At the early Christmas Mass.
Tit. 3, 4-8.
Then the kindness and goodness of God our Savior appeared, not because of the works of righteousness we had done, but according to His mercy He made us blessed through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that by His grace we might be justified and heirs of eternal life according to hope. This is certainly true.
1. this epistle teaches and drives home just what we said at the end of the gospel about the good pleasure or good will; the same is also the love for the
Next. And the sum is: Why should we not do this, if God has done this to us before, before whom we were less worthy of such goods than any man before us?
is? Just as God has been kind and gracious to us, to give us His mercy, so it is incumbent upon us to do the same to others, even though they are not worthy; yet we, like them, have also been unworthy.
But that the epistle may be the more fully understood, we must know the entrance and cause of such speech. Hard before he speaks to Tito, his disciple, 3:1-4: "Admonish them to be subject to the rulers and authorities, to be obedient to the authorities, and to be ready to do all good works for them, to blaspheme no one, not to be contentious, but to put up with all things, and to show all meekness toward all men. For we also have been ignorant, disobedient, unfaithful, servants of our own various lusts and pleasures, and have walked in malice and envy, enemies, hating one another. But now kindness has appeared" etc. Here you see that St. Paul holds us against God and men, wanting us to be obedient to the authorities, to be kind to others, regardless of whether they are evil, blind, erring people; but to have it to their credit, and to make ourselves pleasing to them, and to have a good will in it, considering that God has done so to us, since we were also as they now are.
3 The word "appeared" is sufficiently interpreted above, in the previous epistle, that it means the revelation of the Gospel, through which Christ appeared in all the world; although the epistle is drawn to the birth of Christ, there is not much to it. He does not use the word "Gnaoe" here, as above, but two other lovely words; "kindness" and "lightness" he attributes to the gracious God. The first one is called chrestotes in Greek, and is the friendly, sweet walking of a kind life, that everyone likes to deal with the same person, and his company is almost sweet, everyone is attracted to favor and love, who can suffer people well, despises no one, chases no one away with sour, harsh, strange gestures or ways, may everyone be confident about him, go to him and deal with him; just as the gospels depict Christ among the people, who is friendly to everyone, no one
despised, no one fails, and is all slimy, friable and riveting.
4 So God has also shown Himself to us through the gospel quite lovely and friendly, ready for everyone, despising no one, holding all our iniquities too good for us, chasing no one away with severity. For there is only grace proclaimed, in which he bears us and deals with us in the most friendly way, with no one according to his merit and worthiness. This is the time of grace, when every man may go to the throne of his grace with all confidence. As Hebr. 4, 16. is written, and Ps. 34, 6.: "Draw near to him and be enlightened, your faces will not be ashamed", that is, he will not ask you in vain and let you come and go home empty with shame.
5 The other is called philanthropia, love of man; just as avarice would be called love of money. And David 2 Kings 1 calls lust for women love of women. So the natural masters call some animals philanthropists, such as dogs, horses, and dolphins. For these animals have a natural lust and love for man, and they also act toward them and serve them gladly, as if they had reason and understanding toward man.
(6) Such a name and love the apostle assigns here to our God, and has done before also Moses 5. book Cap. 33, 2. 3. where he says of God: "In his hand is a fiery law, he has loved the people very much"; that the opinion is: God has not only shown himself friendly in the Gospel, who wants to suffer and accept everyone around him; but again, he also sticks to them, seeks to be with them, offers them his grace and friendship.
(7) These are two sweet and comforting words from our God, that He offers His mercy and runs after us, and most sweetly welcomes all who draw near to Him and desire Him. What more shall he do? Now see why the Gospel is called a comforting, sweet sermon of God in Christ. What could be said more sweetly than such words to a sinful, wretched conscience? Oh, that the devil, through the Pabst's law, has so miserably suppressed for us such a pure word of God.
(8) But the two words must be left free and common, and no distinction of person must be made among men, that such divine kindness and goodness come not from our merit or reputation, but from his mercy alone, and affect all that is called a man, however small it may be. For God loves not the person, but the nature, and is not called personable, but affable, so that his honor may remain whole, and no one may boast of his worthiness, no one may be dismayed at his unworthiness; but one may take comfort in the undeserved grace that he so kindly and affably offers and gives. For if any reputation or person had been worthy, it would have been those who had done works of righteousness. Now St. Paul rejects the same most of all, saying, "Not according to the works of righteousness which we have done" etc. How much less will such have appeared because of your wisdom, authority, nobility, riches and yellow hair? It is great grace; but it is also mere grace, which dampens all glory and honor, and only raises up God's glory, who gave it in vain to the unworthy.
