The True Rule of Christianity

Contrary to these vain trifles and doting dreams (as we have also noted before) we teach faith, and give a true rule of Christianity in this sort: First that a man must be taught by the law to know himself, that so he may learn to say with the Prophet: All have sinned and have need of the glory of God. Also, there is not one righteous, no not one: Not one that understands, not one that seeks after God: All have gone astray. Also, against you only have I sinned. Thus we by a contrary way, do drive men from the merit of congruence and worthiness. Now, when a man is humbled by the law and brought to the knowledge of himself, then follows true repentance (for true repentance begins at the fear and judgment of God) and he sees himself to be so great a sinner, that he can find no means how he may be delivered from his sin by his own strength, works, or merits. Then he perceives well what Paul means when he says, that man is the servant and bond-slave of sin. Also, that God has shut up all under sin: and that the whole world is guilty before God, etc. Then he sees that all the divinity of the Schoolmen touching the merit of congruence and worthiness, is nothing else but mere foolishness, and that by this means the whole Papacy falls to ruin.

Here then he begins to sigh, and says in this wise: Who then can give succor? For he being thus terrified with the law, utterly despairs of his own strength: he looks about, and sighs for the help of a Mediator and Savior. Here then comes in good time the wholesome word of the Gospel, and says: Son, your sins are forgiven you. Believe in Christ Jesus crucified for your sins. If you feel your sins and the burden thereof, look not upon them in yourself, but remember that they are translated and laid upon Christ, whose stripes have made you whole.

This is the beginning of health and salvation. By this means we are delivered from sin, justified, and made inheritors of everlasting life: not for our own works and deserts, but for our faith, whereby we lay hold upon Christ. Therefore we also do acknowledge a quality and a formal righteousness in the heart: not charity (as the Schoolmen do) but faith, and yet so notwithstanding that the heart do behold nothing, apprehend nothing but Christ the Savior. And here it is necessary that you know the true definition of Christ. The Schoolmen being utterly ignorant hereof, have made Christ a judge and a tormentor, devising this fond fantasy concerning the merit of congruence and worthiness.

But Christ, according to his true definition, is no lawgiver, but he is a forgiver of sins and a Savior. This does faith apprehend and undoubtedly believe, that he has wrought works and merits of congruence and worthiness before and after grace abundantly. For he might have satisfied for all the sins of the world by one only drop of his blood. But now he has shed it plentifully and has satisfied abundantly. By his own blood has he entered into the holy place once for all, and obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9). Also (Romans 3): And we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a reconciliation to us through faith in his blood. Therefore it is a great matter to lay hold upon Christ by faith bearing the sins of the world. And this faith alone is counted for righteousness, as the Apostle teaches in the third and fourth chapters to the Romans.

Here is to be noted that these three things, faith, Christ, acceptation or imputation must be joined together. Faith takes hold of Christ and has him present, and holds him enclosed as the ring does the precious stone. And whoever shall be found having this confidence in Christ apprehended in the heart, him will God account for righteous. This is the means and this is the merit whereby we attain the remission of sins and righteousness. Because you believe in me, says God, and your faith lays hold upon Christ whom I have freely given to you that he might be your Mediator and high Priest, therefore be you justified and righteous. Therefore God does accept or account us as righteous, only for our faith in Christ.

And this acceptation or imputation is very necessary: First because we are not yet perfectly righteous, but while we remain in this life, sin dwells still in our flesh: and this remnant of sin God purges in us. Moreover we are sometimes left of the Holy Spirit and fall into sins, as did Peter, David and other holy men. Notwithstanding we have always recourse to this article: That our sins are covered, and that God will not lay them to our charge (Psalm 32 and Romans 4). Not that sin is not in us (as the Sophists have taught, saying that we must be always working well until we feel that there is no guilt of sin remaining in us): indeed sin is truly always in us, and the godly do feel it: but it is covered and is not imputed to us of God for Christ's sake: whom because we do apprehend by Faith, all our sins are now no sins. But where Christ and faith be not, there is no remission or covering of sins, but mere imputation of sins and condemnation. Thus will God glorify his Son, and will be glorified himself in us through him.

When we have thus taught faith in Christ, then do we teach also good works. Because you have laid hold upon Christ by faith, through whom you are made righteousness, begin now to work well. Love God and your neighbor: call upon God, give thanks to him, praise him, confess him. These are good works indeed, which flow out of this faith and this cheerfulness conceived in the heart for that we have remission of sins freely by Christ.

Now, whatever cross or afflictions do afterwards ensue, they are easily borne, and cheerfully suffered. For the yoke that Christ lays upon us is sweet, and his burden is easy. When sin is pardoned and the conscience delivered from the burden and sting of sin, then may a Christian bear all things easily. Because he feels all things within sweet and comfortable, therefore he does and suffers all things willingly. But when a man walks in his own righteousness, whatever he does is grievous and tedious to him, because he does it unwillingly.

We therefore do make this definition of a Christian man: that he is a right Christian to whom God imputes not his sin, through faith in Christ. This doctrine brings great consolation to poor afflicted consciences in serious and inward terrors. It is not without good cause therefore that we do so often repeat and beat into your minds the forgiveness of sins, and imputation of righteousness for Christ's sake: also that a Christian has nothing to do with the law and sin, especially in the time of temptation. For in that he is a Christian, he is above the law and sin. For he has Christ the Lord of the law present and enclosed in his heart (as we have said) even as a ring has a jewel or precious stone enclosed in it. Therefore when the law accuses and sin terrifies him, he looks on Christ, and when he has apprehended him by faith, he has present with him the conqueror of the law, sin, death, and the devil: who reigns and rules over them, so that they can not hurt him. Therefore a Christian man, if you define him rightly, is free from all laws, and is not subject to any creature, either within or without: In that he is a Christian (I say) and not in that he is a man or a woman, that is to say, in that he has his conscience adorned and beautified with this faith, with this great and inestimable treasure, or as (Paul says) this unspeakable gift: which can not be magnified and praised enough, for it makes us the children and heirs of God. And by this means a Christian is greater than the whole world. For he has such a gift, such a treasure in his heart that although it seems to be but little, yet notwithstanding the smallness of it is greater than heaven and earth: for Christ which is this gift and this treasure is greater than all things.

While this doctrine pacifying and quieting the conscience abides sound and uncorrupt, Christians are made judges over all kinds of doctrine, and are lords over the laws of the whole world. Then can they certainly judge that the Turk with his Alcoran is damned because he goes not the right way, that is, he acknowledges not himself to be miserable and damnable, nor apprehends Christ by faith, for whose sake he might be assured that his sins are pardoned. In like manner they boldly pronounce sentence against the Pope, that he is condemned with all his kingdom, because he so walks and so teaches (with all his religious rabble of sophisters and schoolmen), that by the merit of congruence we must come to grace, and that afterwards by the merit of worthiness we are received into heaven. Here says the Christian, this is not the right way to justify us, neither does this way lead us to heaven. For I can not (says he) by my works going before grace, deserve grace, nor by my works following grace deserve eternal life: But to him that believes, sin is pardoned and righteousness imputed. This trust and this confidence makes him the child of God and heir of his kingdom: For in hope he already possesses everlasting life assured to him by promise. Through faith in Christ therefore all things are given to us, grace, peace, forgiveness of sins, salvation and everlasting life, and not for the merit of congruence and worthiness.

Therefore this doctrine of the schoolmen, with their ceremonies, masses, and infinite foundations of the Papistical kingdom, are most abominable blasphemies against God, sacrileges and plain denials of Christ, as Peter has foretold in these words. There shall be (says he) false teachers among you which shall secretly bring in damnable heresies, denying the Lord that has bought them, etc. As though he would say: the Lord has redeemed and bought us with his blood, that he might justify and save us: this is the way of righteousness and salvation. But there shall come false teachers, which denying the Lord, shall blaspheme the way of truth, of righteousness and salvation: they shall find out new ways of falsehood and destruction, and many shall follow their perdition. Peter throughout this whole chapter most vividly paints out the Papacy, which neglecting and despising the Gospel and faith in Christ, has taught the works and traditions of men: as the merit of congruence and worthiness, the difference of days, meats, vows, invocation of saints, pilgrimages, purgatory and such like. In these fantastical opinions the Papists are so steeped, that it is impossible for them to understand one syllable of the gospel, of faith, or of Christ.

And this the thing itself does well declare. For they take that privilege to themselves which belongs to Christ alone. He only forgives sins, he only gives righteousness and everlasting life: and they most impudently and wickedly do boast that they are able to obtain these things by their own merits and worthiness before and after grace. Peter and the other Apostles call these damnable heresies and sects of perdition. For by these means they deny Christ, tread his blood under their feet, blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and despise the grace of God. Therefore no man can sufficiently conceive how horrible the idolatry of the Papists is. As inestimable as the gift is which is offered to us by Christ: even so and no less abominable are these profanations of the Papists. They ought not then to be lightly esteemed or forgotten: but diligently weighed and considered. And this makes also very much for the amplifying of the grace of God and benefit of Christ, as by the contrary. For the more we know the profanation of the papistical Mass, so much the more we do abhor and detest the same, and embrace the true use of the holy Communion, which the Pope has taken away, and has made merchandise of it, that being bought for money, it might profit others. For he says that the massing priest, an apostate, denying Christ and blaspheming the Holy Spirit, standing at the altar does a good work, not only for himself, but also for others both living and dead, and for the whole church, and that only by the work wrought, and by none other means.

Therefore even by this we may plainly see the inestimable patience of God, in that he has not long ago destroyed the whole Papacy and consumed it with fire and brimstone, as he did Sodom and Gomorrah. But now these jolly fellows go about, not only to cover, but highly to advance their impiety and filthiness. This we may in no case dissemble. We must therefore with all diligence set forth the article of justification, that the same, as a most clear Sun, may bring to light the darkness of their hypocrisy, and may discover their filthiness and shame. For this cause we do so often repeat and so earnestly set forth the righteousness of faith, that the adversaries may be confounded and this article established and confirmed in our hearts. And this is a most necessary thing: for if we once lose this Sun, we fall again into our former darkness. And most horrible it is that the Pope should ever be able to bring this to pass in the church, that Christ should be denied, trodden under foot, spit upon, blasphemed, yes and that even by the Gospel and sacraments: which he has so darkened and turned into such a horrible abuse, that he has made them to serve him against Christ, to set up and establish his detestable abominations. O deep darkness, O horrible wrath of God.

Verse. 16. Even we I say, have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified.

This is the true means to become a Christian, even to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law. Here we may not stand upon the wicked gloss of the Schoolmen, which say that faith then justifies, when charity and good works are joined with it as well. With this pestilent gloss the Sophists have darkened and perverted this and such other like sentences in Paul, wherein he manifestly attributes justification to faith only in Christ. But when a man hears that he ought to believe in Christ, and yet faith notwithstanding justifies not except it be formed and adorned with charity, immediately faith fails him and thus he thinks with himself: If faith without charity justifies not, then is faith in vain and unprofitable, and charity only justifies: For except faith be adorned and furnished with charity, it is nothing.

And to approve this their pernicious and pestilent gloss, they allege this place out of the Corinthians: Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have no love I am nothing. This place is their brazen wall. But these men are without understanding, and therefore they can see or understand nothing in Paul. And moreover they have not only done injury to the words of Paul, but also they have denied Christ and buried all his benefits. Therefore we must avoid this their gloss as a most deadly and devilish poison and conclude with Paul that we are justified, not by faith furnished with charity, but by faith only and alone.

We grant that we must also teach good works and charity, but it must be done in time and place, that is to say, when the question is concerning works, and touches not this article of justification. But here the matter rests in this point, to know by what means we are justified and attain eternal life. To this we answer with Paul, that by faith only in Christ we are pronounced righteous, and not by the works of the law or charity: Not because we reject good works, but for that we will not suffer ourselves to be removed from this anchor hold of our salvation: which Satan most desires. Since then we are now in the matter of justification, we reject and condemn all good works: for this place will admit no disputation of good works. Therefore in this matter we do generally cut off all laws and all the works of the law.

But the law is good, just and holy. True it is. But when we are in the matter of justification there is no time or place to speak of the law: but the question is, what Christ is, and what benefit he has brought to us. Christ is not the law, he is not my work, or the work of the law: he is not my charity, my chastity, my obedience, my poverty, but he is the Lord of life and death, a Mediator, a Savior, a redeemer of those who are under the law and sin. In him we are by faith and he in us (John 6:56). This bridegroom must be alone with the bride in his secret chamber, all the servants and family being put apart. But afterwards when the door is open and he comes forth, then may the servants and handmaids return, to minister to them. Then may charity and good works begin to do their office.

Let us learn therefore to discern all laws, yes even the law of God, and all works, from faith and from Christ, that we may define Christ rightly, and know that he is not the law, and therefore he is no exactor of the law and works, but he is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:36). This does faith alone lay hold of, and not charity, which notwithstanding as a certain thankfulness, must follow faith. Therefore victory over sin and death, salvation and everlasting life come not by the law nor by the works of the law, nor yet by the power of free will, but by the Lord Jesus Christ only and alone.

Verse. 16. That we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law.

Paul speaks not here of the ceremonial law only (as before we have said) but of the whole law. For the ceremonial law was as well the law of God as the moral law was. As for example, Circumcision, the institution of the Priesthood, the service and ceremonies of the temple were commanded of God no less than the ten commandments. Moreover, when Abraham was commanded to offer up his son Isaac in sacrifice, it was a law. This work of Abraham pleased God no less than other works of the ceremonial law did, and yet was not he justified by this work, but by faith: for the scripture says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

But since the revealing of Christ (say they) the ceremonial law kills and brings death. Indeed, so does the law of the ten commandments also without faith in Christ. Moreover, there may no law be suffered to reign in the conscience, but only the law of the spirit and life, whereby we are made free in Christ from the law of the letter and of death, from the works thereof, and from all sins: not because the law is evil, but for that it is not able to justify us: for it has a plain contrary effect and working. It is a high and an excellent matter to be at peace with God: and therefore in this case we have need of a far other Mediator than Moses or the law. Here we must do nothing at all, but only receive the treasure, which is Christ, and apprehend him in our hearts by faith, although we feel ourselves to be full of sin. These words therefore of the Apostle: that we might be justified by faith, and not by the works of the law, are very effectual, and not in vain or unprofitable, as the Schoolmen think, and therefore they pass them over so lightly.

Hitherto you have heard the words of Paul which he spoke to Peter: wherein he has briefly comprised the principal article of all Christian doctrine, which makes true Christians indeed. Now he turns to the Galatians to whom he writes, and thus he concludes: Since it is so that we are justified by faith in Christ, then by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Verse 16. Because by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified.

Flesh in Paul does not signify (as the Schoolmen dream) manifest and gross sins, for those he uses to call by their proper names, as adultery, fornication, uncleanness and such like: but by flesh Paul means here as Christ does in the third chapter of John. That which is born of flesh (says he) is flesh. Flesh therefore signifies the whole nature of man, with reason and all other powers whatever belong to man. This flesh (says he) is not justified by works, no not of the law. Flesh therefore, according to Paul, signifies all the righteousness, wisdom, devotion, religion, understanding and will that is possible to be in a natural man: so that if a man be never so righteous according to reason and the law of God, yet with all his righteousness, works, merits, devotion, and religion he is not justified.

This the Papists do not believe, but being blind and obstinate, they defend their abominations against their own conscience, continuing in this their blasphemy, and having yet still in their mouths these execrable words: He that does this good work or that, deserves forgiveness of his sins: whoever enters into this or that holy order and keeps his rule, to him we assuredly promise everlasting life. It cannot be uttered what a horrible blasphemy it is to attribute that to the doctrine of Devils, to the decrees and ordinances of men, to the wicked traditions of the Pope, to the hypocritical works and merits of Monks and Friars, which Paul the Apostle of Christ takes away from the law of God. For if no flesh is justified by the works of the law, much less shall it be justified by the rule of Benedict, Francis, or Augustine, in which there is not one jot of true faith in Christ: but this only they urge, that whoever keeps these things, has life everlasting.

Therefore I have much and often marveled, that these sects of perdition reigning so many years in such great darkness and errors, the Church could endure and continue as it has done. Some there were whom God called by the letter of the Gospel and by baptism. These walked in simplicity and humbleness of heart, thinking the Monks and Friars, and such only as were anointed of the Bishops, to be religious and holy, and themselves to be profane and secular, and not worthy to be compared to them. Therefore finding in themselves no good works to set against the wrath and judgment of God, they did fly to the death and passion of Christ, and were saved in this simplicity.

Horrible and unspeakable is the wrath of God, in that he has so long time punished the contempt of the Gospel and of Christ in the Papists, and also their ingratitude, giving them over into a reprobate sense, insomuch that they blaspheming and denying Christ altogether as touching his office, in stead of the Gospel have received the execrable rules, ordinances and traditions of men, which they have devoutly adored and honored, indeed and preferred the same far above the word of God, until at length they were forbidden to marry, and were bound to that incestuous single life: wherein they were outwardly polluted and defiled with all kinds of horrible wickedness, as adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, Sodomy and such other abominations. This was the fruit of that filthy single life.

So God punishing sin with sin, inwardly gave them over into a reprobate mind, and outwardly suffered them to fall into such horrible abominations: and that justly, because they blasphemed the only son of God, in whom the father would be glorified, and whom he delivered to death, that all who believe in him, might be saved by him, and not by their own execrable rules and orders. He who honors me (says he) I will honor. Now God is honored in his son. Whoever then believes that the son is our Mediator and Savior, he honors the father, and him again does God honor, that is to say, adorns him with his gifts, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life. Contrariwise: They that despise me (says he) shall be despised.

This is then a general conclusion: Because by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified. The law of God is greater than the whole world, for it comprehends all men, and the works of the law do far excel even the most glorious will-works of all the merit-mongers: and yet Paul says, that neither the law nor the works of the law do justify. Therefore we conclude with Paul that faith only justifies. This proposition he goes about to confirm in this manner.

Verse 18. If then while we seek to be made righteous by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid.

If this be true (says he) that we are justified by Christ, then it is impossible that we should be sinners, or should be justified by the law. On the contrary, if this be not true, but that we must be justified by the law and the works of the law, it is then impossible that we should be justified by Christ. One of these two must needs be false. Either we are not justified by Christ, or we are not justified by the law. But the truth is, that we are justified by Christ: therefore we are not justified by the law. He reasons therefore after this manner: If then while we seek to be made, etc. That is: If we seek to be justified by Christ, and so being justified we are yet found sinners, having need of the law to justify us being sinners: If we have need (I say) of the observation of the law to justify us, so that they which are righteous in Christ are not righteous, but have yet need of the law to justify them: Or if he that is justified by Christ must yet further be justified by the law, then is Christ nothing else but a lawgiver and a minister of sin. Therefore he that is justified and holy in Christ, is not justified or holy, but has yet need of the righteousness and holiness of the law.

But we are indeed justified and made righteous in Christ: For the truth of the Gospel teaches us that a man is not justified in the law, but in Christ. Now, if they which are justified in Christ are yet found sinners, that is, do yet still belong to the law, and are under the law (as the false Apostles teach) then are they not yet justified. For the law accuses them, and shows them to be yet sinners: It requires of them the works of the law as necessary to their justification, and so it follows that Christ is not a justifier, but a minister of the law.

With these words he vehemently charges the false Apostles and all Merit-mongers, that they pervert altogether: for they make of the law grace and of grace the law, of Moses Christ and of Christ Moses. For they teach that besides Christ and all the righteousness of Christ, the observation of the law is necessary to justification. And thus we see that by their intolerable perverseness they make the law Christ: for by this means they attribute to the law that which properly belongs to Christ. If you do the works of the law (say they) you shall be saved: but if you do them not, you shall not be justified although you do believe in Christ never so much. Now, if it be so that Christ justifies not, but is the minister of sin (as it must needs follow by their doctrine) then is Christ the law: for we have nothing else of him, seeing he teaches that we are sinners, than that we have by the law. So Christ being the minister of sin, sends us to the law and to Moses, as to our justifier.

It cannot be therefore but that the Papists and all such as are ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, or have not the true knowledge thereof, must needs make of Christ Moses and the law, and of the law Christ. For thus they teach: It is true (say they) that faith in Christ justifies, but withal we must needs keep the commandments of God. For it is written: If you will enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). Here even at the first dash Christ is denied and Faith abolished, because that is attributed to the commandments of God or to the law, which belongs to Christ alone. For Christ, according to his true definition, is a Justifier and a Redeemer from sins. If I attribute this to the law, then is the law my Justifier, delivering me from my sins, because I do the works thereof and so now the law is Christ, and Christ utterly loses his name, his office and glory, and is nothing else but a minister of the law, reproving, accusing, terrifying, presenting and sending the sinner to another, that may justify him: which is the proper office of the law.

But the proper office of Christ is, after the law has pronounced a man to be guilty, to raise him up again, and to loose him from his sins, if he believe the Gospel. For to all that do believe, Christ is the end and full finishing of the law to righteousness (Romans 1:16; John 1:36): He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. But the Papists and Anabaptists, because they do not understand this doctrine, do pervert altogether, making of Christ Moses, and of Moses Christ. And this is indeed (although they will say otherwise) their principal proposition: That Christ is Moses. Moreover they deride and mock us, because we do so diligently teach, and so earnestly require Faith. Ha ha (say they) faith, faith: wait you the time until you come to heaven by faith. Nay, you must strive to do greater and weightier matters. You must fulfill the law, according to that saying: Do this and you shall live (Luke 10:18). Faith which you so highly extol, does nothing else but make men careless, idle, and negligent. Thus are they become nothing else but ministers of the law, and law-workers, calling back the people from baptism, faith, the promises of Christ, to the law and works, turning grace into the law, and the law into grace.

Who would ever believe that these things could so easily be confounded and mingled together. There is no man so insensible, who does not perceive this distinction of the law and grace to be most plain and manifest. For the very nature and signification of the words makes this distinction and difference. For who does not understand that these words, Law and grace, do differ in name and signification? Therefore it is a monstrous thing, that this distinction being so plain, the adversaries should fall to such devilish perverseness, so to mingle together the law and grace, and to transform Christ into Moses. For this cause I do often repeat and teach, that this doctrine of faith is very plain, and that every man may easily understand this distinction of the law and grace as touching the words, but touching the use and inward practice, it is very hard.

The Pope and his school-doctors do plainly confess that the law and grace are diverse and distinct things: and yet when they come to the use and practice thereof, they teach clean contrary. Faith in Christ (say they) whether it be gotten by the strength, operation and qualities of nature, or whether it be faith infused and poured into us of God, yet is it but a dead faith if charity be not joined therewith. Where is now the distinction and difference of the law and grace? Indeed they do distinguish them in name, but in effect they call grace charity. Thus do all they which so strictly require the observation of the law, and attribute justification to the law and works. Therefore whoever do not perfectly understand the article of justification, must needs confound and mingle the law and grace together.

Let every man therefore diligently learn above all things to put a difference between the law and grace in deed and in practice: not in words only as the Pope and the fantastical Anabaptists do: who as touching the words, do confess that they are two distinct things: but in very deed (as I have said) they confound and mingle them together: for they will not grant that faith justifies without works. If this be true, then Christ profits me nothing. For though my faith be never so perfect, yet after their opinion, if this faith be without charity, I am not justified. And thus Christ apprehended by faith is not a justifier, grace profits nothing, neither can faith be true faith without charity, (or as the Anabaptists say) without the cross, without suffering and effusion of blood: but if charity be joined with it, then is it true faith and justifies.

