Col. 3, 12-17.
Therefore, as God's elect, saints and beloved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and bear with one another, forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; just as Christ forgave you, so also you. But above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God reign in your hearts, to which you also were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly in all wisdom. Teach and admonish yourselves with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and sing to the Lord in your hearts. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through him.
This is also an exhortation, which teaches what fruits faith should bear; therefore he also deals so kindly with the Colossians, not commanding, driving, or threatening, as the teachers of the law do and must do with the people of the law; but tempting and enticing them with sweet words, received by the good pleasure and grace of God, and by the example of Christ. For Christian people should do all their deeds willingly and with pleasure, neither from fear of punishment nor from desire of reward; as we have now often heard. And because this doctrine has now been told so many times in previous epistles, that I hope one now knows what a Christian is, let us make it short and go through it.
Now get dressed.
(2) Now what "putting on" is, is said in the epistle of the New Year, how we put on Christ, and he on us in faith; and how we put on our neighbor, and he on us in love. That therefore the garment of the Christian is twofold, faith and love; just as Christ also wore two kinds of robes, an uncut one, which signifies faith, and the cut one, which signifies love.
Love means. St. Paul speaks of the other garment, love, and shows us Christians what kind of jewelry and clothing we should wear in the world, namely, not silk nor precious gold; as St. Peter also commands the women, 1 Pet. 3, 3, and St. Paul 1 Tim. 2, 9. Our garment is good for us, namely, love toward our neighbor, so that we take care of him and his needs; that is the Christian adornment before men.
(3) And behold, how high and dear he exhorts us, how he does not press or urge us with commandments and laws, but provokes and incites us by remembrance of the unspeakable graces of God, that he may call us the elect of God; item, the saints; item, the beloved: that he may draw forth such fruits of love from faith, that they may be done freely, cheerfully, and with delight. For whoever believes and trusts with all his heart that he is loved, holy and chosen before God, will not only think how he can do enough for such honors and names and be worthy of them, but will also be inflamed with fervor towards God, so that he would gladly do, leave and suffer anything.
and does not know how to do enough. But whoever does not believe this or doubts it, is not moved by these words, nor does he feel the flames and fire that these words contain, that we are holy, loved and chosen before God.
4 Let the saints therefore, who choose and love themselves, and adorn themselves with the work of the law, fast and keep garments and place; for they will not be sinners before God. But we have other adornment, which dealeth not with such garnishing, but is earnest and righteous, doing good to his neighbor, and being profitable, free and unbound by the law of food, raiment, times etc. Therefore we are holy before God, before whom no one is holy unless he is a sinner and forsakes his own holiness. But they are holy before themselves; therefore they always remain ungodly and sinners before God. Thus we are also beloved before God, because we hate, judge and condemn ourselves, and forsake our own love; but they are dear and worthy of themselves, therefore they are hated and disagreeable before God. Item, we are chosen in the sight of God, because we reject and spurn ourselves like filth. For such God chooses and has chosen from eternity. But because those choose themselves, they must be rejected by God; just as He has also rejected such from eternity. See, this is what St. Paul means in these words.
Heartfelt Mercy.
5. This is a piece of this jewelry, and a fine lovely Christian jewel, which is more beautiful in the sight of God than all pearls, precious stones, silk and gold in the sight of the world, which also proves Christians of the right kind; and thus wants to say: You are not to be merciful with outward deeds or appearances alone, but from the heart; just as father and mother are moved from the heart and all the senses when they see or hear of a child's distress, whereupon they dare and leave life and limb, and all that they have: so that courage and heart may always be exuberant in the work of mercy, and may not see nor perceive with great heat that it is merciful or doing good.
6. with the some word damn St.
Paul is the nature and rule of all hypocritical saints, for their nature is such that they cannot deal with sinners and the infirm. Everything must be done according to the strictness of their laws; there is only hustle and bustle; no mercy, but only punishments, scolding, judging, rebuking and raving; they may suffer nothing unjust. But it is so with Christians that they have many sinners and infirm persons with them, and deal only with them and not with the saints. Therefore they reject no one, carry everyone, and take care of them as if they themselves were in such infirmity, praying for them, teaching them, admonishing them, and provoking them, and doing everything they can to help them. This is a true Christian way; this is what God has done for us in Christ and is still doing. This is what Christ did with the adulteress, John 8:3 ff, when he delivered her from the hunters and hunters, and with sweet kind words and deeds provoked her to repentance, and let her go. So we also read of St. Anthony that he said Paphnutius knew how to save souls, because he had one done by the other brothers who had chased and driven him as punishment for his transgression etc. Vide Vitas Patrum. (See the book: "Lives of the Fathers.") For if God should deal with us according to the severity of His law, we would all be lost; but now He deals cordially with us and has abolished His law, as He says Isa. 9, 4: "You have turned away the rod from his neck, and the scepter of the driver, and the burden of his burdens" etc., and exercises vain charms and allurements with us.
