Galatians 2

Having been humbled by the Law, and havingbeen brought to a right estimate of himself, a man will repent. He finds outthat he is so depraved, that no strength, no works, no merits of his own willever deliver him from his guilt. He will then understand the meaning of Paul'swords: "I am sold under sin"; and "they are all undersin."

At this state a person begins to lament:"Who is going to help me?" In due time comes the Word of the Gospel,and says: "Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Believe in Jesus Christ who was crucified for your sins. Remember, your sins have been imposedupon Christ."

In this way are we delivered from sin. Inthis way are we justified and made heirs of everlasting life.

In order to have faith you must paint atrue portrait of Christ. The scholastics caricature Christ into a judge andtormentor. But Christ is no law giver. He is the Lifegiver. He is the Forgiverof sins. You must believe that Christ might have atoned for the sins of theworld with one single drop of His blood. Instead, He shed His blood abundantlyin order that He might give abundant satisfaction for our sins.

Here let me say, that these three things,faith, Christ, and imputation of righteousness, are to be joined together.Faith takes hold of Christ. God accounts this faith for righteousness.

This imputation of righteousness we needvery much, because we are far from perfect. As long as we have this body, sinwill dwell in our flesh. Then, too, we sometimes drive away the Holy Spirit;we fall into sin, like Peter, David, and other holy men. Nevertheless we mayalways take recourse to this fact, "that our sins are covered," andthat "God will not lay them to our charge." Sin is not held againstus for Christ's sake. Where Christ and faith are lacking, there is noremission or covering of sins, but only condemnation.

After we have taught faith in Christ, weteach good works. "Since you have found Christ by faith," we say,"begin now to work and do well. Love God and your neighbor. Call uponGod, give thanks unto Him, praise Him, confess Him. These are good works. Letthem flow from a cheerful heart, because you have remission of sin inChrist."

When crosses and afflictions come our way,we bear them patiently. "For Christ's yoke is easy, and His burden islight." When sin has been pardoned, and the conscience has been eased ofits dreadful load, a Christian can endure all things in Christ.

To give a short definition of a Christian: A Christian is not somebody who hasno sin, but somebody against whom God no longer chalks sin, because of hisfaith in Christ. This doctrine brings comfort to consciences in serioustrouble. When a person is a Christian he is above law and sin. When the Lawaccuses him, and sin wants to drive the wits out of him, a Christian looks toChrist. A Christian is free. He has no master except Christ. A Christian isgreater than the whole world.

VERSE 16. Even wehave believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified.

The true way of becoming a Christian is tobe justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the Law.

We know that we must also teach good works,but they must be taught in their proper turn, when the discussion isconcerning works and not the article of justification.

Here the question arises by what means arewe justified? We answer with Paul, "By faith only in Christ are wepronounced righteous, and not by works." Not that we reject good works.Far from it. But we will not allow ourselves to be removed from the anchorageof our salvation.

The Law is a good thing. But when thediscussion is about justification, then is no time to drag in the Law. When wediscuss justification we ought to speak of Christ and the benefits He hasbrought us.

Christ is no sheriff. He is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."(John 1:29.)

VERSE 16. That wemight be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law.

We do not mean to say that the Law is bad.Only it is not able to justify us. To be at peace with God, we have need of afar better mediator than Moses or the Law. We must know that we are nothing.We must understand that we are merely beneficiaries and recipients of thetreasures of Christ.

So far, the words of Paul were addressed to Peter. Now Paul turns to theGalatians and makes this summary statement:

VERSE 16. For bythe works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

By the term "flesh" Paul does notunderstand manifest vices. Such sins he usually calls by their proper names,as adultery, fornication, etc. By "flesh" Paul understands whatJesus meant in the third chapter of John, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh".(John 3:6.) "Flesh" here means the whole nature of man, inclusive ofreason and instincts. "This flesh," says Paul, "is notjustified by the works of the law."

