A Rule to Be Observed, That Men Ought to Abstain from the Curious Searching of God's Majesty

But why does the Apostle join in this salutation: And from our Lord Jesus Christ? Was it not enough to say: And from God our father? Why then does he couple Jesus Christ with the father? You have often times heard of us, how it is a rule and principle in the scriptures diligently to be marked, that we must abstain from the curious searching of God's majesty, which is intolerable to man's body, and much more to his mind. No man (says the scripture) shall see me and live. The Pope, the Turks, the Jews, and all such as trust in their own merits, regard not this rule: and therefore removing Christ the Mediator out of their sight, they speak only of God, and before him only they pray, and do all that they do.

As for example, the Monk imagines thus: These works which I do, please God. God will regard these my vows, and for them will save me. The Turk says: If I keep the things that are commanded in the Alcoran, God will accept me, and give me everlasting life. The Jew thinks thus: If I keep those things which the law commands, I shall find God merciful to me, and so shall I be saved. So also a sort of foolish heads at this day, bragging of the spirit, of revelations, of visions, and such other monstrous matters I know not what, do walk in wonders above their reaches. These new Monks have invented a new cross and new works, and they dream that by doing them, they please God. To be brief, as many as know not the Article of Justification, take away Christ the mercy seat, and will needs comprehend God in his majesty by the judgment of reason, and pacify him with their works.

But true Christian divinity (as I give you often warning) sets not God forth to us in his majesty, as Moses and other doctrines do. It commands us not to search out the nature of God: but to know his will set out to us in Christ, whom he would have to take our flesh upon him, to be born and to die for our sins, and that this should be preached among all nations. For seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe (1 Corinthians 1). Therefore, when your conscience stands in the conflict, wrestling against the law, sin, and death in the presence of God, there is nothing more dangerous than to wander with curious speculations in heaven, and there to search out God in his incomprehensible power, wisdom and majesty, how he created the world and how he governs it. If you seek thus to comprehend God, and would pacify him without Christ the Mediator, making your works a means between him and yourself, it can not be but that you must fall as Lucifer did, and in horrible despair lose God and altogether. For as God is in his own nature unmeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite, so is he to man's nature intolerable.

Therefore, if you would be in safety and out of peril of conscience and salvation, bridle this climbing and presumptuous spirit, and so seek God as Paul teaches you (1 Corinthians 1). We (says he) preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks: but to those who are called, both of the Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Therefore begin you there where Christ began, namely in the womb of the virgin, in the manger, and at his mother's breasts, etc. For to this end he came down, was born, was conversant among men, suffered, was crucified and died, that by all means he might set forth himself plainly before our eyes, and fasten the eyes of our hearts upon himself, that he thereby might keep us from climbing up into heaven, and from the curious searching of the divine majesty.

Whenever you have to do therefore in the matter of justification, and dispute with yourself how God is to be found that justifies and accepts sinners, where and in what sort he is to be sought, then know that there is no other God besides this man Christ Jesus. Embrace him and cleave to him with all your heart, setting aside all curious speculations of the divine majesty: For he that is a searcher of God's majesty shall be overwhelmed of his glory, I know by experience what I say. But these vain spirits which so deal with God, that they exclude the Mediator, believe me not. Christ himself says: I am the way, the truth and the life: No man comes to the father but by me. Therefore besides this way Christ, you shall find no way to the father, but wandering: no verity, but hypocrisy and lying: no life, but eternal death. Therefore mark this well in the matter of justification, that when any of us all shall have to wrestle with the law, sin, death and all other evils, we must look upon no other God but only this God incarnate and clothed with man's nature.

But out of the matter of justification, when you must dispute with Jews, Turks, Papists, Heretics, etc. concerning the power, wisdom, and majesty of God, then employ all your wit and industry to that end, and be as profound and as subtle a disputer as you can: for then you are in another vein. But in the case of conscience, of righteousness and life (which I wish here diligently to be marked) against the law, sin, death, and the devil, or in the matter of satisfaction, of remission of sins, of reconciliation, and of everlasting life, you must withdraw your mind wholly from all cogitations and searching of the majesty of God, and look only upon this man Jesus Christ, who sets himself forth to us to be a Mediator, and says: Come to me all you that labor, and are heavy laden and I will refresh you. Thus doing you shall perceive the love, goodness and sweetness of God: you shall see his wisdom, power and majesty sweetened and tempered to your capacity: indeed and you shall find in this mirror and pleasant contemplation, all things according to that saying of Paul to the Colossians, Chapter 2, Verse 3: In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Also in the second chapter, Verse 9: For in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The world is ignorant of this, and therefore it searches out the will of God, setting aside the promise in Christ, to his great destruction. For no man knows the father but the son, and he to whom the son will reveal him.

And this is the cause why Paul is wont so often to couple Jesus Christ with God the father, even to teach us what true Christian religion is: which begins not at the highest as other religions do, but at the lowest. It will have us to climb up by Jacob's ladder, whereon God himself leans, whose feet touch the very earth, hard by the head of Jacob. Therefore whenever you are occupied in the matter of your salvation, setting aside all curious speculations of God's unsearchable majesty, all cogitations of works, of traditions, of philosophy, indeed and of God's law too, run straight to the manger and embrace this infant, and the virgin's little baby in your arms, and behold him as he was born, sucking, growing up, conversant among men, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending up above all the heavens and having power above all things. By this means you may shake off all terrors and errors, like as the sun drives away the clouds. And this sight and contemplation will keep you in the right way, that you may follow where Christ is gone. Therefore Paul in wishing Grace and Peace, not only from God the father, but also from Jesus Christ, teaches, first that we should abstain from the curious searching of the divine majesty (for God no man knows), and to hear Christ, who is in the bosom of the father, and utters to us his will, who also is appointed of the father to be a teacher, to the end that every one of us should hear him.