With this doctrine these lying spirits and sects of perdition do darken again the benefit of Christ at this day: they take away from him the glory of a justifier, and make him a minister of sin. They are in all things like to the false Apostles. For even as they throughout all the Churches did require circumcision and the observation of the law besides faith in Christ, in so much that without circumcision and keeping of the law, they denied the justification of faith (for except you be circumcised, said they, after the law of Moses, you cannot be saved): even so at this day these strict exactors of the law, besides the righteousness of faith, do require the keeping of the commandments of God, according to that saying: Do this and you shall live. Also, If you will enter into life, keep the commandments. Therefore there is not one among them, be he never so wise, that understands that difference between the law and grace.

But we put a difference, and say, that we do not here dispute whether we ought to do good works: whether the law be good, holy and just: whether it ought to be kept or no: for this is another manner of question. But our question is concerning justification, and whether the law does justify or no. This the adversaries will not hear: they will not answer to this question, nor make any distinction as we do: but only cry out, that good works ought to be done, that the law ought to be observed. We know that well enough. But because these are diverse and distinct matters, we will not suffer them to be mingled together. That good works ought to be done, we will hereafter declare when time shall serve. But since we are now in the matter of justification, we set aside here all good works, for the which the adversaries do so earnestly strive, ascribing to them wholly the office of justifying: which is to take from Christ his glory, and to ascribe the same to works.

Therefore this is a strong argument, which I have oftentimes used to my great comfort: If then while we seek to be made righteous by Christ, etc. As though Paul should say: If we being justified by Christ, are counted yet as not justified and righteous, but as sinners which are yet to be justified by the law, then may we not seek justification in Christ but in the law. But if justification comes by the law, then it comes not by grace. Now, if justification comes not by grace, but by the law, what has Christ done and wrought by his death, by his preaching, by his victory which he has obtained over the law, sin and death, and by sending the Holy Spirit? We must conclude therefore, that either we are justified by Christ, or else that we are made sinners, culpable, and guilty through him. But if the law does justify, then it cannot be avoided, but needs it must follow that we are made sinners through Christ, and so Christ is a minister of sin. The case standing thus, let us then set down this proposition: Everyone that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is a sinner and is guilty of eternal death, and if he flee not to the law doing the works thereof, he shall not be saved.

The holy Scripture, especially the New Testament, makes often mention of faith in Christ, and highly advances the same: which says, that whoever believes in him, is saved, perishes not, is not judged, is not confounded, has eternal life, etc. But contrariwise they say: he that believes in him is condemned, because he has faith without works which does condemn. Thus do they pervert all things, making of Christ a destroyer and a murderer, and of Moses a Savior. And is not this a horrible blasphemy, so to teach that by doing good works you shall be made worthy of eternal life? But by believing in Christ you shall be made culpable and guilty of eternal death? That the law being kept and accomplished saves? And faith in Christ condemns?

These very same words (I grant) the adversaries do not use: but in very deed such is their doctrine. For faith infused (say they) which properly they call faith in Christ, does not make us free from sin, but that faith which is furnished with charity. Hereof it follows that faith in Christ without the law saves us not. This is plainly to affirm that Christ leaves us in our sins and in the wrath of God, and makes us guilty of eternal death. On the other side, if you keep the law and do the works thereof, then faith justifies you because it has works, without the which faith avails nothing: therefore works justify and not faith. O horrible impiety. What pernicious and cursed doctrine is this?

Paul therefore grounds his argument upon an impossibility and a sufficient division. If we being justified in Christ are yet found sinners, and can not be justified but by any other mean than by Christ, that is to wit, by the law, then can not Christ justify us, but he only accuses and condemns us: and so consequently it follows that Christ died in vain, and that these with other like places are false: Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Also: He that believes in him has everlasting life: indeed the whole scripture is false, which bears witness that Christ is the Justifier and Savior of the world. For if we be found sinners after that we be justified by Christ, it follows of necessity that they which fulfill the law are justified without Christ. If this be true, then are we either Turks, or Jews, or Tartarians, professing the name and word of God in outward show, but in deed and verity utterly denying Christ and his word. It is great impiety therefore to affirm that faith, except it be adorned with charity, does not justify. But if the adversaries will needs defend this doctrine, why do they not then reject faith in Christ altogether: especially seeing they make nothing else of it but a vain quality in the soul, which without Christ avails nothing? Why do they not say in plain words that works do justify and not faith? Indeed why do they not generally deny, not only Paul, but also the whole gospel (as in very deed they do) which attribute righteousness to works, and not to faith alone? For if faith and works together do justify, then is the disputation of Paul altogether false, which plainly pronounces that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Verse. 17. Is Christ therefore the minister of sin?

This is a kind of speech used of the Hebrews, which Paul in (2 Corinthians 3) does also use: where he most divinely and plainly speaks of these two ministries, to wit, of the letter and the spirit, of the law and grace, or of death and life. And he says that Moses the minister of the law, has the ministry of sin (as he calls it) and of death and condemnation. For Paul is wont to give reproachful names to the law, and among all the Apostles, he only uses this manner of speech: the other do not so speak. And very necessary it is that such as are studious of the holy scripture, should understand this manner of speech used of the Apostle.

Now, a minister of sin is nothing else, but a lawgiver or a schoolmaster of the law, which teaches good works and charity, and that a man must suffer the cross and afflictions, and follow the example of Christ and of the saints. He that teaches and requires this, is a minister of the law, of sin, of wrath, and of death: for by this doctrine he does nothing else but terrify and afflict men's consciences and shuts them under sin. For it is impossible for the nature of man to accomplish the law: indeed in those that are justified and have the Holy Spirit, the law of the members fights against the law of the mind. What will it not then do in the wicked which have not the Holy Spirit? Therefore he that teaches that righteousness comes by the law, does not understand what he says, or what he affirms, and much less does he keep the law: but rather he deceives himself and others, and lays upon them such a burden as they are not able to bear, requiring and teaching impossible things, and at the last he brings himself and his disciples to desperation.

The right use and end therefore of the law is, to accuse and condemn as guilty, such as live in security, that they may see themselves to be in danger of sin, wrath, and eternal death, that so they may be terrified and brought even to the brink of desperation, trembling and quaking at the falling of a leaf. And in that they are such, they are under the law. For the law requires perfect obedience to God, and condemns all those that do not accomplish the same. Now, it is certain that there is no man living which is able to perform this obedience, which notwithstanding God strictly requires of us. The law therefore does not justify but condemns, according to that saying: Cursed is he that abides not in all things that are written in this book. Therefore he that teaches the law is a minister of the law.

Therefore it is not without good cause that Paul in (2 Corinthians 3) calls the minister of the law, the minister of sin: for the law shows and utters sin, which without the law is dead. Now the knowledge of sin (I speak not here of that speculative knowledge of hypocrites, but of a true knowledge, by which we see the wrath of God against sin and feel a true taste of death) terrifies the heart, drives down to desperation, kills and destroys (Romans 7). Therefore these schoolmasters of the law and works are called in the scripture oppressors and tyrants. For as the taskmasters in Egypt did oppress the children of Israel with corporal servitude, so do these lawgivers and taskmasters drive men into most miserable bondage of soul, and at length bring them to desperation and utter destruction. These do neither know themselves nor the force of the law. And it is not possible for them to have quietness and peace of conscience in great and inward terrors and in the agony of death, indeed though they have observed the law, loved their neighbors, done many good works, and suffered great afflictions: for the law always terrifies and accuses, saying: you never accomplished all that is commanded in the law: but accursed is he that has not done all things contained therein. Therefore these terrors remain still in the conscience and increase more and more. And if such schoolmasters of the law be not raised up by faith and the righteousness of Christ, they are driven down headlong to desperation.

This also was notably figured when the law was given, as we may see in the 19th and 20th of Exodus. Moses brought the people out of the tents to meet with the Lord, that they might hear him speak to them out of the dark cloud. Then the people being astonished and trembling for fear, fled back (which a little before had promised to do all that God had commanded), and standing aloof, said to Moses: Who can abide to see the fire, and to hear the thunderings and noise of the trumpet? Talk with us, and we will hear you: but let not God talk with us lest we die. So the proper office of the law is to lead us out of our tents and tabernacles, that is to say, from the quietness and security wherein we dwell, and from trusting in ourselves, and to bring us before the presence of God, to reveal his wrath to us, and to set before us our sins. Here the conscience feels that it has not satisfied the law, and that it is not able to satisfy it, nor to bear the wrath of God, which the law reveals when it brings us forth after this manner before the presence of God, that is to say, when it frightens us, accuses us, and sets before us our sins. Here it is impossible that we should be able to stand: and therefore being thoroughly afraid, we flee, and we cry out with the children of Israel: we shall die, we shall die: Let not the Lord speak to us, but speak to us, etc.

He then which teaches that faith in Christ justifies not without the observation of the law, makes Christ a minister of sin, that is to say, a schoolmaster of the law, which teaches the very same doctrine that Moses did. By this means Christ is no Savior, no giver of grace, but a cruel tyrant, which requires such things (as Moses did) which no man is able to perform. See how all the merit-mongers take Christ to be but a new lawgiver, and the Gospel to be nothing else but a certain book which contains new laws concerning works, as the Turks dream of their Quran. But as touching laws, there is enough in Moses. The Gospel then is a preaching of Christ, which forgives sins, gives grace, justifies and saves sinners. Now, whereas there are commandments found in the Gospel, they are not the Gospel, but expositions of the law and matters depending upon the Gospel.

To conclude, if the law is the ministry of sin, then is it also the ministry of wrath and of death. For as the law reveals sin, so does it terrify a man, it shows to him his sin and the wrath of God, and strikes into him a terror of death and damnation. For thus the conscience immediately gathers: You have not kept the commandments of God, therefore God is angry with you. And it thinks this to be an infallible consequence: I have sinned, therefore I must die. And so it follows that the ministry of sin is the ministry of wrath and condemnation. For after that sin is revealed, immediately ensues the wrath of God, death, and damnation. And hereof it comes that many which are not able to bear the judgment and wrath of God which the law sets before their eyes, do kill, hang or drown themselves.

Verse 17. God forbid.

As though he would say: Christ is not the minister of sin, but the giver of righteousness and eternal life. Therefore Paul separates Moses far from Christ. Let Moses then tarry on the earth: let him be the schoolmaster of the letter, and exactor of the law: let him torment and crucify sinners. But the believers (says Paul) have another schoolmaster in their conscience: not Moses but Christ, which has abolished the law and sin, has overcome the wrath of God, and destroyed death. He bids us that labor and are oppressed with all kinds of evils, to come to him. Therefore when we flee to him, Moses with his law vanishes away, so that his sepulcher can nowhere be seen: sin and death can hurt us no more. For Christ our instructor is Lord over the law, sin and death, so that they which believe in him, are delivered from the same. It is therefore the proper office of Christ to deliver from sin and from death. And this Paul teaches and repeats everywhere.

We are condemned and killed by the law, but by Christ we are justified and restored to life. The law astonishes us and drives us from God: but Christ reconciles us to God, and makes for us an entrance, that we may boldly come to him: for he is the Lamb of God that has taken away the sins of the world. Now, if the sin of the world is taken away, then is it taken away from me also which do believe in him. If sin is taken away, then is the wrath of God, death and damnation taken away also: and in the place of sin succeeds righteousness, in the place of wrath, reconciliation and grace, in the place of death, life, and in the place of damnation, salvation. Let us learn to practice this distinction, not in words only, but in life and lively experience, and with an inward feeling. For where Christ is, there must needs be joy of heart and peace of conscience: for Christ is our reconciliation, righteousness, peace, life, and salvation. Briefly, whatever the poor afflicted conscience desires, it finds in Christ abundantly. Now Paul goes about to amplify this argument, and to persuade as follows.

Verse 18. For if I build again the things that I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

As if he should say: I have not preached to this end that I might build again those things which I once destroyed. For if I should do so, I should not only labor in vain, but should make myself also a transgressor and overthrow altogether, as the false Apostles do: that is to say, of grace and of Christ I should again make the law and Moses: and contrariwise of the law and Moses I should make grace and Christ. Now, by the ministry of the Gospel I have abolished sin, heaviness of heart, wrath and death. For thus have I taught: Your conscience, O man, is subject to the law, sin, and death: from which you cannot be delivered either by men or angels. But now comes the Gospel and preaches to you remission of sins by Jesus Christ, who has abolished the law, and has destroyed sin and death. Believe in him: so shall you be delivered from the curse of the law and from the tyranny of sin and death: you shall become righteous and have eternal life.

Behold how I have destroyed the law by the preaching of the Gospel, to the end that it should not reign in your conscience any more. For when the new Guest Christ Jesus comes into the new house there to dwell alone, Moses the old inhabitant must give place to him and depart somewhere else. Also where Christ the new Guest has come to dwell, there can sin, wrath, and death have no place: but there now dwells mere grace, righteousness, joy, life, true confidence and trust in the Father, now pacified and reconciled to us, gracious, long-suffering, and full of mercy for his Son Christ's sake. Should I then, driving out Christ and destroying his kingdom which I have planted through the preaching of the Gospel, now build up again the law and set up the kingdom of Moses? Indeed this should I do if I should teach circumcision and the observation of the law to be necessary to salvation, as the false Apostles do: and by this means, in the stead of righteousness and life, I should restore again sin and death. For the law does nothing else but utter sin, procure God's wrath, kill and destroy.

What are the Papists (I pray you) indeed the best of them all, but destroyers of the kingdom of Christ and builders up of the kingdom of the Devil and of sin, of wrath and eternal death? Indeed they destroy the church, which is God's building, not by the law of Moses, as did the false Apostles, but by men's traditions and doctrines of Devils. And even so the fantastical heads which are at this day and shall come after us, do destroy and shall destroy those things which we have built: do build and shall build up again those things which we have destroyed.

But we by the grace of Christ holding the article of justification, do assuredly know that we are justified and reputed righteous before God by faith only in Christ. Therefore we do not mingle the law and grace, faith and works together: but we separate them far asunder. And this distinction or difference between the law and grace, let every man that fears God mark diligently, and let him suffer the same to take place, not in letters and syllables, but in practice and inward experience: so that when he hears, that good works ought to be done, and that the example of Christ is to be followed, he may be able to judge rightly and say: well, all these things will I gladly do. What then follows? You shall then be saved and obtain everlasting life. No, not so. I grant indeed that I ought to do good works, patiently to suffer troubles and afflictions, and to shed my blood also if need be, for Christ's cause: but yet am I not justified, neither do I obtain salvation thereby.

We must not therefore draw good works into the article of justification as the Monks have done, which say, that not only good works, but also the punishments and torments which malefactors suffer for their wicked deeds, do deserve everlasting life. For thus they comfort them when they are brought to the gallows or place of execution. Suffer willingly and patiently this shameful death: which if you do, you shall deserve remission of your sins and everlasting life. What a horrible thing is this, that a wretched thief, a murderer, a robber should be so miserably seduced in that extreme anguish and distress, that even at the very point of death, when he is now ready to be hanged or to have his head cut off, he should refuse the Gospel and sweet promises in Christ, which are only able to bring comfort and salvation, and should be commanded to hope for pardon of his sins, if he willingly and patiently endure that opprobrious death which he suffers for his mischievous deeds? What is this else but to heap upon him that is already most miserably afflicted, extreme perdition and destruction, and through a false confidence in his own death, to show him the ready way to hell?

Hereby these hypocrites do plainly declare, that they neither teach nor understand one letter or syllable concerning grace, the Gospel, or Christ. They retain only in outward show the name of the Gospel and of Christ, that they may beguile the hearts of the people. Notwithstanding they denying and rejecting Christ in deed, do attribute more to the traditions of men than to the Gospel of Christ. Which thing to be true, so many kinds of false worship, so many religious orders, so many ceremonies, and so many will-works do witness: all which things were instituted as available to deserve grace, righteousness, and everlasting life. In their confessions they make no mention of faith or the merit of Christ, but teach and set forth the satisfactions and merits of men, as it may plainly appear in this form of absolution (I speak nothing here of other matters) which the Monks used among themselves, indeed and such as would be counted more devout and more religious than others: which I think good here to set down, that our posterity may see how great and how horrible the kingdom of the Pope is.

The form of a Monkish absolution. God forgive you, my brother. The merit of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of blessed Saint Mary always a virgin, and of all the Saints: the merit of your order, the strictness of your religion, the humility of your confession, the contrition of your heart, the good works which you have done and shall do for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, be available to you for the remission of your sins, the increase of desert and grace, and the reward of everlasting life. Amen.

You hear the merit of Christ mentioned in these words: but if you weigh them well, you shall perceive that Christ is there altogether unprofitable, and that the glory and name of a justifier and Savior is quite taken from him, and given to Monkish merits. Is not this to take the name of God in vain? Is not this to confess Christ in words, and in very deed to deny his power, and blaspheme his name? I myself also was once entangled with this error. I thought Christ to be a judge (although I confessed with my mouth that he suffered and died for man's redemption) and ought to be pacified by the observation of my rule and order. Therefore when I prayed or when I said Mass, I used to add this in the end: O Lord Jesus, I come to you, and I pray you that these burdens and this strictness of my rule and religion may be a full recompense for all my sins. But now I give thanks to God the father of all mercies, which has called me out of darkness to the light of his glorious gospel, and has given to me plentiful knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord: for whose sake I count all things to be but loss, indeed I esteem them but as dung that I may gain Christ, and that I may be found in him, not having my own righteousness out of the rule of Augustine, but that righteousness which comes by faith in Christ: to whom with the father and the holy ghost be praise and glory world without end. Amen.

We conclude therefore with Paul, that we are justified by faith only in Christ, without the law. Now, after that a man is once justified and possesses Christ by faith, and knows that he is his righteousness and life, doubtless he will not be idle, but as a good tree he will bring forth good fruits. For the believing man has the Holy Ghost, and where the Holy Ghost dwells, it will not suffer a man to be idle, but stirs him up to all exercises of piety and godliness and of true religion, to the love of God, to the patient suffering of afflictions, to prayer, to thanksgiving, to the exercise of charity towards all men.

Hitherto we have handled the first argument, wherein Paul contends that either we cannot be justified by the law, or else that Christ must needs be the minister of sin. But this is impossible: therefore we conclude that justification comes not by the law. Of this place we have largely treated, as it is well worthy, and yet can it not be caught and set forth sufficiently.

Verse 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live to God.

These are marvelous words and unknown kinds of speech, which man's reason can in no way understand. And although they be but few, yet are they uttered with great zeal and vehemence of spirit, and as it were in great displeasure. As if he should say: why do you boast so much of the law? Of which in this case I will be ignorant. But if you will needs have the law, I also have the law. Therefore, as though he were moved through indignation of the Holy Ghost, he calls grace itself the law, giving a new name to the effect and working of grace, in contempt of the law of Moses and the false Apostles, which contended that the law was necessary to justification: and so he sets the law against the law. And this is a sweet kind of speech and full of consolation, when in the scriptures, and specially in Paul, the law is set against the law, sin against sin, death against death, captivity against captivity, hell against hell, the altar against the altar, the lamb against the lamb, the Passover against the Passover.

In Romans 8 it is said: For sin he condemned sin. Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4: He has led captivity captive. Hosea 13: O death I will be your death, O hell I will be your destruction. So he says here, that through the law he is dead to the law. As if he said: The law of Moses accuses and condemns me: but against that accusing and condemning law, I have another law, which is grace and liberty. This law accuses the accusing law, and condemns the condemning law. So death kills death: but this killing death is life itself. But it is called the death of death by abundance of spirit, or vehement indignation against death. So righteousness borrows the name of sin, because it condemns sin, and this condemning of sin is true righteousness.

And here Paul seems to be a heretic: indeed of all heretics the greatest, and his heresy is strange and monstrous. For he says, that he being dead to the law, lives to God. The false apostles taught this doctrine: Except you live to the law, you are dead to God: that is to say, unless you live after the law, you are dead before God. But Paul says quite contrary: If you be not dead to the law, you cannot live to God. The doctrine of our adversaries at this day is like to the doctrine of the false apostles of that time. If you will live to God (say they) live to the law or after the law. But on the contrary we say: If you will live to God, you must be utterly dead to the law. Man's reason and wisdom understands not this doctrine: therefore it teaches always the contrary: that is: If you will live to God, you must keep the law: for it is written: Do this and you shall live. And this is a special principle amongst all Divines: he that lives after the law, lives to God. Paul says the contrary: that is, we cannot live to God unless we be thoroughly dead to the law. Therefore we must mount up to this heavenly altitude, that we may be assured that we are far above the law, indeed that we are utterly dead to the law. Now if we be dead to the law, then has the law no power over us, as also it has no power over Christ, who has delivered us from the same, that we might live to God. All these things tend to this end, to prove that we are not justified by the law, but by faith only in Jesus Christ.

And here Paul speaks not of the ceremonial law only, (as before we have declared more at large) but of the whole law, whether it be ceremonial or moral: which to a Christian is utterly abrogated, for he is dead to it. Not that the law is utterly taken away: in fact it remains, lives, and reigns still in the wicked. But a godly man is dead to the law, like as he is dead to sin, the Devil, death and hell: which nonetheless do still remain, and the world with all the wicked shall still abide in them. Therefore when the Papist understands that the ceremonial law only is abolished, understand that Paul and every Christian is dead to the whole law, and yet the law remains still.

As for example: Christ rising from death is free from the grave, and yet the grave remains still. Peter is delivered from the prison, the sick of the palsy from his bed, the young man from his coffin, the maiden from her couch, and yet the prison, the bed, the coffin, the couch do remain still. Even so the law is abolished when I am not subject to it, the law is dead when I am dead to it, and yet it remains still. But because I die to it by another law, it dies also to me: as the grave of Christ, the prison of Peter, the couch of the maiden, etc. do still remain, and yet Christ by his resurrection dies to the grave, Peter by his deliverance is freed from the prison, and the maid through life is delivered from the couch.

Therefore these words: I am dead to the law, are very effectual. For he says not: I am free from the law for a time, or I am Lord of the law: but simply, I am dead to the law, that is to say, I have nothing to do with the law. Paul could have uttered nothing more effectually against justification of the law, than to say: I am dead to the law, that is, I care nothing at all for the law: therefore I am not justified by it.

Now, to die to the law, is, not to be bound to the law, but to be free from the law and not to know it. Therefore let him that will live to God, endeavor that he may be found without the law, and let him come out of the grave with Christ. The soldiers were astonished when Christ was risen out of the grave: and they also which saw the maiden raised up from death to life, were amazed. So man's reason and wisdom is astonished and becomes foolish when it hears that we are not justified, except we be dead to the law: for it is not able to reach to this mystery. But we know that when we apprehend Christ by faith inwardly in conscience, we enter into a certain new law, which swallows up the old law that held us captive. As the grave in which Christ lay dead, after that he was risen again, was void and empty, and Christ vanished away: so when I believe in Christ, I rise again with him, and die to my grave, that is to say, the law, which held me captive: so that now the law is void, and I am escaped out of my prison and grave, that is to say, the law. Therefore the law has no right to accuse me, or to hold me any longer, for I am risen again.

It is necessary that men's consciences should be diligently instructed, that they may well understand the difference between the righteousness of the law and grace. The righteousness of grace or the liberty of conscience does in no wise pertain to the flesh. For the flesh may not be at liberty, but must remain in the grave, the prison, the couch: it must be in subjection to the law, and exercised by the Egyptians. But the Christian conscience must be dead to the law, that is to say, free from the law, and must have nothing at all to do with it. It is good to know this: for it helps very much to the comforting of poor afflicted consciences. Therefore when you see a man terrified and cast down with the sense and feeling of his sin, say to him: Brother, you do not rightly distinguish. You place the law in your conscience, which should be placed in the flesh. Awake, arise up, and remember that you must believe in Christ the conqueror of the law and sin. With this faith you shall mount up above and beyond the law into that heaven of grace where is no law nor sin. And although the law and sin do still remain, yet they pertain nothing to you: for you are dead to the law and sin.