7. Therefore notice how deeply they are still stuck in the law and hypocrisy, who now think they are great Christians, and are still so unpleasant and merciless about the infirmities of Christians: If they do not see vain holiness and special miracles in those who now have and know Christ and the gospel, then it is not right anywhere; the heavens will fall and the earth will perish; they can do no more than censure and judge, and sneer, "Yes, he is a good evangelist, yes, he is a fanatic. But in this way they show very well how blind they are,
and do not yet know anything about Christ, always have the beam in their eyes. Know therefore, where you see one who is so easy to judge and reprove, and wants to have such pure perfection from the Christians, that he is still a pure lawyer, hypocrite and stickler and knows nothing about Christ. For just as there is no longer any law among Christians, but only love, so there is and can be no judging, judging or rebuking. And it is certain that he who calls another a reprobate is himself tenfold a reprobate. And recently, by judging the other, he condemns himself. And as he is without mercy, but has a vain law before his eyes, so he also has no mercy before God, nor has he ever felt or tasted what God's mercy is. Therefore, as God tastes to him, so does his neighbor taste to him, both of them being bitter gall and wormwood.
(8) But such tender mercies are to be shown only to Christians and among Christians. For a different stand must be taken against those who condemn and persecute the gospel; for here it is of no account that my love should have mercy, and tolerate and suffer false doctrine. What faith and doctrine meet, that has neither love nor patience, there I must hold against with earnestness and not yield a hair's breadth. Otherwise, when people let go of faith and confess that they are weak in life, I must always and forever be cordial and merciful: not punish, drive, chase, but entice, beg, plead, bear and endure. For infirm life doth not corrupt Christianity, but exerciseth it: but infirm doctrine and false faith doth corrupt all things. Therefore, neither suffering nor mercy applies here, but only anger and strife and strangulation; but only with God's word.
(9) Again, let not those whom one bears warmly with mercy think that their things are right because they are not rebuked and chased, nor let them take it as a cause to be slothful and indolent and to remain in such weakness; for this is not why such mercy happens to them, but that they may be warmed by it and also become strong. But where they are of the kind
that they want to stay like this, let them go, they will not stay long: the devil will bring them further, so that they will fall away at last and also become hostile to the gospel, because they let such mercy, turned to them, be lost. Therefore, we must not be lazy and sleep, nor rely on others not to drive us or despise us, but be all the stronger and more courageous, because the devil neither sleeps nor rests, lest he bring us to the point where we can no longer enjoy such mercy.
Kindness, humility, gentleness, long-suffering.
These are the other pieces of Christian jewelry. Kindness", what this is, you will find in the epistle in the early Christmas mass, namely, the sweet nature of a man who is kind to everyone, who does not chase anyone away with sour looks and harsh words or wild gestures, which are also called so in German, and says: "He is so kind, he can be so kind and so kind. Therefore such virtue does not concern a single work, but the whole of life, that a man may behave kindly toward everyone, may please himself in everyone's way, for which everyone is also pleased. On the other hand, the strange heads, who will not let themselves be pleased with anything unless they pretend that everyone should follow them and do their bidding, but they will not follow anyone, are called unkind people.
011 Neither is this kindness to be used in doctrine, but only in works or life: as it is often said, that love, with all its works and fruits, hath no place in doctrine. For I can and should love and be kind to my neighbor, his life be what it may. But where he does not want to teach or believe correctly, I should not and cannot love or be friendly, but, as St. Paul says in Gal. 1:8, 9, consider him evil and accursed, even if he were an angel from heaven. So strangely the two, faith and love, separate and divide. Love wants to and must be friendly, even to the worst enemy, so long as he does not challenge doctrine and faith.
and mother, and the dearest friend, where he challenges doctrine and faith, Deut. 13:6, 7, 8: therefore love with its actions must not be directed to the doctrine and faith of the neighbor, but to his life and works; again, faith not to his works and life, but to his doctrine and faith.