The papists do not believe this. They say,"A person who performs this good deed or that, deserves the forgivenessof his sins. A person who joins this or that holy order, has the promise ofeverlasting life."

To me it is a miracle that the Church, solong surrounded by vicious sects, has been able to survive at all. God musthave been able to call a few who in their failure to discover any good inthemselves to cite against the wrath and judgment of God, simply took to thesuffering and death of Christ, and were saved by this simple faith.

Nevertheless God has punished the contemptof the Gospel and of Christ on the part of the papists, by turning them overto a reprobate state of mind in which they reject the Gospel, and receive withgusto the abominable rules, ordinances, and traditions of men in preference tothe Word of God, until they went so far as to forbid marriage. God punishedthem justly, because they blasphemed the only Son of God.

This is, then, our general conclusion:"By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

VERSE 17.Butif, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are foundsinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

Either we are not justified by Christ, or we are not justified by the Law. Thefact is, we are justified by Christ. Hence, we are not justified by the Law.If we observe the Law in order to be justified, or after having been justifiedby Christ, we think we must further be justified by the Law, we convert Christinto a legislator and a minister of sin.

"What are these false apostlesdoing?" Paul cries. "They are turning Law into grace, and grace intoLaw. They are changing Moses into Christ, and Christ into Moses. By teachingthat besides Christ and His righteousness the performance of the Law isnecessary unto salvation, they put the Law in the place of Christ, theyattribute to the Law the power to save, a power that belongs to Christonly."

The papists quote the words of Christ: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."(Matt. 19:17.) With His own words they deny Christ and abolish faith in Him.Christ is made to lose His good name, His office, and His glory, and isdemoted to the status of a law enforcer, reproving, terrifying, and chasingpoor sinners around.

The proper office of Christ is to raise thesinner, and extricate him from his sins.

Papists and Anabaptists deride us becausewe so earnestly require faith. "Faith," they say, "makes menreckless." What do these law-workers know about faith, when they are sobusy calling people back from baptism, from faith, from the promises of Christto the Law?

With their doctrine these lying sects ofperdition deface the benefits of Christ to this day. They rob Christ of Hisglory as the Justifier of mankind and cast Him into the role of a minister ofsin. They are like the false apostles. There is not a single one among themwho knows the difference between law and grace.

We can tell the difference. We do not hereand now argue whether we ought to do good works, or whether the Law is anygood, or whether the Law ought to be kept at all. We will discuss these questions some other time. We are now concernedwith justification. Our opponents refuse to make this distinction. All theycan do is to bellow that good works ought to be done. We know that. We knowthat good works ought to be done, but we will talk about that when the propertime comes. Now we are dealing with justification, and here good works shouldnot be so much as mentioned.

Paul's argument has often comforted me. Heargues: "If we who have been justified by Christ are counted unrighteous,why seek justification in Christ at all? If we are justified by the Law, tellme, what has Christ achieved by His death, by His preaching, by His victoryover sin and death? Either we are justified by Christ, or we are made worsesinners by Him."

The Sacred Scriptures, particularly thoseof the New Testament, make frequent mention of faith in Christ."Whosoever believeth in him is saved, shall not perish, shall haveeverlasting life, is not judged," etc. In open contradiction to theScriptures, our opponents misquote, "He that believeth in Christ iscondemned, because he has faith without works." Our opponents turneverything topsy-turvy. They make Christ over into a murderer, and Moses intoa savior. Is not this horrible blasphemy?

VERSE 17.Istherefore Christ the minister of sin?

This is Hebrew phraseology, also used byPaul in II Corinthians, chapter 3. There Paul speaks of two ministers: Theminister of the letter, and the minister of the spirit; the minister of theLaw, and the minister of grace; the minister of death, and the minister oflife. "Moses," says Paul, "is the minister of the Law, of sin,wrath, death, and condemnation."

