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"All Scripture ought to be distributed into these two
principal topics, the Law and the promises."
Apology Augsburg Confession, IV.
#5. Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1921, p. 121. Tappert, p. 108. Heiser, p. 32.
"They teach that by contrition we merit grace. In reference
to which, if any one should ask why Saul and Judas and similar persons, who
were dreadfully contrite, did not obtain grace, the answer was to be taken from
faith and according to the Gospel, that Judas did not believe, that he did not
support himself by the Gospel and promise of Christ. For faith shows the distinction
between the contrition of Judas and of Peter. But the adversaries take their
answer from the Law, that Judas did not love God, but feared the
punishments."
Apology Augsburg Confession, XII.
#8. Penitence. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1921, p. 255. Tappert, p. 183. Heiser, p. 79.
"But the chief office or force of the Law is that it reveal
original sin with all its fruits, and show man how very low his nature has
fallen, and has become [fundamentally and] utterly corrupted; as the Law must
tell man that he has no God nor regards [cares for] God, and worships other
gods, a matter which before and without the Law he would not have believed. In
this way he becomes terrified, is humbled, desponds, despairs, and anxiously
desires aid, but sees no escape; he begins to be an enemy of [enraged at] God,
and to murmur, etc. This is what Paul says, Romans 4:15: 'The Law worketh
wrath.' And Romans 5:20: Sin is increased by the Law. [The Law entered that the
offense might abound.'] Smalcald Articles, Third Part, II. #3. The Law.
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 479. Tappert, p.303. Heiser, p. 142. Romans 5:20; Romans 4:15.
"But the only thing that was taught and advocated was: Invoke
the Virgin Mary and other saints as your mediators and intercessors; fast often
and pray much; make pilgrimages, enter cloisters and become monks, or pay for
the saying of many masses and like works. And thus we imagined when we did
these things we had merited heaven."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 191.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46
"The Law continually chastises us as sinners and
transgressors, and threatens us with death and hell, until Christ comes and
bestows His Spirit and His love, through the faith preached in the Gospel. Then
we are freed from the Law. No longer it demands, no longer chastises, but lets
the conscience rest. No more it terrifies with death and hell. It has become
our kind friend and companion."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 281.
New Year's Day, Galatians 3:23-29
"It is now plain to whom Paul addresses the words of this
verse--the work-righteous, who would become godly through the Law and its work,
who consider the first office of the Law sufficiently effective to make them
righteous. This doctrine gives rise to a class who might be styled
'Absalomites.' For as Absalom remained hanging by his head, in an oak tree,
suspended between heaven and earth (2 Samuel 18:9), so this class hang between
heaven and earth. Shut up by the Law, they do not touch the earth; they are
restrained from the things their evil nature ardently desires. On the other
hand, since the Law, powerless to improve their nature, only irritates and
provokes it, making them enemies to the Law, they are not godly and so do not
reach heaven."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 277.
New Year's Day, Galatians 3:23-29; 2 Samuel 18:9
"The Spirit is the ink or the inscription, yes, even the
writer himself; but the pencil or pen and the hand of the writer is the
ministry of Paul. This figure of a written epistle is, however, in accord with
Scripture usage. Moses commands (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 11, 18) that the Israelites
write the Ten Commandments in all places where they walked or stood--upon the
posts of their houses, and upon their gates, and ever have them before their
eyes and in their hearts."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John
Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 225. Twelfth
Sunday after Trinity 2 Corinthians 3:4-11; Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 11, 18
"But now, if we are to know Christ as our helper and Savior,
then we must first know, out of what He can help us, not out of fire or water,
or other bodily need and danger, but out of sin and the hatred of God. But
whence do I know that I lie drowned in misery? From no other source than from
the Law, that must show me what my loss and disease are, or I will never
inquire for the Physician and His help."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 192.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46
"Since we are unable to keep the Law and it is impossible for
the natural man to do so, Christ came and stepped between the Father and us,
and prays for us: Beloved Father, be gracious unto them and forgive them their
sins. I will take upon Me their transgressions and bear them; I love Thee with
my whole heart, and in addition the entire human race, and this I will prove by
shedding My blood for mankind. Moreover, I have fulfilled the Law and I did it
for their welfare in order that they may partake of my fulfilling the Law and
thereby come to grace."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 188.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46
"I have often told you, dearly beloved, that the entire
Scriptures consist of two parts, of the law and the Gospel. It is the law that
teaches us what we are required to do; the Gospel teaches where we shall
receive what the law demands. For it is quite a different thing to know what we
should have, and to know where to get it. Just as when I am given into the
hands of the physicians, where it is quite a different art to tell what my
disease is than to tell what medicine I must take so as to recover. Thus it is
likewise here. The law discovers the disease, the Gospel ministers the
medicine."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 31.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37
"I would much rather have people say that I preach too
sweetly and that it hinders people from doing good works (even though my
preaching does not do that), than that I failed to preach faith in Christ, and
there was no help or consolation for timid, fearful consciences."
Sermons of Martin Luther, The House
Postils, 3 vols., ed. Eugene F. A. Klug, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996,
II, p. 115. Ascension Day Acts 1:1-11
"When we examine the laws of Moses, we find they all treat of
love. For the commandment: 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me,' I cannot
explain or interpret otherwise than: Thou shalt love God alone. Thus Moses
himself interprets it in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where he says: 'Hear, O Israel;
Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.' From this passage
the lawyer has taken his answer."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 21f.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37; Deuteronomy 6:4-5
"For if I love God I love also His will. Now, when God sends
us sickness, poverty, shame and disgrace, that is His will. But what do we do
under such circumstances? We thunder, scold and growl, and bear it with great
impatience...But God does not want this. He wants us to accept His will with
joy and love, and this we are too tardy in doing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 26.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37
"But there is not a man on earth who thus fulfils the law;
yea, we all do just the opposite. Thus this law here makes us all sinners so
that not the least letter of this commandment is fulfilled, even by the most
holy persons in the world. For no one clings so firmly to God with all the
heart, that he could forsake all things for God's sake. We have, God be
praised, become so competent that we can almost not suffer the least word, yea,
we will not let go of a nickel for the sake of God."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 25.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37
"For God is a jealous God and cannot suffer us to love
anything above Himself. But to love anything beneath Himself, He of course
allows. Just as a husband can easily allow his wife to love the maid servants,
the house and house utensils, cattle and other things; but to love with the
love she should have for him, he will not suffer her to love anyone besides
himself; yea, he desires her to forsake all things for his sake; and so again
the wife also requires the same from her husband."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 24.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Luke 10:23-37
"That was the time of blindness when we knew nothing of God's
Word, but led ourselves and others into misery by our own idle talk and dreams.
And I was one of those who indeed bathed in this sweat or in this bath of
anxiety. Therefore let us give heed that we may thoroughly grasp and retain
this doctrine, if other fanatics and false spirits wish to attack it, so that
we may be fore-armed and learn, while we have the time and the beloved sun
again enlightens us, and buy while the market is at our door. For it will come
to this when once these lights, which God now gives, have departed, Satan will
not take a furlough until he raises up other fanatical spirits to do harm; as
he has already commenced to do in many places during our generation. What shall
take place after we are gone?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 192.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46
"Let a prince give a person a castle or several thousand
dollars, what a jumping and rejoicing it creates! On the other hand, let a
person be baptized or receive the communion which is a heavenly, eternal
treasure, there is not one-tenth as much rejoicing. Thus we are by nature;
there is none who so heartily rejoices over God's gifts and grace as over money
and earthly possessions; what does that mean but that we do not love God as we
ought?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 190
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46