A Life of Holiness Required

By Dr. C. F. W. Walther

"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." (I Thessalonians 4:7)

With these words the Apostle desires to say that the believing Christians, upon whom grace has been bestowed, are not only obligated to a life of holiness, which duty all men have, but the very grace which they have received has no other aim and no other final objective than their holiness of life, their sanctification. If as people who have been created for fellowship with God they already are obligated to a life of holiness, they are that doubly so as believing Christians. [Editor’s note: cf. Ephesians 2:8-10.]

Here again the Apostle in great earnestness opposes certain false ideas and conceptions which many people hold regarding Christianity. Many secretly think in their hearts, even though they do not always voice it: to what purpose did Christ come into the world, to what purpose did God permit the comforting Gospel of redemption to be preached, to what purpose was faith ordained as the means of salvation, if believing Christians must still concern themselves so earnestly in battling against each sin and in seeking after an ever greater holiness of life? If this were so necessary, what kind of a difference then were there between Christ and Moses, between the Law and the Gospel, between a believer and an unbeliever? But how greatly such people do err!

Indeed it was necessary, if we Christians should be saved, that Christ come into the world and win for us grace and a righteousness which is acceptable to God; and it is indeed now necessary for everyone who is to be saved that he by faith in Christ grasp and obtain that grace of God and that righteousness which avails before God which has been won for him. This all, however, is not the sole purpose of Christ's coming into the flesh and of our profession in His Kingdom of Grace, but only the means, only the path to the real goal. God did not send His Son into the world reconciling Himself to man, and God did not call him to faith, merely in order that He might relieve man of the thought that God is his enemy and that after death he will have to expect punishment. The final, the real goal of God's work of grace for and on man is nothing else than his sanctification, his holiness of life.

Man was originally created after the image of God in perfect righteousness and holiness. This image, which man lost through sin, should and must therefore be restored again and the person must again become holy; for only if he is holy, can he also be saved. Therefore, in order that a person may again become holy, he has been redeemed; in order that he may again become holy, the Gospel is preached to him; in order that he may again become holy, faith is given him and is counted to him for righteousness; in order that he may again become holy, he is baptized; in order that he may again become holy, his sins are forgiven, he is given the body and blood of Christ, he is promised salvation, heaven is opened to him.

Does it not of itself necessarily follow from this how essential holiness of life is also for the believer and for the Christian who in hope already is blessed? -- It is indeed true: no one is able to earn salvation through holiness of life. A person must rather first have embraced salvation by faith before he is able to strive after holiness of life. Just as surely as it is impossible to earn and procure salvation through holiness of life, just so surely, nevertheless, can a person again trifle away his salvation by no longer continuing in holiness of life. For what does he do who refuses to follow after a holy life?---Since God offers him the Means of Grace and bestows His grace through faith for the very purpose that he might again become holy, (by his refusal to follow after a holy life) he resists God, and grieves and drives out of his heart the Holy Ghost, who alone is able to preserve him in the faith, and thus finally loses his salvation.

Whoever, therefore, wishes to be saved, let him first in true repentance seek grace; but if he has grace, then let him also be in earnest about leading a holy life, for that is the will of God and for that purpose Christians are called. Indeed, in this life here below we will never reach perfection, but woe unto him who hides behind his weakness and imperfection seeking thereby to excuse his service of sin and his lukewarmness! Such a person will receive his reward with the hypocrites. Blessed, on the other hand, are they who from the heart can say with the Apostle: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." ["I don't mean I have already reached this (to be like Him) or am already at the goal, but I eagerly go after it to make it mine because Christ Jesus made me His own." AAT] Phil. 3:12. In such earnest Christians the Lord's glory already here below reflects itself with covered countenance, and they will be changed from one glory to another into the same image until finally they will there awaken in heaven in the perfection of His likeness.

Lord on Thy breast me quicken.

My passions crucify:

All evil lusts be stricken, And day by day may I

The old evil world denounce,

My own wicked flesh renounce, Thee only glorify. Amen.

This Biblical position was also Luther's position: "If thou wouldst give up the doctrine of faith or subvert it and, leaving Christ, depend upon thine own sanctity, or publicly live in sin and shame, and yet glory in the Gospel and in the Christian name: then thou shalt know that thou art a false branch and hast no part in the Vine, but, cast out and condemned with wood and fruits, belongest to eternal hell-fire." (Popular Commentary, N.T., Vol. 1, p.494 by P. E. Kretzmann).