(9) Now this epistle teaches two things again: to believe and to love, or to receive good from God, and to show good to one's neighbor; as the whole of Scripture does the two, and one cannot be without the other. For he who does not firmly believe in such grace from God certainly shows it also toward his neighbor, and is lazy, negligent to do good to him. But the more firmly a person believes, the more diligent and willing he is to help his neighbor. Thus faith promotes love, and love increases faith.
(10) There we see how nothing we do in faith, who by other works than doing good to our neighbor presume to become pious and blessed; invent so many new works and doctrines every day that in the end we know nothing more of right good living; when all Christian doctrine, works, life, are briefly, clearly, superfluously comprehended in the two things, believing and loving, by which man is placed between God and his neighbor as a means that comes from above.
and gives it out again below, and becomes like a vessel or a pipe through which the fountain of divine goods is to flow uninterruptedly into other people.
(11) Behold, these are true godly men, who have received from God all that He has in Christ, and in turn, as if they were gods of others, prove themselves with benefits: thus goes the saying, Ps. 82:6: "I have said that you are gods and children of the Most High altogether. We are children of God through faith, which makes us heirs of all divine goods. But we are gods through love, which makes us benevolent toward our neighbor. For the divine nature is nothing else than vain benevolence, and as St. Paul says here, kindness and cheerfulness, which pours out its goods abundantly into all creatures daily; as we see.
Now see to it that you let these words be told to you, that God's kindness and goodness is revealed and offered to everyone, and that you build your faith on these words, practice and strengthen it daily, and believe without a doubt that it is so, and that God is and will be kind and good to you, then He is certainly so to you; then you may ask and desire with all confidence what you want, what you need, what you and others need. But if you do not believe this, it would be much better if you had never heard it; for by unbelief you make a lie of these precious, comforting, grace-filled words, making yourself out as if you did not believe them to be true; which is a great dishonor and disrespect to God, so that no greater sin can be committed by you.
But if you believe, it is not possible that your heart should not laugh for joy in God, and become free, secure and joyful. For how can a heart remain sad or unjoyful if it does not doubt that God is kind to it, and that it regards Him as a good friend with whom it is at ease with all things as with itself? Such joy and pleasure must follow; but if it does not follow, then faith is certainly not yet rightly there. And this is what the apostle says to the Galatians, "to receive the Holy Spirit" in and through the
Gospel; for the gospel is such a lovely preaching of God's grace and sweetness that it brings the Holy Spirit with it in hearing and preaching; just as the sun's brightness naturally brings the heat with it.
14 But how could St. Paul have used more sweet words? I may say that in all the Scriptures I have not read any sweeter words spoken of God's grace than these two, chrestotes and philanthropia, in which grace is thus pictured, not only forgiving sin, but also dwelling with us, dealing kindly with us, being willing to help, and doing all that we may desire, as of a good, willing friend, to whom a man will do all good, and be quite at ease. Therefore, if you think of a good friend, you will have a picture of God's love for you in Christ, and yet such a picture is still very small to represent such abundant grace.
(15) Therefore, if you believe and rejoice in God your Lord, live and are filled with His grace, having what you ought to have, what will you do on earth in this life? You need not ever walk idly. Yes, such lust and love for God will not let you rest; but you will become fervent and eager to do everything you know, so that you may give praise, honor and thanks to such a kind, blessed God: there is no longer any distinction of works, there are no more commandments; there is no compulsion or urge, only a joyful will and desire to do well, whether the work is small or delicious, small or large, short or long.
16 Before that, you desire that other people also have this knowledge of divine grace; therefore your love breaks out, does to everyone what it can, preaches and says such truth where it can, rejects everything that is not preached or lived according to this teaching. Behold, then, the devil and the world may not hear nor see such things, wanting to have their thing unthrown from thee, clinging to thee all that is great, learned, rich and mighty, making thee a heretic and a foolish man. Behold, then, like your Lord Christ, you come to the cross for the truth's sake, and must go to the cross.
You must be happy in all of this, tolerate it gladly and consider it good, be kind to them again, always remembering that you were before God as they are now. Which such faith and love certainly do. Behold, this is a right Christian life, which does unto others as God has done unto it.
