All speeches should be given first of all to show how men must be justified and saved. But here the preaching has been very different. One has taught all kinds of human statutes; another has established and confirmed them. But the true heavenly teacher has taught the right way, which is faith. Paul says Rom. 10, 10: "If one believes from the heart" etc., as if he wanted to say: One must believe from the heart, who wants to become devout. Therefore also Isaiah says (Cap. 28, 16.): "He who believes in him will not be put to shame."
(2) Therefore, there is no other way to get rid of sin than by faith. Thus it is written in Romans 1:16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God" etc. For therein is revealed which is called righteous, and how believing makes righteous, and where righteous blessedness is, and what comes from faith. He says, "The righteous lives by faith." Notice the emphasis in the word: "It is the power of God," not the power of man. Thus it is written in Rom. 4, 25: "Christ passed away for our sins, and rose again for our justification." So it says in Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him. etc. Through which faith, as it seems, all cries of works are defeated. For none but Christ can take away sin, Gen. 3:15: "I will put enmity between thee," etc.; and "He shall bruise thy head." Christ was born of a woman and given to tread down the head of the devil, sin and hell, and to overcome them. Further, strike out this promise. For this promise was the gospel of Adam and the word of salvation to which he adhered:
*) Held in Zwickau. D. Red.
If he had not had this, he would have despaired. In this word, before the time of Abraham, all who believed were saved. Item, the other promise, so Abraham happened, Gen. 22, 16.: "I have sworn by myself etc.; through your seed all nations on earth shall be blessed." See how blessedness comes from God and not from the works of some man. That is why Paul also says (Gal. 3, 11.): "The righteous lives by faith", not by works. Therefore he also writes to the Galatians (Cap. 2, 21.) against the teachers of the law: "If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." So no work of the law without faith makes one righteous. You see now everywhere many and various works; and why would people do such things if they did not put their trust in works and thought to be saved by works? But they build on sand, and not on the rock, which is Christ.
003 But thou forbidest works; therefore will I do no works. I answer, Another is to do good works; another, to become godly by good works. For works do not make one godly, but if you are godly, you do good works. Therefore, whoever wants to become godly must start from faith and not from works. An example of this is seen in the tree, which brings forth fruit, but the fruit does not bring forth the tree. Genesis 4:4 ff. says of the sacrifice of Abel etc. Which sacrifice was probably the best? For Abel sacrificed a fat and tender lamb, but Cain from the firstlings of his fruit. So God did not look at the sacrifices, but at the persons; as the text says. But we have hitherto preached the opposite, that one is justified by works, contrary to Paul, who says, "The righteous lives by faith.
4. do you now ask: Where did the faith come from?
such power that he can do such great things as overcoming sin etc.? I answer, Through Christ, on whom faith is founded: Who is Lord over death, sin, and hell, and hath overcome them all in our stead, and hath promised, If thou shalt believe in me, all these things shall be thine as well as mine. Behold, this is the power of faith! Thus it is written in Isa. 43:21, "I have prepared this people for myself"; they have not prepared themselves, but I have prepared them for myself; and immediately after, in v. 22, it is said, "Not that thou hadst called me, O Jacob, nor that thou hadst labored for me, O Israel"; but all these things which thou hast done, thou hast done to thyself, and not to me, because thou thoughtest to reconcile me to thy works. But this is now followed by v. 24: "Thou hast labored with me in thy sins," etc., and further v. 25: "I, I blot out thy transgression," not thy works, but I blot them out of pure grace. He says in the Psalms (Ps. 69, 10.): "The reproach of those who revile you" etc. Paul also says in Romans 5: "Even though he was the most innocent, all sins fell on him. So now faith can transfigure Christ, that he has done enough for all our sins. In this way the heavenly Father says of him: I have afflicted him for the iniquity of my people; item: He who has done no sin etc. So he overcame sin, that he might be lord over sin and hell. Therefore all believers who follow him in faith have all these things in Christ. Paul says of this in 1 Cor. 15:57: "Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For death is swallowed up in victory," etc., that is, all things have been captured. Is it not true that you would do anything if you knew of any man who could deliver you from sin, death and hell? That is why one ran to Rome, another to St. James; another bought indulgences to satisfy his sinful conscience. But they have done nothing with it. For this cannot happen in any other way than through faith in Christ alone.
5 Therefore, you must believe in Christ, otherwise you will not attain this. Therefore only reject the devil to Christ, why he does not fight with him. For you have been redeemed from him through Christ. Therefore you have no reason to fear death, sin or hell, for no believer fears them. But now you want to say about faith, not as it is in us, but as it should be in us. Of this Paul has spoken (Phil. 1, 23.): "I desire to be dissolved" etc. Thus Christ went to death for us, as he says in Hosea (Cap. 13, 14.): "O death, I will be your death" etc. If I believe this, then death is not death to me. It is not a death, but a sleep. Ps. 4, 9.: "I lie down and sleep completely with peace" etc. Thus Agnes, who was eighteen years old, endured the torture cheerfully; likewise the other virgins, who are examples of faith. Thus a believer becomes master over sin, death and hell.
(6) This is also the case with the third victory, namely, over hell. Because Christ is eternal life, he could not be swallowed up by eternal death. So also the righteous, even though they sometimes have to go to hell alive, like Ezekiel, will nevertheless rise again because they cling to Christ in faith.
(7) Be of good cheer, therefore, and believe in Christ, and praise God the Father with joy. For thus says Christ (John 14:6), "I am the way, the truth and the life." Not your works, but faith in me is the way to salvation, to truth against sin, to life against death. He alone is the mediator. Until now we have only had Christ as a judge, but not as a mercy seat, as Paul calls Him, Rom. 3, 25. Now the word of salvation comes through the gospel. Therefore he says (Is. 28, 16.): "Behold, I lay a foundation stone in Zion."
8 But then they say, "Give alms" etc.; item, "I have been hungry" etc. (Matth. 25, 42.) Now this must be understood of all the works of faith and not of the hypocrites, because faith never-
is without good works. For as a child that is born cannot be without motion, so also a man that is born again; who doeth good works with joy, saying, Behold, Christ hath done this for me, even so must he do it.
I will love him again. So those lack faith who do not do the works of godliness. Christ therefore wants to show in those passages that because the works are not there, faith was not there either.