1 Sin is threefold, to which is opposed a threefold righteousness or piety. The first kind is mortal sin, that is, all that is manifestly evil, that it also punishes the temporal power, as: Theft, murder, arson, theft from God etc., some of which are punished by the sword, fire, water, gallows and wheel according to civil law, others by canonical or ecclesiastical penance, as, the common whoring sins, still others according to canonical law.
The righteousness opposed to this kind of sin is the false righteousness that makes monkeys, peacocks and figs out of people.
It happens that a man is an honorable man in the eyes of the people and cannot be accused, and therefore escapes the punishments of the law and receives the promised temporal rewards of the law. Thus it is written in Rom. 10:5: "Moses wrote of the righteousness that cometh of the law, that every man that doeth it shall live in it"; and Isa. 1:19: "If ye will and obey me, ye shall enjoy the good of the land."
3 Such a man was Naaman the Syrian, great and respected by his Lord, through whom the Lord gave salvation to the land of Syria, 2 Kings 5.
Also many kings of Israel and the people of Israel, to whom the Lord gave temporal goods and many victories, even though they were idolaters. The Samaritans were similar, from whom the Lord took away the lions, since they worshipped idols and God the Lord at the same time. So were the Romans, according to St. Augustine in his book of the State of God, to whom the Lord gave a vast, powerful empire; and so he also used to make princes and lords rich.
(4) To this day, these are all those who do penance for the sake of plague, famine, war, or some other scourge of God, who then pray, make pilgrimages, and make vows to the saints. Here also belong those who worship the saints, and the priests who serve only for the present temporal; likewise also the monks and all who do the like. In short, this is justice, which already here receives its reward, but in the hereafter, although milder than the gross criminals, its eternal punishment.
(5) Secondly, this righteousness does not serve God but itself, nor is it the righteousness of sons but of servants, nor is it peculiar to Christians alone but also to Jews and Gentiles; so Christians are not to be admonished to it, for it comes not from love of God but from fear of punishment or from love of one's own advantage.
6) Thirdly, they make hypocrites, proud in their hearts (Luc. 1, 5.), presumptuous judges of others, as can be seen in the parable of the Pharisee and Simon the leper (Luc. 18, 7.).
(7) Fourthly, the apostle (Gal. 3:10) calls them cursed when he says: "Those who deal in the works of the law are under the curse"; and therefore Christians, who are to be made rich with eternal goods, are not to be admonished to this righteousness, but rather to be admonished from it to a better one. Therefore, there is no reason to rejoice in this; just as, for example, God showers the princes of Saxony with glory, riches and pleasures because they are pious lords. And if this were not enough, he will still bring forth a mountain of silver.
and keep the peace in the country. But let them see whether all this is for their salvation, that they be not hirelings; for all this is but a reward given for such a most base and accursed righteousness, which is part of the blessing of Esau and his sons. These are the ones who defy their own conceit, like the Themanites (Baruch 3:23). Thus God Himself rewards evil, for as it is good in the eyes of men, so they also receive in return what is good in the eyes of men.
8. the other sin is the essential, inherent, hereditary, foreign sin, of which the 51st Psalm (v. 7.) says: "Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins did my mother conceive me"; and of which Christ speaks (Matth. 7, 18.): "An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit"; and Rom. 5, 19. it says: "By one man's disobedience many have become sinners, and by one man's sin condemnation has come upon all men." And this is the sin that destroys the former righteousness and makes it evil and cursed, as Christ says (Matth. 12, 33.): "Either plant a good tree and the fruit will be good, or plant a rotten tree and the fruit will be rotten."
9 On the other hand, this sin is incurable by human power, nor can free will do anything here, so that even the saints must say (Rom. 7, 19.): "The evil that I do not want, that I do"; and Gal. 5, 17. it says: "You do not do what you want"; and Ps. 38, 8.: "My loins are filled with deceitfulness."
10. Thirdly, this sin is what we all feel in the desires and anger of our hearts and in everything that strikes us now, as the Lord says of the scarf's eye; therefore I have called it an essential one, because we contract it by birth and it clings to us always and never passes away, like the sin of the deed, but is like a spring, a poison or natural salt water, like a leprous body, which is so by nature, or like a blind body; I am not dealing with sophists here.
