Rom. 6:19-23.
I must speak of it humanly because of the weakness of your flesh. As ye have given your members to the service of uncleanness, and from one unrighteousness to another, even so now give your members to the service of righteousness, that they may be sanctified. For if ye were servants of sin, ye would be free from righteousness. Now what fruit did you have at that time? Of which ye are now ashamed: for the end thereof is death. But now that you are free from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit, that you may become holy, but the end is eternal life. For death is the wages of sin; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord.
This text should have started a little higher, because St. Paul is still in the beginning of the sermon of the epistle of the next Sunday, where he exhorts that we should now continue to walk in a new life, because we have been baptized into Christ and believe, as now dead to sin, because we are in Christ, who with his death and resurrection has canceled and overcome sin. He has now glorified such power of Christ's death and resurrection, and says v. 14.That is, you can now resist sin, because you are now in Christ and have the power of his resurrection, namely, forgiveness of sins and God's grace, so that the law does not have to condemn you as sinners or cast you under God's wrath, even though you do not perfectly fulfill the law according to the flesh, as you should.
(2) Hereupon he again raises the question which the perverse world raises when it hears this sermon: How then, saith he, shall we sin, seeing we are not under the law, but under grace? This is the world's way of preaching forgiveness of sins without our merit, given by grace alone, either to say that good works are forbidden, or to infer and conclude that one may continue to live in sins and do as one pleases; but here the contradiction should follow, that through this teaching people would be willing to do good, to praise, thank and honor God; for this is what this teaching gives, when it is rightly conceived, that it does not make people proud or nefarious, but humble and obedient.
3 It is also true in secular, both domestic and civil law and government. Law and rule, therefore, that whoever asks for mercy admits himself guilty, confesses his error, and promises to reform and sin no more. As when the judge shows mercy to the thief who deserves the gallows and lets him go free; this means that justice is suspended by mercy. Whereupon the latter would approach and defy: I am now under grace,
and may now do what I will; for I have now no right before which I must fear; who would suffer such? For the law is now abolished, so that he is not punished as he deserves, and by grace he is delivered from the rope and the sword, and life is given to him; but not that he may now steal and murder freely, but that he may henceforth be pious and do right: if not, then the law passes over him again and punishes him according to his merit. In sum, when justice is abolished and grace is granted, no one is allowed to do wrong thereafter on the basis of such grace, but rather he is obligated, on account of the grace shown, to continue to live in such a way that he does not fall again into the punishment of justice.
4. Such a difference can be seen and given by everyone in worldly matters, and there is no one so great who can suffer such understanding that grace should be given for doing wrong, but this doctrine of the Gospel of God's grace and forgiveness of all sins must suffer such distortion and blasphemy that it cancels good works or gives cause for sins; since we hear that God, out of causeless grace, has abolished the right and judgment of eternal death and hellish fire, which we deserve according to the law and divine right, and has given us the freedom of eternal life; that our life is now a matter of grace, not, of course, that we should now have the freedom to live again as we lived before, when we forfeited death in disgrace and wrath, but that we should now also take care that we do not lose this and fall from grace again under the law and judgment of eternal death; But so live and do, as they which are alive and saved ought to do.
5 Therefore St. Paul speaks of this and says v. 16: "Do you not know to whom you are yielding yourselves servants in obedience, that you are servants to whom you are obedient, whether to sin for death or to obedience for righteousness?
If you have forgiveness of sins by grace and are now righteous, you now owe obedience to God to live according to His will; for you must be found in one service and obedience, either to sin, which brings God's wrath and death upon you, if you remain in it, or to God in grace, that you serve Him in the new life and walk. Therefore you no longer have to be obedient to sin, from which dominion and power you are now freed. This he now continues and with more words in this epistle, and says:
I must speak of it humanly, because of the weakness of your flesh: even as ye have given your members to the service of uncleanness etc.
(6) He spoke before of this thing with special words of the Holy Spirit, which are not known nor common to the world; for it was a strange and incomprehensible language to the Gentiles to hear him say, that he died with Christ of sins, and that he was buried and planted in his death (2c). Because therefore this is spoken so obscurely to reason, yet, saith he, I will speak after the manner of a reasonable man.
