 16. 17, so that it is no longer binding upon Christians in the New Testament; on the other hand, however, the abolition of the law of tithing must not be abused by Christians in the interest of neglecting liberal giving, since also in the New Testament God exhorts His saints to give continually and liberally, 2 Cor. 9, 6. 7.
But while God in the New Testament desires constant and liberal giving just as much as He desired this in the Old Testament, He accomplishes His purpose not through commands and threats, but through appeals to the love of His saints, which is rooted deeply in His own manifestation of grace and mercy in Christ, 2 Cor. 8, 7-10.
To this distinction between the Old and the New Testament, Luther calls attention when he writes St. L., XII, 337: "In the Old Testament it was commanded that the Jews over and above all the annual tithes which they had to give to the Levites had to contribute a special tithe every third year for the poor, the widows and orphans, etc. Now, such giving is neither expressly determined in the New Testament, nor is demanded by specific laws; for this is a time of grace, in which every one is admonished to do this willingly, as St. Paul writes, Gal. 6, 6."
St. Paul himself explains this difference, saying: "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law. . . . Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ," Gal. 4, 3-7. Because in Christ Jesus believers are children of God, they are no longer under ceremonial laws, to be compelled to do God's will by coercion; but being under grace, they grow by faith in the grace of willing Christian service, 2 Cor. 8, 9, loving Him because He first loved them, 1 John 4, 19; Gal. 6, 6-10. That does not mean that the Law should not be urged upon Christians or that neglect of Christian giving should not be reproved, Gal. 6, 7; but it does mean that the Christian pastor, when inculcating Christian liberality, must constantly refer to the grace of God that has appeared in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in order to stimulate Christian giving, Titus 2, 11-15. It is only at the foot of the blood-stained cross of Calvary that the believer learns the art of Christian giving.