Scott Hendrix states in Martin Luther: Visionary Reformer that Luther’s revolutionary innovation was separating religion from morality. ”True religion demands the heart and soul, not deeds and other externals. . .” [1] Now the dictionary definition of morality is “conformity to the rules of right conduct”. So can we honestly say the Bible is silent about morality? Does God not impose certain requirements upon us in terms of our behavior? What are the Ten Commandments?
If true religion demands something of our soul, how do we change our soul that is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)? While God is working in us (Philippians 2:13) does not God also expect something of us? Does not God tell us we are to work out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12)? If our actions or deeds are not important, why is the Bible full of instructions on how we are to act? Erasmus states that there are over 600 verses in the Bible where God requires something of us. [2]
C. S. Lewis states our actions and deeds are essential if we are to change.
The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. [3]
C. S. Lewis also talks about Christians being the sons of God and “dressing up as Christ”. He advocates pretending to be like Christ because it will lead to a change in a person. “Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already.” [4]
God requires that our entire soul, not just part of it, be changed so it becomes like him. That is why there are over 70 verses in the Bible which state salvation is through means other than belief in Jesus and some of those verses address our conduct. So how can we separate religion from morality?
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[1] Marvin Olasky, “Beyond sunny stories of how good we are”, World Magazine, October 28, 2017, p. 41.
[2] Ernst F. Winter, ed. and trans. Discourse on Free Will. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., Inc., 1961, p. 59.
[3] C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1952, p. 101.
[4] C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. p. 147.