12 "Humility," I think, should now be almost known for what it is, namely, that each one considers himself the least, and the other higher than himself, and as Christ says, sits down at the wedding. And the same from the right ground of the heart, even against those who do not deserve it or are enemies; as Christ humbled himself before his betrayer Judah and all of us, and did not come to be served but to serve. Whether this virtue is strange is no wonder, since everything that is Christian is also strange, and least of all in those who most want to know what Christ is, and all Christians know to blame; it is called a mystery of God, as St. Paul says, so it remains.
13 Gentleness is against wrath, not to be angry, not to curse, not to strike, not to hate, and not to do evil to anyone, even to the enemy; this is the art. For the hypocrites and all the world can be gentle with their friends and do good to you, but to be really gentle and humble is to remain only with the elect and dear saints of God, as St. Paul says here. And among these there are many who will be infirm in all or some of these things, so that the hypocrites may have something to reproach and be angry with God's elect saints, and the true saints may have something to exercise their mercy, humility, gentleness and long-suffering in. For they are not therefore unholy, nor rejected and hated, whom St. Paul here calls chosen, dear saints, whether they lack anything in humility, gentleness and mercy etc.
14 St. Paul separates "longsuffering" from patience, as, Rom. 2, 4: "Do you despise the riches of His goodness, patience and longsuffering?" This is from the Hebrew
In the language that God is praised from time to time in the Psalter and other places, arich apaim, "slow to anger," that is, that He is not only patient and suffers evil, but also always and forever takes vengeance, and presents Himself as the One who would rather forgive than punish, even though He is almost provoked and is right to do so. So that long-suffering stretches a little further than patience, namely, that patience is when one suffers evil and injustice; but long-suffering is when one also waits and does not intend to punish, nor wants to avenge himself in time, nor wishes someone evil for revenge; as one may well find those who suffer much and are patient, but still think besides that it will be well smelled in its time. But longsuffering also desires that it remain unscented and that the sinner be corrected.
And bear with one another, and forgive one another, if any man have a complaint against another: as Christ forgave you, so also ye.
(15) Then also all judgment among Christians is abolished, and it is not permitted that any man should rightly demand his own again, but forgive and forbear. And do the same with the example of Christ, as he forgave us. But how has he forgiven us? Not only for sins committed and past, but as St. John says in his epistle 1 John 2:1: "If we ever sin, we have an Advocate before the Father, Jesus, who is righteous and makes reconciliation for our sins."
16 And notice that here he writes to the true Christians and saints, and yet holds them so frail that one suffers another and one has something to complain about against the other. This should not be the case with Christians and saints; but this is what I have said, how Christ's kingdom is such a mystery, a secret, which can never be taught and preached enough. Those who do not believe cannot be brought away from works, but those who believe cannot be brought anywhere to works. The former do not want faith; the latter do not want love. Thus is Christ's kingdom ever done, that his Christians are not perfectly holy,
but are in the lifting up and increasing. Therefore one still finds among them anger, evil desire, love, worry and other evil infirmities left over from the old Adam; which St. Paul calls the burden of the neighbor, which one should bear on the other, Gal. 6:2, and weakness, which one should receive, Rom. 15:1. Just as Christ in His apostles tolerated and bore many such things, and bears them daily in His own.
(17) Therefore if any man come and count the fruits of the Spirit, Gal 5:22.That Christians should be gentle, kind, patient and chaste, and thinks that these are commandments and laws, and will not believe that they are Christians, unless such fruits are without all infirmities: behold, he cannot believe that Christ is, since he is true, and must judge wickedly and complain that there are no Christians anywhere. 7:16, that the tree is known by the fruit. Then he stood up.
18 Now guess what this one lacks? He lacks that he understands nothing at all of Christ's kingdom; for he grasps the sayings, said of the Christians, on this understanding: The Christians should be kind and gentle, that is, they should never be angry, and suffer everything, and not be impatient against anyone, not even a man: if not, then they are not Christians, because they do not have the fruits. Dear, who drives such a mind in him, but his blindness? He dreams himself that Christianity is a perfect holy state, with no infirmity in it, as it will be in heaven among the angels. But say, where does the Scripture thus say of the Christians? He who knows that Christianity is an improving and increasing state does not fret if a Christian is sometimes unkind, unkind, impatient toward some, for he knows that Christians are called to bear burdens and to tolerate weakness. And that the fruits of the Spirit are not given as a law, as if all things should be so, or Christ denied; but are to be understood thus: Christians are to be kind, that is their aim and measure, in that they are to be kind to the
ken. But it is still the case that they begin to be kind and increase in kindness, but are often unkind and bring forth perverse fruits of the spirit. It is said that we should be kind, but it is not yet said that we are kind; rather, it is said that we are becoming kind and are in the process of becoming. Now, under the becoming, there is still a lot going on with the old being, out of which a new one is becoming.
