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But be renewed in the spirit of your mind
and put on the new man who is created according to God in honest
righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23,24
Just as we will take off the old man, he also desires that we then put on the new man so that day to day we become ever more new people. This happens when first we are freed from error (or the erroneous thoughts and conceits of our ruined human nature which cannot rightly know God or think of him or fear him or believe in him). And now, through God's Word, we hold right thoughts about him and trust in his grace with right faith that he desires to forgive us our sins for Christ's sake. So we implore him for that, as well as for the sake of withstanding and overcoming powers, so that he would bestow might and that faith would be preserved and increased.
First he calls it, "Being renewed in the spirit of your mind." That is to always receive and be strengthened in the right true understanding and clear confession of Christ against erroneous and false conceits. Whoever becomes so renewed (he says) is the kind of person who "is made according to God in right or true righteousness and holiness." In the old man is nothing but error through which the devil leads him to ruin. But the new man has the Spirit and Truth instead, through which his heart is enlightened, which bring righteousness and holiness with them. So this person follows God's Word and desires a good, godly walk and life, etc., instead of error which follows lust and the love of sins and every vice. Such a new person is created according to God, as an image of God, that must be different than those that live in error and lusts, without the knowledge and obedience of God. So if he is an image of God, then a true divine knowledge, thought and mind must be in him and then a godly life, or righteousness and holiness, follow, as in God himself.
Adam was originally created by God in this image, both in his truthful soul, without any error, in true knowledge of God and faith, but also, in addition to this, according to a holy and pure life. That is a life without impurity, filthy desires, greed, sexual impurities, envy and hatred, etc. His children, that is all of mankind, would also have remained so from birth if the man had not let himself be deceived by the devil and had so ruined himself. But now, through God's grace and Spirit, the Christian is again renewed to that divine image. So they shall also live, that both the soul or spirit would be right before God and would please him by faith in Christ, and also his body, or his entire outward life would be pure and holy so that it is a true holiness.
So a small or great pretended holiness and purity are only but a false appearance in which the world is clothed. This is what the heretics and monkish saints do when they establish their holiness and purity only upon outward, special works and self-chosen works. These look good and are called before people fine holiness and pure praying and fasting, being cloistered, etc. But inwardly, they are and remain proud, poisonous, greedy, hateful, full of filthy fleshly lust and evil thoughts, as Christ also says of such people in Matthew 5:29 and Luke 16:15.
Erl. 9, 310–312: Sermon on Trinity 19, Ephesians 4:22–28
Renew me, O eternal Light, And let my heart and soul be bright, Illumined with the light of grace That issues from Thy holy face. Destroy in me the lust of sin, From all impureness make me clean. O, grant me pow'r and strength, my God, To strive against my flesh and blood!(TLH 398: 1–2)
Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun
go down upon your wrath. Ephesians 4:26
So a Christian must not dress himself with wrath but rather extinguish and dampen the first sparks. That is proper to the new man. He can conquer wrath. He will not be made to stumble again by the devil from the faith started in him nor will he lose what he has started.
For if he would follow such an irritation of his flesh, then he would already be led by the old man again through error into damnation. He is no longer strong in himself, following his own lusts, and adorned with lies, and still wanting the right to rage and revenge, as the world does, which also chafes, "They treated me with great might and injustice. Should I put up with that? I have a just cause. I will not submit." Then he is again purchased. He himself makes his own case unrighteous both before God and the people. As the old saying also says, "Whoever hits back is wrong."
That is why it is forbidden in both divine and human law for anyone to be his own judge. For this reason, God establishes authority and the office of judge, that he [God] will punish unrighteousness for his own sake. This is called (when it is rightly used), not man's justice, wrath and punishment, but God's. Therefore, whoever strikes out against that justice strikes God himself in the mouth and commits two-fold injustice and thus receives a two- fold curse. But if you desire to have and seek justice because you are not being protected, do it in an orderly way, namely, in the place or among the people who are appointed by God to do that, those whom you can call on and receive defense. If that will help you, as the judge and authorities are responsible for it, use them. Where they won't help, then you must suffer it and summon God as is said further elsewhere.