(17) This is what the apostle expresses here, when he says, "The kindness of God has not appeared to us, nor made us blessed, because of our righteousness. As if to say: If we have been unworthy, and yet have been received in mercy, and have received God's good pleasure with great unmerit and sin, why should we then spare our good pleasure to all those who deserve it for us or are worthy? No, not so, but let us be children of God, and do good to our enemies and evildoers, as God has done and is doing to us, His enemies and evildoers. This is also what Christ says in Matth. 5, 44. 45: "Love your enemies, so that you may be children of your heavenly Father, who lets his sun rise on the good and the evil, and lets it rain on those who thank him and do not thank him. For if ye love your friends only, what reward shall ye have? Do not the tax collectors and sinners do the same?
(18) And St. Paul noticeably rejects us not only because of evil works, but says: "Not according to the works of righteousness that we have done. This is what he means by the works that we have considered good*), which is to be considered righteousness in our eyes and in the eyes of men, and yet only makes us more unskilful to God's grace, because they are wrong in themselves, and we add to them, making a twofold sin of them, that we consider them good and rely on them, which makes God very angry.
19 So our enemies also provoke us.
Most of all, those who are wrong and yet want to fight their cause for justice against us: nevertheless we should not refuse to do them good; just as God, in the same error, when we were also fools, and let ourselves think that what we were doing was well done, did us good out of pure mercy. As he has not done to us according to our supposed righteousness, so we should not do to them according to their merits or demerits, but help them out of love and in vain, waiting for thanks and reward not from them but from God. That is enough of the whole sum of the epistle.
020 Now let us see the words which he hath used to magnify and utter such grace. First, he exalts them so high that he also rejects all our good works and righteousness. For we are not to think that he condemns a bad thing by words; but the very best that a man may do on earth, that is, righteousness. If all men would do their utmost diligence, and work according to the highest reason, wisdom, free will; as we then read of some pagan masters and princes of great virtue and wisdom, whom all the world praises with writings and words, as Socrates, Trajanus and the like: Nevertheless, such wisdom and virtue is nothing in the sight of God but vain sin and damnable, because it is not done in God's grace, that is, the same man does not recognize God, does not honor Him with it, and thinks that he has done such things out of his own ability, which no one but grace teaches in the Gospel. Thus St. Paul also boasts that he had previously lived a blameless life above all his peers; he also thinks that he was right to persecute Christians who reject such a good life. But then he says, recognizing Christ, "He respects his righteousness as dung and filth, so that he may be found, not in his righteousness, but in Christ and in faith, as he further testifies in Phil. 3:9 and Gal. 1:14.
(21) Therefore, here he puts down all the glory of free will, all human virtue, righteousness, and good works, concludes
Let it all be nothing and vain destruction, however great it may be; but the grace of God alone must make blessed and also makes blessed all who believe this and desire it in right confession of their own ruin and nothingness.
(22) We must therefore be accustomed to the Scriptures, which set forth two righteousnesses: a human righteousness, as St. Paul here calls it, and of many more parents; the other a divine righteousness, that is, divine grace, which justifies us through faith, as St. Paul here expresses it, saying at the end of the epistle thus, "That we, being justified by his grace, may be heirs of eternal life. Be heirs of eternal life." There you see that God's grace and righteousness, which is also called God's righteousness because He gives it to us by grace, becomes ours to receive. Thus he says Rom. 1:17: "In the gospel it is preached of the divine righteousness, that the same is by faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith. Item, also Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and the same faith was counted to him for righteousness." Thus the Scripture concludes that no one is justified in the sight of God, except he who believes, as is now said and drawn by St. Paul from Hab. 2:4: "The righteous shall live by his faith." So that faith, grace, mercy, truth are one thing, which God works in us through Christ and His gospel; as Ps. 25, 10. says: "All God's ways are mercy and truth."
23. but "God's ways" are in which we walk, and he in us, if we obey his commandments: these same ways all must walk in divine mercy and truth, and not in our ability or powers, which ways are vain wrath and falsehood in the sight of God; as he says Isa. 55:9: "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways." As if he should say: Your righteousness is earthen and nothing, you must walk in my heavenly righteousness, if you are to be saved.
But according to his mercy he made us blessed.
(24) How can the words exist which say that we are already blessed? Are we not still on earth in misery? Answer: It is thus spoken, that the power of divine grace and the manner of faith might be expressed, contrary to the erroneous saints of works, who seek to obtain and attain salvation by their works, as if it were still far from them. Not so, Christ has made us blessed at once in two ways: First, he has done all that is necessary for our salvation, that is, he has overcome and destroyed sin, death and hell, so that there is nothing more to be done by anyone; secondly, he has given all these things to all of us in baptism, so that whoever believes in Christ that he has done these things will certainly have everything at once, and all his sins are gone with death and hell, so that he needs nothing more for salvation but this faith.