(7) For this also teaches reason and the law of all nations, that one should not do evil, but avoid evil and do good. Therefore all kings and emperors have made their laws to ward off evil and to obtain obedience. How then should we, through the gospel, introduce such preaching as permits evil to be done? For although the gospel is a higher gift and wisdom than human reason, it does not change and tear apart the mind that God has implanted in human reason itself. That is why our teaching is wrongly interpreted and perverted when it is said that it does not teach to do good works or to respect them. If therefore ye understand not these things, as I speak, that by faith ye are dead and buried in baptism unto the sinful life, etc.: understand it in your own way, as ye yourselves speak of it, by reason: for ye know and understand yourselves, that no man ought to do evil, or to steal, or to rob, or to murder, though he have first received grace, or to do evil, or to steal, or to rob, or to murder.
and is not punished according to the law because of the previous sin.
This is the common natural understanding of all men, and is also confirmed by God's word; but still it lacks that reason and law teaches to do good and forbids evil: but it does not know where it comes from and how it happens, that it does not happen as it teaches: it sees a posteriore that it should be so, and yes it is right and fine, not to steal, rob etc.But a priore, why it does not happen and is not done in this way, as nature teaches everyone, she can not obtain. On the other hand, it does not know how to take away, change and improve such things; it starts this and that, so that it can prevent and ward off wickedness, but it cannot find the right grip to degenerate and root out such things. For even though Master Hans fights outwardly with sword, wheel and rope, he gets no further than what is publicly recognized and testified before the court. But what is done secretly and does not come before his court, he cannot punish nor defend. But God's word intervenes in another way, and teaches the serpent to crush his head and to kill evil and wickedness. Where this happens, there is no need for a judge or executioner. But where the main poison is not fed, one can resist the public work as far as one can. Behold, reason goes so far and teaches that one should not do evil, not even with thought or will, although it does not bring the punishment higher than on outward works; for thought and will it must leave unpunished.
(9) But we, saith St. Paul, preach another doctrine, which is so high that it grieveth and controuleth the heart and will: for we say that ye which believe on Christ are baptized into his death, and buried with him; that ye should not only be dead, but also be dead indeed unto sin. For a Christian knows that through the grace of Christ his sins are forgiven and blotted out, that they need not condemn him. And because he has received such grace and believes, he now gets such a heart that becomes hostile to sin; and even if he still feels evil in himself, he is still dead to sin.
Though I could do this and have time and space to do it, so that no one would know or be able to punish me for it, yet I will not do it, in obedience to God and in honor of my Lord Christ, because I was baptized into him and as a Christian have already died to sins, so that I will not again come under the power of sins. Just as the pious Joseph did, Gen. 39:7, 10, 13, when he was tempted and enticed by his master's wife, he jumped from her and left his garment behind him, because another would have been glad if the request had been made to him. He also had flesh and blood, and well felt the movement, time and place, plus friendship and enjoyment; but he defends himself that he did not consent to it with any thought. This means that he has killed the head of evil or sin. Reason and human wisdom do not know this, because it is not done by laws, punishment, prison or sword, but only by faith and the knowledge of the grace of Christ, through which we die to sins and the world and break our wills, so that we do not do evil, even if it is never punished, or no one should ever know.
(10) Behold, this is not spoken of according to the way of reason, but according to the divine way of the Scriptures, which show us both whence such evil cometh, and how such a chief fountain is to be controlled and increased. Since we now teach such things (and much more highly and better than reason teaches), this is enough to account for us and to make us guilty of forbidding good works or allowing sin. Therefore, if you cannot answer for it in this high way, St. Paul says, then answer for it in your own way, because it is also written in reason and all men speak in this way, that one should not do wrong; and God's word confirms such teaching.
(11) Upon this opinion he saith therefore, I will speak of it in a human manner, that is, not according to the mind of corrupt flesh and blood; for that speaketh no good: but according to the natural reason, as it is created of God, there is still some good.
and as before your eyes, many honorable men who have made many good laws and rights. But I speak thus, saith he, "because of the weakness of your flesh"; as if to say, It is not yet spoken enough, according to reason, or teachers of the law, and lawyers; yet I will let it go, because ye are yet too weak in spirit, and my way of speaking of it is yet too new and strange for you, that ye cannot all reach it; therefore I must let myself down according to your understanding, and speak as ye can understand. And thus I say, Ask your own law and justice whether they will suffer and suffer good works to be forbidden, and evil to be done, if they themselves be not able to hinder it. With this, says he, I will instruct you and lead you so that such pretensions do not suffer; for reason also teaches that you must live according to the one to whom you have surrendered, just as every one is obliged to be obedient to the one to whom he makes himself subject and enters into his service. Now you as Christians have a different service than before, when you were under the dominion of sins and had to be obedient, and could not get out of their power nor do anything good in the sight of God. But now you have been freed from the same obedience and bondage of sin by grace, and have now surrendered yourselves to God for service and obedience; therefore you must live differently than before.