Whoever teaches that good works areindispensable unto salvation, that to gain heaven a person must sufferafflictions and follow the example of Christ and of the saints, is a ministerof the Law, of sin, wrath, and of death, for the conscience knows howimpossible it is for a person to fulfill the Law. Why, the Law makes trouble even for those whohave the Holy Spirit. What will not the Law do in the case of the wicked whodo not even have the Holy Spirit?

The Law requires perfect obedience. Itcondemns all do not accomplish the will of God. But show me a person who isable to render perfect obedience. The Law cannot justify. It can only condemnaccording to the passage: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in allthings which are written in the book of the law to do them."

Paul has good reason for calling theminister of the Law the minister of sin, for the Law reveals our sinfulness.The realization of sin in turn frightens the heart and drives it to despair.Therefore all exponents of the Law and of works deserve to be called tyrantsand oppressors.

The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin.That this is the purpose of the Law can be seen from the account of the givingof the Law as reported in the nineteenth and twentieth chapters of Exodus.Moses brought the people out of their tents to have God speak to thempersonally from a cloud. But the people trembled with fear, fled, and standingaloof they begged Moses: "Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but letnot God speak with us, lest we die." The proper office of the Law is tolead us out of our tents, in other words, out of the security of ourself-trust, into the presence of God, that we may perceive His anger at oursinfulness.

All who say that faith alone in Christ doesnot justify a person, convert Christ into a minister of sin, a teacher of theLaw, and a cruel tyrant who requires the impossible. All merit-seekers takeChrist for a new lawgiver.

In conclusion, if the Law is the ministerof sin, it is at the same time the minister of wrath and death. As the Lawreveals sin it fills a person with the fear of death and condemnation.Eventually the conscience wakes up to the fact that God is angry. If God isangry with you, He will destroy and condemn you forever. Unable to stand the thought of the wrath and judgment of God, many a person commits suicide.

VERSE 17.Godforbid.

Christ is not the minister of sin, but theDispenser of righteousness and the Giver of life. Christ is Lord over law, sinand death. All who believe in Him are delivered from law, sin and death.

The Law drives us away from God, but Christreconciles God unto us, for "He is the Lamb of God, that taketh away thesins of the world." Now if the sin of the world is taken away, it istaken away from me. If sin is taken away, the wrath of God and Hiscondemnation are also taken away. Let us practice this blessed conviction.

VERSE 18.Forif I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

"I have not preached to the end that Ibuild again the things which I destroyed. If I should do so, I would not onlybe laboring in vain, but I would make myself guilty of a great wrong. By theministry of the Gospel I have destroyed sin, heaviness of heart, wrath, anddeath. I have abolished the Law, so that it should not bother your conscienceany more. Should I now once again establish the Law, and set up the rule ofMoses? This is exactly what I should be doing, if I would urge circumcisionand the performance of the Law as necessary unto salvation. Instead ofrighteousness and life, I would restore sin and death."

By the grace of God we know that we arejustified through faith in Christ alone. We do not mingle law and grace, faithand works. We keep them far apart. Let every true Christian mark thedistinction between law and grace, and mark it well.

We must not drag good works into thearticle of justification as the monks do who maintain that not only goodworks, but also the punishment which evildoers suffer for their wicked deeds,deserve everlasting life. When a criminal is brought to the place ofexecution, the monks try to comfort him in this manner: "You want to diewillingly and patiently, and then you will merit remission of your sins and eternallife." What cruelty is this, that a wretched thief, murderer, robbershould be so miserably misguided in his extreme distress, that at the verypoint of death he should be denied the sweet promises of Christ, and directedto hope for pardon of his sins in the willingness and patience with which heis about to suffer death for his crimes? The monks are showing him the pavedway to hell.

These hypocrites do not know the firstthing about grace, the Gospel, or Christ. They retain the appearance and thename of the Gospel and of Christ for a decoy only. In their confessionalwritings faith or the merit of Christ are never mentioned. In their writingsthey play up the merits of man, as can readily be seen from the following formof absolution used among the monks.

