Secondly.—It is certain, that even those who are regenerated through faith and the Holy Spirit, are nevertheless not entirely pure, and do not keep the law perfectly, while this life continues. For, although they receive the first fruits of the Spirit, and though the new, yea eternal life has made a beginning in them, some portion of sin and evil desire still remains in them, and the law finds much whereof to accuse them. Hence, although love to God and good works shall and must dwell in Christians, still they are not justified before God on account of such works of their own, but for the sake of Christ, through faith. Confidence in our own fulfillment of the law, is pure idolatry, even blasphemy against Christ, and it must finally fail and lead us to despair. (Henkel Translation, p. 186-187).

Now we shall endeavor to reply to the question proposed above: why does not love, or dilectio, justify any one before God? Our opponents are correct in regarding love as the fulfillment of the law; hence it would be true indeed that love justifies us, provided we keep the law. But who dares to boast, who can say in truth, that he keeps the law and loves God as the law commands? We have shown above, that God gave us the promise of grace, because we are unable to keep the law. Paul, therefore, invariably says that we cannot be justified before God by the law.

Our opponents have certainly gone far astray on this point, and even mistaken the main question; because, in this matter they consider nothing but the law. Reason and the wisdom of man can come to no other conclusion, but that we must become godly through the observance of laws, and that whoever keeps the law externally is holy and just. The Gospel, however, turns us around, directing us from the law to the divine promises, and teaching that we are not justified by the law, which no one can keep; but by the gift of reconciliation for Christ’s sake, which we obtain through faith alone. For before we can fulfil one tittle of the law, we must believe in Christ, through whom we are reconciled to God, and first obtain remission of sin. O, Lord! how dare these men, who deny that we obtain remission of sin through faith in Christ, call themselves Christians, or say that they have ever looked at or read the books of the Gospel? It is awful to a Christian even to hear this. (Henkel Translation, p. 186).