But why does the apostle add in this greeting "and from our Lord Jesus Christ"? Was it not enough to say "from God our Father"? Why then does he link Jesus Christ with the Father? You have often heard from us that there is a principle in Scripture that must be carefully observed: we must refrain from curiously prying into God's majesty, which is unbearable to man's body and far more so to his mind. "No one," says Scripture, "shall see Me and live." The pope, the Muslims, the Jews, and all who trust in their own merits disregard this principle — removing Christ the Mediator from their view, they speak of God directly, pray to God directly, and do everything they do before God directly.

For example, the monk reasons this way: "The works I do please God. God will regard my vows and save me for their sake." The Muslim says: "If I keep the things commanded in the Quran, God will accept me and give me everlasting life." The Jew thinks: "If I keep what the law commands, I will find God merciful to me, and so I will be saved." Likewise today a certain class of foolish enthusiasts — boasting of the spirit, of revelations, of visions, and other extraordinary things I cannot begin to describe — pursue wonders beyond their capacity. These new-style monks have invented a new cross and new works, and they dream that by performing them they please God. In short, all who do not know the article of justification remove Christ the mercy seat and presume to comprehend God in His majesty by the judgment of reason, and to satisfy Him with their works.

But true Christian theology — as I frequently remind you — does not present God to us in His bare majesty, as Moses and other systems of teaching do. It does not command us to search out the nature of God, but to know His will as revealed to us in Christ, whom He willed to take on our flesh, to be born and to die for our sins, and to have this proclaimed among all nations. For since the world did not know God through wisdom in the wisdom of God, it pleased God through the foolishness of what is preached to save those who believe (1 Corinthians 1). Therefore, when your conscience is in conflict — wrestling with the law, sin, and death in the presence of God — nothing is more dangerous than to wander through curious speculations about heaven and there to search out God in His incomprehensible power, wisdom, and majesty, thinking about how He created the world and how He governs it. If you seek to comprehend God in this way and try to satisfy Him without Christ the Mediator, using your own works as a bridge between yourself and Him, you will inevitably fall as Lucifer fell, and in horrible despair lose God and everything. For as God is in His own nature immeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite, so is He intolerable to human nature.

Therefore, if you want to be safe and out of danger in matters of conscience and salvation, rein in this climbing and presumptuous spirit, and seek God as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 1. "We preach Christ crucified," he says, "a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." So begin where Christ began — in the womb of the virgin, in the manger, at His mother's breast. For to this end He came down, was born, lived among people, suffered, was crucified and died — so that in every way He might set Himself plainly before our eyes and fasten the eyes of our hearts upon Himself, and thereby keep us from climbing up into heaven and prying curiously into the divine majesty.

Whenever you are dealing with the matter of justification and struggling within yourself about how God is to be found — the God who justifies and accepts sinners — where He is to be sought, and in what way, know this: there is no other God except this man Jesus Christ. Embrace Him and cling to Him with all your heart, setting aside all curious speculation about the divine majesty. For whoever pries into God's majesty will be overwhelmed by His glory — I speak from experience. But these vain spirits who deal with God while excluding the Mediator will not believe me. Christ Himself says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Therefore, apart from this way — Christ — you will find no path to the Father, only wandering; no truth, only hypocrisy and lies; no life, only eternal death. So in the matter of justification, mark this well: whenever any of us must wrestle with the law, sin, death, and all other evils, we must look to no other God than to this God incarnate, clothed in human nature.

Outside the matter of justification, however, when you are disputing with Jews, Muslims, papists, heretics, and others about the power, wisdom, and majesty of God, then bring to bear all your ability and effort, and be as deep and as precise a reasoner as you can be — for then you are in a different domain. But in the case of conscience, of righteousness and life — which I urge you to mark carefully here — when wrestling against the law, sin, death, and the devil, or in the matter of satisfaction, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, and everlasting life, you must withdraw your mind entirely from all speculation about God's majesty and look only upon this man Jesus Christ, who presents Himself to us as Mediator and says: "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." If you do this, you will perceive the love, goodness, and sweetness of God. You will see His wisdom, power, and majesty softened and adjusted to your capacity. Indeed, you will find in this mirror and this pleasant contemplation everything, according to what Paul says in Colossians 2:3: "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Also in Colossians 2:9: "For in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily." The world knows nothing of this, and therefore searches out God's will by setting aside the promise in Christ — to its great destruction. For no one knows the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

This is why Paul so often joins Jesus Christ with God the Father — to teach us what true Christian religion is. It does not begin at the top, as other religions do, but at the bottom. It calls us to climb by Jacob's ladder, on which God Himself leans, with His feet touching the very earth beside Jacob's head. Therefore, whenever you are dealing with the matter of your salvation, set aside all curious speculation about God's unsearchable majesty, all thoughts of works, traditions, philosophy, and even the law of God — and run straight to the manger. Take this infant in your arms, this little baby of the virgin, and see Him as He was born, nursing, growing up, living among people, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending above all the heavens, and having authority over all things. By this means you may shake off all terrors and errors, as the sun drives away clouds. This vision and contemplation will keep you on the right path, following where Christ has gone. Therefore Paul, in wishing grace and peace not only from God the Father but also from Jesus Christ, teaches first that we should refrain from prying into the divine majesty — for no one knows God — and instead hear Christ, who is in the Father's embrace and reveals to us His will, and who is also appointed by the Father as Teacher, so that every one of us should hear Him.