1. when speaking of the difference of sins remaining in saints and this life, let not the eyes be directed to the hidden election, or providence, or pre-destination, as it is called; for such speeches make vain doubt, certainty, or despondency: if thou art elected, no fall can hurt thee, and always remain in grace, and cannot perish; if thou art not elected, all is of no avail. These are terrible sayings, and it is wrong to lead the heart to these thoughts; but the gospel directs us to the express word of God, in which God has revealed His will and through which He wants to be known and to work etc.
Now it is evident that God's word punishes sins, and gives distinction of sins, and directs us to the Savior Christ. We are to consider this express word and judge by it whether we are in grace. For if a man is in sin against his conscience, that is, if he knowingly and willingly does wrong against God, as an adulterer or transgressor who knowingly does wrong to someone, etc., so long as he knowingly keeps such a will, he is without repentance and without faith, and is not pleasing to God. As long as one has another's wife with him, there is no repentance, no faith, no holiness; this is obvious. For where there is faith, by which we are justified, there must also be a good conscience; and it is quite impossible that these two things should stand together: Faith that trusts in God and evil intent, or, as it is called, evil conscience. Faith and invocation of God are tender things, and may easily be a very small wound of the conscience that pushes faith and evil intent together.
This is what every practiced Christian must experience very often. Therefore Paul puts these pieces together, 1 Tim. 1, 5: "This is the summa of the doctrine: Love from a pure heart and a good conscience and unstained faith"; item, 1 Tim. 1, 9: "Keep faith and a good conscience"; item, 1 Tim. 3, 9: "Who keep the secret of faith with a pure conscience" etc. These and other such sayings, which will be used hereafter, indicate that where there is no good conscience, there is no faith and no holiness.
(3) Therefore, if any man be justified, though faith alone in the Savior Christ alone obtaineth grace, that sins be forgiven, and that person be accepted; yet there must be no evil purpose, that a good conscience may begin. Where there is faith and a good conscience, there is certainly the Holy Spirit, and yet the trust is not in our own worthiness or good conscience, but in Christ; therefore we conclude that we are in grace for Christ's sake from His promise, and so right invocation can take place, as John says, 1 John 3:20: "Even if our heart condemns us, we can confidently appeal to God, and what we ask we receive from Him."
4) And although sin abides in the saints, innate misery and evil inclination, and that the heart does not so earnestly fear God, trust etc., which is not to be regarded as minor harm, but are great sins, nevertheless this weakness is to be distinguished far from knowing will and evil intent, which makes the conscience unclean.
Such sin and holiness do not stand together, and we are not to dispute here about providence, but about God's wrath revealed in His Word, and then seek mercy again.
5 And that such a fall in the elect takes away the holiness and drives away the Holy Spirit is first of all quite evident in Adam and Eve, who were chosen, but nevertheless lost their holiness and Holy Spirit so miserably that through this wounding of the first human beings, all human nature is weak and sinful afterwards. And if they had not been raised up again, they would have remained in eternal damnation. For as far as this middle time is concerned, they have truly been in God's wrath; for these things are not mirror fencing. Paul speaks with clear words, Rom. 5, 12: "Through one man sin entered into all men to condemnation"; and what condemnation means is obvious. Item, since David had slept with Uriah's wife and had the pious man murdered etc., David is under the wrath of God and has lost his holiness and Holy Spirit until he is converted again; the same is to be said of others in such cases.
(6) And that all these things are true, as they have been said, is clearly proved by these sayings, 1 John 3:7: "Be not deceived: he that doeth righteousness is righteous: and he that doeth sin is of the devil." When David let the disorderly flames burn, and his heart wavered, the devil drove him, and afterward drove the overcome David to greater sins, to murder etc. And that the Holy Spirit was gone, is further proven by these words of Paul, Gal. 5, 19: "No adulterer is a joint heir in the kingdom of Christ" etc. There is clearly spoken of the present adultery; as long as the adulterer is in this intention, he is not an heir in the kingdom of Christ. From this it follows that he is not righteous and holy, nor does he have the Holy Spirit; item, immediately follows: because of these works the wrath of God comes upon the disobedient. Rom. 8, 13. Paul makes this necessary distinction between the sins and says: "If you
If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if you kill with the spirit of the flesh, you will live. Now it is evident that Paul preaches to the saints in this place and teaches them how to remain holy, namely, if they resist evil inclinations. But against this he says, "if ye live after the flesh ye shall die," that is, if ye follow evil inclinations ye are again in the wrath of God; for this he calls dying. Ezek. 33:13: "The day that the righteous doeth evil, I will forget all his righteousness etc. And the day that the wicked repenteth and doeth good, I will forget his sin." This is a clear text, that the righteous, if he knowingly and willingly falls into sin, is no longer righteous. Revelation 2:14, the Holy Spirit rebukes the church at Pergamos for having unrighteous teachers and fornication among them, saying in clear words: "Which I hate. Wherever God is angry with someone, he is not holy, agreeable etc., and without a doubt the elect and non-elect were among them.
