But now God has made his word available to us in abundance, so that we can easily and without any effort put all our works, doings and non-doings into it. For he who believes, that is, who puts his heart and trust in God's grace, which He has shown us through Christ, sings or prays, eats or sleeps, is said to have done well, for he does it as a Christian man who believes in the Lord Christ, and says, "I will pray, read, work and thus serve in my Lord Christ's name. This would be just enough from God that He has given us the word of faith, so that every Christian can be joyful in such faith and serve God. For whatever is done in faith, no matter how small, is called well done and is the best of works.
But God is not satisfied with such things, but adds that he sanctifies all ranks in his word, when he says and commands: "One should honor one's father and mother. Then a child can say: I will now go to school, study, cook, spin, sew, and know, if I do it faithfully and diligently, that it is pleasing to God. For my father and mother told me to do it, and I have God's word that I should follow them. So a child could spend a whole day in his parents' obedience, and know that it is pleasing to our Lord God. So servants and maids, master and mistress of the house, each in his position, have God's word for himself, so that he can say: God has commanded me this; in his name I will get up, go to work, lie down, sit at table etc.
Whatever one does, even if it is no more than sweeping a room, it is all well done and means living in obedience to God. For the word, Thou shalt honor thy father and mother, embraces all ranks, offices and works that belong to the marriage state and come from the marriage state.
Whoever does not have or know the word of God, cannot have such confidence and must be deprived of this excellent consolation. Therefore, we should gladly hear God's word, so that we can learn from it how to make our lives pleasing to Him. For then we could be all the more joyful and have a good conscience. No pagan, no Turk, no Jew knows this; only Christians know it, and they can say: What I am doing now, I will do in the name of Jesus, and in the obedience to which I have been placed by God, and I will do it with joy. If something happens to me and the devil comes upon me, what is the harm? Nevertheless, I am in the position where God's word comforts me, whatever I do or suffer is well done, and God is pleased with it and will be with me with grace.
So let every Christian be accustomed from his youth to be sure that he is in a blessed state. Whoever can do this, even if he falls down the stairs and breaks his neck, can still say: My father, my mother, my lord, my wife has commanded me; therefore I die in a blessed state and right obedience. Thus, whoever goes to war by the command of his ruler and authority, and goes there in the name of God who has placed him under such authority, whether he is shot or stabbed, he dies well. For he lives in the obedience of God, and knows what he does according to such a calling, that he has orders from God.
In this way, all men could live blessedly and well, and have nothing more to live for than the Ten Commandments and faith in Christ. But there the devil warns day and night, that one does not think of God's word; badly risen, laid down, eaten, drunk, like swine, and not asked whether one also serves God: that is the custom and manner of the godless world. But Christians should beware of this, and learn how to live their lives according to God's word day and night, for this makes everything holy.