Collected Sermons, salvation through Christ
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER, TEACHING THAT SALVATION COMMETH by Chriſt alone.
Ioh. 6.
Verſe 44. NO man can come to me, except the Father which hath ſent me, draw him: & I will rayſe him vp at the laſt day.
45. It is written in the Prophets: And they ſhall be all taught of God. EueryEvery man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, commeth vntounto me.
46. Not that any man hath ſeene the Father, ſaue he which is of God, he hath ſeene the Father.
47. Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, He that beleueth in me, hath euerlaſting life.
48. I am the bread of life.
49. Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernes, and are dead.
50. This is that bread which cōmeth downe from heauen, that he which eateth of it, ſhoulde not die.
51. I am that liuing breade which came downe from heauen: if any man eate of this bread, he ſhall liue for euer: and the breade that I will giuegive, is my fleſh, which I will giuegive for the life of the world.
The ſumme of this text.
1 CHriſt is knowne of none, but of him whom the Father draweth, that is, except the Father teache vsus that knowledge inwardly in the hart. Therefore Christ ſayth to Peter Matth. 16: Flesh and blood hath not reuealed it vntounto thee, but my Father which is in heauen.
2 Chriſt is the wiſedom of God, which is of more price then precious ſtones, and whatſoeuer can be wiſhed, is not to be compared vntounto it,Pro. 8.11. as Salomon ſayth in the Prouerbs.
3 The old heauenly bread, that is, the righteouſnes of the lawe doth not iustifie: But Christ, if we beleeue in him, iustifieth for euer.
The expoſition of the text.
THis text teacheth vsus nothing els but chriſtian faith, and ſtirreth it vp in vsus, as ſurely Iohn through his Goſpel, doth almoſt no other thing but inſtruct vsus, how we muſt beleeue in the Lord Chriſt. And ſuch a faith as is grounded on the true promiſe of God made vntounto vsus in Chriſt,OnelyOnly faith in Chriſt ſaueth vsus. ſhall ſaue vsus, as this text plainly declareth. Alſo they are here all proued fooles, which hauehave taught vsus an other way and meanes to obtaine righteouſnes. Whatſoeuer mās minde cā inuēt, although it be holy, although it hauehave a fayre ſhew before men, it muſt needes vtterly fal, if that he wil hauehave ſaluation to come thereby. For albeit that man is exerciſed with the duties of godlines, he ſhall not be able to attaine vntounto heauen, vnles God preuent him with his word, which may offer his diuine grace vntounto him, and lighten his hart, that he may walke in the right way. Now this way is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt,Chriſt the right way. he that will ſeeke an other way, as the moſt part of men with their outward workes commonly doe, hath now erred from the right and high way. For Paule ſayth Gal. 2: If righteouſnes be by the law, that is, by the workes of the lawe, then Chriſt died without a cauſe. Therefore I ſaye, that a man muſt by the Goſpell be as it were bruſed and broken, & humbled euen from the bottom of his hart, as being fraile & weake, which can moue neither hands nor feete, but onelyonly lyeth proſtrate and cryeth: Helpe me O omnipotent God, merciful Father, I am not able to helpe my ſelfe: Helpe O Lord Chriſt, myne owne helpe is nothing. That ſo againſt this corner ſtone which is Chriſt al may be broken, as he ſaith of him ſelfe in Luke, when he aſked the Phariſees and Scribes:Luke 20.17. VVhat meaneth this then that is written: The ſtone that the builders refuſed, that is made the head of the corner? VVhoſoeuer shall fall vponupon that ſtone, shall be broken: & on whomſoeuer it shall fall, it wil grinde him to pouder. Wherefore either let vsus fal vponupon it by our imbecillitie and weakenes, by denying our ſelues, & ſo be broken, or els he will breake vsus for euer in his ſtraite iudgement. But it is better that we fall vponupon it, then that it fall vponupon vsus. VponUpon this foundation Chriſt ſayth here in this text.
