In the year 1520, a young Martin Luther was on a roll. His writings were getting widespread distribution, and his focus and insight regarding the teaching of our Lord were exceptional. One of the famous works of that year was a small pamphlet titled “On the Freedom of a Christian.” In it, he puts forward a paradoxical statement that strives to capture what it means to be a Christian; what it means with regard to the Law of God, with regard to tradition and temporal authorities, and with regard to one another, that is, how our life together is shaped. He said this: “A Christian is an utterly free man, lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is an utterly dutiful man, servant of all, subject to all.” You see, the ancients had always taught that if there is a lord, then there must be a servant, and if there is a servant, then there must also be a lord. But what Luther does here, following the teachings of Jesus and Saint Paul, is he places both lord and servant in the same person, in you, the people of God.

This is your unique identity as those who have been baptized, who have died and risen with Christ. This is what Paul has been describing throughout his letter to the church in Rome. As he has walked us through the confession that we are saved by grace through faith, saved by the works of Christ alone, he has not turned a blind eye to the reality of the war we find within ourselves. It is the struggle to do the things we want to do and to stop doing the things we know to be evil. He has taken us again and again to the foot of the cross, to the source, the foundation of our confidence. We are shaped by a faith which comes by hearing, not by our works, not by our good deeds, a faith that binds us together in community. It is a community where we live in fellowship, bearing each other’s burdens.

And after all that, after all the focus on our own failure and Christ’s victory, we are finally given a call to action. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” It is a laundry list of imperatives, commands that direct your actions. This is how you are to live as the people of God. This is how you are to show love.

In fact, the list goes on, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Such actions, this living by God’s people, lead toward a goal. It builds up the family of God to be the most countercultural force in our age. Instead of being overcome by evil, we will overcome evil with good.

The problem, or perhaps it is better to say the temptation of this text (when taken out of context), is to see it as a list of virtues that the baptized are finally able to fulfill. Now, I am not saying you should not aspire to be this kind of person. That seems to be exactly what Paul is encouraging. Rather, the danger is we have a habit of moving along a trajectory from seeing these as a description of the fruits of a life of faith, to seeing them as mandates to prove one’s faithfulness. It is yet another proof of the sin that wages war within us. We end up twisting the Word to establish a new law that demands our perfection. Such a reading forgets, as Luther had said, “A Christian is an utterly free man, lord of all, subject to none.” For if your salvation is rooted in your service to others, then it will not end well for you. There are simply too many times you have failed; failed to honor, serve, give, bless, rejoice, weep, share, and feed. Such a path leads toward despair.

But when we read this text first as a description of what Christ has done for us, what He has accomplished on our behalf, then we find our path forward, a way toward confidence and assurance. Christ alone is the perfector of this list of imperatives. He alone is the one who at every turn abhorred what is evil and held fast to what is good. You and I fail over and again. He alone is victorious, even as He offers His own life as a sacrifice for the evil of the world. This list is a beautiful depiction of our Lord, of His words and actions that led to the cross and the empty tomb. And you, of course, are bound to His work. In the waters of Holy Baptism, all that is his has been given to you. This is how you are lord of all and subject to none. By faith alone, and not by your works, you are utterly and completely free in Christ.

So, the state of your salvation is secure in your Lord. Yet, these imperatives still remain, and the encouragement is still given to you, to “let your love be genuine.” This is what Luther was getting at when he said, “A Christian is an utterly dutiful man, servant of all, subject to all.” You are free in Christ, and with regard to your salvation it is secure apart from any of your works. But in such freedom, you are now able to live a genuine love for one another. When you are no longer concerned with making sure you check all the boxes and earn your way to eternal life, you are free to live in a radically new way toward others. You are free even to fail and try again. Vengeance is taken off the table, and good established in the works of Christ begins to push back against evil.

This is the joy and freedom you now walk in. As you look out at the world in which you live, you take in the spectacle of those who are hurting, the brokenhearted, and lonely. You know your salvation is secure. Before you have done a single thing, before you have tried to help, before you have failed to do what you ought, you are saved by Christ alone. And just as Christ came as both Lord and servant, so you are both lords and servants in Him. Therefore, you are free to serve, free to love, free to show compassion, to give, to honor, to forgive as you have been forgiven. You are set loose by the Gospel to overcome evil with good. All glory be to God, amen.