In short, a strange verdict is here decided and set down. Whoever will not control his wrath and wants to hold onto his anger longer than a day or overnight is no Christian. Then where will those remain who perpetually bear wrath and hate one, two, three, seven, ten years? That is no longer a human wrath but rather the devil's wrath from hell, which is never satisfied or quenched. Rather, when this wrath burns inside, if it could, it would ruin everything in an instant with hell fire. Just as this devil is not satisfied that he has brought the whole human race trouble and death in the fall but cannot have peace until he leads all mankind into eternal damnation with him.
Therefore, you should rightly with all diligence defend yourself as a Christian against such a burden. God can have patience that you let your heart boil and that wrath then reigns in you, even though that is also sinful; only that it not completely overcome everything, but that you fight it in you and through the knowledge of God's Word and your faith you extinguish it and let it sink. If you are alone or you go to bed then you should say your "Our Father" and ask for forgiveness and you must remember that God has forgiven you much more, and daily forgives much more, than your neighbor could possibly sin against you.
Erl. 9, 316–318: Sermon on Trinity 20, Ephesians 5:15–21
Create in me a new heart, Lord, That gladly I obey Thy Word And naught but what Thou wilt, desire; With such new life my soul inspire. Grant that I only Thee may love And seek those things which are above Till I behold Thee face to face, O Light eternal, through Thy grace. (TLH>/em> 398: 3–4)
Jesus said to him, "Truly, truly, I
say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and
drink his blood, you have no life in you." John 6:53
The Lord swears with a great effort, "Truly, truly," by which we truly heed this text. It also presents his ability. The Turks, pope and Jews and also many among us are yet far from this. It is a great thing and very difficult that one should establish his heart, faith and future on these Words, that in this flesh and blood lay eternal life. God lays us not before the divine majesty but rather [before] the man Christ. This is the most vexing thing to reason, that if I would be saved, it shall be through my soul hanging on to and bound to the flesh and blood that has died for me so I will be bound to it and enter into it and say, "I know no other life or being freed from sins, except that I plunge my soul into the flesh which dies for me and the blood shed for me."
I let that be my comfort and will hear of nothing else besides that. Now if the devil comes and says, "Oh, friend, what have you done that is good? If you were good then you could go to heaven but since you have become evil in life and are wicked, then you must go to hell." But you answer, "The pope, devil and Turks also teach that. No, I know much besides that. Even if I had done many good things, yet I would not give so much for all of them. Even if I had lived with such chastity as the Virgin Mary, yes, even if I had every holy work yet I would base nothing on that for none of it gives eternal life."
It is not as Hilarious the Hermit said as he comforted himself, "Why do you fear before death, my soul? Haven't you served God in the wilderness for seventy-three years and done many good works, etc. And yet finally I must doubt about it." The devil carries all of it away and it belongs in hell. It does not hold the assault. But rather, it should sound like this, as you should say, "It is not good that I have led such an evil life but yet for the sake of doing evil I am not conquered and troubled. Also for the sake of good works I am not measured." So do not go too far either to the left or to the right but much better remain in the middle of the road and say, "There stands one who says his flesh is our soul's food. I let him handle it."
Since, then, our good works do not stop the sting, as you also cannot, yet the flesh and blood stop every opposition. Christ cannot be weakened but my works can be weakened. If you only remain with his flesh and blood there is no need. But if you should fall from it, as the devil wants to bring about, then you have lost and you are out. You are already overcome.
Here you have the text in which you have life. If you shrink from it then you have made a mistake. With his Gospel St. John has served this up so that he portrays the article of justification of the world to the heart and would set it before your eyes. But it didn't help much when you could not see him under the papacy. It opposes this. So if we would die, then curious people would do as before. They would hold onto works as was previously done under the papacy. So they would not persevere in St. John with his mighty gospel, much less our books. Yes, the text of this gospel is also sung and read in all churches.
That is the preaching the Lord had done after the miracle when he fed five thousand men with five barley loaves and a few fish and had handed it out. He said that whoever did not eat his flesh and drink his blood does not have eternal life.