No man can come vntounto me, except the Father which hath ſent me, draw him: and I will rayſe him vp at the laſt day. Now he whom the Father draweth not, ſhall ſurely periſh. It is alſo concluded that he which commeth not to this ſonne, ſhall be damned for euer. He is the onelyonly Sonne giuen vntounto vsus, which may ſaue vsus, without him there is no ſaluation: if he helpe not,Without Chriſt there is no ſaluation. our caſe is moſt miſerable: Of him Peter alſo ſpeaketh to the ſame effect in the Acts of the Apoſtles chap. 4: This is the ſtone caſt aſide of you builders, which is become the head of the corner, neither is there ſaluation in any other: for amonge men there is giuen none other name vnderunder heauen, whereby vve muſt be ſaued. Whither would our Diuines and Scholemen turne them ſelues here, which hauehave taught vsus that by many workes we muſt attaine vntounto righteouſnes? Here is that high Maiſter Ariſtotle confounded, who hath taught vsus, that reaſon endeuoureth to doe the beſt things, & is alwayes ready to the better. But this Chriſt doth here deny: for vnles the Father poſſeſſe and drawe vsus, we ſhall periſh for euer. Here all men muſt confeſſe their imbecillity and ſlownes to good thinges. If ſo be that any perſwade him ſelf that he is able to doe any good thing by his owne ſtrength, truely he hath reproued Chriſt of falſhood, and with great arrogancie preſumeth to come to heauen, albeit he is not drawn of ye Father. Wherefore where the word of God is in his courſe, & ſoundly preached, whatſoeuer thinges are high and great, it caſteth them downe, it maketh all mountaines euen with the valleies, and ouerthroweth all hilles, as the Prophet Eſai ſayth, that all harts hearing the worde may deſpeire of them ſelues, otherwiſe they can not come vntounto Chriſt. The workes of God are ſuch, that while they kill, they make aliue, while they condemne, they ſaue: as Hanna the mother of Samuel ſingeth of the Lord:1. Sam. 2.6. The Lord killeth, and maketh aliue, bringeth dovvne to the graue, & fetcheth vp againe. The Lord maketh poore, & maketh rich, bringeth lovv, How the Father draweth vsus vntounto Chriſt.and heaueth vp on hie. Wherefore if a man be thus ſtriken of God in his hart, that he acknowledgeth him ſelfe ſuch a one as ought for his ſinnes to be condemned, he ſurely is euen that very man, whom God by his word hath ſtriken, and by this ſtroke hath faſtened vponupon him the bond of his diuine grace, wherby he draweth him, that he may prouide for his ſoule, & hauehave care of him. He could firſt find with him ſelfe no helpe nor counſel, neither did he wiſh for any, but now he hath found the ſpeciall conſolation & promiſe of God, which is after this ſort: He that asketh receiueth, he that ſeeketh findeth, & to him that knocketh it is opened. By ſuch a promiſe man is more & more lifted vp in mind, & conceiueth a greater truſt and confidence in God. For as ſoone as he heareth that this is the worke of God alone, he deſireth of God, as at the hand of his mercifull father, that he will vouchſafe to drawe him. If ſo be that he be drawne of God vntounto Chriſt, vndoutedly that alſo ſhall come vntounto him, whereof the Lord maketh mention here, namely that he wil raiſe him vp at the laſt day. For he layeth hold on the word of God, & truſteth in God, whereby he hath a certaine teſtimony, that he is he, whom God hath drawne: As Iohn ſayth in his firſt Epiſtle:1. Ioh. 5.10. He that beleeueth in that Sonne of God hath the vvitnes in him ſelfe. Hereupon it muſt needes follow, that he is taught of God, and in verity now knoweth God to be no other, but a helper, a comforter, and a Sauiour. Hereby it is now manifeſt, that if we beleeue, God will be no other toward vsus but a Sauiour, helper, and giuer of all felicitie, who requireth and aſketh nothing of vsus, but will onelyonly giuegive and offer vntounto vsus, as he him ſelf ſayth vntounto Iſrael Pſal. 81: I am God thy Lord, which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt: open thy mouth wide, & I will fill it. Who would not louelove ſuch a God, which ſheweth him ſelf ſo gentle and louing vntounto vsus, and offereth ſo readily his grace and goodnes?