(25) Behold, God pours upon us such abundant riches in baptism, that he also abolishes works, that fools may presume to gain heaven and be saved. No, dear man, you must have heaven and already be blessed before you do good works: the works do not deserve heaven; but heaven again, given out of pure grace, does the good works without asking for merit, only for the benefit of the neighbor and for the honor of God, until the body is also redeemed from sins, death and hell. Therefore, all the life that a believing Christian leads after baptism is nothing more than waiting for the revelation of the blessedness that he already has. He certainly has it completely, but it is still hidden in faith: the same faith, if it were lost, would be revealed in him, which happens in bodily death; as 1 John 3:2, 3 says: "Dear brothers, we are already children of God, but it is not yet revealed what we will be. But when he comes, we know that we shall be like him. And all who have this hope in them, sanctify themselves without ceasing, even as he is holy."
(26) Therefore, do not let the saints of works deceive you, who despise faith, put your salvation far ahead of you, and drive you,
with works to get it. No, dear man, it is within you, everything has already happened; as Christ says Luc. 17, 21: "The kingdom of God is within you." Therefore, the rest of life after baptism is nothing else but waiting, waiting and longing for the revelation of that which is in us, and for the comprehension of that which has comprehended us; as St. Paul Phil. 3:12 says: "I follow, that I may take hold of that wherein I am taken hold of by Christ," that is, that I may see what goods are given me in the shrine of faith. He is curious and desires to see his treasure, which baptism in faith has given him and sealed. So he also says there: "Our walk is already in heaven, from which we also wait for the Savior Jesus Christ, who will make our despicable corpse again like his glorified body. Item, to the Galatians Cap. 4:9, when he had said, "Ye have now known God," he contradicts the words, saying, "Ye have known God;" both of which are true, but with a difference: we have known God and have already understood Him, but we do not yet know or understand Him. For our knowledge is still covered and closed in faith. So he also says Rom. 8, 24: "We are already saved, but in hope," that is, we do not yet see. For he that seeth, saith he, hopeth not: "But if we hope that we see not, we wait with patience." Christ also saith, Luc. 12:36, "Let your loins be girded, and have lamps burning in your hands; and be ye like servants waiting for their lord, when he cometh home from his work; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may nimbly open unto him." Item, so also St. Paul said in the previous epistle, Tit. 2, 13: We are to live soberly, justified and godly in this world, "waiting for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ."
(27) Behold, these sayings and the like all testify that we are already made blessed, that a Christian man should not seek works to be saved.
For such delusion and doctrine blind his Christian eyes, destroy his right understanding of faith, and pluck him out of the way of truth and blessedness. It means here: "He hath made us blessed according to his mercy"; and at the end of the epistle, that we may be "heirs of eternal life in hope." Heirs we are, yet hidden in faith, awaiting the same revelation in hope.
28: But such waiting and the rest of life after baptism is done so that he may mortify the body through us, demonstrate the power of his grace in the battle against the flesh, the world and the devil; and yet all this finally so that he may benefit our neighbor through us, and also bring them to faith through our preaching and life. For though he may do it through angels, yet he will do it through us men, that our faith may abide and be made sweet; for there would be no faith if angels should walk with us without ceasing. Neither is it so sweet as through nature, which is like unto us, which we are accustomed to and know. If we were all taken to heaven after baptism, who would convert the others and bring them to God with words and a good example?
(29) Therefore it is not doubtful that it is a miraculous sign of the devil and of the end of Christ, that we spend so much on purgatory, and with forgetfulness of such faith presume to protect ourselves from it or to get out of it by works; just as if beatitude had not yet been given to us, and had to be obtained by some other way than by faith, which we see is contrary to all Scripture and Christian nature. For he who does not receive blessedness by pure grace before all good works will certainly never receive it otherwise. And he who uses his good works for his own benefit, to help himself and not his neighbor, is not doing a good work; for it is all faithless there, and vain harmful error and seduction, that I wish purgatory had never been invented, or had never come to the pulpit, it does all too terrible harm to such Christian truth and right faith. Now the devil has brought it there,
that all monasteries, all convents, all masses, all prayers, even close, work alone into purgatory, in addition with such a poisonous opinion that one wants to help the things by the works and get the blessedness. Because of this, the riches of baptism and faith must be darkened, and in the end Christians must become nothing but pagans.