True, the merit of Christ is mentioned inthis formula of absolution. But if you look closer you will notice thatChrist's merit is belittled, while monkish merits are aggrandized. Theyconfess Christ with their lips, and at the same time deny His power to save. Imyself was at one time entangled in this error. I thought Christ was a judgeand had to be pacified by a strict adherence to the rules of my order. But nowI give thanks unto God, the Father of all mercies, who has called me out ofdarkness into the light of His glorious Gospel, and has granted unto me thesaving knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord.

We conclude with Paul, that we arejustified by faith in Christ, without the Law. Once a person has beenjustified by Christ, he will not be unproductive of good, but as a good tree he willbring forth good fruit. A believer has the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spiritwill not permit a person to remain idle, but will put him to work and stir himup to the love of God, to patient suffering in affliction, to prayer,thanksgiving, to the habit of charity towards all men.

VERSE 19.ForI through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

This cheering form of speech is frequentlymet with in the Scriptures, particularly in the writings of St. Paul, when theLaw is set against the Law, and sin is made to oppose sin, and death isarrayed against death, and hell is turned loose against hell, as in thefollowing quotations: "Thou hast led captivity captive,"Psalm 68:18. "O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thydestruction,"Hosea 13:14. "And for sin, condemned sin in the flesh,"Romans 8:3.

Here Paul plays the Law against the Law, asif to say: "The Law of Moses condemns me; but I have another law, the lawof grace and liberty which condemns the accusing Law of Moses."

On first sight Paul seems to be advancing astrange and ugly heresy. He says, "I am dead to the law, that I mightlive unto God." The false apostles said the very opposite. They said,"If you do not live to the law, you are dead unto God."

The doctrine of our opponents is similar tothat of the false apostles in Paul's day. Our opponents teach, "If youwant to live unto God, you must live after the Law, for it is written, Do thisand thou shalt live." Paul, on the other hand, teaches, "We cannotlive unto God unless we are dead unto the Law." If we are dead unto theLaw, the Law can have no power over us.

Paul does not only refer to the CeremonialLaw, but to the whole Law. We are not to think that the Law is wiped out. Itstays. It continues to operate in the wicked. But a Christian is dead to the Law. For example, Christ by His resurrection becamefree from the grave, and yet the grave remains. Peter was delivered fromprison, yet the prison remains. The Law is abolished as far as I am concerned,when it has driven me into the arms of Christ. Yet the Law continues to existand to function. But it no longer exists for me.

"I have nothing to do with theLaw," cries Paul. He could not have uttered anything more devastating tothe prestige of the Law. He declares that he does not care for the Law, thathe does not intend ever to be justified by the Law.

To be dead to the Law means to be free ofthe Law. What right, then, has the Law to accuse me, or to hold anythingagainst me? When you see a person squirming in the clutches of the Law, say tohim: "Brother, get things straight. You let the Law talk to yourconscience. Make it talk to your flesh. Wake up, and believe in Jesus Christ,the Conqueror of Law and sin. Faith in Christ will lift you high above the Lawinto the heaven of grace. Though Law and sin remain, they no longer concernyou, because you are dead to the Law and dead to sin."

Blessed is the person who knows how to usethis truth in times of distress. He can talk. He can say: "Mr. Law, goahead and accuse me as much as you like. I know I have committed many sins,and I continue to sin daily. But that does not bother me. You have got toshout louder, Mr. Law. I am deaf, you know. Talk as much as you like, I amdead to you. If you want to talk to me about my sins, go and talk to my flesh.Belabor that, but don't talk to my conscience. My conscience is a lady and aqueen, and has nothing to do with the likes of you, because my consciencelives to Christ under another law, a new and better law, the law ofgrace."

We have two propositions: To live unto theLaw, is to die unto God. To die unto the Law, is to live unto God. These twopropositions go against reason. No law-worker can ever understand them. Butsee to it that you understand them. The Law can never justify and save a sinner. The Law can only accuse,terrify, and kill him. Therefore to live unto the Law is to die unto God. Viceversa, to die unto the Law is to live unto God. If you want to live unto God,bury the Law, and find life through faith in Christ Jesus.