11. the opposite of this sin is the
The righteousness of Christ is also an inherent, essential, hereditary, alien righteousness. Joh. 3, 3. it says: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit" etc.; likewise Joh. 1, 12.: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become children of God"; and again, 1 Joh. 3, 9.: "He that is born of God doth not sin," that is, he is not a sinner, but the begetting of God preserves him from it; and at last it is said, Rom. 5:18.: "By one man's righteousness justification of life is come upon all men; and by one man's obedience many are made righteous." This it is of which I have lately said that it is our happiness, main foundation, our rock, and our whole being, wherein we are glorified for ever; as the apostle (Col. 3, 3.) says that our life is hid with Christ in God; and again (2 Cor. 5, 21.): that we might be the righteousness of God in Him; and 1 Cor. 1, 30.: "Who is made unto us of God unto righteousness, and wisdom, and sanctification, and redemption"; and 1 Cor. 3, 11.: "Other foundation can no man lay."
(12) Secondly, this righteousness is ours by faith, as it is said in Romans 1:17, "The righteous lives by faith"; and in Romans 10:10, "With the heart one believes unto righteousness. This righteousness is imparted to us through baptism, and it is actually that which the gospel proclaims, and is not the righteousness of the law, but the righteousness of grace.
(13) Thirdly, he that hath these, though he sin, shall not be condemned, according to the 89th Psalm (vv. 32, 33): "If they profane my ordinances, and keep not my commandments, I will punish their sin with a rod, and their iniquity with plagues: but my mercy will I not turn from him, nor let my truth fail." For this is the tender child, as it is called, which cannot offend, whatever it may do. And in the 25th Psalm (v. 10.) it is said, "The ways of the Lord are goodness and truth."
Fourteenth, by them man becomes master of all things, for his righteousness
looks down from heaven. And here "justice (mercy) and truth meet; justice and peace kiss each other" (Ps. 85, 11.); for truth comes from the earth. For without mercy and grace man is a hypocrite; without justice he is restless. Mercy makes true, righteous, and true righteousness gives peace; but Christ is this truth, man vanity.
Fifthly, the apostle says to the Romans on the 5th (v. 14).) that "Adam was an image of him who was to come," that just as Adam by one sin makes all who are born of him guilty of his own sin, which is altogether foreign to them, and gives them what he has; so also Christ by his righteousness makes all who are born of him just and blessed, by this same righteousness of his, which is also altogether foreign to them and not deserved by them; so that just as we are condemned by an alien sin, so also we are redeemed by an alien righteousness.
(16) And therefore I have called it essential and eternal, because it endureth for ever and ever, and never ceaseth, as the righteousness of works, according to that saying, Ps. 112:9, "His righteousness endureth for ever and ever." Christ alone is eternal, and his righteousness, which is also ours, is therefore also eternal. This is the mercy of God the Father, the grace of the New Testament, through which the Lord is kind to those who taste Him, in which we must be saved and in no other, as it is written in Acts 4:12. 4:12: "There is salvation in no other, neither is there any other name given to men, wherein we must be saved"; and again Ps. 31:2: "By thy righteousness save me"; and again: "O God, in thy name save me." That is what I have said, no one is saved in his own name, by which he is called, that is, not as Peter, Paul, John etc., but as a Christian, as John says (Cap. 3, 13.), "No one goes up to heaven except he who has come down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven"; about which I have recently dealt in more detail.
17. the third sin is the sin of works or
The sin of the deed, which is the fruit of original sin. All our own sins belong here, namely our works that we do, even the works of righteousness that we do before we believe, according to the apostle's saying to the Romans on the 2nd and 3rd: "You who teach another do not teach yourself" (2:21).); "There is none righteous, neither is there any; there is none understanding" (3:10, 11); and again, "In that thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, because thou doest the same that thou judgest" (2:1). And by this the evil of original sin is still increased, and yet one cannot avoid it by one's own efforts.
