Thirdly.—Nevertheless Christ still remains the only Mediator and Conciliator, when we are thus born anew in him. Hence those are in error, who pretend that he acquires for us only primam gratiam, or the first grace, and that we must afterwards earn eternal life by our own works and merits. He remains the only Mediator, and we should entertain no doubt, that God is gracious to us for his sake alone, although we are even unworthy of it; as Paul says, Rom. 5:2: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” Our best works, even after we receive the grace of the Gospel, (as we said,) are still imperfect. For sin and the fall of Adam are not so insignificant, as human reason supposes. The terrible wrath of God, entailed upon us by disobedience, exceeds the understanding and all the conceptions of man. A most fearful corruption has come upon the whole nature of man, which no power but God’s can restore. The Psalmist therefore says, 32:1: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.” Hence we stand in need of grace, of God’s merciful goodness, and the forgiveness of sins, though we have performed many good works. That grace, however, is obtained only through faith. Consequently Christ alone continues to be the High Priest and Mediator; and whatever good we may do, or to whatever extent we may keep the law, this does not please God in itself, but because we cleave to Christ, and are conscious that God is gracious to us, not for the sake of the law, but of Christ. (Henkel Translation, p. 188).

Thus, in the Lord’s prayer, even the saints pray—“Forgive us our debts,” Matt.6:12; consequently they also are guilty and sinful. Again, Numb. 14:18: “The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgressions, and by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” Zachariah the prophet, 2:13, says: “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord;” and Isaiah 40:6: “All flesh is grass,”—that is, the flesh and all the righteousness of which we are capable, cannot bear the judgment of God. And we find, Jonah 2:8: “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.” Wherefore mercy alone sustains us—our own works, merits, and power cannot help us.

These and similar declarations in the Scriptures, show that our works are impure, and that we need grace and mercy; therefore works do not afford the conscience peace, but mercy alone, which we apprehend through faith. (Henkel Translation, p. 188).

…our works or worship cannot afford peace to our consciences, when we truly feel the judgment and wrath of God, or fall in temptation.  {Repeated for context}

The Scriptures abundantly confirm this, as in Psalm 143:2: “Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” Here the Psalmist clearly testifies, that all the saints, all the pious children of God, having the Holy Spirit, unless God remit their sins through grace, have sins still remaining in the flesh. When David says in another place: “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,” (Psalm 7:8,) he speaks of his cause, and not of his own righteousness; but his prayer is, that God would protect his cause and his Word,—since he says: Judge, Lord! my cause. Again, Psalm 130:3, he clearly asserts, that no one, not even the greatest saint, can bear the judgment of God, if he would mark iniquities, saying: “If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”

And thus Job says, 9:28: “I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.” Again, verses 30, 31: “If I wash myself with snow-water, and make my hands never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.” Again in the Proverbs of Solomon 20:9: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean?” And 1 John:1,8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”— (Henkel Translation, p. 187-188).

It must, therefore, stand as impregnable ground, that we become acceptable and just before God, for the sake of Christ, through faith, and not on account of our love and works. This we shall endeavor to set forth in a clear, positive, and tangible form.

While the heart has no peace with God, it cannot be just; because it shrinks from the wrath of God, falls into despair, and feels unwilling that God should judge. Hence, the heart cannot be just and acceptable in the sight of God, because it is not at peace with him. Faith alone, then pacifies the heart, which obtains rest and life, (Rom. 5:1) when it freely and confidently relies upon the promises of God, for Christ’s sake. But our works can never pacify the heart; for we continually find that they are impure; consequently it must follow, that through faith alone we become acceptable to God and righteous, when we are satisfied in our hearts, that God will be merciful to us, not on account of our works and our fulfillment of the law, but by grace alone, for Christ’s sake.

What can our opponents allege against this argument? What can they contrive or devise in opposition to this manifest truth? For it is undoubtedly true, and experience very forcibly teaches, that our works or worship cannot afford peace to our consciences, when we truly feel the judgment and wrath of God, or fall in temptation. (Henkel Translation, p. 187).

