Martin Luther on Galatians 3:25

Verſe. 25. But after that Faith is come, vve are no longer vnder the Scholemaſter. That is to ſay: we are free from the lawe, from the priſon,VVhen Faith is come, vve are not any longer vnder the lavve. and from our Scholemaſter: for when Faith is reuealed, the lawe terrifieth and tormenteth vs no more. Paule here ſpeaketh of Faith as it was preached and publiſhed vnto the world by Chriſt in a certaine time before appoynted. For Chriſt taking vppon him our fleſh, came once into the world: he aboliſhed the lawe with all his effectes, and deliuered from eternall death all thoſe which receaue his benefite by Faith. If therefore ye looke vnto Chriſte and that which he hath done, there is now no lawe. For he comming in the time appoynted, tooke away the lawe. Nowe, ſince the law is gone, we are not kept vnder the tyrannie therof any more: but we liue in ioy and ſafetie vnder Chriſt, who now ſweetely raigneth in vs by his ſpirit. Now, where the Lord raigneth, there is libertie. Wherefore, if we could perfectly apprehend Chriſte which hath aboliſhed the lawe by his death, and hath reconciled vs vnto his father, that Scholemaſter ſhould haue no power ouer vs at all. But the lawe of the members rebelling againſt the lawe of the minde, letteth vs that we can not perfectly lay hold vppon Chriſte. The lacke therfore is not in Chriſt, but in vs, which haue not yet put of this fleſh, to the which ſinne continually cleaueth as long as we liue. Wherfore, as touching our ſelues, we are partly free from the law, and partly vnder the lawe. According to the ſpirite, vve ſerue vvith Paule the lavve of God: but according to the flesh the lavve of ſinne. Rom. 7. Hereof it foloweth, that as touching the conſcience we are fully deliuered from the law, & therfore that Scholemaſter muſt not rule in the cōſcience, that is, he muſt not afflict the conſcience wt his terrours, threatnings and captiuitie. And albeit it goe about to vexe & to trouble the conſcience neuer ſo much, yet is ſhe not moued therwt. For ſhe hath Chriſt crucified before her eyes, who hath remoued out of the cōſcience all the offices of the law: putting out the handvvriting of ordinaunces that vvas againſt vs, Coloſ[illegible: 1 letter]. 2.14.15. &c. Coloſſ. 2. Therfore, euen as a virgin knoweth no man: ſo the conſcience muſt not onely be ignorāt of the law, but alſo it muſt be vtterly dead vnto the law, & the law likewiſe vnto the conſcience.By Faith in Chriſt vve are dead to the lavve. This is not done by any works, or by the righteouſnes of ye law, but by faith which apprehendeth and layeth hold vpon Chriſt. Notwt ſtanding ſinne cleaueth ſtill in the fleſh as touching the effect thereof, which oftentimes accuſeth & troubleth the conſcience. So long then as the fleſh doth remaine, ſo long this Scholemaſter the law doth alſo remaine, which many times terrifieth the conſcience, & maketh it heauie by reuealing of ſinne & threatning of death. Yet is it raiſed vppe again by the daily cōming of Chriſt: who as he came once into the world at the time before appoynted, to redeme vs from the hard and ſharpe ſeruitude of our Scholemaſter: euen ſo he commeth daily vnto vs ſpiritually,Chriſt commeth daily vnto vs ſpiritually. to the ende that we may encreaſe in faith and in the knowledge of him, that the conſcience may apprehend him more fully and perfectly from day to day, and that the lawe of the fleſh and of ſinne, with the terrour of death and all euils that the lawe bringeth with it, may daily be diminiſhed in vs more and more. As long then as we liue in the fleſh, which is not without ſinne, the lawe oftentimes retourneth and doth his office, in one more and in an other leſſe, as their Faith is ſtrong or weake: and yet not to their deſtruction, but to their