The righteousness opposed to this sin is the righteousness of works, which flows from faith and essential righteousness, of which the apostle (1 Cor. 15:49) says: "As we have borne the image of the earthly man, even so shall we bear the image of the heavenly"; and in the 85th Psalm (v. 14): "Righteousness shall go before him," that is, "and he shall set his footsteps in their way. Psalm (v. 14): "Righteousness shall go before him," that is, there shall be righteous before him in work and in deed, "and he shall set his footsteps in their way"; and of this we must now speak in more detail than I stopped at the other day.
19 First, these works they call meritorious; I know not whether they understand it: I must confess that I never have understood it. Faith is the whole merit; and it is a vain conceit that a single, quickly passing act should be worthy of eternal life. The person must be worthy. Christ has earned it and given it to us and gives it to us daily.
20 Secondly, how can it be a merit, since all saints sin, according to the saying (Ps. 143, 2.): "Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for before you no living man is righteous"; and Christ says (Matth. 7, 11.): "So then you who are evil" etc.; and again: "Forgive us our debts". And St. Augustine also exclaims, "Woe to the life of men, however laudable it may be!" But again it is also said (1 Cor. 3, 8.): "Each one will receive his reward according to his work"; and 2 Chron. 15, 7.: "Your work has its reward"; item, Gen. 15, 1.: "I am your very great reward";
item, Ecclesiastes 9:7: "Go, then, and eat your bread with gladness, and drink your wine with good courage; for your works are pleasing to God." Yes, let every Christian be careful that he is not ever uncertain whether his works are pleasing to God, for he who doubts sins and loses all his works and labors in vain; but he must always believe that he is pleasing to God, as the apostle says (2 Cor. 1:12.), "This is our glory, the testimony of our conscience, that we have walked without sin in this world"; and again (1 Cor. 9:26), "So I run, but not as into the unknown; so I fence, but not as he who strikes the air"; and Peter exhorts (2 Ep. 1:10), "Be diligent to make your profession and election sure by good works." For whosoever knoweth not, or doubteth that he doeth well and justly, or thinketh that he doeth always evil, sinneth always, and loseth all his life: for he doeth not by faith, nor in faith.
(21) How then shall we do to Him? How can we at the same time ask that God not enter into judgment with us, and yet also seek glory? Answer: The cherubim with their faces turned toward each other teach us. For although they stand with their faces turned in different directions, they agree with one another in looking toward the mercy seat: so also the above opposing sayings agree in Christ. Therefore, if you consider Our works by themselves, they are vain sins, and you must ask God not to enter into judgment with you, that is, not to examine and judge them for themselves alone, without Christ; but if you consider them as done in Christ, you can be sure that they please God, who cannot please Him by themselves, as the Christian Church prays. Therefore, whether you sin or not, always lean firmly on Christ and His natural righteousness; for "even the righteous falls seven times in the day, but he also rises again just as often"; and in the 37th Psalm (v. 24) it is written: "If the righteous falls, he is not injured, for the Lord keeps him by the hand." Just as, therefore, on account of Christ, you must not doubt that your works are pleasing for the sake of Christ in whom you believe, so too are
The works of such faith are quite pleasing to God, even though they are quite worthless to you and in themselves.
(22) Third, what works should we do primarily? Answer: Especially such works as promote primary righteousness and diminish original sin. Therefore, it is necessary for each one to examine himself, for original sin manifests itself in one way and in another. General works are: Prayer, almsgiving, fasting; yes, Rom. 12 (must be Col. 3, 5.) and elsewhere it is even said: "Mortify therefore your members." For this third righteousness seeks nothing else than to cast out original sin and destroy the body of sin, and so merit is the ruling righteousness itself, not that the individual act has merit, but only promotes merit more.
(23) Fourthly, above all, keep away from all works of your own choosing, for these do not sweep away sins, but only defile even more, as ceremonies and customs do in our time, prayers, all kinds of formulas, church buildings etc. Therefore, the most purifying works are those that God wants and calls the best of all: all kinds of crosses, adversities, lack, reviling, death; for here God alone works and man suffers, and the old Adam is most perfectly killed, and Christ (the vine) is purified and His branch cleansed (John 15). This is the best way to salvation, admittedly a very painful way, but a joyful one in the end. End of the sermon about the threefold sin and the threefold righteousness.