Customer Reviews

Justification by Faith: A Matter of Death and Life

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Another good read. O Forde makes a great case both from Luther's writings and scripture that Justification needs to be placed not only as a forensic/courtroom truth as in the Lutheran Confessions but needs also to be restored under the 'death/life' category as well. It's not until we come to the end of our own 'theological rope' and despair of our self efforts towards salvation (via the cross)that we can clearly see salvation hanging there for us. The author begins with our need to 'sit down, shut up, and listen' (to scripture) and the book goes uphill from there.

One of the most significant books I have ever read. As a non-Lutheran, I so appreciate Forde's refusal to allow performance to creep into the salvation of sinner's--not only for justification but for sanctification as well. His insights into our freedom as Christians from the whole legal process as we recognize the death of the old man and the resurrection of the new are the very best I have ever seen. Each read of this little jewel (about six now) has produced new insight, and with each new insight, life in my heart.

Forde captures something of that same excitement that set Martin Luther aflame, and for this reason alone this little book deserves reading, especially by preachers. Forde's theology is a theology for preachers. How do we preach the gospel? How do we do the gospel to our congregations?

Yet Forde is also so very wrong in his reading of St Paul. If Forde is right, then nobody read the New Testament rightly until Martn Luther showed up on the scene. The critical flaw in Forde's presentation is most clearly revealed in his discussion of sanctification: sanctification is getting used to the fact that we can't do anything for our salvation. Who before Luther ever understood life in grace in this way? Absolutely nobody. That alone should tell us Luther/Forde has gone off the tracks somewhere.

Yet the book is absolutely worth reading. [...]