ſaluation. For this is the exerciſe of the lawe in the Sainctes: namely the continuall mortification of the fleſh, of reaſon, and of our owne ſtrength, and the daily renewing of our inward man,2 Cor. 4 1[illegible: 1 letter]. as it is ſayd in the .2. Cor. 4. We receaue then the firſt fruites of the ſpirite: the leuen is hidde in the maſſe of the dough:A ſimilitude of the leuen. but all the dough is not yet leuened: no it is yet but onely begunne to be leuened. If I behold the leuen, I ſee nothing elſe but pure leuen. But if I behold the whole maſſe, I ſee that it is not all pure leuen: That is to ſay, If I behold Chriſte, I am altogether pure and holy, knowing nothing at all of the lawe: for Chriſte is my leuen.Godly mē are holy, and yet ſinners. But if I behold mine owne fleſh, I feele in my ſelfe couetouſnes, luſt, anger, pride and arrogancie: alſo the feare of death, heauines, hatred, murmuring, and impatiencie againſt God. The more theſe ſinnes are in me, the more is Chriſt abſent from me: or if he be preſent, he is felt but a litle. Here haue we neede of a Scholemaſter to exerciſe and vexe this ſtrong Aſſe the fleſh, that by this exerciſe ſinnes may be diminiſhed & a way prepared vnto Chriſte. For as Chriſte came once corporally at the time appoynted, aboliſhed the whole lawe, vanquiſhed ſinne, deſtroyed death and hell:The ſpirituall comming of Chriſte. euen ſo he commeth ſpiritually without ceaſing, and daily quencheth and killeth theſe ſinnes in vs. This I ſay that thou mayeſt be able to aunſwere, if any ſhall thus obiecte: Chriſte came into the world, and atonce toke away all our ſinnes, and clenſed vs by his bloud: what neede we then to heare the Goſpell, or to receaue the Sacramentes? True it is that in as much as thou beholdeſt Chriſte,Hovve farre forth the lavv is abolished. the lawe and ſinne are quite aboliſhed. But Chriſte is not yet come vnto thee: or if he be come, yet notwithſtanding there are remnauntes of ſinne in thee: thou art not yet throughly leuened. For where concupiſcence, heauines of ſpirite, and feare of death is, there is yet alſo the lawe and ſinne. Chriſt is not yet throughly come: but when he cometh in deede, he driueth away feare and heauines, and bringeth peace and quietnes of conſcience. So farre forth then as I do apprehend Chriſt by Faith, ſo much is the lawe aboliſhed vnto me. But my fleſh, the world, and the Deuill doe hinder Faith in me, that it can not be perfect. Right gladly I would that that litle light of Faith which is in my heart, were ſpread thoroughout all my body and all the members thereof: but it is not done: it is not by and by ſpreade, but onely beginneth to be ſpreade. In the meane ſeaſon this is our conſolation,The conſolation of the godly. that we hauing the firſt fruites of the ſpirite, doe nowe beginne to be leuened: But we ſhall be thoroughly leuened when this body of ſinne is diſſolued, and we ſhall riſe newe creatures wholy together with Chriſte. Albeit then that Chriſte be one and the ſame yeſterday, to day,Heb. 13.8. and ſhall be for euer, and albeit that all the faithfull which were before Chriſt had the Goſpell and Faith: yet notwithſtanding Chriſte came once in the time before determined. Faith alſo came once when the Apoſtles preached and publiſhed the Goſpell thoroughout the world. Moreouer, Chriſt commeth alſo ſpiritually euery day. Faith likewiſe commeth daily by the word of the Goſpel. Now, when Faith is come,VVhen Faith is come, the lavv geue[illegible: 1 letter]h place. the Scholemaſter is conſtrained to geue place with his heauy and grenous office. Chriſt cōmeth alſo ſpiritually when we ſtil more and more doe knowe and vnderſtand thoſe things which by him are geuen vnto vs,2. Pet. 3.11. and encreaſe in grace and in the knowledge of him. 2. Pet. 3.