We have enough arguments right here toconclude that justification is by faith alone. How can the Law effect ourjustification, when Paul so plainly states that we must be dead to the Law ifwe want to live unto God? If we are dead to the Law and the Law is dead to us,how can it possibly contribute anything to our justification? There is nothingleft for us but to be justified by faith alone.

This nineteenth verse is loaded withconsolation. It fortifies a person against every danger. It allows you toargue like this:

"I confess I havesinned."
"Then God will punish you."
"No, He will not do that."
"Why not? Does not the Law say so?"
"I have nothing to do with the Law."
"How so?"
"I have another law, the law of liberty."
"What do you mean--'liberty'?"
"The liberty of Christ, for Christ has made me free from the Law thatheld me down. That Law is now in prison itself, held captive by grace andliberty."

By faith in Christ a person may gain suchsure and sound comfort, that he need not fear the devil, sin, death, or anyevil. "Sir Devil," he may say, "I am not afraid of you. I havea Friend whose name is Jesus Christ, in whom I believe. He has abolished theLaw, condemned sin, vanquished death, and destroyed hell for me. He is biggerthan you, Satan. He has licked you, and holds you down. You cannot hurtme." This is the faith that overcomes the devil.

Paul manhandles the Law. He treats the Lawas if it were a thief and a robber He treats the Law as contemptible to the conscience, in order that those who believe in Christ may take courageto defy the Law, and say: "Mr. Law, I am a sinner. What are you going todo about it?"

Or take death. Christ is risen from death.Why should we now fear the grave? Against my death I set another death, orrather life, my life in Christ.

Oh, the sweet names of Jesus! He is calledmy law against the Law, my sin against sin, my death against death.Translated, it means that He is my righteousness, my life, my everlastingsalvation. For this reason was He made the law of the Law, the sin of sin, thedeath of death, that He might redeem me from the curse of the Law. Hepermitted the Law to accuse Him, sin to condemn Him, and death to take Him, toabolish the Law, to condemn sin, and to destroy death for me.

This peculiar form of speech sounds muchsweeter than if Paul had said: "I through liberty am dead to thelaw." By putting it in this way, "I through the law am dead to thelaw," he opposes one law with another law, and has them fight it out.

In this masterly fashion Paul draws ourattention away from the Law, sin, death, and every evil, and centers it uponChrist.

VERSE 20.Iam crucified with Christ.

Christ is Lord over the Law, because He wascrucified unto the Law. I also am lord over the Law, because by faith I amcrucified with Christ.

Paul does not here speak of crucifying theflesh, but he speaks of that higher crucifying wherein sin, devil, and deathare crucified in Christ and in me. By my faith in Christ I am crucified withChrist. Hence these evils are crucified and dead unto me.

VERSE 20.NeverthelessI live.

"I do not mean to create theimpression as though I did not live before this. But in reality I first livenow, now that I have been delivered from the Law, from sin, and death. Being crucified with Christ and dead unto the Law, I may now rise untoa new and better life."

We must pay close attention to Paul's wayof speaking. He says that we are crucified and dead unto the Law. The fact is,the Law is crucified and dead unto us. Paul purposely speaks that way in orderto increase the portion of our comfort.

VERSE 20.Yetnot I.

Paul explains what constitutes trueChristian righteousness. True Christian righteousness is the righteousness ofChrist who lives in us. We must look away from our own person. Christ and myconscience must become one, so that I can see nothing else but Christcrucified and raised from the dead for me. If I keep on looking at myself, Iam gone.

If we lose sight of Christ and begin toconsider our past, we simply go to pieces. We must turn our eyes to the brazenserpent, Christ crucified, and believe with all our heart that He is ourrighteousness and our life. For Christ, on whom our eyes are fixed, in whom welive, who lives in us, is Lord over Law, sin, death, and all evil.

