“There is nothing more delightful and lovable on earth than one’s neighbor. Love does not think about doing works, it finds joy in people; and when something good is done for others, that does not appear to love as works but simply as gifts which flow naturally from love. Love never does something because it has to. It is permitted to act…
“Only as the old man, still under the law, does the Christian ask about the righteousness of his works. Faith and the new man knows only one righteousness: the forgiveness of sins. It is his neighbor in whom the new man finds his joy. That which takes place between him and his neighbor is not works, the righteousness of which is of concern to him; he does not ask about the worth of what he does…
“Love discovers for itself what is of the greatest benefit to a neighbor. It cannot busy itself with deeds prescribed by rules of propriety without ceasing to be love. It becomes a bondage under law, concern with one’s own holiness, which, uncertain of salvation, seeks to achieve certainty by requiring sacrifice for a neighbor. It has names for all works, each more formidable than the next. Such sporadic ‘love’ does not live in childlike faith; therefore it lacks the Spirit’s certainty. It is not love, because its first interest is not a neighbor’s need, but the salvation of one’s own soul..."
Gustaf Wingren, Luther on Vocation, pages 43-50
"The old man is characterized by wrath, envy, greed, laziness, pride, unbelief, and such obvious sins, which manifestly constitute a encumbrance on vocation and one’s neighbor. When the demand of vocation and neighbor is laid upon the old man, he is made amenable. These sins are repressed and given place to a gentle and patient new man, who receives his life from God’s hand. In daily activity baptism is realized as a daily repentance. Thus the Christian is both old and new man, not only in relation to God’s judgment, God’s forgives, but also in his encounter with vocation and neighbor. He is still the old man, insofar as the encounter irritates him, and new man she the encounter takes place with inner calm and joy. Since the neighbor is not just one person but many at any given time, and since vocation has many ramifications, the complete interplay of life’s changing situations is tied into relationship with God. In this is the real meaning of the expression simul iustus et peccator (righteous and sinner at the same time).”
Gustaf Wingren, Luther on Vocation, page 55-56
“Only as the old man, still under the law, does the Christian ask about the righteousness of his works. Faith and the new man knows only one righteousness: the forgiveness of sins. It is his neighbor in whom the new man finds his joy. That which takes place between him and his neighbor is not works, the righteousness of which is of concern to him; he does not ask about the worth of what he does…
“Love discovers for itself what is of the greatest benefit to a neighbor. It cannot busy itself with deeds prescribed by rules of propriety without ceasing to be love. It becomes a bondage under law, concern with one’s own holiness, which, uncertain of salvation, seeks to achieve certainty by requiring sacrifice for a neighbor. It has names for all works, each more formidable than the next. Such sporadic ‘love’ does not live in childlike faith; therefore it lacks the Spirit’s certainty. It is not love, because its first interest is not a neighbor’s need, but the salvation of one’s own soul..."
Gustaf Wingren, Luther on Vocation, pages 43-50
"The old man is characterized by wrath, envy, greed, laziness, pride, unbelief, and such obvious sins, which manifestly constitute a encumbrance on vocation and one’s neighbor. When the demand of vocation and neighbor is laid upon the old man, he is made amenable. These sins are repressed and given place to a gentle and patient new man, who receives his life from God’s hand. In daily activity baptism is realized as a daily repentance. Thus the Christian is both old and new man, not only in relation to God’s judgment, God’s forgives, but also in his encounter with vocation and neighbor. He is still the old man, insofar as the encounter irritates him, and new man she the encounter takes place with inner calm and joy. Since the neighbor is not just one person but many at any given time, and since vocation has many ramifications, the complete interplay of life’s changing situations is tied into relationship with God. In this is the real meaning of the expression simul iustus et peccator (righteous and sinner at the same time).”
Gustaf Wingren, Luther on Vocation, page 55-56
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