Altb. V, 676–677: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6–8, 1531; cf. AE 23
Thy body, given for me, O Savior, Thy blood which Thou for me didst shed, These are my life and strength forever, By them my hungry soul is fed. Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood Be for my soul the highest good. (TLH 315: 11)
As the living Father has sent me, and I
live because of the Father, so whoever consumes me will also live
because of me. John 6:57
He said so often, "I live by and from the fact that the Father is in me and I in him. Therefore, whoever eats of me will live because of me. For I am in him. That is, whoever believes in me and is preserved will live by and from that. For he is in me and I am in him."
That is a beautiful Johannine text. For he portrays and describes Christ as not only man but also as God. He doesn't say that he has life because he thinks about the Father. Rather, "The Father is in me who is my life." So he has eternal life because the Father has begotten the Son, and not the Son the Father. Such life, as he has from the Father, and the fact that he has become a man according to the Father's will, has freed us. Since the Father is now in him, he has bestowed it [such life] upon us with these Words, "As I have life because the Father is in me, and he has given it to me, so you shall also have life by this because you are in me and I am in you." Now this is completely right except that we are not with God in a natural manner as Christ is. For the human nature and divine nature are surely not by nature a unity even though they are in the single and indivisible person, which you cannot divide from one another just as sugar water is water but so mingled with sugar that no one now can divide the sugar and water from each other, even though there are two different natures. It is not a perfect comparison but yet it shows in a small way that Christ, our true Savior, is a person that is God and man. If you grab hold of the human nature of Christ you also have caught the divine nature. Just as in sugar water you have truly found sugar, so the divine and human natures of the Lord Christ are also one cake.
As Christ is now made an inseparable person, who is God and man, so from Christ and us are also made one body and flesh that we could not divide. For his flesh is in us and our flesh is in him so that he is also truly, substantially present in us, etc. But that is a different union than a personal union. It is not so high and great as the union where Christ, true man, is one God with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Yet in this, it is settled that Christ would become the Lord through becoming one body with us through his flesh and blood so that I would belong to him just as all members of my body belong to one another. For my hand, arm, foot and mouth belong to my body and are one body with each other as every drop of my blood belongs to my whole body. What a part of the body fails to do also ruins the others. If a part of the body is given honor, evil, or good, the whole body receives it.
So we also have come and been united with Christ in one body and manner so that what happens to me for good or evil happens to him. If I strike you or make you sorrow or I honor you, I also strike Christ or make Christ himself sorrow or be given honor. For whatever happens to a Christian, happens to Christ himself. He turns up his nose at that. The tooth does not bite the tongue without the whole body feeling it. If you hurt a hand or foot then the whole body has a bad day. Even when a hair is pulled out, the whole body feels it.
In short, whoever strikes a Christian or locks him in a tower throws the body of Christ himself into a tower. For the Christians are his members. He receives them and is saddened over these things just as if it happened to him. As in the Prophet Zechariah, Chapter 2:8, "Whoever touches you grasps the apple of my eye." And in the Acts of the Apostles, the Lord Christ says to Saul who is persecuting Christians, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And in Matthew 25:40 it is clearly established, "What you did to the least of my own you have done to me."
But this union is hidden and doesn't appear before the world. We see the opposite. For the godless bishops treat us as if they received neither God nor man among us and as if there were no union between us and Christ. But faith sees it and learns to recognize Christ in an invisible life and manner, not from reason. Faith also finds the proof because many much better people, who with all humility and gladness acknowledge Christ and God's Word, again are preaching lies and by this they let go of their life and everything else.
Altb. V, 680–681: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6–8, 1531; cf. AE 23
With Thee, Lord, I am now united; I live in Thee and Thou in me. No sorrow fills my soul, delighted It finds its only joy in Thee. Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood Be for my soul the highest good. (TLH 315: 12)
It is the Spirit who makes alive. The flesh
is of no use at all. The Words I speak are Spirit and they are
life. John 6:63
This is a very fine passage which for six or seven years now has suffered hard knocks as a great martyr. But I hope it is finished. The blasphemers of the Sacrament have urged this passage against the Sacrament and have further used it to abolish the presence of the living true body of Christ in the Lord's Supper, so that it is only bread and wine and that the body and the blood of Christ are given to no one in the Supper, for it is flesh. They have desired by this to establish that Christ says, "The flesh is of no use but it is the Spirit who makes alive."
