Bonhoeffer: The Righteousness of Christ, Remain in the Vine and Bear Good Fruit

Chapter 8 of The Cost of Discipleship is entitled The Righteousness of Christ.  I struggled a little in this chapter, as he seems to waffle back and forth between “works righteousness” and “God’s righteousness by faith in Christ.”  For example, Bonhoeffer says “But there is a “better righteousness” which is expected of Christians.  Without it none can enter into the kingdom of heaven, for it is the indispensable condition of discipleship.  None can have this better righteousness but those to whom Christ is speaking here, those whom he has called. The call of Christ, in fact Christ himself, is the sine qua non of this better righteousness.”  When I got to the first phrase—“better righteousness which is expected of Christians….indispensable condition of discipleship”—I scribbled a question mark in my text.  Only the second portion of this section clarifies Bonhoeffer’s intent, that is, the fact that it is Christ Himself Who is our righteousness. 

Bonhoeffer says that “God is its [the law’s] giver and its Lord, and only in personal communion with God is the law fulfilled.  There is no fulfillment of the law apart from communion with God, and no communion with God apart from fulfillment of the law.  To forget the first condition was the mistake of the Jews, and to forget the second is the temptation of the disciples.” 

Romans 3: 19-24 says:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.  But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

This portion of Romans appears to say there is a righteousness apart from the law (vs 21), but verse 19 says that no one will be declared righteous by observing the law—that is, the law has no power to save us, but only to convict us of sin.  But in the passage from Matthew 5 (verses 17-20) which Bonhoeffer starts chapter 8, Jesus says that He has come to fulfill the law.  God’s law does not disappear but it is completely fulfilled in Christ; the law has no power to save, but salvation is in Christ.  It is extremely important to read chapter 8 in its entirety, to observe Bonhoeffer weave back and forth as he works to clarify his points here.  

I discovered a very helpful article onlinediscussing sanctification; it indirectly addresses what I believe Bonhoeffer’s point is in this chapter.  The author (Rev Woodford) makes an excellent point of reminding the reader that *both* justification (being declared righteous) and sanctification (growth in holiness) belong to Christ Jesus—our justification and sanctification are in and through Him.  Woodford says “And sanctification proper refers directly to the holiness we receive from Christ, wherein the only progress we make is one of constant return to Christ and His holiness, but yet wherein the power of the Gospel is such that it will certainly bring cleansing, healing, forgiveness, holiness, and subsequently an increase of fruit (works), as well as a decrease in evil desires and vice. To be sure, the law can certainly instruct and even guide, but it can never deliver or create these good works.”

I will pull out and emphasize this phrase:  “…the only progress we make is one of constant return to Christ and His holiness, but yet wherein the power of the Gospel is such that it will certainly bring…holiness, and subsequently an increase of fruit (works)….” (emphasis added).

The quote above I think helps highlight the true underlying message of this chapter in Bonhoeffer—it is not about the disciples independent obedience, it is about their communion with Christ.   The quote above also highlights the fact that the law guides and instructs but can never save; it is the gospel of faith in Christ which saves, Christ’s perfect obedience and death as the perfect sacrifice for sin.  I think I am correct in saying that our own obedience can never save us; but Christ’s perfect obedience of the law does save us.

From Bonhoeffer:

“The only way for him [Christ] to fulfill the law is by dying a sinner’s death on the cross.  There he embodies in his person the perfect fulfillment of the law.  That is to say, Jesus Christ and he alone fulfills the law, because he alone lives in perfect communion with God.  It is Jesus himself who comes between the disciples and the law, not the law which comes between Jesus and the disciples.”

“This righteousness is therefore not a duty owed, but a perfect and truly personal communion with God, and Jesus not only possesses this righteousness, but is himself the personal embodiment of it.  He is the righteousness of the disciples.  By calling them he has admitted them to partnership with himself, and made them partakers of his righteousness in its fullness.”

“Of course the righteousness of the disciples can never be a personal achievement; it is always a gift, which they received when they were called to follow him.”  