This is easily said: but blessed is he which knows how to lay sure hold on these things in time of distress, that is, which can say, when sin outweighs him, and the law accuses him: what is this to me, O law, that you accuse me, and say that I have committed many sins? Indeed I grant that I have committed many sins, yes and yet still I do commit sins daily without number. This touches me nothing: I am now deaf, and cannot hear: therefore you talk to me in vain, for I am dead to you. But if you will needs dispute with me as touching my sins, get yourself to the flesh and members, my servants: teach them, exercise and crucify them. But trouble not me Conscience, which am a lady and a queen, and have nothing to do with you: for I am dead to you, and now I live to Christ, with whom I am under another law, to wit, the law of grace, which rules over sin and the law. By what means? By faith in Christ, as Paul declares hereafter.

But this seems a strange and a wonderful definition, that to live to the law is to die to God: and to die to the law, is to live to God. These two propositions are plain contrary to reason, and therefore no crafty sophist or law-worker can understand them. But learn the true understanding thereof. He that lives to the law, that is, seeks to be justified by the works of the law, is and remains a sinner: therefore he is dead and condemned. For the law cannot justify and save him, but accuses, terrifies, and kills him. Therefore to live to the law, is to die to God: and conversely, to die to the law is to live to God. Therefore if you will live to God, you must die to the law: but if you will live to the law, you shall die to God. Now, to live to God, is to be justified by grace or by faith for Christ's sake, without the law and works.

This is then the proper and true definition of a Christian, that he is the child of grace and remission of sins, because he is under no law, but is above the law, sin, death, and hell. And even as Christ is free from the grave, and Peter from the prison, so is a Christian free from the law. And such a respect there is between the justified conscience and the law, as is between Christ raised up from the grave, and the grave: and as is between Peter delivered from the prison, and the prison. And just as Christ by his death and resurrection is dead to the grave, so that it has now no power over him, nor is able any longer to hold him, but the stone being rolled away, the seals broken, and the keepers astonished, he rises again and goes away without any let: and as Peter by his deliverance is freed from the prison, and goes wherever he will: even so the conscience by grace is delivered from the law. So is every one that is born of the spirit. But the flesh knows not from where this comes, nor where it goes, for it cannot judge but after the law. But on the contrary, the spirit says: let the law accuse me, let sin and death terrify me never so much, yet I do not therefore despair: for I have the law against the law, sin against sin, and death against death.

Therefore when I feel the remorse and sting of conscience for sin, I behold that brazen serpent Christ hanging upon the cross. There I find another sin against my sin which accuses and devours me. Now this other sin, namely in the flesh of Christ, which takes away the sins of the world, is almighty: it condemns and swallows up my sin. So my sin is condemned by sin, that is, by Christ crucified: who is made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him (2 Corinthians 5:21). In like manner I find death in my flesh, which afflicts and kills me: but I have in me a contrary death, which is the death: for this death crucifies and swallows up my death.

These things are not done by the law or works, but by Christ crucified: upon whose shoulders lie all the evils of mankind, the law, sin, death, the Devil, and hell: and all these die in him, for by his death he has killed them. But we must receive this benefit of Christ with a sure faith. For just as neither the law nor any work thereof is offered to us, but Christ alone: so nothing is required of us but faith alone, by which we apprehend Christ, and believe that our sins and our death are condemned and abolished in the sin and death of Christ.

Thus we have always most certain and sure arguments, which necessarily conclude that justification comes by faith alone. For how should the law and works avail to justification, seeing that Paul is so earnest both against the law and works, and says plainly that we must be dead to the law, if we will live to God. But if we be dead to the law, and the law be dead to us, then has it nothing to do with us. How then should it avail anything at all to our justification? Therefore we must needs say, that we be justified by grace alone, or by faith alone in Christ, without the law and works.

This the blind sophisters do not understand, and therefore they dream that faith justifies not except it does the works of charity. By this means faith which believes in Christ becomes unprofitable and of no effect: for the virtue of justifying is taken from it except it be furnished with charity. But let us now set apart the law and charity until another time, and let us rest only upon the point of this present matter: which is this, that Jesus Christ the son of God died upon the cross, did bear in his body my sins, the law, death, the Devil and hell. These invincible enemies and tyrants do oppress, vex, and trouble me, and therefore I am careful how I may be delivered out of their hands, justified and saved. Here I find neither law, work nor charity which is able to deliver me from their tyranny. There is none but the Lord Jesus only and alone, which takes away the law, kills and destroys my death in his body, and by this means spoils hell, judges, and crucifies the Devil, and throws him down into hell. To be brief, all the enemies which did before torment and oppress me, Christ Jesus has brought to nothing: has spoiled them, and made a show of them openly, triumphing by himself over them, in such sort that they can now rule and reign no more over me, but are constrained to obey me (Colossians 2:15).

By this we may plainly see, that there is nothing here for us to do. Only it belongs to us, to hear that these things have been wrought and done in this sort, and by faith to apprehend the same. And this is the true formed and furnished faith indeed. Now, when I have thus apprehended Christ by faith, and through him am dead to the law, justified from sin, delivered from death, the devil, and hell, then I do good works, I love God, I give thanks to him, I exercise charity toward my neighbor. But this charity or works following do neither form nor adorn my faith, but my faith forms and adorns charity. This is our divinity: which seems strange and marvelous, or rather foolish to carnal reason: namely, that I am not only blind and deaf to the law, indeed delivered and freed from the law, but also wholly dead to the same.

This sentence of Paul: Through the law I am dead to the law, is full of consolation. Which, if it may enter into a man in due season, and take sure hold in his heart with good understanding, it may so work that it will make him able to stand against all dangers of death, and all terrors of conscience and sin, although they assail him, accuse him, and would drive him to desperation never so much. True it is that every man is tempted: if not in his life, yet at his death. There, when the law accuses him and shows to him his sins, his conscience by and by says: You have sinned. If then you take good hold of that which Paul here teaches, you will answer: I grant I have sinned. Then will God punish you. In fact, he will not do so. Why, does not the law of God so say? I have nothing to do with that law. Why so? Because I have another law which strikes this law dumb, that is to say, liberty. What liberty is that? The liberty of Christ, for by Christ I am utterly freed from the law. Therefore that law which is and remains a law to the wicked, is to me liberty, and binds that law which would condemn me: and by this means that law which would bind me and hold me captive, is now fast bound itself, and held captive by grace and liberty, which is now my law: which says to that accusing law: You shall not hold this man bound and captive, for he is mine: but I will hold you in captivity, and bind your hands that you shall not hurt him, for he lives now to Christ, and is dead to you.

This to do, is to dash out the teeth of the law, to wrest his sting and all his weapons from him, and to spoil him of all his force. And yet the same law notwithstanding continues and remains still to the wicked and unbelievers: and to us also that are weak, insofar as we lack faith, it continues yet still in his force: here it has his edge and teeth. But if I do believe in Christ, although sin drives me never so much to despair, yet staying upon this liberty which I have in Christ, I confess that I have sinned: but my sin which is a condemned sin, is in Christ which is a condemning sin. Now this condemning sin is stronger than that which is condemned: for it is justifying grace, righteousness, life, and salvation. Thus when I feel the terror of death, I say: You have nothing to do with me, O death, for I have another death which kills you my death, and that death which kills, is stronger than that which is killed.

Thus a faithful man by faith only in Christ, may raise up himself, and conceive such sure and sound consolation, that he shall not need to fear the devil, sin, death, or any evils. And although the Devil set upon him with all might and main, and go about with all the terrors of the world to oppress him, yet he conceives good hope even in the midst thereof, and thus he says: Sir Devil, I fear not your threatenings and terrors, for there is one whose name is Jesus Christ, in whom I believe: he has abolished the law, condemned sin, vanquished death and destroyed hell: and he is your Tormentor, O Satan, for he has bound you, and holds you captive, to the end that you should no more hurt me, or any that believes in him. This faith the Devil cannot overcome, but is overcome by it. For this is the victory (says Saint John) that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world, but he which believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Paul therefore through a vehement zeal and indignation of spirit, calls grace itself the law, which notwithstanding is an exceeding and inestimable liberty of grace which we have in Christ Jesus. Moreover he gives this opprobrious name to the law for our consolation, to let us understand that there is a new name given to it: to wit, that it is not now alive any more, but dead and condemned. And here (which is a pleasant sight to behold) he brings forth the law, and sets it before us as a thief and a robber, which is already condemned and adjudged to death. For he describes it as it were a prisoner having both hands and feet fast bound, and all his power taken away, so that it cannot exercise his tyranny, that is to say, it cannot accuse and condemn any more: and with this most pleasant sight he makes it odious and contemptible to the conscience: so that now he which believes in Christ dare boldly and with a holy pride triumph over the law after this manner. I am a sinner: if you can do anything against me, O law, now do your worst. So far from it is it then that the law is now terrible to him which does believe.

Since Christ is risen from death, why should he now fear the grave? Since Peter is delivered from the prison, why should he now fear it? When the maiden was at the point of death, then might she indeed fear the bed: but being now raised up, why should she fear it? In like manner, why should a Christian which enjoys and possesses Christ by faith, fear the law? True it is that he feels the terrors of the law, but he is not overcome by them: but staying upon the liberty which he has in Christ, he says: I hear you murmuring, O law, that you would accuse and condemn me: but this troubles me nothing at all. You are to me as the grave was to Christ. For I see that you are fast bound hand and foot: and this has my law done. What law is that? Liberty, which is called the law, not because it binds me, but because it binds my law. The law of the ten commandments did bind me. But against that law I have another law, even the law of grace: which notwithstanding is to me no law, neither does it bind me, but sets me at liberty. And this is a law against that accusing and condemning law: which law it so binds, that it has no power to hurt me any more. So against my death which binds me, I have another death, that is to say, life, which quickens me in Christ: and this death looses and frees me from the bonds of my death, and with the same bonds binds my death. So death which bound me, is now fast bound, which killed me, is now killed by death, that is to say, by life itself.

Thus Christ with most sweet names is called my law, my sin, my death, against the law, against sin, against death: whereas in very deed he is nothing else but mere liberty, righteousness, life and everlasting salvation. And for this cause he is made the law of the law, the sin of sin, the death of death, that he might redeem me from the curse of the law, justify me and quicken me. So then, while Christ is the law, he is also liberty, while he is sin he is righteousness, and while he is death he is life. For in that he suffered the law to accuse him, sin to condemn him and death to devour him, he abolished the law, he condemned sin, he destroyed death, he justified and saved me. So is Christ the poison of the law, sin, and death, and the remedy for the obtaining of liberty, righteousness, and everlasting life.

This manner of speech which Paul here uses and is proper to him alone, is full of consolation. Likewise in the 7th chapter to the Romans he sets the law of the spirit against the law of the members, and because this is a strange and a marvelous manner of speaking, therefore it enters more easily into the mind and sticks faster in the memory. Moreover, when he says: I through the law am dead to the law, it sounds more sweetly than if he should say: I through liberty am dead to the law. For he sets before us as it were a certain picture: as if the law were fighting against the law. As though he should say: O law, if you can accuse me, terrify me, and bind me, I will set above and against you another law, that is to say, another tormentor, which shall accuse you, bind you and triumph over you. When you are thus bound and suppressed, then am I at liberty. So then grace is a law, not to me, for it binds me not, but to my law: which this law so binds that it can not hurt me any more.

Thus Paul goes about to draw us wholly from the beholding of the law, sin, death, and all other evils, and to bring us to Christ, that there we might behold this joyful conflict: to wit, the law fighting against the law, that it may be to me liberty: sin against sin, that it may be to me righteousness: death against death, that I may obtain life: Christ fighting against the Devil, that I may be the child of God: and destroying hell that I may enjoy the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 19. That I might live to God.

That is to say, that I might live before God. You see then that there is no life unless you be without the law, yes unless you be utterly dead to the law, I mean in conscience. Notwithstanding in the meantime (as I have often said) so long as the body lives, the flesh must be exercised with laws and vexed with exactions and penalties of laws, as were the Egyptians. But the inward man not subject to the law, but delivered and freed from it, is a lively, just, and holy person, not of himself, but in Christ, because he believes in him, as follows.

Verse 20. I am crucified with Christ.

This he adds to declare that the law is a devourer of the law. Not only (says he) I am dead to the law through the law that I may live to God, but also I am crucified with Christ. But Christ is Lord over the law because he is crucified and dead to the law: Therefore am I also Lord over the law: for I likewise am crucified and dead to the law for as much as I am crucified and dead with Christ. By what means? By grace and faith. Through this faith, because I am now crucified and dead to the law, therefore the law loses all his power which it had over me, even as it has lost all his power which it had over Christ. Therefore even as Christ himself was crucified to the law, sin, death and the Devil, so that they have no further power over him: even so I through faith being now crucified with Christ in spirit, am crucified and dead to the law, sin, death and the Devil, so that they have no further power over me, but are now crucified and dead to me.

Paul speaks not here of crucifying by imitation or example (for to follow the example of Christ is also to be crucified with him), which crucifying belongs to the flesh. Whereof Peter speaks in his 1st epistle and 2nd chapter. Christ suffered for us (says he) leaving to us an example that we should follow his steps. But he speaks here of that high crucifying, whereby sin, the devil and death are crucified in Christ and not in me. Here Christ Jesus does all himself alone. But I believing in Christ am by faith crucified also with Christ, so that all these things are crucified and dead to me.

Verse 20. Thus I live.

I speak not so (says he) of my death and crucifying as though I now lived not: Yes I live, for I am quickened by this death and crucifying through the which I die: That is, for as much as I am delivered from the law, sin and death, I now live indeed. Therefore that crucifying and that death whereby I am crucified and dead to the law, sin, death and all evils, is to me resurrection and life. For Christ crucifies the Devil, he kills death, condemns sin, and binds the law: and I believing this, am delivered from the law, sin, death and the Devil. The law therefore is bound, dead and crucified to me, and I again am bound, dead, and crucified to it. Therefore even by this death and crucifying, that is to say, by this grace or liberty I now live.

Here (as before I have said) we must observe Paul's manner of speaking. He says that we are dead and crucified to the law, whereas in very deed the law itself is dead and crucified to us. But this manner of speech he uses here of purpose, that it may be the more sweet and comfortable to us. For the law (which notwithstanding continues, lives and reigns in the whole world, which also accuses and condemns all men) is crucified and dead to those only which believe in Christ: and therefore to them alone belongs this glory, that they are dead to sin, hell, death, and the Devil.

Verse 20. Yet now not I.

That is to say, not in my own person nor in my own substance. Here he plainly shows by what means he lives: And he teaches what true Christian righteousness is, namely that righteousness whereby Christ lives in us, and not that which is in our person. Therefore when we speak of Christian righteousness we must utterly reject the person. And here Christ and my conscience must become one body, so that nothing remains in my sight but Christ crucified and raised from the dead. But if I behold myself only and set Christ aside, I am gone. For immediately I fall into this thought: Christ is in heaven and you are on the earth: how will you now come to him? Indeed I will live holily and do that which the law requires: so shall I enter into life. Here returning to myself, and considering what I am, what I ought to be, and what I am bound to do, I lose Christ out of sight, who is my righteousness and life. Who being lost, there is no counsel nor succor now remaining, but certain desperation and destruction must needs follow.

And this is a common evil among men. For such is our misery, that when temptation or death comes, immediately setting Christ aside, we consider our own life past and what we have done. Here, except we be raised up again by faith, we must needs perish. Therefore we must learn in such conflicts and terrors of conscience forgetting ourselves, and setting the law, our life past, and all our works apart, which drive us to the consideration of ourselves only, to turn our eyes wholly to that brazen serpent Christ Jesus crucified, and assuredly believe that he is our righteousness and life, not fearing the threatenings and terrors of the law, sin, death and the judgment of God. For Christ, on whom our eyes are fixed, in whom we live, who also lives in us, is Lord and conqueror of the law, sin, death and all evils: In whom most certain and sure consolation is set forth to us and victory given.

Verse 20. Thus I live, yet not I now, but Christ lives in me.

Where he says: Thus I live, he speaks it as it were in his own person. Therefore he immediately corrects himself, saying: yet not I now. That is to say, I live not now in my own person, but Christ lives in me. Indeed the person lives, but not in himself, nor for his own cause, nor for anything that is in him. But who is that I of whom he says: yet not I. This I is he which has the law, and is bound to do the works thereof: who also is a certain person separate from Christ. This person Paul rejects. For as he is separate from Christ he belongs to death and hell. Therefore he says: Now not I, but Christ lives in me. He is my form, my furniture and perfection, adorning and beautifying my faith, as the color, the clear light, or the whiteness do garnish and beautify the wall. Thus are we constrained to set forth this matter plainly. For we cannot spiritually conceive that Christ is so nearly joined and united to us, as the color or whiteness are united to the wall. Christ therefore (says he) thus joined and united to me and abiding in me, lives this life in me which I now live: yea, Christ himself is this life which I now live. Therefore Christ and I in this regard are both one.

Now Christ living in me abolishes the law, condemns sin, and destroys death: for it cannot be but at his presence all these must needs vanish away. For Christ is everlasting peace, consolation, righteousness and life: and to these the terror of the law, heaviness of mind, sin, hell, and death must needs give place. So Christ living and abiding in me, takes away and swallows up all evils which vex and afflict me. This union or conjunction then is the cause that I am delivered from the terror of the law and sin, am separate from myself, and translated to Christ and his kingdom, which is a kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, joy, life, salvation, and eternal glory. Thus I now abiding and dwelling in him, what evil is there that can hurt me?

In the meantime the old man abides without and is subject to the law: but as concerning justification, Christ and I must be entirely conjoined and united together, so that he may live in me and I in him. And this is a wonderful manner of speech. Now, because Christ lives in me, therefore look what grace, righteousness, life, peace, and salvation is in me, it is his, and yet notwithstanding the same is mine also by that inseparable union and conjunction which is through faith: by which Christ and I are made as it were one body in spirit. For as much then as Christ lives in me, it follows, that as I must needs be with him partaker of grace, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation: so the law, sin, and death can have no place in me: yea the law is crucified and swallowed up of the law, sin of sin, and death of death. Thus Paul goes about to draw us from the beholding of ourselves, the law and works, and to plant in us true faith in Christ: so that in the matter of justification we should think upon nothing else but grace, separating the same far from the law and works, which in this matter ought to have no place.

Paul has his peculiar phrase or kind of speech, which is not after the manner of men, but divine and heavenly: nor used of the Evangelists or of the rest of the Apostles, saving only of John, who also is wont sometimes so to speak. And if Paul had not first used this phrase and set forth the same to us in plain words, the very Saints themselves would not have dared to use it. For it seems a very strange and a monstrous manner of speaking thus to say: I live, I live not: I am dead, I am not dead: I am a sinner, I am not a sinner: I have the law, I have not the law. Which phrase is sweet and comfortable to all those that believe in Christ. For in that they behold themselves, they have both the law and sin: but in that they look to Christ, they are dead to the law and have no sin. If then in the matter of justification you separate the person of Christ from your person, then you are in the law, you abide in the law, you live in the law and not in Christ, and so you are condemned of the law and dead before God. For you have that faith which (as the Sophisters dream) is furnished with charity. Thus I speak for example's sake. For there was never any one found that was saved by this faith. And therefore whatever things the Sophisters have written touching this faith, are nothing else but vain toys and mere deceits of Satan. But let us grant that such there be as have this faith: yet are they not therefore justified. For they have but a historical faith concerning Christ, which the Devil also and all the wicked have.

Faith therefore must be purely taught: namely that you are so entirely and nearly joined to Christ, that he and you are made as it were one person, so that you may boldly say, I am now one with Christ, that is to say, Christ's righteousness, victory, and life are mine. And again, Christ may say, I am that sinner, that is, his sins and his death are mine because he is united and joined to me and I to him. For by faith we are so joined together that we are become one flesh and one bone (Ephesians 5); we are the members of the body of Christ, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones: so that this faith does couple Christ and me more nearly together than the husband is coupled to his wife. This faith therefore is not an idle quality, but the excellence thereof is such, that it utterly confounds these foolish dreams of the Sophisters touching their formed faith and counterfeit charity, their merits, works and worthiness. These things I would gladly set forth more amply if by any means I could.

Up to this point we have declared this to be the first argument of Paul: that either Christ must needs be the minister of sin, or else the law does not justify: when he had finished this argument, he set forth himself for an example, saying: that he was dead to that old law by a certain new law. Now he answers two objections which might be made against him. His first answer is against the cavilings of the proud, and the offense of the weak. For when remission of sins is freely preached, then do the malicious immediately slander this preaching. As (Romans 3): Let us do evil that good may come thereof. For these fellows as soon as they hear that we are not justified by the law, immediately do maliciously conclude and say: why, then let us reject the law. Again, if grace does there abound (say they) where sin does abound, let us then abound in sin that we may become righteous, and that grace may the more abound. These are the malicious and proud spirits, which spitefully and wittingly slander the Scriptures and sayings of the Holy Ghost, even as they slandered Paul while the apostles lived, to their own confusion and condemnation, as it is said (2 Peter 3).

Moreover, the weak which are not malicious, are offended when they hear that the law and good works are not to be done as necessary to justification. These must be helped, and must be instructed how good works do not justify: how they ought to be done, how not to be done. They ought to be done, not as the cause, but as the fruits of righteousness: and when we are made righteous we ought to do them: but not the other way around, to the end that when we are unrighteous we may be made righteous. The tree makes the apple, but not the apple the tree.

He said before: I am dead, etc.; here the presumptuous and malicious might soon take occasion to cavil after this manner. What do you say, Paul? Are you dead? How then do you speak? How do you write? The weak also might soon be offended and say to him: what are you, Paul? Do we not see that you are living, and do such things as pertain to this life? To this he answers: I live indeed, and yet now not I, but Christ lives in me. There is then a double life. The first is mine, which is natural: the second is the life of another, that is to say, the life of Christ in me. As touching my natural life I am dead, and now I live another life. I live not now as Paul, but Paul is dead. Who is it then that lives? The Christian. Paul therefore as he lives in himself, is wholly dead through the law: but as he lives in Christ, or rather as Christ lives in him, he lives by another life: for Christ speaks in him, lives in him, and exercises all the operations of life in him. This comes not now of the life of Paul, but of the life of the Christian and regenerate person. Therefore you malicious spirit, where I say that I am dead, slander my words no more. And you that are weak, be not offended, but distinguish and divide this matter rightly. For (as I said) there are two lives: to wit, my natural life, and the life of another. By my own life I live not: for if I did, the law would have dominion over me, and hold me in captivity. To the end therefore that it should not hold me in captivity and bondage, I am dead to it by another law: and this death purchases to me the life of another, even the life of Christ: which life is not mine by nature, but is given to me by Christ through faith.

The second answer is this. It might again be objected to Paul: what do you say, Paul? Do you not live by your own life, or in your own flesh, but in Christ? We see your flesh, but we see not Christ. Would you then delude us by your enchantments, that we should not see you present in flesh, living as you did before, and doing all things in this corporeal life as others do? He answers.

Verse 20. And in that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God.

That is to say, I live indeed in the flesh, but this life, whatever it is, I esteem as no life, for it is no true life indeed, but a shadow of life: under which another lives, that is to say, Christ, who is my true life indeed, which life you see not but only hear and I feel. You hear the wind, but know not from where it comes or where it goes (John 3). Even so you see me speaking, eating, laboring, sleeping, and doing other things, and yet you see not my life. This life which I now live, I live indeed in the flesh, but not through the flesh or according to the flesh, but through faith and according to faith. Paul then denies not that he lives in the flesh, because he does all things that belong to a natural man. He uses also carnal things, as meat, drink, apparel and such like, which is to live in the flesh: but he says that this is not his life: and although he uses these things, yet he lives not through them, as the world lives through the flesh and after the flesh: for it neither knows nor hopes for any life besides this.