Because of this, we must be prepared against this foolish and mad spirit. Christ does not say, "MY flesh is of no use." For above he has said, "My flesh is true food" and boasted that his flesh gives life to the world. But now, because they are angry at this and will not believe that his flesh is true food, he answers, "What are you doing? My Words are pure life. When I say, ‘My flesh is the food,' those are Words which also belong to the Spirit so that you will understand of these Words, ‘drink my blood and eat my flesh,' that this is purely a matter of the Spirit." It is incontrovertible that this text compels that he is not speaking of his flesh, that is also already a food and is truly spiritual food, full of the Holy Ghost and a divine flesh in which is found pure Spirit shocked full of grace; for it gives life to the world.
But now he sets Spirit and flesh against one another and speaks differentiating each from the other. So this passage cannot be understood as pertaining to the flesh of Christ in which is Spirit and by which he makes alive. So we should not think or let these Words, "The flesh is of no use" be used to apply to the body of Christ, since it cannot be understood as this flesh. Rather, this is the meaning. It is just as God says in Genesis 6 (where the world was ruined by the filth of sin), "My Spirit will no longer remain with man, for they are flesh." And above in John 3 Christ also says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." So he also here sets flesh and Spirit against each other and says, "The flesh is of no use and dead but the Spirit makes alive." Here Christ calls "flesh" everything that is born from the flesh, as Adam's children, and so comes from the flesh. Except for the single body of Christ which is not born of the flesh but "of the Holy Ghost." As we confess in the Symbol, "I believe in Christ, who was conceived," not from the flesh, but "by the Holy Ghost." He had taken true flesh on himself but the flesh had not begotten him. He had had no father. Rather the Holy Ghost had begotten him in the body of the virgin Mary. Our faith acknowledges this. The mother has become impregnated with him, not by fleshly power or by a human work, but by the Holy Spirit and his co-operation.
So when Christ speaks of his flesh, he says "my flesh." With this word "my" he separates his flesh from all other flesh. This, his flesh, is holy, blessed and graced with the Holy Ghost. He is also by nature Mary's child but yet he has spiritual flesh, a truly divine and spiritual body in which the Holy Ghost dwells. The one who had conceived him likewise completely "spirits through" his flesh.
Because of this, this is the summary: No flesh belongs to my Words which I speak. No one on earth will understand these Words through the flesh. They will not hold it. What is born of the flesh is flesh. All people are called flesh except for Christ and his Christians. For where there is no higher birth, which comes from the Spirit, then the fleshly birth is not capable or useful but rather all of it is cursed. So the Lord Christ's body is not referred to here but he is thinking of all people on earth: the cleverest, mightiest, most beautiful, strongest and holiest. For all wisdom that a person can discover from his head and reasoning, as "on track" as it seems, is still only flesh.
Altb. V, 688–689: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6–8, 1531; cf. AE 23
Weary am I and heavy laden, With sin my soul is sore oppressed; Receive me graciously and gladden My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood Be for my soul the highest good. (TLH 315: 6)
No one can come to me. It is for him to
whom the Lord has given it. John 6:65
You must believe. Now, while you hear, it concerns faith so you soon say, "I want to raise faith out of myself. But no, you have already let me have it." We also do this. If one would preach that you must make satisfaction for sins, then you grab onto your own works to do penance for your sins. But Jesus wants to do that and take hold of your sins. Do you want to be the man that would have such a mighty heart? Yes, first learn that faith is a gift of God and a divine might. "You will not believe in me out of yourself." Do you want to rebel against the devil? Where will you go, fool? He is too high for you. Beware, lest you fall into this presumption and think when you hear these Words that you could believe it so soon. That is what the sectarian spirits and false Christians do a lot now. But when the time comes to prove their faith, to give a reason for their false teaching, or that they should comfort themselves in times of need, then soon the praises are laid aside and no one is home.