… He reproves the Pharisee for not recognizing him as Christ, although he was honored as a guest, and a pious and holy man. But he commends the worship of the woman, the confession of her sins, and her effort to obtain their remission from him. This noble example justly moved Christ to reprove the Pharisee, who, although a wise and honorable man, still did not believe on him….{Repeated for context}

Here, therefore, he commends not only love, but the whole cultus, or service of God, faith with its fruits, while speaking to the Pharisee of the fruits. Because faith in the heart cannot be shown or exhibited to others, except by its fruits; these establish the truth before men, that faith is in the heart. Christ did not mean that love and works should be the treasure, by which our sins are recompensed;— that treasure is the blood of Christ. The controversy, therefore, concerns an important and weighty matter, involving the highest, the surest, the eternal consolation of pious souls, namely, whether we should trust in Christ’s merits, or in our own works. If we trust in our own works, we rob Christ of his honor, and he ceases to be the Mediator and Conciliator; and besides we shall finally learn, that such confidence is vain, and will lead consciences only into despair; for unless we obtain remission of sin and reconciliation to God through Christ, without our merit, then no one will obtain remission of sin, without having kept the whole law. For the law cannot justify us before God, while it is our accuser. Now, no one can boast of having satisfied the law. Hence we must seek consolation elsewhere,— namely, in Christ. (Henkel Translation, p. 185-186).

But when Christ declares, Luke 7:47: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much,” he himself explains his words by saying verse 50: “Thy faith hath saved thee.” Christ did not wish to leave the impression, that the women merited the forgiveness of sins by her work of love; hence, he expressly declared that her faith had saved her. Now it is faith which relies on the mercy of God and his Word, and not upon works. If we believe that faith can rely both upon God and the works of men at the same time, we certainly do not understand what faith is. The alarmed conscience cannot be appeased by its own works, but must cry for mercy; and there are no other means by which it can be consoled and relieved, but the Word of God. The narrative itself shows plainly in this place, what Christ calls love. The woman comes to Christ, confident of obtaining the remission of her sins from him. Truly this is acknowledging and honoring Christ; for greater honor than this no one can confer upon him. It is really confessing Christ, or the Messiah, to seek remission of sin from him; and to recognize Christ in this manner, to confess and receive him thus, is to believe on him sincerely.

But Christ did not use the words, “she loved much,” while speaking with the woman, but when he spoke to the Pharisee. For Christ, the Lord, compared the whole honor, conferred on him by the Pharisee, with the offerings and works of the woman. He reproves the Pharisee for not recognizing him as Christ, although he was honored as a guest, and a pious and holy man. But he commends the worship of the woman, the confession of her sins, and her effort to obtain their remission from him. This noble example justly moved Christ to reprove the Pharisee, who, although a wise and honorable man, still did not believe on him. He reproached him with his unbelief, and admonished him by the example of the woman, as though he would say to the Pharisee: shame upon thee! That though art so blind as not to recognize me as Christ and the Messiah, although thou art a teacher of the law; while this woman, poor and without learning, recognizes me. (Henkel Translation, p. 185).

Some one of them may ask; “Since we acknowledge that love is the offspring of the Spirit, and since it is called a holy work and the fulfillment of the law, why we do not also teach that it justifies us before God?”

Reply,—First, most assuredly we do not receive the forgiveness of sins either through love or on account of it, but through faith alone for Christ’s sake. Faith alone in the heart looks upon the promises of God; faith alone is the assurance, upon which the heart rests with certainty, that God is merciful— that Christ died not in vain, &c. This faith alone overcomes the terrors of sin and death. He that still wavers, or doubts that his sins are remitted, does not confide in God, but he despairs of Christ; because he believes his sins to be greater and stronger than the death and blood of Christ; and yet Paul says, Rom. 5:20, that, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,” that is, it was stronger, richer, and more powerful.

Now if any one expects to obtain the remission of his sins, on account of his love, he reviles and dishonors Christ, and will discover, in his last moments, when he must appear before the judgment seat of God, the vanity of such confidence. It is therefore certain, that we are justified by faith alone. And as we do not obtain the remission of sin by good works and virtues; such as patience, chastity, obedience to government, and yet these virtues follow faith; so we do not obtain remission of sin on account of love to God, although it must follow faith. (Henkel Translation, p. 184).

From among these fruits and effects of faith our opponents select but one,—namely, love,—and teach that love justifies us in the sight of God; consequently they are nothing but preachers of works, and teachers of the law. They do not, in the first place, teach that we obtain the remission of sin through faith. They do not preach Christ, the Mediator, that through him we receive the mercy of God, but speak of our love and our works; and yet they do not tell us what kind of love it is, nor are they able to define it.

They boast of their ability to fulfil or keep the law, although the honor belongs to Christ alone. Thus they oppose their own works to the judgment of God, and maintain that they merit, de condigno, grace and eternal life. This is, indeed, a perfectly vain and impious confidence in their own works. For it is impossible in this life even for Christians and saints themselves, to keep the law of God perfectly; for evil inclinations and desires always remain in us, although the Holy Ghost resists them. (Henkel Translation, p. 184).