O Lord God of abominations! Christians should be taught, as Christ and St. Paul were, that after baptism or absolution they should not behave otherwise than as if they were ready to die every hour, waiting for the revelation of their received blessedness; so by leaving purgatory they are given a lazy security, that they think only this life, save and forgive until the deathbed, then they want to have remorse and sorrow, and help themselves out of purgatory with endowments, masses for the soul and wills: but they will well come to realize it. Follows:
Through the bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
How full of words he praises the grace of God given to us in baptism. He calls baptism "a bath," since not only feet or hands, but the whole body is cleansed; thus also, baptism makes a person pure and blessed all at once, so that nothing more is needed for the main part and inheritance of salvation than such faith in God's grace; so that it may be pure grace, without work or merit, that we are saved, and so that pure love, praise, thanksgiving and honor of divine mercy may exist in us eternally, without any glory or favor of our own ability or effort, as has been sufficiently and often said.
The righteousness of man is not such a bath, but only a washing of the garments and vessels, as it is written about gleamers Matth. 23, 25. ff., so that they only outwardly appear clean before men and themselves, but inwardly remain full, full of filth. So he does not call the bath a bodily bath, but a "bath of regeneration," which is such a bath that does not wash the skin above and cleanse the body of the man, but changes his whole nature and transforms it into another nature, so that the first birth, which was of the flesh, is cast out.
all inheritance of sins and condemnation. But this expresses that our salvation is given to us all at once and is not to be obtained by works. For birth gives not only a limb, hand or foot, but the whole life, the whole man, which worketh not that he should be born, but that he should be born before that he might work. Thus works do not make us pure, pious, nor blessed; but we, previously pure, pious, and blessed, do the works freely for the glory of God, for the good of our neighbor.
Behold, this is called the clear recognition of the mere grace of God. There man learns to recognize himself and God, to praise God, to despise God, to take comfort in God, to despair of himself. Those who drive people with laws, commandments and works and want to make them blessed almost hinder themselves very much from this teaching.
34. further, that this bath and rebirth might be more clearly understood, he adds, "renewal," that there might be a new man, a new kind, a new creature, which has a completely different mind, loves differently, lives, speaks and works differently than before. As he also says in Gal. 6:15, "In the Christian state, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is valid," that is, not a work of the law, "but a new creature," as if to say, "It will not have to be mended and patched with works here and there; there must be a completely new skin and the nature must be transformed, and then the works will follow of themselves.
35 Christ also says about birth, John 3:3: "He who is not born elsewhere cannot see the kingdom of God. Here we also see that the works will not do, the person must himself and completely come to, die and come into another being: which happens through baptism, if we believe; for faith is this rejection. For even the reprobate will be born elsewhere on the last day. But this is a birth without regeneration; they will be unclean as they were here in the old Adam's life. Therefore this is a bath, a rebirth, which makes new men. (36) The Scriptures speak of birth in many places. For God calls
His own words and gospel matricem and vulvam; Is. 46, 3.: "Hear me, you remaining of Israel, who are carried in my uterus (womb)", or under my heart, as the women say of their childbearing. Whoever believes in such a gospel is conceived and born in God's uterus. More about this another time.
(37) Now these are all such words as we see, which put down works and human presumption in the commandments, and clearly illustrate the way of faith, that man all at once receives grace completely and is made blessed, that works should not come with it, but should follow. It is as if God made a new green tree out of a dry block, which then bore its natural fruit. There is a great, strong, powerful and active thing about God's grace; it does not lie in the soul and sleep, as the dream preachers fable, or let itself be carried, as a painted board carries its color. No, not so, it carries, it leads, it drives, it pulls, it walks, it works everything in man, and can be well felt and experienced. It is hidden, but its works are unconcealed; work and word show where it is, just as the fruit and leaves of the tree show its kind and nature.
(38) For this reason she is preached too little and too little, if she is not given more than that she adorns the works and helps to accomplish them, as the Sophists, Thomas, Scotus, and the people, err and deceive. She does not help to do the works alone, she does it alone; yes, not only the works, she changes and renews the whole person, and her work is rather how she changes the person than how she performs the works of the person. She wants to make a bath, a rebirth, a renewal, not only of the works, but of the whole person.
See, this means preached freely and fully of the grace of God. For St. Paul does not say here that God has made us blessed by works; but with a full mouth he pours out, through a regeneration and a renewal. It is not a matter of mending with works: it is a matter of completely converting the nature. Therefore it comes to pass that those who believe must suffer and die many things, so that
grace proves its nature and presence. Behold, of this David says Ps. 111, 2.: "The works of God are great, and sought after according to all their will." Who are these His works? We are them, made in baptism by His grace: we are great works, new works, born again. For it is a great thing that a man should be saved so quickly, freed from sins, death and hell forever. Therefore he says: "They are desired according to all their will" or desire, which God has invented with it, and does everything that a man desires. But what does a man desire more than to be blessed, to be delivered from sins, death and hell?