(7) From these and many more testimonies, we have always taught unanimously in all churches that if a saint knowingly and willingly goes against God's commandment, he is no longer holy, but has poured out the right faith and Holy Spirit. But if he is converted again, God keeps His gracious oath, saying, "As I live, I do not want the sinner to die, but to be converted and remain alive." Therefore, for Christ's sake, God accepts this convert again, kindling in his heart right faith through the Gospel and Holy Spirit; and we are not commanded to ask beforehand whether we are elect; but it is enough that we know that whoever finally perseveres in his repentance and faith is certainly elect and blessed, as Christ says, "Blessed are they who persevere to the end."
8 This teaching is clear and does not make a fearless being in those who have fallen, but teaches them to greatly respect and fear God's wrath, as it is certainly true that God is truly angry at all sin, whether it falls on the elect or the non-elect.
Human reasoning creates an unequal will of God, as if God were like a tyrant, who has some companions whose nature he lets him like, be it good or not good, and on the other hand he hates the others, they do what they want. So one should not think of God's will. This saying is eternally true, Psalm 5:6: "Thou art not a God to whom wickedness or sin is pleasing." For though He accepts the saints who still have sin in them, He does not accept them without a great payment, Christ must become a sacrifice for which God accepts and spares us as long as we remain in faith and when we are in faith.
(9) And that, on the other hand, some say that David asks: "Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me," because the Holy Spirit was also in him when he decided on adultery and the death penalty, etc.: Ah, these are very clumsy speeches, against which it is necessary to do right teaching, and everyone can easily judge this consequence, so that it does not follow from the words of the psalm that he was not abandoned before. Yes, that is why David cries out, because he felt that he had been forsaken before, and experienced how weak man is when he is alone without God's help; he has experienced God's wrath and his own weakness, therefore he now asks of many things that he may henceforth live strong in grace, comfort etc.: "Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice", Ps. 51, 10. Also, "Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice.
therefore he asks comfort that he has experienced God's wrath, and calls his guilt such a sin that deserves God's wrath and death.
(10) This reminder is drawn together to show why we had reservations about printing the interpretation of John, in which the pastor of Kahla takes a different view of the elect: namely, that they remain righteous and retain the Holy Spirit, even though they fall into public sin. He has also been warned of this with chastening words, and hope again that he will think better of it.
(11) This is, as I said, the right opinion. For if we were to live our lives according to the secret counsel of God, which He does not reveal to us, we would have no need of His commandments, Gospel, Sacrament, nor of Christ Himself, but would let our hands and feet go, and live like swine. But now God, through His outward Word, Sacrament, wants to draw His Son to where we will see His counsel, which we cannot see here, much less live by. Altiora te ne quaesieris, says Sirach (3, 22.), sed quae praecipit tibi Deus, in his persevera (that is: what is too high for you, do not strive for it; but what God has commanded you, therein persevere).
Martinus Luther, D.
Johannes Bugenhagen, Pomeranus, D.
Philip Melanchthon.
Several interpretations of this are in the:
I. Part, Gen. 1, Cap. 8, § 56-66.
II. part, 1. B. Mos., 37. cap., § 213-224, of the sin and the punishment of the same.
- Genesis, 42nd cap. § 165-177, 43rd cap. § 135-142, hon the natural affections and inclinations.
- Genesis 42, § 229-242, about sin in general, especially about original sin.
II. part, 1. B. Mos., 50. cap., § 25-36, of sin and grace.
III. part, first interpretation of the 10 commandments, 8. commandment, § 11 ff, of the seven deadly sins.
XI. Theil, 2. Pred. am 4. Sund. n. Ostern, von der Sünde.
- Sermon on the Day of the Assumption of Original Sin.
XXII. part, 9. chapter, of the sin.
2. of daily necessary repentance and spiritual purification.
XII. Theil, VIII Sermon on the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, of Spiritual Purification.
3. of Christian brotherly forgiveness of the sins of the neighbor.
XI. Theil, 1. Pred. am 3. Sund. n. Trin., von dem christlichen Verhalten gegen die Sünder.
XII. Theil, Kirchenpost; Pred. am 2. Sundt. d. Adv., exhortation to bear one's neighbor's infirmities.
XIIIa. Theil, Pred. am 22. Sonnt. n. Trin., von Christi Gebot, dass ein Christ seinen Nächsten vergeben soll.
For more on gentleness and patience, see in this volume, under the 1st main section, 5th commandment.