Therefore (he says) this life which I now live in the flesh, whatever it is, I live in the faith of the Son of God. For this word which I now corporally speak is the word, not of flesh, but of the Holy Spirit and of Christ. This sight which goes in or comes out at my eyes proceeds not of flesh, that is to say, it is not governed by the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. So my hearing comes not of the flesh, although it be in the flesh, but of the Holy Spirit. A Christian speaks nothing but chaste, sober, and holy things, which pertain to Christ, to the glory of God and the profit of his neighbor. These things come not of the flesh, neither are done according to the flesh, and yet are they in the flesh. For I cannot teach, write, pray or give thanks but with these instruments of the flesh, which are necessary to the accomplishing of these works: and yet notwithstanding these works proceed not of the flesh, but are given by God from above. In like manner I behold a woman, but with a chaste eye, not lusting after her. This beholding comes not of the flesh, although it be in the flesh because the eyes are the carnal instruments of this sight: but the chastity of this sight comes from heaven.

Thus a Christian uses the world and all creatures, so that there is no difference between him and the infidel. For in their apparel, in their feeding, hearing, seeing, speaking, gestures, countenances and such other things they are alike, and in outward appearance they seem to be all one (as Paul speaks of Christ: In outward appearance he was found, he says, as a man:) yet notwithstanding there is great difference. For I live in the flesh (I grant) but I live not of myself: but in that I now live, I live in the faith of the Son of God. This which I now speak, springs out of another fountain than that which you heard from me before. Paul before his conversion spoke with the same voice and tongue with which he spoke afterwards. But his voice and his tongue were then blasphemous, and therefore he could speak nothing else but blasphemies and abominations against Christ and his Church. After he was converted he had the same flesh, the same voice and tongue which he had before, and nothing was changed: but his voice and his tongue then uttered no blasphemies but spiritual and heavenly words: namely, thanksgiving and the praise of God: which came of faith and the Holy Spirit. So then I live in the flesh, but not of the flesh or after the flesh, but in the faith of the Son of God.

Hereby we may plainly see from where this spiritual life comes: which we have not of ourselves but of another, which the natural man can in no way understand, for he knows not what manner of life this is. He hears the wind, but from where it comes or where it goes he knows not. He hears the voice of the spiritual man, he knows his face, his manners and his gestures: but he sees not from where these works, which are not now wicked and blasphemous as before, but holy and godly: or from where these motions and actions come. For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is killed and Christ reigns with his Holy Spirit, who now sees, hears, speaks, works, suffers and does all other things in him, although the flesh does resist. To conclude, this is not the life of the flesh, although it be in the flesh: but of Christ the Son of God, whom the Christian possesses by faith.

Verse 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here have you the true mean of justification, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith set before your eyes. He that can with a firm and constant faith say these words with Paul: I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me, and given himself for me, is happy indeed. And even with these words Paul takes away the whole righteousness of the law and works, as afterwards we will declare. But we must diligently weigh and consider these words: The Son of God has loved me, and given himself for me. It was not I then that first loved the Son of God, and delivered myself for him: as the Sophisters dream, that they love the Son of God and deliver themselves for him. For they teach that a man expuris naturalibus, that is, of his own pure natural strength, can do meritorious works before grace, and love God and Christ above all things. These fellows prevent the love of God and Christ: for they do that which lies in them (as they are wont to say) that is, they do not only keep the commandments, but they do also the works of supererogation, and sell the overplus of their merits to laymen, and so (as they imagine) they deliver themselves for Christ's sake, whereby they save both themselves and others, turning the words of Paul clean contrary, and saying: we have loved Christ and given ourselves for him. Thus, while the wicked being puffed up with the wisdom of the flesh, imagine that they do what in them lies, that they love God, and deliver themselves for Christ: what do they else but abolish the gospel, deride, deny and blaspheme Christ, yea spit upon him and tread him underfoot? They confess in words that he is a justifier and a Savior: but in very deed they take from him the power both to justify and save, and give the same to their own willworks, ceremonies, and devotions. This is to live in their own righteousness and works, and not in the faith of the Son of God.

This is not then the true means to attain justification, to do that which in you lies: as the Sophisters and Schooldoctors do teach, which affirm that if a man do what in him lies, God will undoubtedly give to him his grace. But this saying may not be strictly urged, say they. For if we do those works which may be approved by the judgment of any good man, it is enough: for then grace shall surely follow, because God, in that he is good and just, must needs give grace as a recompense for such good works. And hereof comes this verse: Vitra posse viri non vult Deus vlla requiri. That is, God will no more require of man, than of himself perform he can. Indeed this is a good saying if it be used rightly and in place convenient: that is, in the government of common weales or families. And if I being in the kingdom of reason do execute the office of a magistrate or govern a family, doing that in me lies, I am excused. This kingdom has its bounds and limits: to the which also these sayings do pertain: To do what in us lies: To do as much as we are able. But the Sophisters apply these sayings to the spiritual kingdom, wherein a man can do nothing else but sin: for he is sold under sin. But in external things (such I mean as pertain to civil and household government) he is not a servant, but a Lord and a ruler. Therefore they have done wickedly in applying these sentences to the church, which properly pertain to the government of common weales and families. For the kingdom of man's reason and the spiritual kingdom must be separated far asunder.

Moreover, they say that nature is corrupt, but the qualities of nature notwithstanding are sound and uncorrupt: which also they attribute even to Devils. Upon this ground they reason after this manner. If the natural qualities of man be sound and uncorrupt, then is his understanding and his will sound and uncorrupt, and so consequently all other qualities of nature are pure and perfect in him. To know these things it is necessary for you, that you may hold the sincerity of the doctrine of faith. Where they say then that the natural qualities of man are sound and uncorrupt, and thereof do infer, that a man is able of himself to fulfill the law, and to love God with all his heart, applying these qualities to the spiritual kingdom, I deny the consequence. And here I make a distinction between the natural and the spiritual qualities (which they confound and mingle together), and I say that the spiritual qualities are not sound but corrupt, yea utterly quenched through sin both in man and devil, so that there is in them nothing else but corrupt understanding and a will continually striving against the will of God, which can think nothing else but that which is altogether against God. Notwithstanding, I grant that the natural qualities are uncorrupt. But what qualities are they? That a man being drowned in sin and iniquity, and a bond-slave of Satan, has will, reason, and power notwithstanding to execute the office of a magistrate, to govern a family, to guide a ship, to build a house, and to do such other things as are subject to man: for these things are not taken from him. We do not then deny but that these sentences are true in the corporeal kingdom: But if you wrest them to the spiritual kingdom, I utterly deny them: for there (as I said) we are clean overwhelmed and drowned in sin. Whatever is in our will, is evil: whatever is in our understanding, is error. Therefore in spiritual matters man has nothing but darkness, errors, ignorance, malice, and perverseness both of will and understanding. How then should he work well, fulfill the law, and love God?

Therefore Paul says here that Christ first began and not we. He, even he (says Paul) loved me and gave himself for me. As if he said: He found in me no good will or right understanding: but this good Lord had mercy upon me. He saw me to be nothing else but wicked, going astray, contemning God, and flying from him more and more: yea rebelling against God, taken, led, and carried away captive of the devil. Thus of his mere mercy preventing my reason, my will, and my understanding, he loved me, and so loved me, that he gave himself for me, to the end that I might be freed from the law, sin, the devil, and death.

Again, these words: The Son of God has loved me, and given himself for me, are mighty thunderings and lightnings from heaven against the righteousness of the law and all the works thereof. So great and so horrible wickedness, error, darkness and ignorance was in my will and understanding, that it was impossible for me to be ransomed by any other means than by such an inestimable price. Why do we then vaunt of the soundness of nature, of the rule of reason, of free will, and of doing what in us lies? Why do I offer to God being angry with me (who, as Moses says, is a consuming fire) this my rotten stubble and straw, yea horrible sins, and claim of him to reward me with grace and everlasting life for them, since here I learn such wickedness to lie lurking in my nature, that the whole world and all creatures therein were not able to counterbalance the indignation of God, but that the very Son of God himself must needs be delivered for the same.

But let us consider well this price, and let us behold this captive delivered (as Paul says) for me, the Son of God I mean, and we shall see him without all comparison to exceed and excel all creatures. What will you do when you hear the Apostle say that such an inestimable price was given for you? Will you bring your cowl, your shaven crown, your chastity, your obedience, your poverty, your works, your merits? What shall all these do? Yea what shall the law of Moses avail? What shall the works of all men, and all the suffering of the Martyrs profit you? What is the obedience of all the holy angels in comparison of the Son of God delivered, and that most shamefully, even to the death of the cross, so that there was no drop of his most precious blood but it was shed, and that for your sins? If you could rightly consider this incomparable price, you should hold as accursed all these ceremonies, vows, works and merits before grace and after, and throw them all down to hell. For it is a horrible blasphemy to imagine that there is any work by which you should presume to pacify God, since you see that there is nothing which is able to pacify him but this inestimable price, even the death and blood of the Son of God, one drop of which is more precious than all the creatures in the world.

Verse. 20. For me.

Who is this me? Even I wretched and damnable sinner, so dearly beloved of the Son of God that he gave himself for me. If I then through works or merits could have loved the Son of God and so come to him, what needed he to deliver himself for me? Hereby it appears how coldly the Papists handled, yea how they utterly neglected the holy Scriptures and doctrine of faith. For if they had considered but only these words, that it behooved the Son of God to be given for me, it had been impossible that so many monstrous sects should have sprung up among them. For faith would by and by have answered: why do you choose this kind of life, this religion, this work? Do you do this to please God, or to be justified thereby? Do you not hear, O you wretch, that the Son of God shed his blood for you? Thus true faith in Christ would easily have withstood all manner of sects.

Therefore I say (as I have often times said) that there is no remedy against sects or power to resist them, but this only article of Christian righteousness. If we lose this article, it is impossible for us to withstand any errors or sects: as we may see at this day in the fanatical spirits the Anabaptists and such like: who being fallen away from this article of justification, will never cease to fall, err, and seduce until they come to the fullness of all iniquity. There is no doubt, but they will raise up innumerable sects, and still devise new works. But what are all these things (though they have never so goodly a show of holiness) if you compare them to the death and blood of the Son of God, who gave himself for me? Consider well, I pray you, who this Son of God is, how glorious he is, how mighty he is. What is heaven and earth in comparison of him? Let all the Papists and all the authors of sects, yea though the whole world take their part, be thrown down into hell, with all their righteousness, works, and merits, rather than the truth of the Gospel should be blemished, and the glory of Christ perish. What do they mean then, to brag so much of works and merits? If I being a wretched and a damned sinner could be redeemed by any other price, what needed the Son of God to be given for me? But because there was no other price, either in heaven or in earth, but Christ the Son of God, therefore it was most necessary that he should be delivered for me. Moreover this he did of inestimable love: for Paul says, who loved me.

Therefore these words: who loved me, are full of faith. And he that can utter this little word Me, and apply it to himself with a true and constant faith as Paul did, shall be a good disputer with Paul against the law. For he delivered neither sheep, ox, gold nor silver, but even God himself entirely and wholly, for me, even for me (I say) a miserable and wretched sinner. Now therefore in that the Son of God was thus delivered to death for me, I take comfort and apply this benefit to myself. And this manner of applying is the right force of faith indeed.

These words (which are the pure preaching of grace and Christian righteousness indeed) Paul sets against the righteousness of the law. As if he said: Be it so that the law is a heavenly doctrine, and has also its glory: yet notwithstanding it loved not me, nor gave itself for me: yea it accuses me, terrifies me, and drives me to desperation. But I have now another which has delivered me from the terrors of the law, sin and death, and has brought me to liberty, the righteousness of God, and eternal life: who is called the Son of God: to whom be praise and glory for evermore.

Faith therefore (as I have said) embraces and wraps in itself Christ Jesus the Son of God, delivered to death for us, as Paul here teaches, who being apprehended by faith, gives to us righteousness and life. And here he sets out most lively the Priesthood and offices of Christ: which are to pacify God, to make intercession for sinners, to offer up himself a sacrifice for their sins, to redeem, to instruct, and to comfort them. Let us learn therefore to give a true definition of Christ, not as the School doctors do and such as seek righteousness by their own works, which make him a new lawgiver, who abolishing the old law has established a new. To these Christ is nothing else but an exactor and a tyrant: but let us define him as Paul here does: namely that he is the Son of God, who not for our desert or any righteousness of ours, but of his own free mercy offered up himself a sacrifice for us sinners, that he might sanctify us forever.

Christ then is no Moses, no exactor, no giver of laws, but a giver of grace, a Savior, and one that is full of mercy: briefly, he is nothing else but infinite mercy and goodness, freely given and bountifully giving to us. And thus shall you paint out Christ in his right colors. If you suffer him to be painted out to you any otherwise than thus, when temptation and trouble come you shall soon be overthrown. Now, as it is the greatest knowledge and skill that Christians can have, thus to define Christ: so of all things it is the most hard. For I myself even in this great light of the Gospel, wherein I have been so long exercised, have much ado to hold this definition of Christ which Paul here gives: so deeply has this doctrine and pestilent opinion that Christ is a lawgiver entered in me, even as it were oil into my bones. You young men therefore are in this case much more happy than we that are old. For you are not infected with these pernicious errors, wherein I have been so nurtured and so drowned even from my youth, that at the very hearing of the name of Christ my heart has trembled and quaked for fear: for I was persuaded that he was a severe judge. Therefore it is to me a double travail and trouble to correct and reform this evil: first to forget, to condemn, and to withstand this old deep-rooted error, that Christ is a lawgiver and a Judge: for it often returns and plucks me back. Then to plant in my heart a new and a true persuasion of Christ, that he is a justifier and a Savior. You (I say) that are young, may learn with much less difficulty to know Christ purely and sincerely if you will. Therefore if any man feel himself oppressed with heaviness and anguish of heart, he must not impute it to Christ, although it come under the name of Christ, but to the Devil, who oftentimes comes under the color of Christ, and transforms himself into an Angel of light.

Let us learn therefore to put a difference between Christ and a lawgiver, not only in word but in practice, and in deed also, that when the Devil shall come under the shadow of Christ, and shall go about to trouble us under his name, we may know him, not to be Christ, but a very fiend indeed. For Christ when he comes, is nothing else but joy and sweetness to a trembling and broken heart, as here Paul witnesses, who sets him out with this most sweet and loving title when he says: which loved me and gave himself for me. Christ therefore in very deed is a lover of those which are in bitterness of mind, sin and death, and such a lover as gave himself for them: who is also our high priest, that is to say, a mediator between God and us wretched sinners. What could be said (I pray you) more sweet or comfortable to the poor afflicted conscience? Now, if these things be true (as they are in deed most true, or else the Gospel must be nothing else but a fable) then are we not justified by the righteousness of the law: and much less by our own righteousness.

Read therefore with diligent attention, and with great vehemence these words Me and for me, and so practice with yourself, that you may well conceive and print this Me in your heart, and apply it to yourself with a steadfast faith, not doubting but you are of the number of those to whom this Me belongs: also that Christ has not only loved Peter and Paul, and given himself for them, but that the same grace also which is comprehended in this Me, does as well pertain and extend to us as to them. For as we can not deny but that we are all sinners, and are constrained to say that through the sin of Adam we were all lost, were made the enemies of God, subject to the wrath and judgment of God, and guilty of eternal death (for this do all terrified hearts feel and confess, and more in deed than they should do) so can we not deny but that Christ died for our sins that he might make us righteous. For he died not to justify the righteous, but the unrighteous, and to make them the children of God, and inheritors of all spiritual and heavenly gifts. Therefore when I feel and confess myself to be a sinner through Adam's transgression, why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousness of Christ, especially when I hear that he loved me, and gave himself for me. This did Paul most steadfastly believe, and therefore he speaks these words with so great a vehemence and full assurance. Which he grant to us, in some part at the least, who has [reconstructed: loved] us and given himself for us.

Verse 21. I do not abrogate or reject the grace of God.

Now he prepares a way to the second argument of this epistle. And here you must diligently consider, that to seek to be justified by the works of the law is to reject the grace of God. But, I pray you, what sin can be more execrable or horrible than to reject the grace of God and to refuse that righteousness which comes by Christ? It is enough and too much already that we are wicked sinners and transgressors of all the commandments of God: and yet we commit moreover the most execrable sin of all sins, in that we do so contemptuously refuse the grace of God and remission of sins offered to us by Christ. This blasphemy is more horrible than can be expressed. There is no sin which Paul and the other Apostles did so much detest as the contempt of grace and denial of Christ, and yet there is no sin more common. From this it comes that Paul above the rest does so sharply inveigh against Antichrist for that he despises the grace of God and refuses the benefit of Christ our high Priest, who offered up himself a sacrifice for our sins. Now thus to deny Christ, what is it else but to spit in his face, to tread him under foot, to set himself in his place, and to say: I will justify you and will save you. By what means? By masses, pilgrimages, pardons, merits and such like. We see then how proudly Antichrist has lifted up himself against and above God, and set himself in the place of Christ, rejected the grace of God and denied the faith. For this is his doctrine: Faith avails nothing (says he) unless it be joined with works: and by this false and detestable doctrine he has defaced, darkened, and utterly buried the benefit of Christ, and in the stead of the grace of Christ and his kingdom, he has established the doctrine of works and the kingdom of ceremonies, and has confirmed the same with mere trifles and doting dreams, and by this means he has wrested the whole world out of Christ's hands (who alone ought to reign in the conscience) and has thrown it down headlong into hell.

Hereby we may easily understand what it is to reject and refuse the grace of God, even to seek righteousness by the law. Now, who has ever heard that a man by keeping of the law rejects grace? Do we then sin in keeping of the law? No, forsooth. But we despise grace when we observe the law to this end, that we may be justified through it. The law is good, holy and profitable, and yet it justifies not. He then that keeps the law to be justified thereby, rejects grace, denies Christ, despises his sacrifice, and will not be saved by this inestimable price, but will satisfy for his sins through the righteousness of the law, or deserve grace by his own righteousness: and this man blasphemes and despises the grace of God. Now what a horrible thing is it to say that any man should be so devilish, as to despise the grace and mercy of God? And yet notwithstanding all the world does so. Albeit it cannot abide that any man should so judge of it, but will seem to do high service and honor to God. Now follows the second argument.

Verse 21. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ died in vain.

Here again I admonish you that Paul speaks not of the ceremonial law only (for this the Papists do always allege) but of the whole law. And these words of Paul are diligently to be considered in this way. Is it true that Christ suffered death or not? Again, did he suffer in vain or not? Here we are constrained to answer, except we be stark mad, that he suffered in very deed: and that he suffered not in vain nor for himself, but for us. If then he suffered not in vain, it follows of necessity that righteousness comes not by the law.

Take now therefore the whole law, and imagine that by the merit of congruence or works going before grace, you have so much profited, that you have received grace and the spirit of God, which is a thing impossible to nature: but yet admit (I say) that in doing what in you lies, you have obtained grace, are made righteous, and have received the Holy Spirit by the merit of congruence: then you have no need of Christ, he is to you unprofitable and his death of none effect.

Moreover take even the law of the ten commandments, wherein is contained the true religion and the highest service of God: that is to say, faith, the fear of God, the love of God, and the love of our neighbor, and show me any man that has been justified thereby: yet is it true notwithstanding that Christ died in vain. For he that is justified by the law, has power in himself to obtain righteousness. For in that he does what in him lies, he deserves grace, and the Holy Spirit is poured into him, whereby he is now able to love God and his neighbor. This being granted, it must needs follow that Christ died in vain. For what need of Christ has he which both loves Christ and gives himself for him, so that he is able by the merit of congruence before grace to obtain grace, and then to do such works as by the merit of worthiness after grace he is able to deserve eternal life? Then take away Christ with all his benefits, for he is utterly unprofitable. But why was he born? Why was he crucified? Why did he suffer? Why was he made my high Priest loving me and giving himself an inestimable sacrifice for me? In vain (no doubt) and to no purpose at all if righteousness comes by no other means than the Papists teach: for I find no righteousness but either in myself or in the law, without grace and without Christ.

Is this horrible blasphemy to be suffered or dissembled, that the divine majesty not sparing his own dear son, but delivering him to death for us all, should not do all these things seriously and in good earnest, but as it were in sport? Before I would admit this blasphemy, I would not only that the holiness of all the Papists and merit-mongers, but also of all the Saints and holy angels should be thrown down into the bottom of hell, and condemned with the devil. My eyes shall behold nothing else but this inestimable price my Lord and Savior Christ. He ought to be such a treasure to me, that all other things should be but dung in comparison of him. He ought to be such a light to me, that when I have apprehended him by faith, I should not know whether there be any law, any sin, any righteousness or any unrighteousness in the world. For what is all that is either in heaven or earth in comparison of the Son of God Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Therefore, to reject the grace of God, is a horrible sin and commonly reigning throughout the world, of which all they are guilty which seek righteousness by their own works. For while they seek to be justified by their own works and merits or by the law, they reject the grace of God and Christ, as I have said. And of all these abominations the Pope has been the only author. For he has not only defaced and trodden the Gospel of Christ under his feet, but has also replenished the world with his cursed traditions. And hereof among other enormities, his bulls and pardons are a sufficient witness, whereby he absolves, not such as believe, but such as are contrite, make confession to a Priest, and reach out their helping hand to the maintenance of his pomp and his traditions. Yet notwithstanding in this great light of the Gospel the blind and obstinate Papists do continue still in their damnable doting dreams, saying that the qualities of nature do remain sound and uncorrupt, and that men are able to prepare themselves to grace, or to deserve grace by their own works and merits. And so far off is it that they will acknowledge their error and impiety, that they do yet still obstinately defend the same even against their own conscience.

But we do constantly affirm with Paul (for we will not reject the grace of God) that either Christ died in vain, or else the law justifies not. But Christ died not in vain: therefore the law justifies not. Christ the Son of God of his own free grace and mercy has justified us: therefore the law could not justify us, for if it could, then had Christ done unwisely in that he gave himself for our sins that we thereby might be justified. We conclude therefore that we are justified neither by our own works and merits before grace or after, neither yet by the law.

Now, if my salvation was so costly and dear a price to Christ, that he was constrained to die for my sins, then all my works, with all the righteousness of the law, are but vile and nothing worth in comparison of this inestimable price. For how can I buy that for a farthing which cost many thousand talents of gold? Now the law (to speak nothing of other matters which are of much less value) with all the works and righteousness thereof, is but as a farthing if you compare it to Christ, who by his death has vanquished my death and has purchased righteousness and everlasting life. Should I then despise and reject this incomparable price, and by the law or by the works and merits of men (vile dross and dung, for so Paul calls them, if they be compared to Christ) seek that righteousness which Christ freely and of mere love has given to me already, and has cost him so great a price that he was constrained to give himself and even his own heart's blood for me? This (as I have said) the whole world does, and specially such as will be counted more holy and religious than others. Whereby they plainly witness that Christ died in vain, although with their mouths they confess the contrary never so much. Which is most horribly to blaspheme the Son of God, to spit in his face, to tread him under foot, to count the blood of the testament as an unholy thing, and utterly to despise the spirit of grace.