40 Finally, he calls the bath "the regeneration, the renewing of the Holy Spirit," that the greatness and power of grace may ever be fully expressed. So this bath is a great thing, that no creature but the Holy Spirit must do it. How you reject, Saint Paul, the free will, the good works and the great merits of the trustworthy saints. How highly you set our blessedness, and yet make it so near us, yes, in us; how bare and loud you preach grace? Therefore work, work: to change the man and to change the person is not possible, but through the bath of the rebirth of the Holy Spirit.
41 This can also be seen in the saints of works, how no more insolent, arrogant, sacrilegious and unbelieving spirits are than they. For they are unbroken, unchanged, obdurate, hardened and remaining in their old Adam, which they cover and adorn with their good works, and have no change in their evil nature, but only in their outward works. Oh, this is a poisonous people, and before God they are in great disgrace, even though they think they are sitting in His bosom.
So St. Paul agrees with Christ Joh. 3, 5, when he calls this bath: "Whoever is not otherwise born of water and the Holy Spirit cannot enter the kingdom of God. Here you hear the water, that is the bath; you hear being born again, that is the rebirth and renewal; and the spirit, which St. Paul expresses here, the Holy Spirit.
(43) And it is to be noted here that the apostle does not know about the sacrament of confirmation. For he teaches that the Holy Spirit is given in baptism, as Christ also teaches; indeed, in baptism we are born of the Holy Spirit. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 8, 17, that the apostles laid their hands on the heads of the baptized, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; which they draw to confirmation, but that the same was done, that they might receive the Holy Spirit in public signs, and speak with many tongues, preaching the gospel. But this has passed away in time, and has not remained any longer than such ordinances or ordinations to the priesthood or the preaching ministry, though even these are abominable in their abuse. About this another time.
Which he hath abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
44. Behold, the Holy Spirit is not only given, but "poured out"; not only poured out, but "abundantly poured out". The apostle cannot make grace and its works great enough, and we, alas, make them so small against our good works. It would be a reproach to God and his Holy Spirit that he should pour it out upon us abundantly, and that anything else should be sought from us and out of us, that we might be justified and saved, as if such divine abundant works were not sufficient for that.
45 Thus St. Paul would also have spoken too mildly and would have been justified in telling a lie. But now he speaks of it with such full, excellent words that it is clear: Let no one rely too much on such bath and rebirth, there is still more; let no one believe too much, there is still more. And for this very reason God has put such great goods into the Word and faith that the nature of this life would not bear nor comprehend them if they were merely given. And at the same time, when they begin to become bare, man must die and leave this life, so that he may sink completely and disappear into the riches that he has now grasped in faith as a small corner. Behold, we are so utterly superfluous without
all works are justified and blessed, if we only believe. Therefore also St. Peter says 2 Petr. 1, 4: "Through Christ great and precious things have been given to us, so that we may become fellow members of the divine being"; does not say: They will be given to us, but: They have been given to us. And Christ John 3:16: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son for it, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Behold, they have eternal life, and all who believe; so they are certainly righteous and holy, without any works; and works do nothing to this, but there is pure grace and mercy poured out on us abundantly.
46 But would you say: How can it be that it is so often said in Scripture that those who do good will be saved? Christ, John 5:29: "Those who do good will go forth to the resurrection of life, and those who do evil to the resurrection of judgment"; and St. Paul, Romans 2:7. Paul, Rom. 2, 7: "Glory and praise to all who do good; wrath and disgrace to all who do evil"; and the like beyond measure? Answer: How should it be? Not otherwise than as the words read, without all glosses: He that doeth good shall be saved; he that doeth evil shall be damned. But this makes the mistake of judging good works by outward appearance. This is not the case in Scripture, which teaches that no one can do good unless he himself is good first; so he does not become good through good works, but the works become good through him. But he becomes good through this bath of regeneration and in no other way. This is what Christ means Matth. 7, 17: "No evil tree bears good fruit, and no good tree bears evil fruit"; Matth. 12, 33: "Therefore make the tree either good or evil, and the fruit will be according to it.
(47) It is true that the saints of works do works equal to the works of newborn men; indeed, they sometimes shine more than those good works. They pray, fast, give, endow, walk, and walk almost seemingly; but Christ, Matt. 7:15, calls it "sheep's clothing" under which
For none of them is humble, mild, gentle and good from the bottom of the heart. Which they also prove, when one meets them and rejects their works, then they give their natural right fruit, when one recognizes them, as there are unrighteous judgment, impatience, self-will, stubbornness and after-talk, with many other evil pieces.
