Augsburg Confession Series, Part 12
Repentance: Be contrite. Believe the Gospel. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Augsburg Confession, Article XII: “Repentance”
1 Our churches teach that there is forgiveness of sins for those who have fallen after Baptism whenever they are converted. 2 The Church ought to impart Absolution to those who return to repentance [Jeremiah 3:12]. 3 Now, strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. 4 One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. 5 The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts the conscience and delivers it from terror. 6 Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance [Galatians 5:22–23].
7 Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those who have once been justified can lose the Holy Spirit. 8 They also condemn those who argue that some may reach such a state of perfection in this life that they cannot sin.
9 The Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve those who had fallen after Baptism, though they returned to repentance.
10 Our churches also reject those who do not teach that forgiveness of sins comes through faith, but command us to merit grace through satisfactions of our own. They also reject those who teach that it is necessary to perform works of satisfaction, commanded by Church law, in order to remit eternal punishment or the punishment of purgatory.
[From Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (P. T. McCain, Ed., CPH)]
There are two parts to repentance, not three. These two: first, a genuine sorrow over sin, a genuine terror of the conscience that feels God’s wrath against sin and grieves that it has sinned. This is called contrition.
Second, faith in the forgiveness of sins. True saving faith trust in the forgiveness of sins on account of Christ. This faith uplifts, sustains, and gives life to the contrite. It receives the forgiveness of sins. It justifies before God.
Repentance is a putting to death and a raising to life. God’s Word and Spirit is at work here, the Word terrifies and yet it consoles the conscience. The law reveals, denounces, and condemns sin in each person. The Gospel promises grace and forgiveness given in Jesus Christ.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17; ESV)
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5; ESV)
There is no “and” (go do something) on top of contrition and faith that receives the forgiveness of sins added by the Author of Holy Scripture, in so far as you “doing” something in order to receive or confirm one’s forgiveness. At the same time, we do not deny the necessity for Christians to do good works that reflect God’s love first shown us to those around us. Lutherans reject the Anabaptist error that a Christian cannot lose the Holy Spirit and even can reach perfection in this life. Lutherans certainly teach along with John the Baptist that each believer should “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Mt. 3:8) “Go, and from now on sin no more,” says our Lord Jesus. (Jn 8:11) Good works are fruits of repentance and faith in Christ.
Yet in the Roman Church at the time of the Reformation (and still today), the people were taught three parts to repentance: to be contrite, to confess sins completely, and to make satisfaction for sins. This turned the Gospel of God’s absolution of sins on account of Christ into a law-filled human work, the effort to earn one’s forgiveness and justification before God by doing more on top of what Christ has already done.
Yet how, in such a system of penitential satisfactions for one’s sins, or in any religious legalistic system, would one ever know if one had said enough prayers, attended enough masses, purchased enough indulgences, made enough pilgrimages, fasted enough, helped enough feeble people cross the street, or whatever good deed one can think to do? The comfort of the Gospel is obscured, the teaching of righteousness by faith in Christ and Christ’s benefits lies buried, hidden, clouded.
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession says that “the only way that we receive forgiveness of sins is because of Christ, and not because of any of our merits or works.” (Apology XII: 65) Therefore, “the teaching on repentance and the teaching on justification are very closely related.” (Apology XII:59)