019 Know therefore that Christ is wonderful in his saints, and take heed that thou judge or condemn no man, except thou see and hear openly that he speaketh and believeth against the gospel. For whosoever speaketh or doeth contrary thereto, thou mayest freely judge that he is under the devil apart from Christ; and pray for him, and exhort him, that thou mayest convert him. Otherwise, if you find one who praises the gospel and holds it in honor, follow the teaching of St. Paul, Rom. 14:4: "Who art thou that judgest a strange servant? If he fall, or if he stand, he fall or stand for his lord, but he may stand; for the lord is able to make him stand"; item, to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10:12: "He that standeth, let him see that he fall not." For Christ wants to be both secret and manifest, to be found and not to be found at the same time. For this reason, among the fruits of the Spirit, so that he may be known and improved upon, he has included a number of infirmities, so that he may be hidden, and so that the unrighteous judges may take offense at him.
But above all this, love is the perfect bond.
(20) He separates love from patience and gentleness and other jewels of spiritual adornment, of which we have now heard, though all these things are done in love. But because faith is the main part of Christianity, love is also one of the fruits of the Spirit, and one of the jewels of adornment, but of course the best. That is why he also says here: "But above all these things put on" etc., that is, love is more than mercy, kindness, gentleness and humility. And calls it a "bond of perfection" because it binds hearts together, not piecemeal, nor over any one thing alone or any one part, but through and through over all things.
in all and in all things. She makes us all of one mind, of one mind, of one mind, and does not allow anyone to have a very special advantage in teaching and faith: everything remains the same and the same. So it also makes equal hearts between rich and poor, between rulers and subjects, between the sick and the healthy, between the high and the low, the honest and the despised, and lets its good be common to everyone; again, it accepts everyone's adversity as its own: that there may be full and complete unity and fellowship everywhere, in all things, in good and evil. This means a quite perfect bond.
(21) But where there is no love, hearts are bound together and of one mind, but in few things, and in many things they are divided. For robbers also have a bond that binds them no further than that they are bent on robbing and murdering at the same time. Secular friends are of one mind, provided there is self-interest. The monks are one, as far as it affects their order and fame. Herod and Pilate are also one, but only about Jesus Christ. Otherwise, however, almost no monk, nor priest, nor layman is one with the other; therefore their bond is a loose one, and binds itself together just as one binds chaff with a straw rope.
And may the peace of God prevail in your hearts, to which you are also called.
(22) Many things are wanting to break this bond, because the devil does not sleep and always causes disunity and discord; so St. Paul does not deny here that the bond of love is being challenged. But he admonishes us to resist, and to know that love must be contested, that it may have exercise. Therefore he says that the peace of God should have the upper hand in our hearts; as if he should say: "If the peace of the flesh and of the world does not remain, and you have to see and hear outwardly that reaches to disunity *) and discord, then let it be.
Let your hearts have peace in God. We have heard about peace in God in the postilion of Advent, on the epistle, Rom. 15.*) For this is the peace to which we are called by the Gospel, and not the peace of the world, the flesh, or the devil, but it hovers above all senses, says St. Paul, and also remains silent not only in the time of peace, but also when sin, death, the devil, the flesh, the world, and all misfortune rage.
And be grateful.
This thankfulness may be understood in two ways: firstly towards God, that St. Paul's opinion is this: Let this move you, that God has done so much for you, and give thanks to His grace and mercy, and give thanks to Him again, that you may love and have peace. And again, toward men, that every man receive love and mercy from others, that he may know it. For he also says in 2 Timothy 3:2 that among other vices at the end of the world there will also be that of unthankful people toward one another. Let each man take one of these, whichever he will. I consider that because he speaks of gratitude to God in particular afterwards, and teaches here about love for one's neighbor, he speaks of gratitude to one's neighbor. And let this be the opinion: Everyone is skillful to love gladly, and can well suffer that one does him good and proves the gospel in him. But he, on the other hand, does not want to show it to anyone, and all good deeds are lost in his ingratitude. Although this does not overcome love, for it bears all things, 1 Cor. 13:7, it nevertheless makes one weary and unhappy, and is also an incomparably shameful thing, that one should always help and no one wants to help him.