Paul here disputing of righteousness, has no civil matter in hand, that is, he speaks not of civil righteousness, which God notwithstanding allows and requires, and gives certain rewards to it accordingly, which also reason is able in some part to perform. But he treats here of the righteousness that avails before God, whereby we are delivered from the law, sin, death, and all evils, and are made partakers of grace, righteousness, and everlasting life, and finally are now become lords of heaven and earth and all other creatures. This righteousness neither man's law, neither the law of God is able to perform.

The law is given besides and above reason to be a light and a help to man, and to show him what he ought to do, and what to leave undone. Notwithstanding man with all his strength and reason, yea with this great light also and heavenly benefit (the law I mean) cannot be justified. Now, if that which is the most excellent thing in the world (the law I say) which as a bright shining sun is joined to the dim and obscure light of man's reason, to lighten and to direct it, is not able to justify, what can reason do (I pray you) without the law? What? Doubtless nothing else but that which the Pope with his dreaming sophists and his whole synagogue has done, who with their own traditions have darkened the light even of the first commandment. Therefore there is not one of them that is able rightly to understand any one syllable of the law, but every man walks in mere darkness of man's reason. And this error is much more pernicious and deadly than that which proceeds of the doctrine of works and the law.

These words therefore are very effectual and full of power, where he says: If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain. He speaks here nothing of man's strength, reason or wisdom, be it never so great (for the greater it is, the sooner it deceives a man), but he says plainly without all condition: If by the law, etc. Therefore reason enlightened, aided, and directed by the law, yes even by the law of God, is so unable to attain righteousness, that it draws a man from righteousness and rejects Christ. Set therefore the death of Christ simply against all laws, and with Paul know nothing but Jesus Christ crucified. Receive no light either of reason, or of the law, or of anything else than of Christ alone. Then you shall be learned indeed, righteous and holy, and shall receive the Holy Spirit, which shall preserve you in the purity of the word and faith: but set Christ aside, and all things are but unprofitable and vain, whatever they be (Galatians 2:21).

Here again we see what a fine commendation Paul gives to the righteousness of the law, or man's own righteousness, in that he teaches it to be a contempt and rejecting of the grace of God, and an abolishing of the death of Christ. Paul is no great rhetorician, and yet see what matter he gives to him that wishes to play the rhetorician. What eloquence is able sufficiently to set out these words: To reject grace: the grace of God: Also, that Christ died in vain. The horribleness of which is such, that all the eloquence in the world is not able to comprehend it. To say that any man dies in vain, it is but a small matter: but to say that Christ died in vain, it is to take him quite away and make of him nothing at all. Whoever wishes to play the rhetorician has here matter enough to dilate and amplify at large, what a horrible and blasphemous doctrine it is to set up the righteousness of the law and works. For what can be more blasphemous and horrible, than to make the death of Christ unprofitable? And what do they else which observe the law to the end they may be justified thereby? Now, to make the death of Christ unprofitable, is also to make his resurrection, his victory, his glory, his kingdom, heaven, earth, God himself, the majesty of God, and briefly all things else whatever, but unprofitable and of none effect.

This thundering and lightning from heaven against the righteousness of the law and man's own righteousness, should fear us and make us to abhor it. And here with this thunderbolt falls down all the orders of monks and friars, with all the rabble of such superstitious religion. For who will not detest his own vows, his cowl, his shaven crown, all men's traditions, yes the very law of Moses also, if he hears that for these things he rejects the grace of God and makes the death of Christ unprofitable? The world hearing this, does not believe that it is true. It thinks that such horrible wickedness can not enter into any man's heart, that he should reject the grace of God and esteem the death of Christ as a thing of nothing. And yet this sin commonly reigns. For whoever seeks righteousness without Christ, either by works, merits, satisfactions, afflictions, or by the law, rejects the grace of God and despises the death of Christ, whatever he protests with his mouth to the contrary.

Against these empty theories and foolish dreams — as we have noted — we teach faith, and we lay out the true rule of Christianity in this way. First, a person must be instructed by the law to know himself, so that he learns to say with the prophet: 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). And: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks for God; all have turned aside' (Romans 3:10-12). And: 'Against You, You only, I have sinned' (Psalm 51:4). This is how we drive people away from all ideas of earning grace by fittingness or by merit. When a person has been humbled by the law and brought to know himself, true repentance follows — for true repentance begins with the fear and judgment of God. He sees himself to be such a great sinner that he can find no way to be delivered by his own strength, works, or merits. Then he begins to understand what Paul means when he says that a person is a slave to sin; that God has imprisoned everyone under sin; and that the whole world is accountable to God. Then he sees that all the theology of the Scholastics on merit by fittingness and merit by worthiness is pure foolishness — and that the whole papal system collapses along with it.

At this point the person begins to sigh and asks: 'Who can help me?' Terrified by the law, he despairs completely of his own strength. He looks around and longs for the help of a Mediator and Savior. Then, at just the right moment, the healing word of the Gospel arrives and says: 'Son, your sins are forgiven' (Matthew 9:2). 'Believe in Christ Jesus, crucified for your sins.' 'If you feel the weight of your sins, do not look at them in yourself — remember that they have been transferred and laid on Christ, whose wounds have made you whole.'

This is the beginning of healing and salvation. By this means we are delivered from sin, justified, and made heirs of eternal life — not for our own works and merits, but through faith, by which we lay hold of Christ. So we do acknowledge a quality and a formal righteousness in the heart — not charity, as the Scholastics teach, but faith. And yet, faith in such a way that the heart looks to nothing and grasps nothing but Christ the Savior. This is why you need to know the true definition of Christ. The Scholastics, being completely ignorant of it, made Christ into a judge and a tormentor, and invented their foolish theories about merit by fittingness and merit by worthiness.

But Christ, by His true definition, is no lawgiver — He is the forgiver of sins and the Savior. Faith lays hold of this and believes without doubt that He has accomplished works and merits far beyond any notion of fittingness or worthiness, both before and after grace. One single drop of His blood would have been enough to satisfy for all the sins of the world. But He shed it abundantly and satisfied abundantly. 'Through His own blood He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption' (Hebrews 9:12). And: 'Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith' (Romans 3:24-25). It is therefore a great thing to lay hold of Christ by faith — Christ who bears the sins of the world. And this faith alone is counted as righteousness, as the apostle teaches in Romans 3 and 4.

Note carefully that these three things must be held together: faith, Christ, and acceptance or imputation. Faith takes hold of Christ and holds Him present — enclosing Him as a ring holds a precious stone. Whoever is found with this confidence in Christ dwelling in his heart, God will count as righteous. This is the means, this is the merit by which we obtain forgiveness of sins and righteousness. God says: 'Because you believe in Me, and your faith lays hold of Christ whom I freely gave you to be your Mediator and High Priest — therefore you are justified and righteous.' Therefore God accepts and counts us as righteous solely through our faith in Christ.

This acceptance and imputation is absolutely necessary — for several reasons. First, we are not yet perfectly righteous. Sin still dwells in our flesh as long as we remain in this life, and God is in the process of purging it from us. Furthermore, we are sometimes left by the Holy Spirit and fall into sin, as Peter, David, and other holy men did. Yet we always have recourse to this article: our sins are covered and God will not count them against us (Psalm 32:1; Romans 4:7-8). Not that sin is absent from us — as the Scholastics taught, saying we must keep working until we feel no guilt of sin remaining. Sin truly is always in us, and godly people feel it. But it is covered and not counted against us by God, for Christ's sake. Because we lay hold of Christ by faith, all our sins are, as it were, no sins. But where Christ and faith are absent, there is no forgiveness or covering of sins — only the counting of sins and condemnation. This is how God wills to glorify His Son, and to be glorified Himself in us through Him.

Once we have taught faith in Christ, we also teach good works. Because you have laid hold of Christ by faith — through whom you have been made righteous — now begin to do good. Love God and your neighbor. Call upon God, give thanks to Him, praise Him, and confess Him. These are truly good works, flowing from this faith and from the joy that fills the heart when we have received forgiveness of sins freely through Christ.

Whatever crosses or hardships come afterward are easily borne and cheerfully endured. For the yoke Christ places on us is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). When sin is forgiven and the conscience freed from the burden and sting of sin, a Christian can carry all things with ease. Because everything within feels sweet and comforting, he does and endures all things willingly. But a person who walks in his own righteousness finds everything he does grievous and tiresome, because he does it against his will.

We therefore define a Christian in this way: a true Christian is one to whom God, through faith in Christ, does not count his sin. This doctrine brings tremendous comfort to poor, afflicted consciences in times of deep and inward terror. It is not without good reason that we so often repeat and impress upon your minds the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of righteousness for Christ's sake — and the fact that a Christian has nothing to do with the law and sin, especially in times of temptation. In that he is a Christian, he is above the law and sin. He has Christ the Lord of the law present and enclosed in his heart — as I have said — the way a ring holds a precious stone. Therefore when the law accuses and sin terrifies him, he looks to Christ, and when he has laid hold of Him by faith, he has present with him the conqueror of the law, sin, death, and the devil — the one who reigns over all of these so that they cannot harm him. A Christian, rightly defined, is free from all laws and subject to no creature, inwardly or outwardly — insofar as he is a Christian, I say, not insofar as he is simply a man or a woman. That is: insofar as his conscience is adorned and clothed with this faith, with this great and immeasurable treasure — or as Paul calls it, this gift beyond description — which cannot be praised enough, for it makes us children and heirs of God. And in this way, a Christian is greater than the entire world. He carries within his heart such a gift and such a treasure that though it may seem small, it is greater than heaven and earth — for Christ, who is this gift and this treasure, is greater than all things.

While this doctrine — which pacifies and quiets the conscience — remains sound and uncorrupted, Christians become judges over all kinds of teaching and are lords over the laws of the whole world. They can say with certainty that the Turk with his Quran is condemned, because he does not walk the right way — he does not acknowledge himself to be miserable and damnable, and he does not lay hold of Christ by faith, through whom he could know his sins are forgiven. In the same way, Christians can boldly pronounce judgment on the pope — that he is condemned together with all his kingdom — because he teaches, along with all his religious followers and Scholastic theologians, that one must come to grace by merit of fittingness and then be received into heaven by merit of worthiness. The Christian says: this is not the way to justify us, and this way does not lead to heaven. I cannot earn grace by works done before grace, nor earn eternal life by works done after it. To the one who believes, sin is forgiven and righteousness is imputed. This trust and confidence makes him a child of God and heir of His kingdom — for in hope he already possesses the eternal life that has been promised to him. Through faith in Christ, therefore, all things are given to us: grace, peace, forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life — not by any merit of fittingness or worthiness.

The theology of the Scholastics, therefore — with their ceremonies, Masses, and the endless foundations of the papal kingdom — is the most abominable blasphemy against God: sacrilege and an outright denial of Christ, just as Peter foretold in these words: 'There will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them' (2 Peter 2:1). As if to say: the Lord has redeemed and purchased us with His blood in order to justify and save us — this is the way of righteousness and salvation. But false teachers will come, denying the Lord, blaspheming the way of truth, righteousness, and salvation, and devising new paths of falsehood and destruction — and many will follow them to their ruin. Throughout that chapter, Peter paints a vivid portrait of the Papacy, which has neglected and despised the Gospel and faith in Christ, and has taught instead the works and traditions of men: merit by fittingness and by worthiness, distinctions of days and foods, vows, prayers to saints, pilgrimages, purgatory, and the like. The papists are so steeped in these fantastical ideas that they cannot understand a single syllable of the Gospel, of faith, or of Christ.

The facts make this plain. They claim for themselves the privilege that belongs to Christ alone. He alone forgives sins. He alone gives righteousness and eternal life. Yet they shamelessly and wickedly boast that they can obtain these things by their own merits and worthiness, before and after grace. Peter and the other apostles call these damnable heresies and sects of destruction — because by them people deny Christ, trample His blood underfoot, blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and despise the grace of God. No one can fully grasp how horrible the idolatry of the papists is. The gift offered to us by Christ is beyond price — and the papists' profaning of it is equally abominable. It must not be taken lightly or forgotten, but weighed and considered carefully. And reflecting on it magnifies the grace of God and the benefit of Christ all the more, by contrast. The more deeply we understand the profanation of the papist Mass, the more we abhor and reject it — and the more we embrace the true celebration of the Lord's Supper, which the pope has abolished and turned into merchandise to be bought and sold for others' benefit. For he claims that the priest celebrating the Mass — an apostate, denying Christ and blaspheming the Holy Spirit — performs a good work at the altar, not only for himself but for others both living and dead, and for the whole church, and that he does this merely by performing the act, and by nothing else.

From all of this we can plainly see the immeasurable patience of God — that He has not long since destroyed the whole Papacy and consumed it with fire and brimstone as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. But now these brazen men go about not only to conceal but to glorify their impiety and filth. We cannot ignore this. We must therefore set forth the article of justification with all diligence, so that, like the clearest sun, it may expose the darkness of their hypocrisy and reveal their shame. This is why we so often repeat and so earnestly proclaim the righteousness of faith — so that our opponents may be put to silence, and this article established and confirmed in our hearts. This is absolutely necessary: if we once lose this sun, we fall back into our former darkness. And it is a truly horrifying thing that the pope was ever able to bring this about in the church — that Christ was denied, trampled underfoot, mocked, and blasphemed — and that this was done even through the Gospel and the sacraments, which he darkened and twisted into such horrible abuses that he turned them against Christ, using them to build up and establish his detestable wickedness. O deep darkness! O horrible wrath of God!

Verse 16. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ.

This is the true way to become a Christian — to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law. We must not accept the wicked interpretation of the Scholastics, who say that faith justifies only when love and good works are added to it. With this poisonous gloss the Scholastics have darkened and perverted this and similar passages in Paul — passages where he plainly attributes justification to faith alone in Christ. When a person hears that he must believe in Christ, but is then told that faith does not justify unless it is shaped and adorned by love, his faith collapses immediately. He thinks to himself: if faith without love does not justify, then faith is useless and empty, and love alone is what justifies — because unless faith is adorned and furnished with love, it counts for nothing.

To support this destructive interpretation, they cite this passage from the Corinthians: 'If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am nothing' (1 Corinthians 13:1). This text is their impenetrable wall. But these men have no understanding of Paul and cannot see or grasp anything he says. They have not only mishandled Paul's words — they have denied Christ and buried all His benefits. Therefore we must reject their interpretation as a deadly and diabolical poison, and conclude with Paul that we are justified not by faith furnished with love, but by faith only and alone.

We do agree that good works and love must also be taught — but in the right time and place, when the question is about works and not about the article of justification. Here the question is this: by what means are we justified and do we attain eternal life? To this we answer with Paul: by faith alone in Christ we are pronounced righteous, not by the works of the law or by love. This is not because we reject good works, but because we refuse to be dislodged from this anchor of our salvation — which is exactly what Satan most desires. Since we are now in the article of justification, we set aside and exclude all good works — for this matter will admit no discussion of good works. Therefore in this article we cut off all laws and all works of the law.

But the law is good, just, and holy. True. But when we are in the matter of justification, this is not the time or place to speak of the law. The question here is: who is Christ, and what benefit has He brought us? Christ is not the law. He is not my work or the work of the law. He is not my love, my chastity, my obedience, or my poverty. He is the Lord of life and death, a Mediator, a Savior, a Redeemer of those who are under the law and under sin. We are in Him by faith and He is in us (John 6:56). This bridegroom must be alone with His bride in the inner chamber — all the servants and household sent away. But afterward, when the door opens and He comes out, the servants and maids may return to attend them. Then love and good works can begin their proper work.

Let us learn to distinguish all laws — yes, even the law of God — and all works from faith and from Christ. Let us define Christ rightly and know that He is not the law, and therefore He is not a taskmaster demanding law and works. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Faith alone lays hold of this — not love, though love must follow faith as a kind of gratitude. Therefore victory over sin and death, salvation and eternal life come not by the law, not by the works of the law, not by the power of free will — but by the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Verse 16. That we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law.

Paul is not speaking here only of the ceremonial law, as we have already said — he is speaking of the whole law. The ceremonial law was just as much God's law as the moral law. Circumcision, the institution of the priesthood, the temple service and ceremonies — all were commanded by God no less than the Ten Commandments. Furthermore, when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, that was a law and a work of God's command. This work of Abraham pleased God no less than any other work of the ceremonial law — and yet he was not justified by this work but by faith. For Scripture says: 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness' (Genesis 15:6).

'But after Christ was revealed,' they say, 'the ceremonial law kills and brings death.' True — but so does the law of the Ten Commandments, apart from faith in Christ. Furthermore, no law may be allowed to reign in the conscience — only the law of the Spirit and of life, by which we are set free in Christ from the law of the letter and of death, from its works, and from all sins. Not because the law is evil, but because it is unable to justify us — it produces exactly the opposite effect. To be at peace with God is a high and excellent thing, and for that we need a far greater Mediator than Moses or the law. Here we must do nothing at all — we must only receive the treasure, which is Christ, and lay hold of Him in our hearts by faith, even when we feel ourselves full of sin. The apostle's words — 'that we might be justified by faith and not by the works of the law' — are powerful and full of meaning, not empty or useless as the Scholastics suppose when they skip over them so carelessly.

You have now heard the words Paul spoke to Peter, in which he briefly summed up the chief article of all Christian doctrine — the article that makes people true Christians. He now turns to the Galatians, to whom he is writing, and concludes: since we are justified by faith in Christ, then by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Verse 16. Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

In Paul, 'flesh' does not refer — as the Scholastics imagine — to obvious and gross sins; those he names explicitly as adultery, sexual immorality, impurity, and the like. By 'flesh' Paul means what Christ means in John 3: 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh' (John 3:6). Flesh therefore means all of human nature — reason and every other faculty a person possesses. This flesh, he says, is not justified by works, not even by works of the law. According to Paul, 'flesh' includes all the righteousness, wisdom, devotion, religion, understanding, and will that it is possible for a natural person to have. So even if a person were as righteous as possible according to reason and the law of God, all his righteousness, works, merits, devotion, and religion would still not justify him.

The papists do not believe this. Blind and stubborn, they defend their abominations against their own conscience, continuing in their blasphemy — still mouthing these damnable words: 'Whoever does this or that good work earns forgiveness of sins; whoever enters this or that holy order and keeps its rule, we promise eternal life.' It is impossible to express what a horrible blasphemy it is to attribute to the teachings of demons, to the decrees and ordinances of men, to the wicked traditions of the pope, and to the hypocritical works and merits of monks and friars — what Paul the apostle of Christ takes away even from the law of God. For if no flesh is justified by the works of the law, even less will flesh be justified by the rule of Benedict, Francis, or Augustine — rules in which there is not a trace of true faith in Christ, but only the insistence that whoever keeps them has eternal life.

I have often marveled that the church could endure and continue through so many years of such profound darkness and error, with these destructive sects holding power. Some there were whom God called through the written Gospel and through baptism. These walked in simplicity and humility of heart, thinking that monks and friars and those anointed by bishops were the truly religious and holy ones, while they themselves were common and secular — not worthy to be compared to them. Finding in themselves no good works to set against God's wrath and judgment, they fled to the death and suffering of Christ and were saved in this simplicity.

Horrible and unspeakable is the wrath of God in that He punished the papists' contempt for the Gospel and for Christ, and their ingratitude, by giving them over to a reprobate mind. Blaspheming and denying Christ in His very office, they received in place of the Gospel the abominable rules, ordinances, and traditions of men, which they devoutly revered and honored — and indeed placed far above the word of God. At last they were forbidden to marry and were bound to a forced celibacy in which they were outwardly defiled by every kind of horrible wickedness: adultery, fornication, impurity, sodomy, and every other abomination. This was the fruit of that foul celibacy.

So God, punishing sin with sin, gave them over inwardly to a reprobate mind and outwardly allowed them to fall into such horrible abominations — and justly so, because they blasphemed the only Son of God, in whom the Father willed to be glorified, and whom He delivered to death so that all who believe in Him might be saved through Him — and not through their own abominable rules and orders. 'Those who honor Me I will honor,' He says (1 Samuel 2:30). God is honored in His Son. Whoever believes that the Son is our Mediator and Savior honors the Father — and God in turn honors him, adorning him with His gifts: forgiveness of sins, righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. But on the other side: 'Those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed' (1 Samuel 2:30).

This then is a general conclusion: by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. The law of God is greater than the whole world — it encompasses all people, and the works of the law far surpass the most glorious self-invented works of all merit-mongers. Yet Paul says neither the law nor its works justify. We therefore conclude with Paul: faith alone justifies. This proposition he now sets out to confirm.

Verse 18. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

If it is true, he says, that we are justified by Christ, then it is impossible that we should still be sinners who need the law to justify us. Conversely, if it is not true — if we must be justified by the law and its works — then it is impossible that we could be justified by Christ. One of these two must be false. Either we are not justified by Christ, or we are not justified by the law. The truth is we are justified by Christ, therefore we are not justified by the law. His reasoning is this: if we seek to be justified by Christ and yet, after being justified, are still found to be sinners who need the law — if, that is, those who are righteous in Christ are not truly righteous but still need the law to justify them — then Christ is nothing but a lawgiver and a minister of sin. That would mean the person justified and made holy in Christ is not truly justified or holy but still needs the righteousness and holiness of the law.

But we are in fact justified and made righteous in Christ — for the truth of the Gospel teaches that a person is not justified by the law but by Christ. Now if those who are justified in Christ are still found to be sinners — still belonging to the law and under the law, as the false apostles teach — then they are not yet justified. For the law still accuses them, shows them to be sinners, and demands works of the law as necessary for their justification. The conclusion then follows: Christ is not a justifier but a minister of the law.

With these words Paul forcefully charges the false apostles and all merit-mongers with twisting everything upside down. They turn the law into grace and grace into the law, Moses into Christ and Christ into Moses. They teach that besides Christ and all His righteousness, the observance of the law is also necessary for justification. By this intolerable distortion they effectively make the law into Christ — they attribute to the law what properly belongs to Christ alone. 'If you do the works of the law,' they say, 'you will be saved; if you do not do them, you will not be justified no matter how much you believe in Christ.' Now if Christ does not justify but is instead a minister of sin — as their doctrine necessarily implies — then Christ is nothing more than the law. We receive from Him nothing other than what we already have from the law: the accusation that we are sinners. So Christ as minister of sin simply sends us back to the law and to Moses as our justifier.

It is therefore inevitable that the papists and all who do not truly understand the righteousness of Christ must make Christ into Moses and the law, and make the law into Christ. They teach: 'Yes, faith in Christ justifies — but you must also keep the commandments of God. For it is written: If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments' (Matthew 19:17). At this very first move, Christ is denied and faith is abolished — because what belongs to Christ alone is attributed to the commandments of God and to the law. Christ, by His true definition, is the Justifier and Redeemer from sins. If I attribute this to the law, then the law becomes my justifier, delivering me from sins by my obedience to it. The law is now Christ. And Christ loses His name, His office, and His glory entirely — He becomes nothing but a minister of the law, reproving, accusing, and frightening the sinner, and sending him to someone else who can justify him. That is the law's proper office, not His.

Christ's proper office is this: after the law has condemned a person as guilty, to raise him up again and free him from his sins — if he believes the Gospel. For to all who believe, Christ is 'the end of the law for righteousness' (Romans 10:4; John 1:29). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But the papists and Anabaptists, not understanding this doctrine, turn everything around — making Christ into Moses and Moses into Christ. And this, though they would say otherwise, is their real foundational claim: that Christ is Moses. They also mock and ridicule us for teaching faith so earnestly and so insistently. 'Ha!' they say, 'Faith, faith — just wait and try to get to heaven by faith. No, you must do greater and harder things. You must fulfill the law, as it says: Do this and you shall live' (Luke 10:28). 'This faith you make so much of does nothing but make people careless, idle, and negligent.' So they have become nothing but ministers of the law and workers of the law, calling people back from baptism, faith, and the promises of Christ to the law and works — turning grace into law and the law into grace.

