Salvation unto us has come

1 Salvation unto us has come
By God's free grace and favor,
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never:
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is the Mediator.

2 What God doth in His Law demand
No man to Him can render,
And so He draws His flaming brand
To punish the offender:
Our flesh has not those pure desires
Which first of all the Law requires,
So we're in condemnation.

3 It was a false, misleading dream
That God His Law had given
For us to keep and merit claim--
And earn our way to heaven:
God's Law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to sight
That lurks within our nature.

4 By our own strength to put aside
God's wrath, and win His blessing,
Is useless task, by many tried,
Is only guilt increasing:
For God hypocrisy abhors;
Flesh with the spirit ever wars,
For 'tis by nature evil.

5 And yet, the Law fulfilled must be
Or we were lost forever;
Therefore God sent His Son, that He
Might us from death deliver;
He all the Law for us fulfilled,
And thus His Father's anger stilled
Which over us impended.

6 Since Christ hath full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation:
Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Thy death my life now is indeed,
For Thou hast paid my ransom.

7 Not doubting this, I trust in Thee,
Thy Word cannot be broken;
Thou all dost call, "Come unto me!"
No falsehood hast Thou spoken:
"He that believes and is baptized,
He shall be saved," say'st Thou, O Christ,
"And he shall never perish."

8 He's just 'fore God, and he alone,
Who by this faith is living;
This faith will by good works be known,
To God the glory giving;
Faith gives thee peace with God above,
But thou thy neighbor too wilt love,
If thou art a new creature.

9 The Law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes man conscience-stricken;
The gospel then doth enter in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the Cross, trust Christ and live;
The Law to you no peace can give
With all its good endeavors.