Faith Comes First
Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary
Scripture Text: Galatians 3:10 and Ephesians 2:1–5, 10
Series: Comments on Galatians
It is a simple matter of what comes first, the chicken or the egg, the tree or the fruit. We see how simple the answer is, when we stop asking silly questions, and ask the correct one. What comes first, creation or the creator? God created all things in a certain order: chickens to lay eggs, trees to bear fruit, and you to produce good works. Indeed, you have been saved from your sin so that you may do so. It is through being forgiven and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), that you have been created to carry through on these duties.
When the Holy Spirit is received through faith, the Christian begins to care for godly things, and God gives them the will and strength to do these good works. We do not do our Christian duty of doing the good works we were created to accomplish, and only then become a Christian. God does not wait until people perform good works, and then receive them into his kingdom. He creates his people first, in order that they may do the works. Faith comes first, then the fruit, all in good order.
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Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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