In light of our conversation regarding Calvinism, etc., here is a brief and comforting section from Luther, his church postil Eleventh Sunday After Trinity:
[7] This is also proper fruit, since it promotes God's honor; as God desires nothing but the offering of praise, as Psalms, 50:23. says: "Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his way aright, will I show the salvation of God."
In this way the publican also proceeds, gives God the offering of thanksgiving and secures to himself the forgiveness of sin, and praises God, puts himself to shame and exalts the truth above himself. Therefore we must praise and commend his work, because he gives God the highest honor and true worship. For he says: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner." As though he would say: I am a rogue, this I confess, as you yourself know. Here you see that he confesses the truth, and is willing that God should reprove and revile him; yea, he does this himself, and casts himself down the very lowest, and with God he again rises upward, gives glory to God that he is gracious, kind and merciful. But in himself he finds nothing but sin. Wherefore these are the true fruits of faith.
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| We interrupt your Objective Justification for this important Luther quotation from the Book of Concord. |
