Christian Classics
‹ Assorted Sermons by Martin Luther
Contents
The Wheat & the TaresThe Parable of the SowerTHE DISCIPLES & THE FRUITS OF GOD'S WORDSECTION I. THE NATURE OF THE WORD SPOKEN HERE.SECTION II. THE DISCIPLES OF THIS WORD.SECTION IV. WHY CHRIST CALLS THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE DISCIPLES AND THE FRUITS OF THE WORD A MYSTERY.Christ Our Great High PriestChrist's Holy SufferingsSECTION I. THE FALSE VIEWS OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.SECTION II. THE TRUE VIEW OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.SECTION III. THE COMFORT OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.The Twofold Use of the Law and GospelGOSPEL TRANSCENDS LAWPAUL'S CONVERTS LIVING EPISTLESTRUE PREACHERS COMMISSIONED BY GODHUMAN DOCTRINE NO PLACE IN THE CHURCH“But our sufficiency is from God.”THE NEW COVENANT“SPIRIT” & “LETTER”CHRIST SUPERSEDES MOSESCHRIST THE SOURCE OF LIFE GREATER THAN ADAM THE SOURCE OF DEATHTHE LAW INEFFECTUALTERRORS OF THE LAWEFFICACY OF THE GOSPELEnemies of the Cross of ChristEnemies of the Cross of Christ & The Christian's Citizenship in HeavenPURITY OF DOCTRINE ENJOINED.RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW IS VAIN.RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW OPPOSES THE CROSS.HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS IDOLATROUS.FRUITS OF FAITH.GOD'S PATIENCE WITH HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS.THE CHRISTIAN A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN.THE GLORIFIED BODY OF THE CHRISTIAN.On Faith & Coming to ChristON FAITH AND COMING TO CHRIST, AND THE TRUE BREAD OF HEAVEN:SECTION I. On Faith, And Coming To Christ.SECTION II. The Bread Of Heaven.by Martin Luther (1483-1546)OF THE OFFICE OF PREACHING & OF PREACHERS AND HEARERS:SECTION I. TRUE PREACHERS OF THE WORD MUST BE REGULARLY CALLED.SECTION II. PREACHERS OF THE WORD TO PREACH NOTHING BUT THE WORD.SECTION III. A TRUE PREACHER SHOULD FIRST USE THE LAW ARIGHT AND THEN PREACH THE GOSPEL.SECTION IV. THE HEARERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE AND JUDGE A SERMONV. PREACHERS ARE TO FORCE NO ONE TO BELIEVE.VI. THE MARKS OF FALSE PREACHERS.

Martin Luther · 28 of 46

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW IS VAIN.

5. In what respect he was a pattern or example to them, he has made plain; for instance, in the beginning of this chapter, in the third verse and following, he says: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.” That is, he commands the highest honor a Jew can boast. “As touching the law,” he goes on, “a ; as touching zeal, persecuting the Church, as touching the which is in the law, found blameless. what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea , and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for who I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the which is from God by faith.”

6. “Behold, this is the picture or pattern,” he would say, “which we hold up for you to follow, that remembering how you obtained you may hold to it—a righteousnessnot of the Law.” So far as the of the Law is concerned, Paul dares to say he regards it as filth and refuse (that proceeds from the human body); notwithstanding in its beautiful and blameless form it may be unsurpassed by anything in the world—such as was manifest in sincere Jews, and in Paul himself before his ; for these in their great , regarded Christians as knaves and meriting damnation, and consequently took delight in being party to the persecution and murder of Christians.

7. “Yet,” Paul would say, “I who am a Jew by birth have counted all this merit as simply loss that I might be found in ‘the which is from God by faith.’” Only the of faith teaches us how to apprehend God—how to confidently console ourselves with his and await a future life, expecting to approach Christ in the resurrection. By “approaching” him we mean to meet him in death and at the judgment day without terror, not fleeing but gladly drawing near and hailing him with joy as one waited for with intense longing.

Now, the of the Law cannot effect such confidence of mind. Hence, for me it avails nothing before God; rather it is a detriment. What does avail is God’s of for Christ’s sake, through faith. God declares to us in his Word that the believer in his Son shall, for Christ’s own sake, have God’s and eternal life. He who knows this is able to wait in hope for the last day, having no fear, no disposition to flee.

8. But is it not treating the of the Law with irreverence and contempt to regard it—and so teach as something not only useless and even obstructive, but injurious, loathsome and abominable? Who would have been able to make such a bold statement, and to censure a life so faultless and conforming so closely to the Law as Paul’s, without being pronounced by all men a minion of the devil, had not the apostle made that estimation of it himself? And who is to have any more respect for the of the Law if we are to preach in that strain?

9. Had Paul confined his denunciations to the of the world or of the —the dependent upon reason and controlled by secular government, by laws and regulations—his teaching would not have seemed so irreverent. But he distinctly specifies the of God’s Law, or the Ten Commandments, to which we owe an obligation far above what is due temporal powers, for they teach how to live before God—something no heathenish court of justice, no temporal authority, knows anything about. Should we not condemn as a heretic this preacher who goes beyond his prerogative and dares find fault with the Law of God? who also warns us to shun such as observe it, such as trust in its , and exalts to sainthood “enemies of the cross of Christ whose God is the belly”—who serve the appetites instead of God?

10. Paul would say of himself: “I, too, was such a one. In my most perfect of the Law I was an enemy to and persecutor of the congregation, or Church, of Christ. It was the legitimate fruit of my that I though I must be party to the most horrible persecution of Christ and his Christians. Thus my made me an actual enemy of Christ and a murderer of his followers. The disposition to injure is a natural result of the of the Law, as all Scripture history from Cain down testifies, and as we see even in the best of the world who have not come to the knowledge of Christ. Princes, civil authorities in proportion to their wisdom, their godliness and honor are the bitter and intolerant enemies of the Gospel.

11. Of the sensual papistical dolts at Rome, cardinals, bishops, priests and the like, it is not necessary to speak here. Their works are manifest. All honorable secular authorities must confess they are simply abandoned knaves, living shameless lives of open scandal, avarice, arrogance, unchastity, , robbery and wickedness of every kind. Not only are they guilty of such living, but shamelessly endeavor to defend their conduct. They must, then, be regardedenemies of Christ and of all honesty and virtue. Hence every respectable man is justly antagonistic toward them. But, as before said, Paul is not here referring to this class, but to eminent, godly individuals, whose lives are beyond reproach. These very ones, when Christians are encountered, are hostile and heinous enough to be able to forget all their own faults in the sight of God, and to magnify to huge beams the motes we Christians have. In fact, they must style the Gospel heresy and satanic doctrine for the purpose of exalting their own and zeal for God.