Who would believe that these two things could be so easily confused and mixed together? There is no one so dull as to miss such an obvious distinction between law and grace. The very meaning of the words makes the difference clear. Who does not understand that the words law and grace differ in name and in meaning? It is therefore a monstrous thing that, with so plain a distinction before them, our opponents have fallen into such devilish perverseness as to mingle law and grace together and transform Christ into Moses. For this reason I keep repeating and teaching: this doctrine of faith is very clear as far as words go, and the distinction between law and grace is easy to grasp verbally — but putting it into practice in the heart is very hard.

The pope and his Scholastic doctors openly acknowledge that law and grace are distinct things — and yet in practice they teach the exact opposite. 'Faith in Christ,' they say, 'whether obtained through natural abilities or infused by God, is a dead faith if love is not joined to it.' Where has the distinction between law and grace gone? They distinguish them in name, but in effect they call grace 'love.' This is what all of them do who strictly demand observance of the law and attribute justification to law and works. Therefore whoever does not fully understand the article of justification must inevitably confuse and mix together law and grace.

Let everyone therefore diligently learn, above all things, to distinguish between law and grace — not just in words, as the pope and the Anabaptists do, but in practice. In words they acknowledge these two to be distinct — but in deed, as I have said, they mix them together, for they will not grant that faith justifies without works. If that is true, then Christ profits me nothing. For however perfect my faith may be, in their view it does not justify if it lacks love. Christ grasped by faith is then no justifier; grace counts for nothing; and faith cannot be true faith without love — or, as the Anabaptists add, without the cross, without suffering, without the shedding of blood. But when love is added to faith, then at last it is true faith and justifies.

With this doctrine these lying spirits and destructive sects once again darken the benefit of Christ in our own day. They strip from Him the glory of being the Justifier and make Him a minister of sin. They are in every way like the false apostles. Just as those false apostles required circumcision and observance of the law in addition to faith in Christ — denying that justification by faith was possible without circumcision, saying 'unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved' — so today these strict enforcers of the law demand, alongside the righteousness of faith, the keeping of God's commandments, citing: 'Do this and you shall live' (Luke 10:28), and 'If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments' (Matthew 19:17). Not one of them — however wise — understands the distinction between law and grace.

We make the distinction and say: the question here is not whether good works should be done, whether the law is good, holy, and just, or whether it should be kept — that is a different question entirely. Our question is about justification: does the law justify or not? Our opponents refuse to hear this. They will not answer this question or make the distinction we make. They simply insist that good works must be done and the law must be kept. We know that well enough. But because these are distinct matters, we will not allow them to be mingled together. We will address the topic of good works in its proper place. But since we are now dealing with justification, we set aside all good works here. Our opponents fight so earnestly for works, attributing to them the entire function of justifying — but this is to strip Christ of His glory and assign it to works.

This is therefore a powerful argument, which I have often used to my great comfort: 'If while seeking to be made righteous by Christ...' It is as if Paul were saying: if we, being justified by Christ, are still counted as unjustified sinners who must yet be justified by the law — then we must not seek justification in Christ but in the law. But if justification comes by the law, then it does not come by grace. And if it does not come by grace, then what has Christ accomplished through His death, His preaching, His victory over the law, sin, and death, and His sending of the Holy Spirit? We must conclude: either we are justified by Christ, or through Him we are made guilty and condemned. If the law justifies, then it necessarily follows that we are made sinners through Christ, and so Christ is a minister of sin. If that is the case, then the proposition must be stated this way: everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is a sinner guilty of eternal death, and unless he flees to the law and performs its works, he will not be saved.

Holy Scripture, especially the New Testament, often speaks of faith in Christ and exalts it highly, saying that whoever believes in Him is saved, will not perish, will not be judged, will not be put to shame, and has eternal life. But our opponents say the opposite: whoever believes in Him is condemned, because he has a faith without works, and faithless works condemn. They turn everything upside down — making Christ a destroyer and a murderer, and Moses a Savior. And is this not a horrible blasphemy — to teach that by doing good works you become worthy of eternal life, but by believing in Christ you become guilty of eternal death? That keeping the law saves, and faith in Christ condemns?

Our opponents may not use these exact words — but in effect this is their doctrine. 'Infused faith,' they say — what they specifically call faith in Christ — does not free us from sin. Only faith furnished with love does that. This means faith in Christ without the law does not save us. This is simply to say that Christ leaves us in our sins and under God's wrath and makes us guilty of eternal death. On the other side, if you keep the law and do its works, then faith justifies you because it has works to accompany it — without which faith is useless. Therefore works justify, not faith. O horrible impiety! What destructive and cursed doctrine this is!

Paul builds his argument on a logical impossibility and a clear either/or. If we, being justified in Christ, are still found to be sinners who cannot be justified except by some other means — namely, the law — then Christ cannot justify us; He only accuses and condemns us. From this it would necessarily follow that Christ died in vain, and that passages like 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29) and 'He who believes in Him has eternal life' (John 3:36) are false — indeed, the whole of Scripture, which bears witness that Christ is the Justifier and Savior of the world, would be false. For if we are still found sinners after being justified by Christ, it follows necessarily that those who fulfill the law are justified without Christ. If that were true, we would be no different from Turks, Jews, or pagans — people who use the name and word of God outwardly, but in reality utterly deny Christ and His word. It is therefore a serious impiety to say that faith does not justify unless it is adorned with love. But if our opponents insist on this doctrine, why do they not simply reject faith in Christ altogether — since they make it nothing more than an empty quality in the soul that accomplishes nothing by itself? Why do they not say plainly that works justify and not faith? Indeed, why do they not flatly deny — not only Paul, but the entire Gospel (as in fact they do) — which attributes righteousness to faith alone and not to works? For if faith and works together justify, then Paul's entire argument is false — he who plainly declares that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Verse 17. Is Christ then a minister of sin?

This is a Hebrew figure of speech, which Paul also uses in 2 Corinthians 3, where he speaks with great clarity and depth about two ministries: the ministry of the letter and the Spirit, of the law and grace, of death and life. He says there that Moses, the minister of the law, exercises what he calls the ministry of sin and of death and condemnation. Paul regularly gives such sharp names to the law, and among all the apostles he alone speaks this way. It is very important for those who study the holy Scriptures to understand this manner of speech.

A minister of sin is simply a lawgiver or teacher of the law — one who instructs people in good works and love, requires them to bear the cross and afflictions, and follow the example of Christ and the saints. Whoever teaches and requires these things is a minister of the law, of sin, of wrath, and of death. By this teaching he does nothing but terrify and torment people's consciences and imprison them under sin. For human nature cannot fulfill the law. Even in those who are justified and have the Holy Spirit, 'the law of the members wars against the law of the mind' (Romans 7:23). What will it do then in the wicked, who have no Holy Spirit? Therefore whoever teaches that righteousness comes by the law does not understand what he is saying or claiming. Still less does he keep the law. He deceives himself and others, laying on them a burden they cannot bear, requiring what is impossible — and in the end drives himself and his followers to despair.

The proper function and purpose of the law is to accuse and condemn those who live in complacency — to make them see that they stand in danger of sin, wrath, and eternal death, so that they are terrified and brought to the very edge of despair, trembling at the rustle of a leaf. In that condition, they are under the law. For the law demands perfect obedience to God and condemns everyone who does not achieve it. And it is certain that no living person can render this obedience — which God nonetheless strictly demands. The law therefore does not justify but condemns, according to the word: 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law' (Galatians 3:10). Whoever teaches the law, then, is a minister of the law.

It is therefore not without reason that Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 calls the minister of the law a minister of sin — because the law exposes and reveals sin, which without the law lies dormant. The knowledge of sin — not the shallow, theoretical knowledge of hypocrites, but the genuine knowledge that sees God's wrath against sin and truly feels a foretaste of death — terrifies the heart, drives it to despair, and kills (Romans 7). That is why these teachers of the law and works are called oppressors and tyrants in Scripture. Just as the taskmasters in Egypt crushed the children of Israel with bodily servitude, so these lawgivers and taskmasters drive people into the most miserable bondage of soul, and eventually into despair and utter ruin. They know neither themselves nor the power of the law. It is impossible for them to find peace and quiet of conscience in times of deep inward terror and in the agony of death — even if they have kept the law, loved their neighbors, done many good works, and endured great sufferings. For the law always terrifies and accuses: 'You have never fulfilled everything the law commands — cursed is the one who has not done everything written in it.' So the terrors in the conscience remain and keep growing. Unless such teachers of the law are raised up by faith and the righteousness of Christ, they are driven headlong into despair.

This was powerfully illustrated when the law was given, as we read in Exodus 19 and 20. Moses brought the people out of their tents to meet with the Lord, so that they might hear Him speak from the dark cloud. The people — who had just promised to do everything God commanded — were overcome with trembling and fear, drew back, and standing at a distance said to Moses: 'Who can endure seeing this fire and hearing the thunder and the trumpet blast? You speak to us and we will listen — but do not let God speak to us, or we will die' (Exodus 20:19). So the proper work of the law is to lead us out of our tents and settled places — out of the peace, security, and self-confidence in which we dwell — and bring us before the presence of God, to reveal His wrath and set our sins before us. At that point the conscience feels that it has not satisfied the law and cannot satisfy it, and cannot bear the wrath of God that the law reveals when it brings us like this before God's presence — when it frightens us, accuses us, and sets our sins before our eyes. Standing there is impossible, and so we flee in terror, crying out like the children of Israel: 'We will die, we will die! Let not the Lord speak to us — let him speak through you instead.'

Whoever teaches that faith in Christ does not justify without observing the law makes Christ a minister of sin — that is, a teacher of the law who preaches the same doctrine as Moses. By this view, Christ is no Savior, no giver of grace, but a cruel tyrant who demands what no person can perform — just as Moses did. See how all the merit-mongers take Christ to be nothing but a new lawgiver, and the Gospel to be a book of new laws about works, much as the Turks dream of their Quran. But as for laws, Moses provides enough. The Gospel is the proclamation of Christ, who forgives sins, gives grace, justifies, and saves sinners. The commandments found in the Gospel are not themselves the Gospel — they are expositions of the law and matters that flow out from the Gospel.

To sum up: if the law is a ministry of sin, then it is also a ministry of wrath and death. For as the law reveals sin, so it terrifies a person — showing him his sin and the wrath of God, and filling him with terror of death and condemnation. The conscience immediately draws the conclusion: 'You have not kept God's commandments, therefore God is angry with you.' And it sees this as an inescapable consequence: 'I have sinned, therefore I must die.' So the ministry of sin is the ministry of wrath and condemnation. For once sin is revealed, the wrath of God, death, and condemnation immediately follow. This is why many people, unable to endure the judgment and wrath of God that the law sets before their eyes, take their own lives.

Verse 17. May it never be!

As if to say: Christ is not the minister of sin — He is the giver of righteousness and eternal life. Therefore Paul keeps Moses and Christ far apart. Let Moses remain in his proper place — let him be the teacher of the letter and the enforcer of the law, let him torment and convict sinners. But believers, Paul says, have a different teacher in their conscience — not Moses but Christ, who has abolished the law and sin, has overcome the wrath of God, and has destroyed death. He invites all who labor and are burdened with every kind of evil to come to Him (Matthew 11:28). When we flee to Him, Moses with his law vanishes entirely — his very grave can no longer be found. Sin and death can harm us no more. For Christ, our teacher, is Lord over the law, sin, and death — so that those who believe in Him are delivered from all three. The proper office of Christ, then, is to deliver from sin and from death. This is what Paul teaches and repeats throughout his letters.

The law condemns and kills us, but Christ justifies and restores us to life. The law stuns us and drives us from God; but Christ reconciles us to God and opens the way for us to come boldly before Him — for He is the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world (John 1:29). And if the sin of the world is taken away, then it is taken away from me too, when I believe in Him. Where sin is taken away, the wrath of God, death, and condemnation are taken away as well. In the place of sin comes righteousness; in the place of wrath, reconciliation and grace; in the place of death, life; and in the place of condemnation, salvation. Let us learn to live this distinction — not in words only, but in life and real experience, with inward feeling. For where Christ is, there must be joy of heart and peace of conscience, because Christ is our reconciliation, righteousness, peace, life, and salvation. Whatever the troubled conscience longs for, it finds in Christ abundantly. Paul now sets out to expand this argument and continues as follows.

Verse 18. For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

As if he were saying: I have not preached in order to rebuild what I once tore down. If I did, I would not only labor in vain but would make myself a transgressor and undo everything — just as the false apostles do. That is, I would turn grace and Christ back into the law and Moses, and turn the law and Moses back into grace and Christ. Through the ministry of the Gospel I have abolished sin, sorrow of heart, wrath, and death. For this is what I preached: 'Your conscience, O man, is subject to the law, sin, and death — from which no human being or angel can deliver you. But now the Gospel comes and proclaims forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, who has abolished the law and destroyed sin and death. Believe in Him, and you will be delivered from the curse of the law and from the tyranny of sin and death. You will be made righteous and have eternal life.'

See how I have destroyed the law through the preaching of the Gospel — so that it should no longer reign in your conscience. When the new Guest, Christ Jesus, comes to dwell in the new house, Moses the old occupant must make way for Him and depart. Where Christ the new Guest has come to dwell, there sin, wrath, and death have no place. There dwells only grace, righteousness, joy, life, true confidence in the Father — who is now pacified and reconciled to us, gracious, patient, and full of mercy for His Son Christ's sake. Should I then — by driving out Christ and demolishing the kingdom I built through Gospel preaching — now rebuild the law and restore the kingdom of Moses? That is exactly what I would do if I taught circumcision and observance of the law as necessary for salvation, as the false apostles do. By doing so I would restore sin and death in the place of righteousness and life. For the law does nothing but expose sin, bring God's wrath, kill, and destroy.

What are the papists — even the best of them — but destroyers of the kingdom of Christ and builders of the kingdom of the devil: the kingdom of sin, wrath, and eternal death? They destroy the church, which is God's building — not by the law of Moses as the false apostles did, but by human traditions and the teachings of demons. And in the same way, the confused and fanatical minds of today and of the future do and will destroy what we have built, and do and will rebuild what we have destroyed.

But by the grace of Christ, holding fast to the article of justification, we know with certainty that we are justified and counted righteous before God by faith alone in Christ. Therefore we do not mix together law and grace, faith and works. We keep them as far apart as possible. Let everyone who fears God mark this distinction carefully, and let it take root not as mere words but in practice and inward experience. So that when he hears that good works ought to be done and the example of Christ followed, he can judge rightly and say: 'Good — I will gladly do all these things.' 'What then follows? You will be saved and obtain eternal life?' 'No — not by that.' 'I grant that I ought to do good works, patiently endure troubles and afflictions, and even shed my blood for Christ's sake if need be — but I am not justified by these things, and I do not obtain salvation by them.'

We must not drag good works into the article of justification, as the monks have done. They claim that not only good works but even the punishments and sufferings that criminals endure for their crimes deserve eternal life. When a criminal is brought to the gallows or place of execution, the monks comfort him this way: 'Endure this shameful death willingly and patiently — if you do, you will deserve forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.' How terrible this is — that a wretched thief, a murderer, a robber should be so miserably misled in his final moments of agony, that at the very point of death — about to be hanged or beheaded — he is turned away from the Gospel and the sweet promises of Christ, which alone can bring comfort and salvation. Instead he is told to hope for pardon of his sins through his patient endurance of the disgraceful death he suffers for his crimes. What is this but to pile utter destruction on top of a person already in the most wretched misery — and to point him toward hell through a false trust in his own dying?

By this the hypocrites plainly show that they neither teach nor understand a single letter about grace, the Gospel, or Christ. They retain the outward name of the Gospel and of Christ only to deceive the hearts of the people. In reality they deny and reject Christ, attributing more authority to human traditions than to the Gospel of Christ. The many forms of false worship, the many religious orders, the many ceremonies and self-invented works that were devised to earn grace, righteousness, and eternal life — all of these testify that this is true. In their confessions they make no mention of faith or the merit of Christ, but teach and promote the satisfactions and merits of men. This is plainly visible in the form of absolution used among the monks — those who counted themselves more devout and religious than others. I think it worth recording here, so that those who come after us may see how great and how horrible the pope's kingdom is.

The form of a monkish absolution: God forgive you, my brother. May the merit of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the blessed virgin Mary, and of all the saints; the merit of your order, the strictness of your religious rule, the humility of your confession, the contrition of your heart, and the good works which you have done and shall do for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ — may all of these be available to you for the remission of your sins, the increase of merit and grace, and the reward of everlasting life. Amen.

You hear the merit of Christ mentioned in those words — but weigh them carefully and you will find that Christ is utterly useless there, and that the glory and name of Justifier and Savior has been stripped from Him and given to monkish merits. Is this not to take the name of God in vain? Is this not to confess Christ in words while in reality denying His power and blaspheming His name? I myself was once caught in this same error. Though I confessed with my mouth that Christ suffered and died for human redemption, in my heart I thought Him to be a judge who must be appeased by my observance of my religious rule. So when I prayed or said Mass, I would add at the end: 'O Lord Jesus, I come to You, and I pray that the burdens and strictness of my religious rule may fully compensate for all my sins.' But now I give thanks to God the Father of all mercies, who called me out of darkness into the light of His glorious Gospel and gave me rich knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord — for whose sake I count all things as loss, yes, as rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the rule of Augustine, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. To Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be praise and glory forever. Amen.

We conclude therefore with Paul that we are justified by faith alone in Christ, without the law. Now once a man is justified and possesses Christ by faith — knowing that He is his righteousness and life — he will not be idle. Like a good tree he will bear good fruit. For the person who believes has the Holy Spirit — and where the Holy Spirit dwells, He will not permit a man to be idle. He stirs him up to every exercise of reverence and godliness and true religion: to love God, to patiently endure afflictions, to pray, to give thanks, and to show love to all people.

We have now worked through the first argument, in which Paul contends that either we cannot be justified by the law, or Christ must necessarily be a minister of sin. But that is impossible — therefore we conclude that justification does not come by the law. We have treated this passage at length, as it deserves — and yet it can never be fully grasped or expressed.

Verse 19. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

These are remarkable words and an unfamiliar kind of expression that human reason cannot understand at all. Though brief, they are spoken with great intensity and force of spirit — almost as if in holy indignation. As if Paul were saying: why do you boast so much about the law? In this matter I want nothing to do with it. But if you insist on the law, I have a law too. Moved as if by the Spirit's indignation, he gives the name 'law' to grace itself — applying a new title to the work and effect of grace, as a rebuke to the law of Moses and to the false apostles who insisted the law was necessary for justification. He sets law against law. This is a rich and comforting way of speaking, found throughout the Scriptures and especially in Paul: law set against law, sin against sin, death against death, captivity against captivity, hell against hell, altar against altar, lamb against lamb, Passover against Passover.

Romans 8 says: 'For sin He condemned sin' (Romans 8:3). Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 say: 'He led captivity captive' (Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8). Hosea 13 says: 'O death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting?' (Hosea 13:14). Similarly Paul says here that through the law he died to the law. As if to say: the law of Moses accuses and condemns me — but against this accusing and condemning law, I have another law: grace and freedom. This law accuses the accusing law and condemns the condemning law. So death kills death — but this death-killing death is life itself. It is called the death of death by an abundance of the Spirit, or a fierce opposition to death. So too righteousness borrows the name of sin because it condemns sin — and this condemning of sin is true righteousness.

Paul here appears to be a heretic — the greatest of all heretics — and his heresy sounds strange and monstrous. He says that being dead to the law, he lives to God. The false apostles taught: 'Unless you live according to the law, you are dead to God.' Paul says the exact opposite: 'If you are not dead to the law, you cannot live to God.' The doctrine of our opponents today is just like the false apostles' doctrine of that time: 'If you want to live to God, live according to the law.' But we say the contrary: 'If you want to live to God, you must be utterly dead to the law.' Human reason and wisdom cannot understand this doctrine and therefore always teaches the reverse: if you want to live to God, keep the law, for it is written: 'Do this and you shall live' (Luke 10:28). This is the fundamental principle among all theologians of that school: whoever lives according to the law, lives to God. Paul says the opposite: we cannot live to God unless we are thoroughly dead to the law. We must therefore rise to this high altitude and be assured that we are far above the law — utterly dead to it. If we are dead to the law, the law has no power over us, just as it has no power over Christ, who delivered us from it that we might live to God. All of this Paul says to prove that we are not justified by the law but by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Paul is not speaking here only of the ceremonial law, as we have already explained at greater length, but of the whole law — ceremonial and moral alike. For a Christian, the entire law has been done away with; he is dead to it. This does not mean the law has been utterly abolished: it remains, lives, and reigns in the wicked. But a godly person is dead to the law, just as he is dead to sin, the devil, death, and hell — all of which nevertheless remain, and the world along with all the wicked still lives under them. When the papist says only the ceremonial law is abolished, understand instead that Paul and every Christian is dead to the whole law — even though the law remains.

Consider this illustration: Christ, rising from the dead, is free from the grave — and yet the grave still stands. Peter is freed from prison, the paralyzed man from his mat, the young man from his coffin, the girl from her deathbed — and yet the prison, the mat, the coffin, and the deathbed all remain. In the same way, the law is done away with when I am no longer subject to it; it is dead when I die to it — and yet it remains. Because I die to it through another law, it dies to me, just as the grave of Christ, the prison of Peter, and the girl's deathbed remain — yet Christ by His resurrection is freed from the grave, Peter by his deliverance is freed from the prison, and the girl through life is freed from her deathbed.

The words 'I am dead to the law' therefore carry great force. Paul does not say: 'I am free from the law for a time,' or 'I am master over the law' — he says simply: 'I am dead to the law,' that is, I have nothing to do with it. Paul could not have made a stronger argument against justification by the law than to say: 'I am dead to the law — I care nothing for it, and therefore I am not justified by it.'

To die to the law means to be unbound from the law — to be free from it and to be done with it. Let everyone who would live to God strive to be found outside the law and to come out of the grave with Christ. The soldiers were astonished when Christ rose from the grave, and those who saw the girl raised from death to life were amazed. Human reason is similarly astonished and baffled when it hears that we cannot be justified unless we are dead to the law — for it cannot reach this mystery. But we know that when we lay hold of Christ by faith inwardly in the conscience, we enter a new law that swallows up the old law which held us captive. Just as the grave in which Christ lay became empty after He rose — He was gone — so when I believe in Christ I rise with Him and die to my grave, which is the law. The law no longer holds me. I have escaped from my prison and my grave, which was the law. It has no right to accuse me or hold me any longer — for I am risen.

People's consciences must be carefully instructed so that they clearly understand the difference between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of grace. The righteousness of grace — the liberty of conscience — belongs in no way to the flesh. The flesh may not be free. It must remain in the grave, the prison, the sickbed. It must be subject to the law and labored hard under its discipline. But the Christian conscience must be dead to the law — free from it, with nothing to do with it. This knowledge is valuable, for it brings great comfort to troubled consciences. When you see a person terrified and crushed by the weight and feeling of his sin, say to him: 'Brother, you are making a mistake. You have put the law in your conscience, where it does not belong — it belongs in the flesh. Wake up, rise up, and remember that you must believe in Christ, the conqueror of the law and sin. By this faith you will rise above and beyond the law into the heaven of grace, where there is no law and no sin. Though the law and sin remain, they have no claim on you — for you are dead to the law and to sin.'