VERSE 20.ButChrist liveth in me.

"Thus I live," the Apostle startsout. But presently he corrects himself, saying, "Yet not I, but Christliveth in me." He is the form of my perfection. He embellishes my faith.

Since Christ is now living in me, Heabolishes the Law, condemns sin, and destroys death in me. These foes vanishin His presence. Christ abiding in me drives out every evil. This union withChrist delivers me from the demands of the Law, and separates me from mysinful self. As long as I abide in Christ, nothing can hurt me.

Christ domiciling in me, the old Adam hasto stay outside and remain subject to the Law. Think what grace,righteousness, life, peace, and salvation there is in me, thanks to thatinseparable conjunction between Christ and me through faith!

Paul has a peculiar style, a celestial way of speaking. "I live," hesays, "I live not; I am dead, I am not dead; I am a sinner, I am not asinner; I have the Law, I have no Law." When we look at ourselves we findplenty of sin. But when we look at Christ, we have no sin. Whenever weseparate the person of Christ from our own person, we live under the Law andnot in Christ; we are condemned by the Law, dead before God.

Faith connects you so intimately withChrist, that He and you become as it were one person. As such you may boldlysay: "I am now one with Christ. Therefore Christ's righteousness,victory, and life are mine." On the other hand, Christ may say: "Iam that big sinner. His sins and his death are mine, because he is joined tome, and I to him."

Whenever remission of sins is freelyproclaimed, people misinterpret it according to Romans 3:8, "Let us do evil, that good may come."As soon as people hear that we are not justified by the Law, they reasonmaliciously: "Why, then let us reject the Law. If grace abounds, wheresin abounds, let us abound in sin, that grace may all the more abound."People who reason thus are reckless. They make sport of the Scriptures andslander the sayings of the Holy Ghost.

However, there are others who are notmalicious, only weak, who may take offense when told that Law and good worksare unnecessary for salvation. These must be instructed as to why good worksdo not justify, and from what motives good works must be done. Good works arenot the cause, but the fruit of righteousness. When we have become righteous,then first are we able and willing to do good. The tree makes the apple; theapple does not make the tree.

VERSE 20.Andthe life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.

Paul does not deny the fact that he isliving in the flesh. He performs the natural functions of the flesh. But he says that this is not his real life. His life in the flesh is not a lifeafter the flesh.

"I live by the faith of the Son ofGod," he says. "My speech is no longer directed by the flesh, but bythe Holy Ghost. My sight is no longer governed by the flesh, but by the HolyGhost. My hearing is no longer determined by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost.I cannot teach, write, pray, or give thanks without the instrumentality of theflesh; yet these activities do not proceed from the flesh, but from God."

A Christian uses earthly means like anyunbeliever. Outwardly they look alike. Nevertheless there is a greatdifference between them. I may live in the flesh, but I do not live after theflesh. I do my living now "by the faith of the Son of God." Paul hadthe same voice, the same tongue, before and after his conversion. Before hisconversion his tongue uttered blasphemies. But after his conversion his tonguespoke a spiritual, heavenly language.

We may now understand how spiritual lifeoriginates. It enters the heart by faith. Christ reigns in the heart with HisHoly Spirit, who sees, hears, speaks, works, suffers, and does all things inand through us over the protest and the resistance of the flesh.

VERSE 20.Wholoved me, and gave himself for me.

The sophistical papists assert that aperson is able by natural strength to love God long before grace has enteredhis heart, and to perform works of real merit. They believe they are able tofulfill the commandments of God. They believe they are able to do more thanGod expects of them, so that they are in a position to sell their superfluousmerits to laymen, thereby saving themselves and others. They are savingnobody. On the contrary, they abolish the Gospel, they deride, deny, andblaspheme Christ, and call upon themselves the wrath of God. This is what theyget for living in their own righteousness, and not in the faith of the Son ofGod.