24. he also speaks of Gal. 6, 6. that the one who is taught the word should share all good things with the one who teaches him; and 1 Tim. 5, 17. he says, "Those who speak the word well are worthy of double honor;" and 1 Cor. 9, 9. he acts as follows
The teachers should be fed, and the threshing ox should not have its mouth tied, for that would be gross ingratitude. The same ingratitude is stirred up here. For God's word must always go for bread with his preachers, and have ingratitude as a reward, that it brings such great good, as it does now and has always done. But if it were a matter of keeping the mass and indulgences, then one could recognize oneself and give and do all kinds of things in thanksgiving. So it was with the Levites in the old law against the idolaters and the priests of the grove.
Let the word of God dwell among you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in grace, singing to the Lord in your hearts.
(25) This follows right on from what he said about thankfulness, as if he were saying, "See to it that you honor the teachers and preachers and are thankful, so that they may wait for the word and give it to you abundantly. For I observe that St. Paul does not speak here of God's word as it is given from heaven, for that is not in our hands, but God alone must give it to dwell among us. As he has done and does: as often as he preaches the gospel, he pours it out abundantly, so that he holds nothing back that we need to know. But if he has given it to us, we should be thankful and faithful to read it, listen to it, consider it, sing it and say it day and night, and make sure that we have plenty of teachers who hold it up to us abundantly and without fail. This means, then, that God's word dwells abundantly among us.
(26) But the weary and lazy spirits soon grow tired, and let the preachers go as they go. So they have to feed themselves and work, so that God's word remains, and becomes thin and strange; just as Nehemiah Cap. 13, 10. complains that the Levites must worship and leave the temple and go to the country, because they had no food from the people; or had to set up false worship and fables, so that they deceived the people: then they were not only fed, but also rich. So it is
This also happened in Christianity: since it was difficult to find pious bishops and teachers (as Augustine also complains), they either had to feed themselves with work and leave God's word, or they had to think about the misery of the damned worship, which is now going on all over the world, because they have now become great lords in the world. So it also begins now, because the gospel has returned, and will also continue to happen in this way, that one cannot now raise a hundred guilders to appoint a good schoolmaster or preacher, since one has previously given a thousand, yes, countless amounts of money for churches, foundations, masses, vigils and the like, until God punishes the ingratitude, and either lets the preachers resign and feed themselves, or sends other greater error upon them again, which again defrauds them of money, body and soul, because they do not want to let the word of God dwell with them abundantly.
27 He saith unto it, "In all wisdom." For even if one had God's word so abundantly that all the streets and corners resound with it and all the children also sing of it (as those have done who have raised the preaching chairs and lection, the seven tides, and the singing and reading in the church so manifold); what good would that be, since there is no understanding, sense, nor wisdom with it? But if God's word is given for this reason, and is to be preached and sung in such a way that it is understood and gives wisdom, so that those who have it, sing and speak it, may be wise and understand all things that serve the salvation of souls and the glory of God. Behold, this is called God's Word dwelling with us in all wisdom. There St. Paul, with a single word, knocks to the ground all the clamoring that goes on in churches and monasteries, where there is so much preaching and reading, and yet the gospel remains misunderstood; that he had seen before that there would be much of God's word, but that neither understanding nor wisdom would follow from it, but that they would only become more foolish and foolish every day, until they would become coarse blocks, and so devoid of all wisdom that they would call such clamoring and asses' braying the service of God and the salvation of souls preached.
What teaching and exhortation is, has often been said, without St. Paul making the teaching ministry common to all Christians, when he says: "Teach and exhort yourselves", that is, one to another, and also each to himself, apart from the common ministry of preaching; so that the word of God should go forth publicly and secretly, commonly and specially, everywhere in pregnancy.