They ſhall not be able to eſcape the ſeuere and eternall iudgement of God, which do vnaduiſedly neglect ſo great grace, as the Epiſtle to the Hebrues ſayth: If they that tranſgreſſed the lawe of Moſes, eſcaped not vnpuniſhed, but dyed without mercy, howe much more grieuouſly ſhal God puniſh them, which coūt ye blood of the Teſtament as an vnholy thinge, and tread vnderunder foote the ſonne of God?The knowledge of God. O howe diligent is Paule in all his Epiſtles to teach how the knowledge of God may rightly be conceiued? O how often doth he wiſh encreaſe in the knowledge of God? As if he would ſay: If ye onelyonly knew and vnderſtood what God is, ye ſhould then be ſafe. Then ye would louelove him, and do all thinges yt are approued of him. Thus he ſayth Coloſ. 1: VVe ceaſe not to pray for you, and to deſire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will, in all wiſedom, & ſpiritual vnderſtanding: that ye might walke vvorthy of the Lord, & pleaſe him in all things, being fruteful in al good works, & increaſing in the knowledge of God, ſtrēgthened with al might through his glorious power, vntounto all patience, & long ſuffering with ioyfulnes: giuing thanks vntounto the Father, which hath made vsus meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Sainctes in light. And Pſal. 119 Dauid ſayth: Inſtruct me, & I will keepe thy lawe, yea I will obſerue it vvith my vvhole hart. And thus ye hauehave out of the firſt ſentence of this text, that the knowledge of God doth come from ye father. It is needeful that he lay the firſt ſtone in our building, otherwiſe we ſhal labour in vaine. But that is done thus: God ſendeth vntounto vsus Preachers, whom he hath taught, and prouideth that his will be preached vntounto vsus. Firſt that all our life and cōdition,The preaching of the law. although it hauehave a fayre ſhew & be holy outwardly, is of no eſtimation before him, yea is abhorred and lothed of him. And this is called the preaching of the law.The preaching of the Goſpell. Afterward he maketh grace to be preached vntounto vsus, to wit, that he will not hauehave vsus vtterly condemned and caſt of, but that he will receiue vsus in his beloued ſonne, and not ſimply receiue vsus, but alſo make vsus heires in his kingdom, yea and Lordes ouer all thinges which are in heauen and earth. This nowe is called the preaching of grace or of the Goſpell. And all this is of God, which rayſeth vp and ſendeth forth Preachers. This S. Paule ſignifieth when he ſayth thus Rom. 10: Faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This alſo the wordes of the Lorde meane here in the Goſpell, when he ſayth:
It is written in the Prophets: And they shall be all taught of God. EueryEvery man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, commeth vntounto me: Not that any man hath ſeene the Father, ſaue he which is of God, he hath ſeene the Father. Whē as we heare the firſt preaching, that is the preaching of the law, howe we are condemned with all our workes, then man ſigheth vntounto God,What the preaching of the law worketh in man. and knoweth not what to doe, his conſcience is euill and fearefull, and except helpe ſhould come in time, he ſhoulde deſpeire for euer. Wherefore the other preaching muſt not be long differred, the Goſpell muſt be preached vntounto him, and the way vntounto Chriſt muſt be ſhewed, whom God hath giuen vntounto vsus a Mediatour, that through him alone we may be ſaued, by meere grace and mercy, without all our owne works and merits. Then the hart is made ioyfull,The preaching of the Goſpel what it worketh in vsus. and haſteth vntounto ſuch grace, as the thirſty hart runneth vntounto ye water. Dauid had a notable feeling hereof, when he ſayd thus Pſal. 42: Like as the hart deſireth the vvater brookes, ſo longeth my ſoule after thee, O God: My ſoule thirſteth for God, yea euen for the liuing God. When therefore a man commeth to Chriſt, through the Goſpell, then heareth he the voyce of the Lord Chriſt, which ſtrengthneth the knowledge that God hath taught him: to wit, that God is nothing els but a Sauiour abounding with grace, who will be fauorable and mercifull to all them, which call vponupon him in this his Sonne. Therefore the Lord ſayth moreouer:
Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, He that beleeueth in me, hath euerlaſting life. I am that breade of life. Your Fathers did eate Manna in the vvildernes, and are dead. This is that bread vvhichwhich cōmeth dovvne from heauen, that he vvhichwhich eateth of it should not die. I am that liuing bread, vvhichwhich came dovvne from heauen: if any man eate of this bread, he shall liue for euer: and the bread that I vvill giuegive, is my flesh, vvhichwhich I vvill giuegive for the life of the vvorld. In theſe wordes the ſoule findeth a table daintily furniſhed, whereby it may ſtake all hunger. For it knoweth aſſuredly that he that ſpeaketh theſe wordes can not lye. Wherefore if it commit it ſelfe confidently vntounto him, and cleaue to the word, it reſteth vponupon him, and ſo departeth not from this goodly table. This is that ſupper, to the preparing whereof the heauenly Father killed his oxen and fatlings, and hath bidden vsus all vntounto it. The liuing breade whereof the Lorde here maketh mention,Chriſt the liuing bread, whereon we muſt feede by faith. is Chriſt him ſelfe, whereby we are ſo fedde. If we lay hold but of a morſell of this bread in our harts, and keepe it, we ſhall be ſatiſfied for euer, neither can we euer be plucked from God. Moreouer ſuch an eating is nothing els, but to beleue in ye Lord Chriſt, that he is made vntounto vsus of God, as Paule ſayth 1. Cor 1. wiſedom, righteouſnes, ſanctification, and redemption. He that eateth this meat, liueth for euer. Wherefore by and by after this text, when the Iewes were at contention about theſe his wordes, he ſayth: Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood, ye hauehave no life in you. VVhoſoeuer eateth my flesh, & drinketh my blood hath eternall life, & I vvill rayſe him vp at the laſt day. Manna which the fathers did eate in the deſert (as Chriſt here ſayth) could not ſaue from death: but this bread maketh vsus immortall. If we beleeue in Chriſt, death ſhall not hurt vsus any thing at all, yea there is no more death. This the Lord meaneth by theſe wordes in an other place, where he ſayth to ye Iewes: Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, Ioh. 8.51.if a man keepe my word, he shall neuer ſee death: where it is certaine that he ſpeaketh of the word of faith, and of the Goſpell.
But ſome man may ſay that holy men die notwithſtanding,An obiectiō. for Abraham & the holy Prophets are dead, as the Iewes ſayd vntounto him. I aunſwere: The death of Chriſtians is onelyonly a ſleepe,The aunſwer as the Scripture alſo commonly calleth it: for a Chriſtian taſteth & ſeeth no death, that is, he hath the feeling of no death. For this Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus, in whom he beleeueth, hath ouercome death, yt afterwards he ſhoulde not feele or taſt it, but death is vntounto him onelyonly a paſſage and gate to life, as Chriſt him ſelfe witneſſeth Ioh. 5: Verely, verely I ſay vntounto you, he that heareth my vvord, & beleeueth in him that ſent me, hath euerlaſting life, & shall not come into condemnation, but hath paſſed from death to life. Wherefore the life of a Chriſtian is merie, and on eueryevery ſide repleniſhed with ioy, and the yoke of Chriſt is eaſie & ſweete. But that it ſemeth heauy and grieuous vntounto vsus, this is the cauſe, for that the Father hath not yet drawne vsus: hereupon it commeth to paſſe that we take no pleaſure thereof, neither is the Goſpell comfortable vntounto vsus. If ſo be that we would lay vp the wordes of Chriſt well in our hart, they would be vntounto vsus an exceeding comfort. And thus ye hauehave heard howe we muſt feede on this breade which came downe from heauen, that is, on the Lord Chriſt, to wit by faith, which we then do when we beleeue in him, that he is our Sauiour.