This is easy to say, but blessed is the person who can actually lay hold of it in a moment of distress — who can say, when sin overwhelms him and the law accuses him: 'What does this have to do with me, O law, that you accuse me and say I have committed many sins? Yes, I grant that I have committed many sins — and still commit them daily, without number. But this is no longer my concern. I am deaf to you now; you speak to me in vain, for I am dead to you. If you want to deal with sins, go to the flesh and its members — my servants. Teach them, discipline them, crucify them. But do not trouble me, the conscience — a queen and a lady who has nothing to do with you. I am dead to you. I now live to Christ, under another law — the law of grace, which rules over sin and the law.' By what means? By faith in Christ, as Paul will explain next.

But this seems a strange and astonishing definition: that to live to the law is to die to God, and to die to the law is to live to God. These two statements stand directly against human reason, and no clever Scholastic or law-worker can understand them. But here is the true meaning. He who lives to the law — seeking to be justified by the works of the law — remains a sinner and is therefore dead and condemned. For the law cannot justify or save him; it can only accuse, terrify, and kill him. Therefore, to live to the law is to die to God, and conversely, to die to the law is to live to God. If you would live to God, you must die to the law. If you choose to live to the law, you will die to God. To live to God, then, is to be justified by grace — by faith — for Christ's sake, without the law and without works.

This then is the proper and true definition of a Christian: he is a child of grace and forgiveness of sins, because he is under no law but above the law, sin, death, and hell. Just as Christ is free from the grave and Peter from the prison, so a Christian is free from the law. The relationship between the justified conscience and the law is like the relationship between Christ raised from the grave and the grave itself — or between Peter released from prison and the prison. Just as Christ through His death and resurrection is now free from the grave, which can no longer hold Him — the stone rolled away, the seals broken, the guards astonished, He rises and departs unhindered — and just as Peter by his release goes wherever he wishes, so the conscience is delivered from the law by grace. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. The flesh does not understand where this comes from or where it goes, because the flesh can only reason according to the law. But the spirit says: 'Let the law accuse me, let sin and death terrify me as much as they will — I will not despair. For I have law against law, sin against sin, death against death.'

When I feel the sting and remorse of conscience on account of sin, I look to that bronze serpent, Christ hanging on the cross (Numbers 21:9; John 3:14). There I find a sin against my sin — a sin that accuses and devours mine. This other sin, the sin laid on the flesh of Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, is almighty. It condemns and swallows up my sin. So my sin is condemned by sin — that is, by Christ crucified, who was made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the same way I find death in my flesh, afflicting and killing me — but I have within me a contrary death, which is the death of death, for it crucifies and swallows up my death.

These things are not accomplished by the law or by works, but by Christ crucified, on whose shoulders rest all the evils of humanity: the law, sin, death, the devil, and hell. All of these die in Him, for by His death He destroyed them. We must receive this gift of Christ with a firm faith. Just as Christ alone — not the law or any work — is offered to us, so nothing is required of us but faith alone, by which we lay hold of Christ and believe that our sins and our death are condemned and abolished in the sin and death of Christ.

We therefore always have solid and certain arguments that necessarily conclude justification comes by faith alone. For how could the law and works accomplish justification when Paul is so forceful against both the law and works — saying plainly that we must be dead to the law if we are to live to God? If we are dead to the law and the law is dead to us, it has nothing to do with us. How then could it contribute anything to our justification? We must therefore say that we are justified by grace alone — by faith alone in Christ — without the law and without works.

The blind Scholastics do not understand this, and so they dream that faith does not justify unless it performs works of love. By this move, faith in Christ is rendered useless and ineffective, since the power of justifying is taken away from it unless it is furnished with love. But let us set aside the law and love for another time, and rest only on the point before us now: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross and bore in His body my sins, the law, death, the devil, and hell. These invincible enemies and tyrants oppress, trouble, and afflict me — and I am concerned with how I may be delivered from their power, justified, and saved. Here I find no law, no work, no love capable of delivering me from their tyranny. There is no one but the Lord Jesus alone who takes away the law, kills and destroys my death in His own body, and by this means plunders hell, judges and crucifies the devil, and throws him down into his pit. In short, all the enemies who once tormented and oppressed me, Christ Jesus has brought to nothing — He has disarmed them, made a public display of them, and triumphed over them openly, so that they no longer rule over me but are compelled to obey me (Colossians 2:15).

From all of this we see plainly that there is nothing here for us to do. Our part is only to hear that these things have been done and accomplished in this way, and to receive them by faith. This is true, well-formed, and furnished faith. When I have thus laid hold of Christ by faith, and through Him am dead to the law, justified from sin, delivered from death, the devil, and hell — then I do good works, love God, give thanks to Him, and show love to my neighbor. But this love and these works that follow do not form or adorn my faith — my faith forms and adorns love. This is our theology: it seems strange and marvelous to human reason — even foolish. It says I am not only blind and deaf to the law, not only delivered and freed from it, but wholly dead to it.

This sentence of Paul — 'through the law I died to the law' — is full of comfort. If it enters a person's heart in a moment of need and takes firm hold with genuine understanding, it can equip him to stand against every danger of death and every terror of conscience and sin, however fiercely they assail him, accuse him, and drive him toward despair. Every person is tested — if not during life, then certainly at death. There the law accuses and shows him his sins, and his conscience immediately says: 'You have sinned.' If you firmly grasp what Paul teaches here, you will answer: 'Yes, I grant I have sinned.' 'Then God will punish you.' 'He will not.' 'But does not God's law say so?' 'I have nothing to do with that law.' 'Why not?' 'Because I have another law that strikes that law silent — freedom.' 'What freedom?' 'The freedom of Christ. Through Christ I am utterly freed from the law.' Therefore the law, which remains a law for the wicked, is to me liberty — and it binds the law that would condemn me. The law that would hold me captive is now itself bound and held captive by grace and freedom, which is now my law. And my law says to the accusing law: 'You shall not hold this man bound and captive, for he is mine. I will hold you in captivity and bind your hands so that you cannot harm him — for he now lives to Christ and is dead to you.'

To do this is to knock out the teeth of the law, to wrench away its sting and all its weapons, and to strip it of all its power. And yet the same law continues and remains in full force for the wicked and unbelievers — and for us too, insofar as we lack faith, it retains its edge and its teeth. But when I believe in Christ — even if sin is driving me to despair — resting on the freedom I have in Christ I confess that I have sinned. But my sin, which is a condemned sin, is in Christ, who is the condemning sin. And this condemning sin is stronger than the sin condemned — for it is justifying grace, righteousness, life, and salvation. So when I feel the terror of death, I say: 'You have nothing to do with me, O death — for I have another death that kills your death, and that killing death is stronger than the death that is killed.'

A person of faith, through faith alone in Christ, can therefore lift himself up and find such firm and solid comfort that he need not fear the devil, sin, death, or any evil. Though the devil attacks with all his might and tries to crush him with the world's most terrifying horrors, a believer holds on to hope even in the midst of it and says: 'Sir Devil, I do not fear your threats and terrors. There is one named Jesus Christ, in whom I believe. He has abolished the law, condemned sin, defeated death, and destroyed hell. He is your tormentor, O Satan — He has bound you and holds you captive, so that you can no longer harm me or anyone who believes in Him.' This faith the devil cannot overcome — it overcomes him. 'For this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?' (1 John 5:4-5).

Paul therefore, with intense passion and force of spirit, calls grace itself a law — even though it is, in truth, an immeasurable and priceless liberty of grace that we have in Christ Jesus. He gives this provocative name to the law as a comfort to us, to show us that the law's role has been fundamentally redefined: it is no longer alive and active but dead and condemned. And here — which is a delightful sight to see — he brings the law forward and displays it before us as a convicted criminal already sentenced to death. He shows it as a prisoner with both hands and feet shackled, all its power stripped away, unable to exercise its tyranny — unable to accuse and condemn any longer. With this glorious sight he makes the law contemptible to the conscience. Now the person who believes in Christ can boldly and with a holy pride triumph over the law and say: 'I am a sinner — if you can do anything against me now, O law, do your worst.' The law has lost all its power to terrify the believer.

Since Christ has risen from the dead, why should He fear the grave? Since Peter has been freed from prison, why should he fear it? While the girl was on the brink of death, she might have feared her deathbed — but once raised to life, why should she fear it? In the same way, why should a Christian who possesses Christ by faith fear the law? He does feel the terror of the law — but he is not conquered by it. Resting in the freedom he has in Christ, he says: 'I hear you muttering, O law, threatening to accuse and condemn me. But this troubles me not at all. You are to me as the grave was to Christ. I see you shackled hand and foot — and my law has done this to you.' 'What law is that?' 'Freedom — called a law not because it binds me, but because it binds my law. The law of the Ten Commandments once bound me. But against that law I have another law: the law of grace. And this law of grace does not bind me — it sets me free. It is a law against that accusing and condemning law, binding it so that it can no longer harm me.' Against the death that binds me, I have another death — that is, life, which gives me life in Christ. This life frees me from the bonds of my death and binds death with the same bonds. So the death that once bound me is now bound itself, and the death that once killed me is now killed by death — that is, by life itself.

So Christ is called by the most comforting names: my law, my sin, my death — against the law, against sin, against death. And yet in reality He is nothing but pure freedom, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation. For this reason He became the law of the law, the sin of sin, the death of death — to redeem me from the curse of the law, to justify me, and to give me life. While Christ is the law, He is also freedom; while He is sin, He is righteousness; while He is death, He is life. For by allowing the law to accuse Him, sin to condemn Him, and death to devour Him, He abolished the law, condemned sin, destroyed death, and justified and saved me. So Christ is the poison of the law, of sin, and of death — and the medicine by which we obtain freedom, righteousness, and eternal life.

This way of speaking, which belongs to Paul alone, is full of comfort. Likewise in Romans 7 he sets the law of the Spirit against the law of the members. Because this is such a striking and unexpected way of speaking, it enters the mind more easily and stays more firmly in memory. Moreover, when he says 'I through the law am dead to the law,' it rings more sweetly than if he had said 'I through freedom am dead to the law.' He sets before us a picture, as it were, of the law fighting against itself. As if he were saying: 'O law, if you would accuse me, terrify me, and bind me — I will set against you another law, another tormentor, that will accuse you, bind you, and triumph over you. Once you are bound and suppressed, I am at liberty.' Grace is therefore a law — not to me, since it does not bind me, but to my law, which it binds so completely that the law can no longer harm me.

Paul's aim throughout is to draw us entirely away from staring at the law, sin, death, and every evil, and to bring us to Christ — so that there we may behold this glorious battle: law fighting against law, that it may become freedom for me; sin fighting against sin, that it may become righteousness for me; death fighting against death, that I may obtain life; Christ fighting against the devil, that I may be a child of God; and Christ destroying hell, that I may possess the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 19. So that I might live to God.

That is: so that I might live before God. You see then that there is no life unless you are outside the law — yes, unless you are utterly dead to the law, I mean in conscience. Yet in the meantime, as I have often said, as long as the body lives, the flesh must be disciplined by laws and pressed hard by their demands and penalties. But the inner person — not subject to the law but delivered and freed from it — is alive, righteous, and holy: not from himself, but in Christ, because he believes in Him, as follows.

Verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ.

He adds this to show that the law is a consumer of the law. Not only am I dead to the law through the law so that I may live to God, he says — I am also crucified with Christ. Christ is Lord over the law because He was crucified and died to the law. Therefore I too am Lord over the law, because I am crucified and dead to the law — crucified and dead with Christ. By what means? By grace and faith. Through this faith, now that I am crucified and dead to the law, the law loses all the power it once held over me — just as it has lost all power over Christ. Therefore just as Christ Himself was crucified to the law, sin, death, and the devil, so that they have no more power over Him — so also I, through faith, being crucified with Christ in spirit, am crucified and dead to the law, sin, death, and the devil, so that they have no more power over me but are themselves crucified and dead to me.

Paul is not speaking here about crucifying through imitation or example — that is, following Christ's example of suffering, which belongs to the flesh and of which Peter speaks in his first letter, chapter 2: 'Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example to follow in His steps' (1 Peter 2:21). He is speaking of that higher crucifying in which sin, the devil, and death are crucified in Christ — not in me. Christ Jesus accomplishes all of this Himself alone. But I, believing in Christ, am by faith crucified with Christ — so that all of these things are crucified and dead to me.

Verse 20. Yet I live.

I am not saying, Paul continues, that my death and crucifying mean I no longer live. Yes, I live — I am made alive by this very death and crucifying through which I die. Because I am delivered from the law, sin, and death, I now truly live. That crucifying and death — by which I am crucified and dead to the law, sin, death, and all evils — is to me resurrection and life. Christ crucifies the devil, kills death, condemns sin, and binds the law. And I, believing this, am delivered from the law, sin, death, and the devil. The law is therefore bound, dead, and crucified to me — and I am bound, dead, and crucified to it. Therefore by this very death and crucifying — that is, by this grace and freedom — I now live.

Here, as I said before, we must take note of Paul's manner of speaking. He says that we are dead and crucified to the law, when in reality the law itself is dead and crucified to us. He speaks this way intentionally, to make it sweeter and more comforting. For the law — which continues to live and reign in the whole world and which accuses and condemns all people — is crucified and dead only to those who believe in Christ. Therefore to them alone belongs this glory: that they are dead to sin, hell, death, and the devil.

Verse 20. Yet it is no longer I.

That is: not in my own person or in my own substance. Here Paul plainly shows how he lives, and teaches what true Christian righteousness is — the righteousness by which Christ lives in us, not a righteousness located in our own person. Therefore when we speak of Christian righteousness, we must completely set aside the person. Christ and my conscience must become one body, so that nothing remains before my eyes but Christ crucified and raised from the dead. But if I look only at myself and push Christ aside, I am finished. I immediately fall into this thought: 'Christ is in heaven and you are on earth — how will you reach Him? I will live a holy life and do what the law requires. That is how I will enter into life.' When I turn inward and consider what I am, what I should be, and what I owe, I lose sight of Christ, who is my righteousness and life. And once He is lost, there is no counsel or help remaining — only certain despair and destruction.

This is a universal human failure. Such is our misery: when temptation or death comes, we immediately set Christ aside and begin to review our own past life and what we have done. Unless we are raised again by faith at that moment, we will perish. We must therefore learn in such conflicts and terrors of conscience to forget ourselves — to set aside the law, our past life, and all our works, which do nothing but drive us to look inward — and to turn our eyes entirely to that bronze serpent, Christ Jesus crucified, and believe with certainty that He is our righteousness and life. We must not fear the threats and terrors of the law, sin, death, and God's judgment. For Christ, upon whom our eyes are fixed, in whom we live and who lives in us, is Lord and conqueror of the law, sin, death, and all evils. In Him, certain and sure comfort is offered to us and victory is given.

Verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

When Paul says 'I live,' he speaks as it were from his own person. He immediately corrects himself: 'yet not I now.' That is: I no longer live in my own person — Christ lives in me. The person does live, but not in himself, nor for his own sake, nor by anything that is in him. But who is this 'I' of which he says 'yet not I'? This 'I' is the person who has the law and is bound to do its works — a person separate from Christ. This person Paul rejects. For as he stands separate from Christ, he belongs to death and hell. Therefore he says: 'Now not I, but Christ lives in me.' Christ is my form, my completion and perfection — adorning and beautifying my faith as color, clear light, or whiteness adorns and beautifies a wall. We are compelled to describe this with such illustrations because we cannot spiritually comprehend how closely Christ is joined and united to us — more intimately than color to a wall. Christ therefore — joined and united to me, dwelling in me — lives in me the very life that I now live. Indeed, Christ Himself is this life that I now live. Therefore Christ and I in this respect are one.

Now Christ living in me abolishes the law, condemns sin, and destroys death — for in His presence all these must inevitably fade away. Christ is everlasting peace, comfort, righteousness, and life — and before these, the terror of the law, distress of mind, sin, hell, and death must give way. Christ living and remaining in me takes away and swallows up all the evils that trouble and afflict me. This union — the union of Christ and me — is the reason I am freed from the terror of the law and sin, separated from myself, and transferred to Christ and His kingdom: a kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, joy, life, salvation, and eternal glory. Now, dwelling and remaining in Him — what evil can harm me?

Meanwhile the old self remains on the outside and is subject to the law. But in the matter of justification, Christ and I must be completely joined and united, so that He lives in me and I in Him. This is a wonderful thing to say. Because Christ lives in me, whatever grace, righteousness, life, peace, and salvation is in me is His — and yet all the same it is also mine, by that inseparable union through faith, by which Christ and I are made as it were one body in spirit. Since Christ lives in me, it follows that I must share in His grace, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation. And where that is the case, the law, sin, and death can have no place in me. Indeed the law is swallowed up by the law, sin by sin, and death by death. So Paul sets out to turn us away from looking at ourselves, the law, and works, and to plant true faith in Christ in us — so that in the matter of justification we think on nothing but grace, keeping it far removed from the law and works, which in this matter have no place.

Paul has a distinctive way of speaking — not the manner of ordinary people, but divine and heavenly — not used by the other Evangelists or apostles except for John, who occasionally speaks in a similar way. If Paul had not first used this language and set it out plainly, even the saints themselves would not have dared to use it. For it sounds very strange and almost absurd to say: 'I live, I do not live; I am dead, I am not dead; I am a sinner, I am not a sinner; I have the law, I do not have the law.' Yet this way of speaking is sweet and comforting to all who believe in Christ. When they look at themselves, they have both the law and sin. But when they look to Christ, they are dead to the law and have no sin. Therefore, in the matter of justification, if you separate the person of Christ from your person, you are in the law, living under the law, and not in Christ. In that case you are condemned by the law and dead before God. For you have only the kind of faith that the Scholastics dream of — a faith furnished with love. I say this by way of illustration, for in truth no one was ever saved by such a faith. Everything the Scholastics have written about this kind of faith is nothing but empty speculation and pure deception by Satan. But let us grant there are people who have this faith — they are still not justified by it. For they have only a historical faith about Christ — which the devil and all the wicked also have.

Faith must therefore be taught purely — that you are so completely and intimately joined to Christ that He and you have become, as it were, one person. You can boldly say: 'I am now one with Christ — His righteousness, victory, and life are mine.' And Christ in turn can say: 'I am that sinner — his sins and his death are mine, because he is united to Me and I to him.' For by faith we are joined together so closely that we become one flesh and one bone (Ephesians 5:30) — members of His body, flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones. This faith binds Christ and me more closely together than a husband is bound to his wife. Faith is therefore not an idle quality. Its excellence is such that it completely exposes the foolish dreams of the Scholastics about their formed faith and counterfeit love, their merits, works, and worthiness. I would gladly say all of this more fully if I could.

We have now set out Paul's first argument: either Christ must necessarily be a minister of sin, or the law does not justify. After completing that argument he put himself forward as an example, saying he was dead to the old law through a new law. Now he answers two objections that might be raised against him. His first answer deals with the contemptuous claims of the proud and the stumbling of the weak. Whenever forgiveness of sins is freely preached, malicious people immediately slander it. As in Romans 3: 'Let us do evil so that good may come' (Romans 3:8). These people, as soon as they hear we are not justified by the law, immediately and maliciously conclude: 'Fine, then let us throw out the law altogether.' Or: 'If grace abounds where sin abounds, let us multiply sin so that we may become righteous and grace may abound all the more.' These are the malicious and arrogant spirits who deliberately slander the Scriptures and the words of the Holy Spirit — just as they slandered Paul in his own day, to their own confusion and condemnation, as 2 Peter 3 says.

There are also the weak — those who are not malicious but are genuinely troubled when they hear that the law and good works are not to be done as requirements for justification. These people need help. They need to learn how good works do not justify, and yet how and why they should be done. Good works should be done not as the cause of righteousness but as its fruit. When we are made righteous, we do them — not the other way around, seeking to become righteous through them. The tree produces the apple; the apple does not produce the tree.

When Paul said earlier 'I am dead,' the arrogant and malicious could easily seize on this and complain: 'What are you saying, Paul? You are dead? Then how are you speaking? How are you writing?' The weak could also be unsettled and say: 'What are you, Paul? We can see you are alive and doing all the things that belong to this life.' His answer: I do indeed live, and yet it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me. There are therefore two lives. The first is mine — natural life. The second is the life of another — the life of Christ in me. As for my natural life, I am dead, and I now live another life. I no longer live as Paul — Paul is dead. Who then is it that lives? The Christian. Paul, as he lives in himself, is wholly dead through the law. But as he lives in Christ — or rather as Christ lives in him — he lives by a different life. Christ speaks in him, lives in him, and carries out all the activities of life in him. This life does not come from the natural Paul but from the Christian and regenerate person. So you, malicious spirit — when I say I am dead, do not slander my words. And you who are weak — do not be offended, but make this distinction carefully. There are two lives: my natural life, and the life of another. By my own life I do not live — for if I did, the law would have dominion over me and hold me captive. To prevent it from holding me captive and in bondage, I am dead to it through another law. And this death secures for me the life of another — the life of Christ. This life is not mine by nature; it is given to me by Christ through faith.

The second answer addresses another objection. It might be said: 'What do you mean, Paul? You say you do not live by your own life or in your own flesh but in Christ? We see your flesh — we do not see Christ. Are you trying to deceive us with some trick, when we can plainly see you present in flesh, living as you did before and doing all things in this bodily life as everyone else does?' To this he answers.

Verse 20. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.

That is: I do live in the flesh — but this life, whatever it is, I count as no real life, for it is not truly life but only its shadow. Beneath it another lives — Christ, who is my true life, which you cannot see but only hear reported, while I feel it myself. 'You hear the sound of the wind but do not know where it comes from or where it goes' (John 3:8). In the same way, you see me speaking, eating, working, sleeping, and doing everything else — but you do not see my life. This life that I now live, I live in the flesh, but not through the flesh or according to the flesh — I live through faith and according to faith. Paul does not deny that he lives in the flesh, since he does everything that belongs to a natural person. He uses bodily things — food, drink, clothing, and the like — which is what it means to live in the flesh. But he says this is not his true life. Although he uses these things, he does not live through them as the world does — the world lives by the flesh and for the flesh, knowing and hoping for no other life.

'This life I now live in the flesh,' he says, 'whatever it may be, I live by faith in the Son of God.' The word I now speak in bodily form is not the word of flesh but of the Holy Spirit and of Christ. The sight that enters or goes out through my eyes does not proceed from flesh — that is, it is not governed by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. So too my hearing comes not from the flesh, though it is in the flesh — it comes from the Holy Spirit. A Christian speaks nothing but pure, sober, and holy things that pertain to Christ, the glory of God, and the good of his neighbor. These things do not come from the flesh, are not done according to the flesh, and yet they are done in the flesh. For I cannot teach, write, pray, or give thanks except with these physical instruments, which are necessary for doing such works — and yet these works do not proceed from the flesh but are given by God from above. In the same way I may look at a woman, but with a pure eye, without lust. This looking does not come from the flesh, though it is in the flesh — since the eyes are the physical instruments of sight — but the purity of that sight comes from heaven.

So a Christian uses the world and all created things in much the same way as an unbeliever. In clothing, eating, hearing, seeing, speaking, gestures, appearance, and all such outward things they look alike. Outwardly they appear to be the same — as Paul says of Christ: 'He was found in appearance as a man' (Philippians 2:8). Yet there is an enormous difference. I live in the flesh, yes — but I do not live from myself. What I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God. What I now speak flows from a different source than what you heard from me before. Before his conversion Paul used the same voice and tongue that he used afterward. But before, his voice and tongue were blasphemous, and he could speak nothing but blasphemies and abominations against Christ and His church. After his conversion he had the same flesh, the same voice, the same tongue as before — nothing changed outwardly. But his voice and tongue no longer uttered blasphemies. They uttered spiritual and heavenly words — thanksgiving and praise to God — which came from faith and the Holy Spirit. So I live in the flesh, but not from the flesh or according to the flesh — I live by faith in the Son of God.