29. The difference of the three words "psalms", "hymns" and "songs", I mean, is this: that by the psalms he actually means the psalms of David and others in the Psalter; by the hymns the other songs in Scripture now and then, made by the prophets, as, Moses, Deborah, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel, Habakkuk; item, the Magnificat, Benedictus and the like, which are called Cantica. By spiritual songs, however, the songs which one sings apart from the Scriptures of God, which one can do daily. Therefore he calls them "spiritual", more than the psalms and hymns, which he knew well to be spiritual themselves; but in the songs he forbids us to use the worldly, carnal and unpretty songs, but wants our songs to be of spiritual things, which are able to teach and admonish us, as he says here.
(30) What then is it that he says, "in grace"? Whoever wishes may interpret this to mean that it is said of the grace of God; that is, that such singing should be done without compulsion and law, out of free desire and love; not as church singing is now compelled by commandments and laws, since no one preaches, sings, or prays that he may have favor or grace for it, but for the sake of enjoyment, presence, punishment, harm, shame; or as the most holy do, who out of obedience join themselves to it and let themselves be driven to it as to the service of God, by which they want to win heaven, and nothing at all about it, that God's word may be understood abundantly and with all wisdom, as St. Paul wants. Paul wants. However, I note that St. Paul speaks of the grace or holiness of song and hymns, just as he says in Eph. 4:29: "Let no idle talk proceed out of your mouths, but that which is profitable for correction, where it is to be heard.
and be blissful to hear." So also here the songs should be so skillful that they have favor and grace with everyone who hears them, so that there are no lazy, lame and lewd words or other unskillful things that neither taste nor smell, have neither strength nor juice. They should be rich, lovely, sweet songs that everyone loves to hear. This actually means sung in grace, in Hebrew, as St. Paul speaks. The psalms and hymns in the Scriptures are also of this kind, since good things are sung inside and with fine words. Some songs have the very first words, but are worldly and carnal; again, some have good things for themselves, but in such clumsy words: that he has neither favor nor grace.
Sing to the Lord in your heart.
(31) St. Paul does not mean that the mouth should be silent, but that the words of the mouth should come out of a heartfelt opinion, earnestness and fervor, so that there is no hypocrisy, and go as Isaiah Cap. 29:13, "This people praiseth me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me." St. Paul wants the word of God to be so common and so rich among Christians that people everywhere speak, sing and write about it; and yet all this so that it is done with understanding and spiritual fruit, and is loved and valued by everyone, and is sung out of the heart in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. And saith, Let it dwell with you, not as a sojourner for a night or two; but let it dwell, and never depart from you. He is always concerned about the doctrine of men.
And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(32) The works of Christians have no name, time, or place, but what they do is good, and when they do it, it is right, and where they do it, it is well done.
Eat, drink, sleep, watch, walk, stand, talk, be silent, work, be idle, etc., are all things that are good, because they are all done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as St. Paul teaches here. But then they go in the name of the Lord Jesus, if we hold with firm faith that Christ is in us and we in him; so that we celebrate, and he lives and works in us, as St. Paul says Gal. 2:20: "I live, but not I, but Christ lives in me." Again, if we do something as if we were doing it, it is done in our name and there is nothing good in it.
For it is often false and hypocritical to say with the mouth, "In the name of God" or "Well in the name of Jesus," as it is to say, "In the name of God all calamity arises. For false teachers and doctrines are in the habit of presenting their things in God's name and coming in Christ's name, as He Himself says Matt. 24:24. Therefore, if it is spoken and done from the heart and with earnestness in Jesus' name, the heart must agree with the mouth; and just as the mouth says, "This is done by God," the heart must also be certain and believe with firm faith that God is doing this work and is working in it;
As St. Peter teaches in 1 Ep 4:11: "If anyone does anything, let him do it out of the wealth that God has given him. This is how it is done and works out well. A Christian should not do anything out of his own ability or pride, but be sure that God works with him and through him; as Paul also says 1 Cor. 9, 26: "I run, not as into the unknown, and I fight, not as if I were striking the air.
34 From this it can follow that one should praise and give thanks to God, to whom alone is due the honor and glory of all good things, as St. Paul says here. Just as St. Peter soon after said that one should do everything out of God's wealth, he follows this by saying: "that you may all with one accord praise the Father through Jesus Christ. But he who does anything out of his own wealth, even though he gives thanks to God with his mouth, is lying and false, like the hypocrite in the Gospel. Now thanksgiving is the sacrifice and some work that we should and can do to God. And yet not through ourselves, but through our mediator Jesus, without whom no one comes to the Father, nor can be admitted. Of which we have often said.