Gerðir kirkjuþings - 1995, Side 118

person justified no longer cuts that person off from God; in Tridentine language, it is
’no longer sin in the real sense’; in Lutheran phraseology, it is peccatum regnarum,
’controlled sin’* (LV:E 46).
- 'The question is how to speak of sin with regard to the justified without limiting the
reality of salvation. Whiie Lutherans express this tension with the term ’controUed sin’
(peccatum regnatum) which expresses the tesching of the Christian as 'being justified
and sinner at the same time’ (simul iustus et peccator), Roman Catholics think the
reality of salvation can only be maintained by denying the sinful character of concu-
piscence. With regard to this question a considerable rapprochement is reached if
LV:E calls the concupiscence that remains in the justified a ’contradiction to God’ and
thus qualifies it as sin' (VELKD 82,29-39).
To 4.4: Justification by Faith and Grace (paras. 27-32)
(USA, nos. 105ff; LV:E 49-53; VELKD 87-90)
- 'If we translate from one language to another, then Protestant talk about justifica-
tion through faith corresponds to Catholic talk about justification through grace; and
on the other hand, Protestant doctrine understands substantially under the one word
’faith’ what Catholic doctrine (following 1 Cor. 13:13) sums up in the triad of ’faith,
hope, and love’* (LV:E 52).
- 'We emphasize that faith in the sense of the first commandment always means love
to God and hope in him and is expressed in the love to the neighbour' (VELKD
89,8-11).
- 'Catholics ... teach as do Lutherans, that nothing prior to the free gift of faith merits
justifícation and that all of God’s saving gifts come through Christ alone' (USA, no.
105).
- 'The Reformers ... understood faith as the forgiveness and fellowship with Christ
effected by the word of promise itself. This is the ground for the new being, through
which the flesh is dead to sin and the new man or woman in Christ has life (sola fide
per ChristumJ. But even if this faith necessariiy makes the human being new, the
Christian buiids his confidence, not on his own new life, but solely on God’s gracious
promise. Acceptance in Christ is sufficient, if ’faith’ is understood as ’trust in the
promise’ (fides promissionis)' (LV:E 50).
- Cf. The Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 7: 'Consequently, in the process of
justification, together with the forgiveness of sins a person receives, through Jesus
Christ into whom he is grafted, all these infused at the same time: faith, hope and
charity' (Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol. 2, London/Washington DC, 1990,
673).
- 'According to Protestant interpretation, the faith that clings unconditionally to
God’s promise in Word and Sacrament is sufficient for righteousness before God, so
that the renewal of the human being, without which there ran be no faith, does not in
itself make any contribution to justification' (LV:E 52).
- 'As Lutherans we maintain the distinction between justification and sanctification, of
faith and works, which however implies no separation' (VELKD 89,6-8).
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