From all of this we can see clearly where this spiritual life comes from — it does not come from ourselves but from another. The natural person cannot understand it at all, for he does not know what kind of life this is. He hears the wind but does not know where it comes from or where it goes. He hears the spiritual person's voice, knows his face, his manner, and his conduct. But he cannot see where these actions — no longer wicked and blasphemous as before, but holy and godly — or these impulses and activities come from. For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is put to death and Christ reigns with His Holy Spirit, who now sees, hears, speaks, works, suffers, and does all else in the believer — even though the flesh resists. In short: this is not the life of the flesh, though it is in the flesh. It is the life of Christ the Son of God, whom the Christian possesses by faith.

Verse 20. Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Here you have the true means of justification, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith set before your eyes. The person who can say with Paul, from firm and constant faith: 'I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me' — that person is truly blessed. With these very words Paul takes away the entire righteousness of the law and works, as we will explain further on. But we must carefully weigh these words: 'The Son of God loved me and gave Himself up for me.' It was not I who first loved the Son of God and gave myself up for Him — as the Scholastics dream, imagining that they love the Son of God and give themselves up for Him. They teach that a person by his own pure natural strength can do meritorious works before receiving grace, and can love God and Christ above all things. These people claim to act first, before God. They do what lies within them — as they like to say — keeping not only the commandments but going beyond them, doing works of supererogation and selling the surplus of their merits to lay people. They imagine they deliver themselves for Christ's sake and thereby save both themselves and others — turning Paul's words completely upside down and saying: 'We have loved Christ and given ourselves up for Him.' While these wicked people, puffed up with fleshly wisdom, imagine they are doing their part — loving God and offering themselves for Christ — what are they doing but abolishing the Gospel, mocking and denying Christ, blaspheming Him, spitting on Him, and trampling Him underfoot? They confess in words that He is Justifier and Savior, but in reality they strip from Him the power to justify and save, and give it instead to their own self-invented works, ceremonies, and devotions. This is to live in one's own righteousness and works, not in faith in the Son of God.

The true way to justification is therefore not to do what lies within you, as the Scholastics and school doctors teach — claiming that if a person does what lies within him, God will certainly give grace. Yet they soften this, saying the standard is not strict perfection: if we do works that would be approved by any decent person, that is enough, and grace will surely follow — because God, being good and just, must reward such good works. This gave rise to the saying: 'God will require of no man more than he can perform.' This is a fine saying, rightly applied in its proper place — namely, in the governing of civil affairs and households. In the kingdom of reason, if I carry out the duties of a magistrate or manage a household to the best of my ability, I am excused from what I cannot do. This civil kingdom has its proper limits, within which sayings like 'do what lies within you' and 'do as much as you are able' are appropriate. But the Scholastics apply these sayings to the spiritual kingdom — where a person can do nothing but sin, for he is sold under sin. In external matters, those that pertain to civil and household affairs, he is not a slave but a lord and ruler. It was therefore wrong of them to apply to the church what properly belongs to civil and domestic government. The kingdom of human reason and the spiritual kingdom must be kept far apart.

They also say that while human nature is corrupt, the natural faculties of the mind are nevertheless sound and uncorrupted — a status they even extend to demons. On this basis they reason: if a person's natural faculties are sound and uncorrupted, then his understanding and will are sound and uncorrupted, and consequently all other natural faculties are pure and perfect. You need to understand this to hold firmly to the purity of the doctrine of faith. When they say that the natural faculties of a person are sound and uncorrupted, and then infer that a person can by himself fulfill the law and love God with all his heart — applying these natural faculties to the spiritual kingdom — I deny this conclusion. I distinguish between the natural and the spiritual faculties, which they confuse and mix together. I say that the spiritual faculties are not sound but corrupt — utterly quenched by sin in both people and demons — so that there is nothing left but a corrupted understanding and a will perpetually fighting against God's will, which can conceive of nothing but what is entirely against God. I do grant, however, that the natural faculties are uncorrupted. But which ones? The faculties by which a person — even one drowned in sin and iniquity, even a slave of Satan — still has the will, reason, and ability to carry out the duties of a magistrate, manage a household, steer a ship, build a house, and perform other works within the human domain. These have not been taken from him. We do not deny that these statements are true in the civil kingdom. But if you apply them to the spiritual kingdom, I reject them entirely — for there, as I said, we are completely overwhelmed and drowned in sin. Whatever is in our will is evil; whatever is in our understanding is error. In spiritual matters, therefore, a person has nothing but darkness, error, ignorance, malice, and perversity of both will and understanding. How then could he do good, fulfill the law, and love God?

Therefore Paul says here that Christ moved first — not we. 'He,' Paul says, 'loved me and gave Himself up for me.' As if he were saying: He found in me no good will or right understanding. But this gracious Lord had mercy on me. He saw me to be nothing but wicked — straying, despising God, fleeing further and further from Him, and even rebelling against God, seized and led away as a captive of the devil. Out of His pure mercy — acting before my reason, my will, or my understanding could — He loved me. And He loved me in this way: He gave Himself up for me, so that I might be freed from the law, sin, the devil, and death.

These words — 'the Son of God loved me and gave Himself up for me' — are like mighty thunder and lightning from heaven against the righteousness of the law and all its works. Such great and terrible wickedness, error, darkness, and ignorance lay in my will and understanding that it was impossible for me to be ransomed by any other means than by this immeasurable price. Why then do we boast of the soundness of human nature, of the rule of reason, of free will, of doing what lies within us? Why do I offer to God — who, as Moses says, is a consuming fire — my rotten stubble and straw, yes, my horrible sins, and then demand that He reward me with grace and eternal life for them? Here I learn that such wickedness lay lurking in my nature that the whole world with all its creatures could not begin to balance God's just indignation against it — nothing less than the very Son of God Himself had to be given up for it.

But let us contemplate this price carefully, and behold this one delivered — Paul says — for me: the Son of God. He exceeds and surpasses all creatures beyond all comparison. What will you do when you hear the apostle say that so immeasurable a price was paid for you? Will you bring your monk's cowl, your shaved head, your chastity, your obedience, your poverty, your works, your merits? What will all of these count for? What will even the law of Moses avail? What will the works of all people and the suffering of all the martyrs accomplish for you? What is the obedience of all the holy angels compared to the Son of God — delivered in the most shameful manner, to the death of the cross, every drop of His precious blood poured out for your sins? If you could rightly grasp this incomparable price, you would count all ceremonies, vows, works, and merits — before grace and after — as accursed, and throw them all into hell. For it is a horrible blasphemy to imagine there is any work by which you might presume to pacify God, when nothing can pacify Him but this immeasurable price — the death and blood of the Son of God, of which a single drop is worth more than all created things in the world.

Verse 20. For me.

Who is this 'me'? Even I — a wretched and condemned sinner — so dearly loved by the Son of God that He gave Himself up for me. If I could have loved the Son of God through works or merits and so come to Him on my own, what need would there have been for Him to give Himself up for me? This shows how carelessly the papists handled — indeed, how completely they neglected — the holy Scriptures and the doctrine of faith. If they had weighed even these words alone — that it was necessary for the Son of God to be given up for me — it would have been impossible for so many monstrous sects to have arisen among them. For faith would immediately have answered: 'Why are you choosing this way of life, this religious practice, this work? Are you doing this to please God, or to be justified by it? Do you not hear, poor soul, that the Son of God shed His blood for you?' True faith in Christ would easily have stood against all manner of sects.

Therefore I say — as I have said many times — that there is no remedy against sects and no power to resist them except this one article of Christian righteousness. If we lose this article, it is impossible to withstand any error or sect — as we see today in the fanatical Anabaptists and those like them, who, having departed from the article of justification, will never stop falling, erring, and leading others astray until they have reached the fullness of all wickedness. There is no doubt they will raise up countless sects and keep devising new works. But what are all these things — however impressive their outward appearance of holiness — compared to the death and blood of the Son of God, who gave Himself up for me? Consider carefully who this Son of God is, how glorious He is, how mighty He is. What are heaven and earth in comparison to Him? Let all the papists and all the founders of sects — yes, let the whole world take their side — be thrown into hell together with all their righteousness, works, and merits, rather than the truth of the Gospel be tainted and the glory of Christ perish. What do they mean by boasting so much of works and merits? If I — a wretched and condemned sinner — could have been redeemed by any other price, what need would there have been for the Son of God to be given up for me? But because there was no other price anywhere in heaven or earth except Christ the Son of God, it was absolutely necessary that He be given up for me. And He did this out of immeasurable love — for Paul says: 'who loved me.'

Therefore these words — 'who loved me' — are full of faith. The person who can say this little word 'me' and apply it to himself with true and constant faith, as Paul did, will be a good debater with Paul against the law. For God gave up not sheep, not oxen, not gold or silver, but God Himself — entirely and completely — for me. For me, I say, a miserable and wretched sinner. Now therefore, knowing that the Son of God was given up to death for me, I take comfort and apply this benefit to myself. And this manner of applying it to oneself is the true power of faith.

These words — which are the pure preaching of grace and of true Christian righteousness — Paul sets against the righteousness of the law. As if he were saying: granted, the law is a heavenly doctrine with its own glory. But it did not love me, nor give itself up for me. On the contrary, it accuses me, terrifies me, and drives me to despair. But I now have another — one who has delivered me from the terrors of the law, from sin and death, and has brought me into freedom, the righteousness of God, and eternal life. His name is the Son of God. To Him be praise and glory forever.

Faith therefore, as I have said, embraces and encloses within itself Christ Jesus the Son of God, given up to death for us — as Paul teaches here. When Christ is grasped by faith, He gives us righteousness and life. Here Paul depicts most vividly the priesthood and offices of Christ: to pacify God, to intercede for sinners, to offer Himself as a sacrifice for their sins, to redeem, to instruct, and to comfort them. Let us learn to give a true definition of Christ — not as the Scholastics and those who seek righteousness by their own works do, making Him a new lawgiver who has replaced the old law with a new one. To these people, Christ is nothing but an enforcer and a tyrant. Instead, let us define Him as Paul does here: the Son of God who, not for any merit or righteousness of ours, but out of His own free mercy, offered Himself as a sacrifice for us sinners, so that He might sanctify us forever.

Christ then is no Moses, no enforcer, no lawgiver. He is a giver of grace, a Savior, full of mercy — in short, He is nothing but infinite mercy and goodness, freely given and abundantly bestowed on us. This is how you should picture Christ in His true colors. If you allow yourself to picture Him any other way, when temptation and trouble come you will quickly fall. Yet as important as it is for Christians to define Christ rightly, it is also the hardest of all things to do. Even I, in this great light of the Gospel — having lived in it for so long — struggle greatly to hold on to the definition of Christ that Paul gives here. The teaching that Christ is a lawgiver has sunk so deep in me it is like oil in my bones. You who are young are much better off than those of us who are old in this regard. You have not been infected with these poisonous errors in which I was raised and drowned from my youth. At the very sound of Christ's name my heart would tremble and shake with fear, so convinced was I that He was a severe judge. It is therefore a double labor for me to correct this: first to forget, reject, and resist that old deep-rooted error that Christ is a lawgiver and judge — for it often returns and drags me back. Then to plant in my heart the new and true conviction that Christ is the Justifier and Savior. You who are young can learn to know Christ purely and sincerely with much less difficulty, if you will. Therefore if anyone feels burdened with heaviness and anguish of heart, let him not attribute it to Christ — even if it comes under Christ's name — but to the devil, who often disguises himself as an angel of light under the appearance of Christ.

We must learn therefore to distinguish between Christ and a lawgiver — not only in words but in practice and in experience — so that when the devil comes under the guise of Christ, trying to trouble us in His name, we may recognize him as not Christ at all but as the devil himself. For when Christ truly comes, He is nothing but joy and sweetness to a trembling and broken heart, as Paul witnesses here — describing Him with the most tender and loving words: 'who loved me and gave Himself up for me.' Christ in truth is a lover of those who are in bitterness of soul, in sin, and in death — a lover who gave Himself up for them. He is also our High Priest — the Mediator between God and us wretched sinners. What could possibly be said more sweet or comforting to a troubled conscience? Now, if these things are true — as they are most certainly true, or else the Gospel is nothing but a fable — then we are not justified by the righteousness of the law, and far less by our own righteousness.

Read carefully and with great force the words 'me' and 'for me', and train yourself so that you firmly grasp and imprint this 'me' in your heart, applying it to yourself with steadfast faith. Do not doubt that you are among those to whom this 'me' belongs. Christ loved not only Peter and Paul and gave Himself up for them — the same grace contained in this 'me' extends to us just as much as to them. For just as we cannot deny that we are all sinners — constrained to confess that through Adam's sin we are all lost, made enemies of God, subject to His wrath and judgment, and guilty of eternal death (as all terrified hearts feel and confess, and in fact feel it more than they should) — so also we cannot deny that Christ died for our sins to make us righteous. He did not die to justify the righteous, but the unrighteous — to make them children of God and heirs of all spiritual and heavenly gifts. Therefore when I feel and confess that I am a sinner because of Adam's transgression, why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousness of Christ — especially when I hear that He loved me and gave Himself up for me? This Paul believed with absolute certainty, and therefore he speaks these words with such intensity and confidence. May He grant us the same faith — at least in some measure — He who loved us and gave Himself up for us.

Verse 21. I do not nullify the grace of God.

Paul now prepares the way for the second main argument of this letter. Note carefully: to seek justification through the works of the law is to reject the grace of God. What sin, I ask, could be more abominable and terrible than rejecting the grace of God and refusing the righteousness that comes through Christ? It is already more than enough that we are wicked sinners who have broken all of God's commandments. But on top of that, we commit the most heinous sin of all — we contemptuously refuse the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins offered to us in Christ. This blasphemy is more horrible than words can express. There is no sin that Paul and the other apostles condemned more strongly than the contempt of grace and the denial of Christ — and yet there is no sin more common. This is why Paul above all others speaks so sharply against Antichrist: because he despises the grace of God and refuses the benefit of Christ our High Priest, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. To deny Christ in this way — what is it but to spit in His face, to trample Him underfoot, to put oneself in His place and say: 'I will justify you, I will save you — by Masses, pilgrimages, indulgences, merits, and the like'? We see then how arrogantly Antichrist has lifted himself up against God, placed himself in Christ's position, rejected the grace of God, and denied the faith. For this is his doctrine: 'Faith counts for nothing unless it is joined with works.' By this false and detestable teaching he has obscured, darkened, and utterly buried the benefit of Christ. In the place of Christ's grace and kingdom, he has established the doctrine of works and the kingdom of ceremonies. He has confirmed this with empty nonsense and foolish dreams, and by this means has torn the whole world from the hands of Christ — who alone ought to reign in the conscience — and has hurled it headlong into hell.

From this we can easily understand what it means to reject and refuse the grace of God: it means seeking righteousness through the law. Now who has ever heard that a person rejects grace by keeping the law? Do we sin by keeping the law? No. But we do despise grace when we keep the law for the purpose of being justified by it. The law is good, holy, and beneficial — and yet it does not justify. The person who keeps the law in order to be justified by it rejects grace, denies Christ, despises His sacrifice, and refuses to be saved by this immeasurable price. Instead he would satisfy for his sins through the righteousness of the law, or earn grace by his own righteousness. And in doing so he blasphemes and despises the grace of God. What a terrible thing it is to say that any person could be so perverse as to despise the grace and mercy of God! And yet the whole world does exactly this. Though it cannot bear to be accused of it, and would prefer to think of itself as offering the highest service and honor to God. Now follows the second argument.

Verse 21. For if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.

I remind you again that Paul is not speaking here only of the ceremonial law — which the papists always insist upon — but of the whole law. And Paul's words deserve careful attention. Did Christ actually suffer death, or not? And did He suffer in vain, or not? We must answer — unless we have lost all reason — that He truly suffered, and that He suffered not for Himself or in vain but for us. If He did not suffer in vain, it necessarily follows that righteousness does not come by the law.

Take then the whole law, and imagine that through merit by fittingness — or by works done before grace — you have made so much progress that you have received grace and the Spirit of God. This is impossible for human nature, but grant it for the sake of argument: that by doing what lies within you, you have obtained grace, been made righteous, and received the Holy Spirit through merit by fittingness. Then you have no need of Christ. He is useless to you, and His death has accomplished nothing.

Or take the law of the Ten Commandments, which contains the true religion and the highest worship of God — that is, faith, the fear of God, the love of God, and love of neighbor. Show me any person who has been justified by this. Even then it would remain true that Christ died in vain. For anyone who is justified by the law possesses within himself the power to obtain righteousness. By doing what lies within him he merits grace, the Holy Spirit is poured into him, and he is now able to love God and neighbor. If this is granted, it necessarily follows that Christ died for nothing. What need does someone have of Christ, who loves Christ and gives himself for Christ — who can obtain grace before grace by merit of fittingness, and then do works by which, through merit of worthiness after grace, he can earn eternal life? In that case, push Christ aside with all His benefits, for He is utterly unnecessary. Why was He born? Why was He crucified? Why did He suffer? Why was He made my High Priest, loving me and giving Himself as an immeasurable sacrifice for me? All for nothing — to no purpose at all — if righteousness comes by no other means than what the papists teach. For on their terms, I find righteousness only in myself or in the law, without grace and without Christ.

Should this horrible blasphemy be tolerated or ignored — that the divine majesty, who did not spare His own beloved Son but gave Him up to death for us all, did not do this seriously and in earnest but as a kind of game? Before I would accept such a blasphemy, I would sooner that the holiness of all the papists and merit-mongers — indeed all the saints and holy angels — be cast to the bottom of hell and condemned with the devil. My eyes will look to nothing else but this immeasurable price: my Lord and Savior Christ. He must be such a treasure to me that everything else is rubbish in comparison. He must be such a light to me that when I have laid hold of Him by faith, I no longer notice whether there is any law, any sin, any righteousness or unrighteousness left in the world. For what is everything in heaven or earth compared to the Son of God, Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior, who loved me and gave Himself up for me?

To reject the grace of God, therefore, is a terrible sin — one that reigns throughout the entire world, and one of which all who seek righteousness by their own works are guilty. For in seeking to be justified by their own works, merits, or the law, they reject the grace of God and Christ, as I have said. The pope has been the primary author of all these abominations. He has not only defaced and trampled the Gospel of Christ underfoot but has also flooded the world with his accursed traditions. His bulls and indulgences are sufficient evidence of this — granting absolution not to those who believe, but to those who are contrite, make confession to a priest, and contribute financially to the upkeep of his pomp and his traditions. And yet, even in this great light of the Gospel, the blind and stubborn papists continue in their damnable foolish dreams — saying that the natural faculties remain sound and uncorrupted, and that people can prepare themselves for grace or earn it by their own works and merits. So far from acknowledging their error and wickedness, they continue to defend it stubbornly, even against their own conscience.

But we steadfastly affirm with Paul — for we will not reject the grace of God — that either Christ died in vain, or the law does not justify. Christ did not die in vain. Therefore the law does not justify. Christ the Son of God has justified us by His own free grace and mercy. Therefore the law could not justify us — if it could, Christ would have acted unwisely in giving Himself up for our sins so that we might be justified. We conclude therefore that we are justified neither by our own works and merits — before grace or after — nor by the law.

Now, if my salvation cost Christ such an immeasurable price — if He was constrained to die for my sins — then all my works and all the righteousness of the law are worth nothing in comparison. How can I buy for a penny what cost many thousands in gold? The law — to say nothing of other things of far lesser value — with all its works and righteousness, is like a penny compared to Christ, who by His death destroyed my death and purchased righteousness and eternal life. Should I then despise and reject this incomparable price, and through the law or through the works and merits of people — worthless dross and rubbish, as Paul himself calls them when compared to Christ — go searching for the righteousness that Christ has already freely given me out of pure love? Righteousness that cost Him such a price that He was constrained to give Himself, even His own blood, for me? The whole world does exactly this, as I have said — and especially those who would be counted more holy and religious than others. By this they openly testify that Christ died in vain, however much they confess the opposite with their lips. This is the most horrible blasphemy against the Son of God — spitting in His face, trampling Him underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant as a common thing, and utterly despising the Spirit of grace.

Paul in this discussion of righteousness has no civil matter in view — he is not speaking of civil righteousness, which God nevertheless approves and requires, and for which He rewards accordingly, and which reason is to some degree capable of producing. Rather, he is speaking of the righteousness that avails before God — the righteousness by which we are delivered from the law, sin, death, and all evils, and made partakers of grace, righteousness, and eternal life. By this righteousness we become lords of heaven and earth and all creation. Neither human law nor the law of God can produce this righteousness.

The law was given alongside and above reason as a light and an aid to humanity — to show what should and should not be done. And yet a person with all his strength and reason — even with this great heavenly gift, the law — cannot be justified. If the greatest thing in the world — the law, which like a brilliant sun is joined to the dim light of human reason to illuminate and direct it — cannot justify, then what can reason accomplish without the law? Nothing — except what the pope with his dreaming Scholastics and his whole establishment has done: obscured even the light of the first commandment with their own traditions. Not one of them can rightly understand a single syllable of the law — every one of them walks in the pure darkness of human reason. And this error is far more deadly and destructive than the one that comes from the teaching of works and law.

These words, then, are powerful and full of force: 'If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing' (Galatians 2:21). Paul says nothing here about the greatness of human strength, reason, or wisdom — and in fact, the greater these are, the more easily they deceive a person. He simply says, without qualification: if righteousness is by the law, then Christ died for nothing. This means that reason — even when it is enlightened, aided, and directed by the law, yes even by God's own law — is so incapable of attaining righteousness that it actually pulls a person away from righteousness and leads him to reject Christ. Set the death of Christ plainly against all laws, and know nothing with Paul except Jesus Christ crucified. Accept no light from reason, from the law, or from anything else — only from Christ alone. Then you will be truly learned, righteous, and holy, and you will receive the Holy Spirit, who will keep you in the purity of the word and of faith. But set Christ aside, and everything else — whatever it may be — is worthless and empty.

Here again we see what a fine description Paul gives to the righteousness of the law and of human merit: he calls it a contempt and rejection of the grace of God, and an abolishing of the death of Christ. Paul was not a trained rhetorician — and yet see what material he gives to anyone who wants to speak with force and skill. What eloquence can adequately express these words: 'to reject grace' — 'the grace of God' — and 'Christ died in vain'? The horror of these phrases is so immense that all the eloquence in the world cannot fully capture it. To say that any person dies for nothing is a sad thing; but to say that Christ died for nothing is to erase Him entirely and make Him nothing at all. Anyone who wants to speak powerfully has more than enough material here — to describe how horrible and blasphemous it is to set up the righteousness of the law and of works. What could be more blasphemous and terrible than to make the death of Christ worthless? And what else are those doing who keep the law in order to be justified by it? To make the death of Christ worthless is also to make His resurrection, His victory, His glory, His kingdom, heaven, earth, God Himself, the majesty of God — everything — worthless and void.

This thundering and lightning from heaven against the righteousness of the law and human merit should terrify us and make us abhor it. And here, struck by this thunderbolt, fall down all the monastic orders with their entire company of superstitious religion. Who would not detest his own vows, his monk's robe, his shaved head, all human traditions — yes, even the law of Moses — if he understood that by trusting in these things he rejects the grace of God and makes the death of Christ worthless? The world hears this and does not believe it is true. It assumes that such horrible wickedness could not possibly enter into any person's heart — that someone would reject the grace of God and treat the death of Christ as nothing. And yet this sin is common everywhere. For whoever seeks righteousness apart from Christ — whether through works, merits, satisfactions, sufferings, or the law — rejects the grace of God and despises the death of Christ, no matter what he may profess with his lips.