The papists will tell you to do the best you can, and God will give you Hisgrace. They have a rhyme for it:

scripRefScripRefThis may hold true inordinary civic life. But the papists apply it to the spiritual realm where aperson can perform nothing but sin, because he is sold under sin.

Our opponents go even further than that.They say, nature is depraved, but the qualities of nature are untainted. Againwe say: This may hold true in everyday life, but not in the spiritual life. Inspiritual matters a person is by nature full of darkness, error, ignorance,malice, and perverseness in will and in mind.

In view of this, Paul declares that Christbegan and not we. "He loved me, and gave Himself for me. He found in meno right mind and no good will. But the good Lord had mercy upon me. Out ofpure kindness He loved me, loved me so that He gave Himself for me, that Ishould be free from the Law, from sin, devil, and death."

The words, "The Son of God who lovedme, and gave Himself for me," are so many thunderclaps and lightningbolts of protest from heaven against the righteousness of the Law. Thewickedness, error, darkness, ignorance in my mind and my will were so great,that it was quite impossible for me to be saved by any other means than by theinestimable price of Christ's death.

Let us count the price. When you hear thatsuch an enormous price was paid for you, will you still come along with yourcowl, your shaven pate, your chastity, your obedience, your poverty, yourworks, your merits? What do you want with all these trappings? What good arethe works of all men, and all the pains of the martyrs, in comparison with thepains of the Son of God dying on the Cross, so that there was not a drop ofHis precious blood, but it was all shed for your sins. If you could properlyevaluate this incomparable price, you would throw all your ceremonies, vows,works, and merits into the ash can. What awful presumption to imagine thatthere is any work good enough to pacify God, when to pacify God required the invaluable price ofthe death and blood of His own and only Son?

VERSE 20.Forme.

Who is this "me"? I, wretched anddamnable sinner, dearly beloved of the Son of God. If I could by work or meritlove the Son of God and come to Him, why should He have sacrificed Himself forme ? This shows how the papists ignore the Scriptures, particularly thedoctrine of faith. If they had paid any attention at all to these words, thatit was absolutely necessary for the Son of God to be given into death for me,they would never have invented so many hideous heresies.

I always say, there is no remedy againstthe sects, no power to resist them, except this article of Christianrighteousness. If we lose this article we shall never be able to combat errorsor sects. What business have they to make such a fuss about works or merits?If I, a condemned sinner, could have been purchased and redeemed by any otherprice, why should the Son of God have given Himself for me? Just because therewas no other price in heaven and on earth big and good enough, was itnecessary for the Son of God to be delivered for me. This He did out of Hisgreat love for me, for the Apostle says, "Who loved me."

Did the Law ever love me? Did the Law eversacrifice itself for me? Did the Law ever die for me? On the contrary, itaccuses me, it frightens me, it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me fromthe Law, from sin and death unto eternal life. That Somebody is the Son ofGod, to whom be praise and glory forever.

Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant, nolawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior, full of mercy. In short, He isno less than infinite mercy and ineffable goodness, bountifully giving Himselffor us. Visualize Christ in these His true colors. I do not say that it iseasy. Even in the present diffusion of the Gospel light, I have much troubleto see Christ as Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the diseased opinion thatChrist is a lawgiver sunk into my bones. You younger men are a good dealbetter off than we who are old. You have never become infected with thenefarious errors on which I suckled all my youth, until at the mention of thename of Christ I shivered with fear. You, I say, who are young may learn toknow Christ in all His sweetness.

For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a brokenheart. Christ is a Lover of poor sinners, and such a Lover that He gaveHimself for us. Now if this is true, and it is true, then are we neverjustified by our own righteousness.

Read the words "me" and "forme" with great emphasis. Print this "me" with capital lettersin your heart, and do not ever doubt that you belong to the number of thosewho are meant by this "me." Christ did not only love Peter and Paul.The same love He felt for them He feels for us. If we cannot deny that we aresinners, we cannot deny that Christ died for our sins.

