The Operative Power

Thesis 27. Rightly speaking, therefore, the work of Christ should be called the operative power, and our work, the operation; so our operation is pleasing to God by the grace of the operative power.

The real operative power in all works that can be called good is the work of Christ, that outrageous assertion that in Christ all that God demands has been fulfilled and that this Christ dwells in us by faith. The believer is “aroused” to work through living faith in Christ’s work, to be “imitators” of God as Ephesians admonishes, “drawn” after Christ. That is the way the proof fo this thesis puts it:

Since Christ lives in us through faith, so he moves us to do good works through that living faith in his work, for the works that he does are the fulfillment of the commands of God given us through faith. If we look at them, we are moved to imitate them. For this reason the Apostle says, “Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children” [Eph. 5:11]. Thus deeds of mercy are aroused by the works through which he has saved us, as St. Gregory says: “Every act of Christ is instruction for us, indeed, a motivation.” If his action is in us, it lives through faith, for it is exceedingly attractive according to the verse, “Draw me after you, let us make haste” [Song of Sol. 1:4] toward the fragrance “of your anointing oils” [Song of Sol. 1:3], that is, “your works.” [LW 31.56-7]

The entire passage deserves close attention. Notable is the fact that it says not one word about law. The impetus to good works comes entirely from being moved, aroused, and motivated by the completed work of the Christ, who dwells in the believer through faith. Christ’s work is the complete fulfillment of the commands of God and as such moves the faithful to works. “Deeds of mercy are aroused by the works through which he has saved us.” The very action of Christ is in us through faith. It is “exceedingly attractive.” The references to the Song of Solomon are not, of course, just incidental. There was, as is well known, a long tradition that interpreted this ancient biblical love song as an allegory of the relationship between Christ and his bride, the church. Without entering into that interpretive quagmire, we can still remark how the language of faith mirrors the language of love. The language of law does not foster truly good works. The language of love is more appropriate. One is “drawn,” “attracted” by the very action and saving works of Christ.

Their work in turn pleases God, not in and of itself, but gratia operis operantis, strictly because of the grace of Christ’s operation. That is how it all works. This paves the way for the final move to the creative love of God.