But in the same chapter, Bonhoeffer says these apparently contradictory things:  “In fact their righteousness consists precisely in their following him, and in the beatitudes the reward of the kingdom of heaven has been promised to it.”  And again, earlier “Without it [better righteousness] none can enter the kingdom of heaven, for it is the indispensable condition of discipleship.” And “Only the doer of the law can remain in communion with Jesus.” 

What do I make of this?  Is Bonhoeffer making obedience to the Law a prerequisite for salvation?  It could be read this way, but I don’t think that is his intent.  Again, this is where Woodford’s article is helpful, with his emphasis on our constant return to Christ and His holiness.  Jesus Himself said this very clearly, when He admonished His disciples to remain in Him.  In John 15: 4, Jesus says “Remain in Me and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”   All ofJohn 15 reiterates this message, an instruction to remain in Christ and to emulate the love of God in Christ by loving others.  John 15: 16a says “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”  It is, as Bonhoeffer says, the call of Christ which brings us to faith and enables us to bear fruit.  Without Christ—without remaining in Him—we will bear no fruit, we will fail to love others, we will fail in the call to a “better righteousness.”  

Our righteousness is Christ’s righteousness; in Him we are justified and sanctified; our holiness is His holiness.  Even the faith which is credited to us as righteousness is a gift of God.  The only choice we have—the only action which our fallen free-wills will allow—is to reject God, to sever ourselves from Christ, to fall away from faith and obedience.  I think it is this risk which Bonhoeffer warns against when he says “If men cleave to him [Jesus] who fulfilled the law and follow him, they will find themselves both teaching and fulfilling the law.  Only the doer of the law can remain in communion with Jesus.”  

How do we remain in Christ, remain in communion with Him?  Word and Sacraments are the gifts He gave, physical elements inserted into the reality of the world to strengthen faith.  When Jesus initiated the Lord’s Supper in the upper room, He tied the reception of His Body and Blood in bread and wine to the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26: 26-30).  In 1 Corinthians 11: 23ff, we are told that we are to receive this bread and wine/this body and blood as a constant remembrance of Christ, as a proclamation of His death.  Remaining in Christ means, at least in part, remaining in His Word and by partaking in the Sacraments.  

James 4: 5 – 10 I think also relates to this discussion, where James tells us that the Spirit of God envies intensely—desires to live exclusively in us, not sharing space in us with the evils of the world.  We are told to “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts...Grieve….Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.”   This spirit of constant repentance, of total reliance upon God and His holiness, that of fleeing evil and submitting ourselves to God’s will—this also is what communion with Christ and obedience looks like.  

What do we leave this chapter with, this chapter on The Righteousness of Christ which could be read with a spirit of conviction and despair?  I think we should leave instead with hope and confidence, reminded that our righteousness is solely Christ’s righteousness; we do not have to manufacturer our own holiness in fear and trembling.  By grace through faith in Christ, we are righteous:  it is what we have been declared, by virtue of His call to faith, which is a call to discipleship.  Discipleship means dwelling in Christ as the branches dwell in the vine; we are baptized, we partake of His Holy Supper and we read, mark and study His Holy Word.  And as called and redeemed disciples of Christ, we therefore grow in faith and the good fruits of faith—works of holiness and obedience.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7: 17-20 “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit….by their fruit you will recognize them.”  We have been declared good trees.  We bear good fruit.  That is, when we remain in Christ as His holy children, it is an intrinsic part of our new natures to bear good fruit; we have Christ’s righteousness, a righteousness which “surpasses that of the Pharisees…” because it comes from Christ and through fellowship with Him.  

1)      Christ perfectly fulfilled the law by His perfect life and sacrificial death.  He stands in perfect communion with God, and invites us by faith to be His disciples and to therefore be in perfect communion with God.  He also calls us to remain in Him as a branch remains in the vine and is fruitful.  What does remaining in Christ look like in your life?  

2)      Your holiness is Christ’s holiness; it is a gift by faith.  How does this remove the burden of the conviction of the law, the demand for perfect human obedience, and any despair which you might feel?  

3)      Your holiness is Christ’s holiness; it is a gift by faith and never by your own works.  How does this remove any pride in your own good works and displace confidence in your own personally achieved obedience?