VERSE 21.Ido not frustrate the grace of God.

Paul is now getting ready for the secondargument of his Epistle, to the effect that to seek justification by works ofthe Law, is to reject the grace of God. I ask you, what sin can be morehorrible than to reject the grace of God, and to refuse the righteousness ofChrist? It is bad enough that we are wicked sinners and transgressors of allthe commandments of God; on top of that to refuse the grace of God and theremission of sins offered unto us by Christ, is the worst sin of all, the sinof sins. That is the limit. There is no sin which Paul and the other apostlesdetested more than when a person despises the grace of God in Christ Jesus.Still there is no sin more common. That is why Paul can get so angry at theAntichrist, because he snubs Christ, rebuffs the grace of God, and refuses themerit of Christ. What else would you call it but spitting in Christ's face,pushing Christ to the side, usurping Christ's throne, and to say: "I amgoing to justify you people; I am going to save you." By what means? By masses, pilgrimages,pardons, merits, etc. For this is Antichrist's doctrine: Faith is no good,unless it is reinforced by works. By this abominable doctrine Antichrist hasspoiled, darkened, and buried the benefit of Christ, and in place of the graceof Christ and His Kingdom, he has established the doctrine of works and thekingdom of ceremonies.

We despise the grace of God when we observethe Law for the purpose of being justified. The Law is good, holy, andprofitable, but it does not justify. To keep the Law in order to be justifiedmeans to reject grace, to deny Christ, to despise His sacrifice, and to belost.

VERSE 21.Forif righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Did Christ die, or did He not die? Was Hisdeath worth while, or was it not? If His death was worth while, it followsthat righteousness does not come by the Law. Why was Christ born anyway? Whywas He crucified? Why did He suffer? Why did He love me and give Himself forme? It was all done to no purpose if righteousness is to be had by the Law.

Or do you think that God spared not HisSon, but delivered Him for us all, for the fun of it? Before I would admitanything like that, I would consign the holiness of the saints and of theangels to hell.

To reject the grace of God is a common sin,of which everybody is guilty who sees any righteousness in himself or in hisdeeds. And the Pope is the sole author of this iniquity. Not content to spoilthe Gospel of Christ, he has filled the world with his cursed traditions,e.g., his bulls and indulgences.

We will always affirm with Paul that eitherChrist died in vain, or else the Law cannot justify us. But Christ did notsuffer and die in vain. Hence, the Law does not justify.

If my salvation was so difficult toaccomplish that it necessitated the death of Christ, then all my works, allthe righteousness of the Law, are good for nothing. How can I buy for a penny what cost a million dollars? The Law is a penny's worth whenyou compare it with Christ. Should I be so stupid as to reject therighteousness of Christ which cost me nothing, and slave like a fool toachieve the righteousness of the Law which God disdains?

Man's own righteousness is in the lastanalysis a despising and rejecting of the grace of God. No combination ofwords can do justice to such an outrage. It is an insult to say that any mandied in vain. But to say that Christ died in vain is a deadly insult. To saythat Christ died in vain is to make His resurrection, His victory, His glory,His kingdom, heaven, earth, God Himself, of no purpose and benefit whatever.

That is enough to set any person againstthe righteousness of the Law and all the trimmings of men's own righteousness,the orders of monks and friars, and their superstitions.

Who would not detest his own vows, hiscowls, his shaven crown, his bearded traditions, yes, the very Law of Moses,when he hears that for such things he rejected the grace of God and the deathof Christ. It seems that such a horrible wickedness could not enter a man'sheart, that he should reject the grace of God, and despise the death ofChrist. And yet this atrocity is all too common. Let us be warned. Everyonewho seeks righteousness without Christ, either by works, merits,satisfactions, actions, or by the Law, rejects the grace of God, and despisesthe death of Christ.

¹* Luther hereaccurately outlines the Roman doctrine of grace de congruo and decondigno.