(48) Therefore it is true, he that doeth good shall be saved, that is, his blessedness shall be manifested; but he doeth no good thing, if he be not already saved in the new birth. Therefore the Scripture calls such people according to their outward walk in good works, or according to their inward being, which does such outward walk in good works, and says: They are already blessed because of their inward being, and will be blessed if they do well, that is, if they remain steadfast, their blessedness will be revealed.
49. therefore the good works, which are still done in the old birth and Adam's being, which the apostle rejects in this epistle and says: "not according to the works of righteousness that we have done" etc. They are good works, but not in the sight of God, who looks at the personal goodness and then at the works; as in Gen. 4, 4. 5. He first looked at Abel and then at his sacrifice; and only turned away from Cain and then also from his sacrifice, which according to outward appearance was just as much a sacrifice and good thing as Abel's sacrifice.
50 He also clearly adds, "Through Jesus Christ our Savior," so that he might keep us under Christ, like the young chickens under the mother hen. For thus he himself says Matt. 23:37: "O Jerusalem, how often have I willed to gather thy children together, as a mother hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and thou hast not willed."
51. herein is taught the manner of right living faith: which is so done, that it is not enough unto salvation, if thou believest in God, as the Jews do, and as many others do, to whom again he doeth much good, and giveth great gifts in time: but by JESUS CHRIST thou must believe in God: first, not to doubt that he is thy gracious God and Father, and hath forgiven thee all sin, and made thee blessed in baptism; secondly, but besides this to know that
that all this is not done in vain or without satisfaction of his justice. For there is no room for mercy and grace to work over us and in us, or to help us in eternal goods and blessedness: justice must first be satisfied in the most perfect way, as Christ says Matth. 5, 18: "Not the smallest letter, not even the smallest tittle will pass from the law; all must be accomplished. For what is said of God's grace and goodness must all be understood to apply only to those who fulfill His commandments in the purest way; as He says Mich. 2, 7. when the Jews presumed much in God, and said always, "Peace, peace"; item: "Should God be so angry? Should His benevolent Spirit thus be broken off from us? "etc., he answers, "Yes, I speak good only of those who walk rightly." Therefore, no one may come to the rich grace of God, because he has done God's bidding to the utmost.
(52) It has been sufficiently said that our works are nothing in the sight of God, and that we cannot fulfill the least commandment in one work; how much less can we do enough of His righteousness to be worthy of His grace! In addition, even if we were strong enough to keep all His commandments and to do His justice enough in every way, we would still not be worthy of His grace and blessedness, and He would not be obligated to give it to us, but would demand all of this from us as a duty of service from His creature, which is obligated to serve Him. But what he gives above this is all grace and mercy. Christ clearly taught this in Luc. 17:7 ff. when he said in one likeness: "Who is there among you who has a farmhand or a shepherd servant, when he comes from the field, that he says to him as soon as he comes, 'Go, sit down at the table'? But he says to him, 'Prepare the supper for me, robe yourself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk, and then you also shall eat and drink. Does he also thank the same servant for doing what he is commanded? I do not mean it. So also ye, if ye do all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we were bound to do."
(53) Therefore heaven is given to those by grace, and not by duty, who do all that they ought to do; and also to such men (whether they be any) heaven is given, not by merit, but by divine gracious promise; as he promised Matt. 19:17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments": what then shall we measure with our miserable good works? praise them as almost as if they were worthy of the kingdom of heaven by their very nature, and not out of God's promise and gracious promise.
For this reason God has given us, first, a human being who does all things sufficient to divine righteousness for all of us; and second, through the same human being he pours out such grace and riches, so that even though we receive such grace in vain and without merit, even with great unmerit and unworthiness, it is not given to us in vain, nor without worthy merit; but, as St. Paul teaches in Romans 5:18, "Just as we come into sin through Adam in the natural birth without our own merit and forfeiture, so again in regeneration. Paul teaches in Romans 5:18: "Just as through Adam in the natural birth, without our merit and own forfeiture, we come into the sin that is inherent in us; so again in the new birth, without our merit and own works, through Christ we come into grace and salvation.
55 Therefore the holy apostle is so diligent in all places where he preaches grace and faith to add "through Jesus Christ," lest someone plump down and say, "Yes, I believe in God, and leave it at that. No, dear man, you must believe that you know how and through whom you must believe that God wants you to fulfill all His commandments and to satisfy His righteousness before He receives your faith to salvation; and whether or not you do enough, you should still wait only out of grace, not out of obligation, for salvation, so that your pride and presumption will be laid low before God's eyes.
