# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1844 11 30_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Der Lutheraner.

"God's Word and Luther's teaching shall never, ever pass away."

Published by C. F. W. Walther.

Volume 1.

St. Louis, Mo., November 30, 1844.

No. 7.

Terms: The Lutheraner appears once every two weeks, at the subscription price of one dollar and twenty-five cents for out-of-town subscribers, half of which they must pay in advance, and they must also bear the postage. — In St. Louis, each single issue is sold for 6¼ cents.

THROUGH FAITH ALONE MAN OBTAINS A GRACIOUS GOD AND A JOYFUL CONSCIENCE.

(From Luther's Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians. See: L. Werke [Luther's Works], Halle edition, vol. VIII, p. 2006 ff.)

"Under the papacy there were many good people who let themselves suffer bitterly for it; they took it upon themselves to keep the law, the ordinances of the fathers, and the pope's dreams and foolish contrivances; they tormented themselves so grievously with continual castigation, praying, fasting, keeping vigil, and the like, and ruined their bodies and health thereby, so that afterward they were fit for nothing at all; and yet nothing more was accomplished by it than that they only plagued and tortured themselves; but they could never bring it about that they might obtain a calm and peaceful conscience in Christ, but had to be forever doubting and uncertain whether God was gracious or ungracious toward them.*) But now, since the Gospel teaches that neither rule nor law makes one righteous, but faith in Christ alone, it follows that one knows and understands with the utmost certainty how one stands with God, whereby the conscience can become truly joyful. — —"

"It sounds exceedingly weak and slight, that the Holy Spirit should be given to us when we do nothing but hear the preaching of faith, and that nothing more should be required of us than that we cease from all our doing and only listen to the Gospel. The human heart neither understands nor believes that so great and precious a treasure, namely the Holy Spirit, should be given solely through the preaching of faith; instead it reasons thus: Surely, surely, it is a great thing that sins should be forgiven, that we should be freed from sin and death and receive the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and righteousness. Therefore it cannot come about so simply and easily; you must indeed also do something great and bold, in order to obtain such unspeakable gifts of God. Such thoughts the devil then strengthens in men's hearts and makes them ever greater. Therefore, when rea-"

*) "Is it any different with the conduct and character and whole Christianity of the members of our present-day zealous sects?"

"-son hears: Ah, friend, it is quite hopeless with you, you can do nothing to obtain grace, forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Spirit; but if you wish to obtain them, then be content with your own doing" (that is, cease from it) "and hear the word of faith, whereby you will receive all this" — reason at once barks back and says: "Ah, friend, you would have me reckon grace and the forgiveness of sins, etc., as all too cheap and paltry a thing, handed out as if by a father's whim; it cannot be received so easily merely by listening, etc." So it comes about that the very greatness of these unspeakable blessings makes us shy of them, so that we do not partake of them, and indeed we even come to despise them, precisely because they are offered and extended to us "for nothing" (that is, freely).

"But however this may agree with reason, we must nevertheless learn that the forgiveness of sins, Christ, the Holy Spirit, etc., are given to us freely, for nothing, and out of sheer grace, even though by our great and abominable sins we have deserved the very opposite. One must not, however, fix one's eyes on how immeasurably and superabundantly great the treasure is that is given to us, and how utterly unworthy we are of such a treasure. For where this happens, both the greatness of this treasure and our unworthiness terrify us and hold us back. Instead, one should consider that it pleases God, out of sheer mercy, to bestow this unspeakable treasure freely and for nothing upon us who are unworthy — who had indeed deserved God's eternal wrath and punishment. Just as Christ himself says in Luke 12:32: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." The kingdom, he says, to give. But to whom will he give it? To you unworthy ones, who are a little flock. Since, then, I am small and lowly, but the treasure given to me is great — indeed truly great, exceedingly great — I must in turn consider that he too is great, indeed alone great, who bestows and gives me such a treasure. Since, then, as Christ says, the merciful Father offers and wills to give me such a treasure, I ask nothing at all about my sin and unworthiness, but look solely to his gracious, fatherly will toward me, and accept such a treasure with all joy, being glad and heartily thankful for such an unspeakable gift, which is given and bestowed on me, a poor, unworthy sinner, out of grace, for nothing, through the preaching of faith."

"But reason, as I have said before, takes offense at this and says: Do you hear, fellow, what you claim and say — that people need do nothing more, if they wish to obtain this exceedingly great treasure, than simply hear God's Word? This seems almost as though it would lead to a great contempt of grace, and make us entirely complacent, lazy, and drowsy, so that we sit with our hands in our laps and no longer do anything good at all. Therefore it is not fitting that one should preach in this way. Nor is it true or right; rather, one ought to exhort people, rebuke and admonish them to take hold of it, to let it cost them effort, and to exercise themselves with the utmost diligence in doing good, and only then to hope to obtain such a precious treasure. The heretics called Pelagians made this very same reproach against the Christians in former times."

"But you should not be swayed by this; rather listen to what St. Paul says here (Gal. 3:2): "You have received the Holy Spirit," he says — not through your labor, in that you let it cost you effort and did the works of the law, "but through the preaching of faith." Indeed, hear how Christ answered his dear hostess Martha, who busied herself greatly in serving him well, and was vexed that her sister Mary sat at the feet of the Lord Jesus, listening to his word, and left her to serve and work alone. "Martha, Martha," he says, "you are careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful! Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her." Therefore no one becomes a Christian through works, but through hearkening to the divine Word. Whoever, then, wishes to strive to become righteous should think first and foremost to exercise himself in hearing God's Word; when he has heard and grasped it, let him thank our Lord God with joy and thereafter exercise himself in the good works commanded in Scripture; so that the law

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