(12) This is also reasonably spoken of, as men are wont to speak according to their understanding, and we also preach the same, but if we speak of it in our own way, that is, in the way of Christians, more highly and in other words, as we ought to do, it is offensive to the world. For even if we say that one should not rob, steal, murder, envy, and take away, etc., this does not mean that it is forbidden by the law, but it must be done by God's grace, which does not accomplish it by our ability, but by the Holy Spirit in those who believe. But when we speak of it in this way, the mad world is quick to say, "Oh, if it is true that it is not our doing, let us be of good cheer and do no good work.
(13) That this understanding is false and a deliberate perversion of right doctrine is evident from the fact that we praise and confirm God's commandment, yes, even the doctrine of reason, which teaches that one should do good and avoid evil, yes, help and improve it, since it is too weak and too little: because reason cannot tell how the matter is to be helped. For if it could, people would not allow themselves to be seduced by their own dreams and false doctrine of vain works, such as the papacy and all false worship, which all come from the reason: one should do good and avoid evil; and this main saying is right, that we are all one: but if one is to build on it and say how and what one should do that is good, then it separates, that alone God's word shows. For reason is easily blinded and deceived here with false appearances, where one only calls something good; and even if it does everything that it thinks is good, it still remains uncertain about the things in itself. Yes, it finds neither fruit nor improvement in such teaching; for such doings lead no further than to outward works, that one makes oneself pious and beautiful before men, but still does not ward off the inward wickedness and sin, still remains caught in the former old nature and obedient to sin and its lusts; and what such a man does, he does not do from the heart, but would rather do otherwise, where he would not have to fear shame or punishment.
(14) Here we bring a higher sermon of the gospel, which teaches first how sin is put to death and buried in us through Christ, so that we now obtain a good conscience, which becomes hostile to sin and contends against it, and now come into a different obedience, since, having been delivered from sin, we serve God, and are pleased to do what pleases him, although there is no fear, punishment, executioner, or judge. If then these things are right, and this minor matter, whereof there is question and controversy, is set, how to be rid of sins, and come to right good works; we now come right back together to the ground or head.
The first sentence is: "Do good and avoid evil. And at the same time they conclude: "Now that we have been freed from sin and converted to God, we should also, in obedience to God, do good and no longer live in sin.
(15) Thus St. Paul uses the law and human reason, if it understands the law, against the false mouths which pervert the true doctrine, that it may be seen that this doctrine is not contrary to good works, but yet much higher than the doctrine of works. For it shows where such things come from and are brought about, namely, not by human reason or ability, but by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. This is what St. Paul concludes and says:
As ye have given your members for the service of uncleanness, and to be changed from unrighteousness: even so now give your members for the service of righteousness, that they may be sanctified.
Reason teaches you that because you are no longer subject to sin and unrighteousness, you should no longer serve it or be obedient to it with your body and limbs, that is, with your entire bodily life and being. And again, because you have surrendered yourselves to God and to righteousness in obedience, you are guilty of serving it with body and life. This is said in the most simple, clear and German way: Whoever was evil before and lived against God's will and his conscience, let him now become pious and serve God with a good conscience; or, as St. Paul says in Eph. 4, 28: "He who has stolen, let him now steal no more."
(17) Before, saith he, your members, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, and the whole body, did minister unto uncleanness, (so he calleth vice, which reason can well understand, which are all manner of carnal sins); likewise ye did minister your members unto unrighteousness, or unto all manner of unrighteous life and works, committing one unrighteousness above another, with all manner of wickedness, and such wickedness as they may have names. Now repent of this according to your own right and understanding: where before you were glad to
If you have seen, heard, and spoken what is shameful and lewd, or if you have walked and stood by it, and served lewdness with your body, it shall now hurt your eyes and ears to see and hear it, and your whole body shall flee from it, and be chaste in words and deeds; so shall all the members and the whole body serve righteousness. And this, therefore, that your members or body also become holy, that is, God's own, and be used only for His service, that they all, the longer the more and rather, serve God to honor and obedience in all that is called godly, praiseworthy, honor and virtue. This is what your own book, written in your heart, teaches you, if there were no word of God. And it does not apply here that you want to pretend against it: Yes, you have taught that one will not be saved by this; for this is not contrary to, but above and beyond your understanding; yes, it is the right light that instructs you how you may come to do such things as your own reason teaches you.
