Walk Between Heaven and Earth: Listening to Martin Luther on How to Be a True Theologian by Joshua Nickel

Author:Joshua Nickel [Nickel, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: [k]
Published: 2017-10-16T17:00:00+00:00

The Rain of Righteousness

After Luther’s lectures on Galatians were prepared to be published as a commentary, he wrote a preface for it. In that preface, he used the metaphor of rain.

Luther first compared the righteousness of faith to rain, then he compared himself to rain.

First, righteousness is like rain that falls on the earth so that the earth can bear fruit. Likewise, we can only bear fruit as Christians if we are first rained on from the realm above us—and above works, law, sin, and death:

“But imagine two worlds, the one heavenly and the other earthly. In these there are two kinds of righteousness, quite separate from each other. The righteousness of the law is earthly and has to do with earthly things, and by it we do good works. But as the earth can only produce fruit if it is first watered and made fertile from above, so by the righteousness of the law, in doing many things we do nothing, and in fulfilling the law we do not fulfill it unless we are first made righteous without any merit of work of ours.”[39]

Just as Moses had to go to where the law was not needed in order to get the law for the people, we can only fulfill the law with the strength that comes from the world above and beyond the law.

But unlike the earth, we don’t just wait for the rain to fall on us. We go and get it. That’s why Luther went on to speak of himself becoming the rain of righteousness that waters the earth:

“When I have this righteousness reigning in my heart, I descend from heaven like the rain that makes the earth fertile. That is to say, I come out into another kingdom, and I do good works whenever I have a chance.”[40]

You have to get lost in the kingdom of grace, so that you can “come out into another kingdom,” which is this world, and be helpful and productive. To go back to the Moses metaphor, that means you have to go to the mountaintop so that you can come down into the valley of this world and help those around you. You have to go into the Tent of Meeting in order to come out strengthened and refreshed.

This gives you a new perspective on the world around you. It gives you fresh energy and insight into the problems you need to solve. So, the best way for you to help this world is to leave it and come back again. You can’t leave physically, of course. You leave spiritually. In your mind and in your heart, you leave the conditions—and the conditional nature—of this world.

Rise above the uncertainty and anxiety that comes from living under the law. Go above the law and get the help you need.

You can only do this by the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not simply about being good at meditation. You need to gospel first. You need the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus.

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