Article V of the Augsburg Confession, a chief Lutheran statement of faith written in 1530, states,
“In order to obtain such faith God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not by our own merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe.”
One might ask, “In order to obtain what faith?” The preceding section, Article IV of the Augsburg Confession, provides the answer by describing what kind of faith, namely the faith by which sinners are justified. So, in order to obtain justifying faith, God instituted the office of preaching, which is the giving of the gospel and the sacraments. In short, faith is created in the events of preaching and teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments of holy baptism and holy communion in accordance with the gospel.
If that is the case, then all we as a congregation need to do is to find the right technique of delivery or the right marketing formula or the most pleasing appeal to society, and then the church will be full of believers, right? Undoubtedly, many pastors and parishioners alike believe this. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Article V has more to say. The proclamation of the gospel in word and sacrament is the means by which the Holy Spirit produces faith “where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel.” Well, that complicates things a bit, doesn’t it?
If the Holy Spirit produces faith at his discretion, then that means that we are not in charge, and we have no control over the creation of faith in others. If we have no control over this “process,” then what are we doing in church? Are we not just wasting our time with Bible study, Sunday School, Catechism Class, Vacation Bible School, and so forth? What is the point of making such an effort if the Holy Spirit decides, unbeknownst to us, to create faith or, alternatively, to take the day off, or the year off, or simply decides to withdraw himself for the remainder a congregation’s ever shortening life span? What are we to do?
That is precisely the worry, but why do we worry? Does not such worry express our own lack of faith in God’s desire and ability to complete the salvation that he has effected? Put differently, despite our best intentions and efforts, our own doubt, i.e. our own sin, undermines our efforts at evangelism. So, what are we to do?
As the creation of faith in others is beyond our control, then equally the creation and continuance of faith in ourselves is also beyond our control. As the gospel is the “good news” that we sinners are justified by faith alone in the word of Christ alone by his grace alone, then part of that “good news” is the reality that we are not responsible FOR the gospel, even though we are responsible TO the gospel. So, if we are not in control of church, then what is the point of being in church, especially of the Holy Spirit creates faith where and when he will?
Look again at Article V. The Holy Spirit creates faith as he deems fit in those who hear the gospel. Where will sinners hear the gospel? That is our cue. Our mission as a church is to be inspired by Scripture through the Holy Spirit in order to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ as clearly and as purely as possible. In short, in order to obtain such faith God has made us missionaries in the priesthood of all believers to proclaim his justifying-faith creating gospel where and when we are called to do so. So, let us be faithfully instrumental in communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirit employs to create justifying faith in Christ alone for the salvation of our fallen humanity.