For if you were servants of sins, you would be free from righteousness.
(18) He speaks all these things after the manner of men, and after the common law and usage of that time, of bondage, or service, and liberty; because the bondmen were bought in bondage, and had to be a master's own, and to abide in his service, until they were released or otherwise redeemed by him. Forasmuch then as he said, As ye served unrighteousness before, so serve righteousness now, etc. From this follows two kinds of service, and also two kinds of liberty. He that serveth sins is free, saith he, from righteousness; that is, he abideth in sin, and cannot come unto righteousness, nor do righteous works. For this follows from reason, that every one is free from him whom he does not serve, or whose servant he is not; so again, if ye have now become servants of righteousness, and free from sin, it follows again that ye ought to be obedient to righteousness, and to serve it. But of this he now leaves to dispute further, and holds the two against each other, that they may see
Let them conclude for themselves, even according to human understanding, which of the two ministries they have experienced is good or bad, and let them decide for themselves which one they want to stay with and which one they want to be obedient to from now on.
What fruit did you have at that time? Of which ye are now ashamed: for the end thereof is death. But now that you are free from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit, that you may be sanctified; but the end is eternal life.
(19) But think back to yourselves what you lived when you were free from righteousness, and did nothing but what sin drove and tempted you to do; what did you enjoy or gain by it? Nothing, but that you should be ashamed of it even to this day, and should have remained in death at last. The two delicious fruits and use you have, and nothing better earned with it, neither disgrace nor death. A delicious, cheap reward for such service, since man wants to be free from justice, and lives as he pleases, and considers such a fine, delicious life; for it does flesh and blood gently, which probably means to remain unpunished. But there are two hard ruts: one is called "shame", that man must both confess his shame before God and the world; just as Adam and Eve in paradise, after they wanted to be free from God's commandment and followed the forbidden lust, to which they were tempted by the devil, they then had to feel their shame and be ashamed in their heart to stand before God's eyes. The other is eternal death and hellish fire, which they must have to the shame in which our first parents also fell.
020 Would it not be better, then, to serve righteousness, free from sin and its service? since you must never be ashamed nor harmed, but receive two benefits, that you may have a good cheerful conscience before God and all creatures, and thereby be holy, that is, sure and certain that you serve God, even that you are His own; and for this you have a rich incorruptible reward, which is eternal life.
(21) Now this is all spoken in a human way, which reason understands and thus holds, even where no Christ is recognized; for it is so in all the world that those who do evil, as thieves, murderers, etc., must both suffer disgrace from the world and death in addition. Again, those who do good have honor and good in all men.
For death is the wages of sins, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord.
(22) This is a very expensive thing to say, that those who do evil should be paid as if they had done right and deserved it. For the word "pay" means something good, which is given to those who are honest and fight chivalrously. But he speaks thus, to the displeasure and opposition of those who pervert his doctrine and say, "Oh, St. Paul preaches of pure grace, and also promises pay to those who sin. Yes, he wants to say, boast, you shall receive a reward; I mean death and hellish fire: you shall know and wait for it, if you want to interpret the gospel as if God should still give you a reward for serving sins. With such honest speeches he wants to deter the more those who pretend such things, or let themselves be persuaded, as
one should be able to serve God even with sins and have reward with Him. So turn the words according to their thoughts and speeches. Yes, if you think so, and if it is to be understood that he who serves should have a reward and pay, then you will get a pay, which is called death and hell, which may have, whoever has a desire for it and considers it a delicious thing.
23. Again he says, "God's grace is eternal life." Then see how he leads the words. Here he does not need the word "wages"; for he taught before that we do not obtain eternal life for our works as a reward earned, but out of pure grace for Christ's sake through faith. Therefore he calls it a "gift of God in Christ JEsu" etc., which if a man have, he hath already the head, whereby the serpent's head is slain, and is now so rich and blessed, that such life no man can take from him; and hath such power, that he can now shun sin, and evermore slay in his flesh; which by no law nor man's ability can be brought to pass; but faith pertaineth unto it, whereby we are incorporated in Christ, and planted with him in the death of sins unto eternal life and righteous good works.