Holy and profane.

The simul and Martin Luther’s helpful insight into the life of faith.

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Perhaps the most helpful paradigm that has influenced my understanding of the Christian life is Martin Luther’s insightful expression, simul iustus et peccator. This Latin phrase translates to, “simultaneously justified and sinner” and speaks to the paradoxical reality of the life of faith. Believers, you see, are not those who are wholly free from sin, in and of themselves; no human has the capacity for that. But, by grace through faith, those who believe are made righteous because of the infinitely immense accomplishments of the crucified and risen Christ. This righteousness that Christ gives — the very righteousness of God (Rom. 1:16–17) — is imputed to those who believe despite whatever sin is in them, yes, even after the moment of belief.

In one true, real sense, we are just; we have been made holy in the eyes of God the Father by the work of God the Son. But in another all too true, and very real sense, we are sinners; we are wretched creatures who fail constantly, daily, hourly even. We are both, and, as a result, we live in a constant, desperate state of faith. Like the troubled apostle in Romans 7, we cry, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” To which faith replies, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24–25). This, in essence, is what it means to affirm simul iustus et peccator. What’s more, this lies at the heart of the gospel message.

In this extended passage from perhaps Luther’s most groundbreaking work, his commentary on Galatians, he endeavors to explain this very reality — namely, that Christians are both “holy and profane” at the same time. Luther writes:

Let Christians learn with all diligence to understand this article of Christian righteousness. And to this end let them read Paul, and read him again, both often and with great diligence, and let them compare the first with the last; yea, let them compare Paul wholly and fully with himself: then shall they find it to be true, that Christian righteousness consisteth in these two things: namely, in faith, which giveth glory unto God, and in God’s imputation. For faith is weak (as I have said) and therefore God’s imputation must needs be joined withal; that is to say, that God will not lay to our charge the remnant of sin; that he will not punish it, nor condemn us for it, but will cover it and will freely forgive it, as though it were nothing at all; not for our sake, neither for our worthiness, and works, but for Jesus Christ’s sake, in whom we believe.

Thus a Christian man is both righteous and a sinner, holy and profane, an enemy of God and yet a child of God. These contraries no sophisters will admit, for they know not the truth manner of justification. And this was the cause why they constrained men to work well so long, until they should feel in themselves no sin at all. Whereby they gave occasion to many (which, striving with all their endeavour to be perfectly righteous, could not attain thereunto) to become stark mad: yea, an infinite number also of those which were the authors of this devilish opinion, at the hour of death were driven unto desperation: which thing had happened to me also, if Christ had not mercifully looked upon men, and delivered me out of this error.

Contrariwise, we teach and comfort the afflicted sinner after this manner: Brother, it is not possible for these to become so righteous in this life, that thou shouldst feel no sin at all, that thy body should be clear like the sun, without spot or blemish: but thou hast as yet wrinkles and spots, and yet art thou holy notwithstanding. But thou wilt say: How can I be holy, when I have and feel sin in me? I answer: In that thou dost feel and acknowledge thy sin, it is a good token: give thanks unto God and despair not. It is one step of health, when the sick man doth acknowledge and confess his infirmity. But how shall I be delivered from sin? Run to Christ, the physician, which healeth them that are broken in heart, and saveth sinners. Follow not the judgment of reason, which telleth thee, that he is angry with sinners: but kill reason, and believe in Christ. If thou believe, thou art righteous, because thou givest glory unto God, that he is almighty, merciful, true, etc. thou justifiest and praisest God. To be brief, thou yieldest unto him his divinity, and whatsoever else belongeth unto him: and the sin which remaineth in thee, is not laid to thy charge, but is pardoned for Christ’s sake in whom thou believest, who is perfectly just: whose righteousness is thy righteousness, and thy sin is his sin. (174–75)

This paradigm is especially useful when those meddlesome sins refuse to relinquish their stronghold on you. Maybe you’ve struggled with that before — you know, the old “two steps forward, one step back” routine. This is not only precisely what Luther is describing, but is also the exact meaning of Paul’s confession in Romans 7. The things he doesn’t want to do, he keeps on doing; and the things he does want to do, he can’t seem to pull off (Rom. 7:15–19). The point is not to excuse sin but to cling to the only one who can do something about it. Rather, to the one who has already done something about it. The Christ of God has conquered sin and death by becoming sin and surrendering to death himself (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, for “holy and profane” believers, for those who are “simultaneously justified and sinner,” we only live as we live by faith in him.

Grace and peace to you, sinners and saints.

Works cited:

Martin Luther, A Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (London: B. Blake, 1833).