The whole chapter out of which this text is taken, commendeth vntounto vsus nothing els but ſpirituall meat. For when the multitude followed Chriſt, that they might againe eate and drinke, which the Lord him ſelfe ſignifieth, he taketh occaſion of the corporal meat which they ſought, & almoſt through the whole chapter ſpeaketh of ſpirituall meat, as he ſayd: The wordes which I ſpeake are ſpirit and life. Wherby he would ſignifie, that he therfore fed them, that they ſhould beleeue in him: & as they did eate the bodily meat, ſo they ought alſo to feede of the ſpirituall. Here let vsus weie and marke this, that the Lord doth ſo gently and graciouſly apply him ſelfe to vsus, and offer him ſelfe in ſuch gentle wordes, that it ought worthely to moue our hartes to beleeue in him, to wit, that that bread, was therefore giuen for vsus, inaſmuch as it was behouefull that he ſhould taſt death and ſuffer helliſh paines: Alſo ſhould beare ſinnes which he neuer had committed, as though he had committed them, and had bene his owne: and he did alſo the ſame willingly for our ſakes, and tooke vsus as brethren and ſiſters.The will of the heauenly Father. This if we beleeue, we doe the will of the heauenly Father, which is nothing els but to beleeue in his Sonne, & ſo be ſaued. As Chriſt him ſelfe ſayth a litle before: This is the will of him that ſent me, that eueryevery man which ſeeth the Sonne, and beleeueth in him, should hauehave euerlaſting life. It now therfore appeareth that he that hath faith doth the will of God, and eateth of this heauenly bread. As Auguſtine ſayth: What dooſt thou prepare thy mouth, beleeue, and thou haſt eaten. Of this ſpirituall ſupper the whole new Teſtament ſpeaketh, but eſpecially in this place of Iohn. The Sacrament of Chriſtes body & blood is a certaine teſtimonie and pledge of this true ſupper, whereby we ought to ſtrengthen our faith, and to be aſſured, that this body and this blood, whereof we feede in the Sacrament, deliuereth vsus from ſynne, death, Satan, and all euell.
But how may a man perceiue and know,How a man maye know whether he be called to this ſpirituall ſupper. that he alſo doth pertaine to this heauenly bread, and is called to this ſpirituall ſupper? let him conſider the caſe in his owne heart, which if he fynde ſo affected, that it doth as it were feele a ſweetenes in the promiſe of God, and is vndoutedly perſwaded, that he is of the companie of them which pertaine to his ſupper, he is aſſuredly ſuch a one in deede. For as we belteue, ſo commeth it vntounto vsus. Such a man hath alſo by and by a regard of his neighbour,Charitie towarde our neighbour the frute of true faith. and helpeth him as his brother, careth for him, giueth vntounto him, lendeth him, comforteth him, briefly doth no otherwiſe to him then he deſireth to be done vntounto himſelfe. And all this proceedeth from hence, for that the bountifullnes and goodnes of Chriſt hath repleniſhed his heart with ſweetnes and louelove, that it is a pleaſure and ioy vntounto him to do good to his neighbour, yea and he is grieued if there be none toward whom he may be ſeruiceable. And beſide all this, he is tractable and lowly towardes all men, he doth not eſteeme the temporall pleaſure and pride of life, he iudgeth no man, he defameeh no man, he interpreteth all thinges in the better part. Whē as he ſeeth that the matter goeth not well with his neighbour, as that he fainteth in faith, waxeth colde in louelove, and that his life is not on euerie ſide approueable, he prayeth for him, and is ſore grieued if any commit any thinge againſt God and his neighbour. In a ſumme, the roote and ſappe are ſound, for they are in a flouriſhing vine, to wit, Chriſt, and therefore ſuch frutes come forth. But if any be voide of faith, and not taught of God, ſuch a one doth not feede on this heauēly bread, neither bringeth forth theſe frutes. For where a right faith is not, there ſuch frutes are alwayes wanting. And therefore S. Peter teacheth vsus to make our calling vntounto ſaluation, ſure by good workes, where he ſpeaketh properly of the workes of louelove, namely, that we do good to our neighbour, and be affected toward him, as toward our owne fleſh and blood. Thus much ſhall ſuffize concerning this text. Let vsus call to God for his grace.