(56) Behold, therefore Christ, by whom is given thee such grace and blessedness as by him who in thy stead, and for thee, hath abundantly done all the divine commandment and his righteousness; whereunto also he is worthy that by him shall be done also.
grace and blessedness will be given to you. This then is called a true Christian faith. For no faith will be sufficient without Christian faith, who believes in Christ, and through Christ alone, and not otherwise, receives these two things, namely, satisfaction of divine righteousness and grace or the gift of eternal salvation. Thus Paul says Rom. 4, 25: "Christ was given for our sins and rose again for our justification": not only to put away sin and fulfill God's commandment, but also that we might be worthy through Him to be justified and children of grace. Item, Rom. 3, 25: "God has set Christ before us as a throne of grace through faith in His blood": not only bad faith, but "in His blood," so that He has done enough in our person, and thus has become for us a throne of grace, that we receive both indulgence and grace without our cost and effort, but not without Christ's cost and effort.
Therefore we must adorn ourselves under the wings of this glorious hen, Matth. 23, 37, and not fly out in our own presumption of faith, otherwise the harrier will devour us quickly. It is not through our righteousness, but, as I have often said, in Chkisti's self-ascending righteousness, presented to us as a tabernacle and fittig, that our blessedness must exist.
For our faith, and all that we may have of God, is not sufficient; yea, it is not righteous, let us then put ourselves under the wings of this glorious hen, and firmly believe that not we, but Christ, may do and have done for us God's righteousness enough; and not for our faith's sake, but for Christ's sake grace and salvation are given us. So that all grace of God is recognized everywhere, promised, acquired and given to us in Christ and through Christ. This is what he means when he says John 14:6: "No one comes to the Father except through me"; and in the whole Gospel he does no more than draw us out of us into himself, spread his wings and draw us under him. This is also what St. Paul wants at the end of this epistle, when he speaks:
That we, being justified by the same grace, may be heirs of eternal life according to hope. This is certainly true.
(59) He does not say, "through our faith," but, "through the grace of Christ," that is, that Christ alone is in grace before God, has done God's will alone, and has earned eternal life. Now since He did this not for Himself but for us, let all who believe in Him enjoy His so highly that through Him and His grace they may be counted worthy of all that Christ has done for them. Behold, what a rich unspeakable thing is Christian faith, what great incomprehensible goods it brings to all believers!
(60) From this let us learn what a precious sermon the gospel is, in which it is preached, and what harm they do and ruin souls who keep silent about the gospel and preach laws, even their own doctrine of men. Therefore beware of false preachers, yea, even of false faith; dwell not on thyself, or on thy faith; climb up into Christ; keep thee under his wings, keep thee under his covering; let not thy righteousness, but his righteousness and his grace be thy covering; that thou mayest not be an heir of eternal life by thy received grace, but, as Paul saith here, by his grace. So also Psalm 91:4. says, "He shall cover thee with his shoulders, and under his wings shall thy hope stand." And in Song of Songs 2, 14. he says, "My bride is a dove that nests in the holes of the rock, and in the clefts of the wall," that is, in Christ's wounds the soul is kept. Behold, this is the right Christian faith, which does not creep into and upon itself, as the natural sophists dream of it, but creeps into Christ, and is kept under Him and through Him.
(61) That we are heirs of eternal life in hope is sufficiently said above, as grace without all works gives all at once, blessedness, inheritance, etc. but "in hope. For it is still covered until death, when we shall see what we have received and possessed in faith.
The harness of this epistle.
This epistle argues strongly and with expressed words against all righteousness and good works of human reason, ability and free will. The words are clear as he says: "Not of the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he has saved us" etc. And indeed all words dispute against the same righteousness; for he gives it wholly to the bath of regeneration, regeneration, the Holy Ghost, JESUS CHRIST, and his grace etc. Before such thunderbolts, how can there still be any presumption in us?
63. therefore let all the worldly and the
Let the spiritual rights shine; let the status of all priests, monks, and nuns shine; let the honorable life of all men and women shine, as it may; let them awaken the dead: if there is no faith in Christ, it is already nothing. Such glitter still blinds and deceives the whole world, and obscures the holy gospels and Christian faith. As little do all the works of animals or the crafts of men help to salvation, so little do the aforementioned seeming works and statuses of men help; indeed, they hinder it in the most harmful way. Therefore beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, and learn to hold to Christ in a right free faith.