So then you say, "I thank my God that I have learned that I will not deal with my own sins with my own penance nor begin my faith and take away my sins by my own works. Before man I can surely do that. It helps before the world and the judge. But before God is eternal wrath. I cannot make satisfaction there. I must fail. So I thank you that another deals with sins for me, bears them, pays for them and has made satisfaction. I would be glad to believe it. It seems to me also to be good, right and comforting. But I cannot surrender to it. I cannot find in my power the ability to do that. I cannot accept it as I know I should. Lord, beget me, help me and give me the power and gift that I can believe it. So sighs the prophet in Psalm 51:10, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and give me a new true Spirit.' I am not able to make a new pure heart. It is your creation and creature. Just as I cannot make the sun and moon that travel through and brightly shine in the heavens, so little can I also make my heart pure and that I have a true spirit, strong steadfast courage that is firm and not wavering, doubting or shaky about your Word."
A new, pure, gentle heart is one that can say, "I have a right Spirit and new thought; a courageous heart that holds fast and does not doubt. Rather, it actually believes that it wants to lay aside body and life because Christ has died for it."
Because of this, you should give these Words good attention. For Christ would say by these Words, "No one comes to me," because faith is a gift of God. He also gladly gives it; only that one ask God for it. To come to him is to believe in Christ. But whoever does not believe, is far from him. You think that believing is your doing, your might and work. By that you fall from me too quickly. It is God's gift so that you only give him the glory and no one is able to boast of a single power. It is the Father who draws us and gives that Word, the Holy Ghost and faith through the Word. It is both his gift and not our work or power. St. Paul also says in Ephesians 2:8–9, "By grace you are saved and that not of yourself or works, for no one can boast."
That is called a Christ-like demeanor, against which the world is always mad and foolish and still rages. In it no work can boast but only of my Father's drawing. For my flesh, my blood, my spirit and everything that belongs to it are his and not ours, should I have life. So everything else that we do is completely discounted.
But then you say, "Who doesn't believe that? We are Christians. Go out to the Jews and Turks to preach to them of faith." True Christians say, "Oh, God in heaven, how well and rightly it is spoken, ‘Whoever eats my flesh,' etc., or: ‘Who believes in me has eternal life.' Ach! How I would gladly be free from sins! O God, if I could embrace it with my whole heart, how I would love it! How gladly I would have eternal life as these Words promise me!" Christians say that they do believe but they do not say that they completely believe as they rightly should.
This is a preaching which was not invented by us. It is also taught when others preach without our ideas and additions. So faith comes into us without any of our works and might; only through God's grace. He has become so high and has this great glory that if you set your good works against him you do not pay due attention to him, like valuing a candle or lamp as if they were the sun.
Altb. V, 695–696: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6–8, 1531; cf. AE 23
Draw us to Thee, Lord, lovingly; Let us depart with gladness That we may be Forever free From sorrow, grief and sadness. (TLH 215: 2)
Jesus answered and said, "My doctrine
is not my own but that of the one who sent me." John 7:16
He answers properly, announcing that he understands and notes well that they find him guilty and blaspheming as if he had this doctrine from himself or from the devil. For whoever speaks from himself speaks from the devil. Because of this he answers and says, "My doctrine is not mine." How does that work? If it is not his, why then does he preach and urge it and take it so seriously and yet refuses the honor? Why doesn't he say, "That is what I have preached."? Doesn't even a Christian say, "That is my preaching, my Baptism, my Christ, my God or my gospel."? And yet it is not his, for he did not make it. It didn't come from him. It is not his work. Yet it is also his gift, given to him by God. As I also say, "That child is mine. That man or wife is mine." Yet it is not yours for you did not create it. It is another's work who bestowed and gave it. Yet I have not poured or carved it out but it is given to me as it is. The Lord Christ says the same thing of his doctrine.
I also say the same thing, "The gospel is mine to separate me from all other preachers' doctrine who do not have my doctrine." Therefore I say, "This is mine, Luther's, doctrine." Yet I also say, "It is not my doctrine. It is not of my hand but rather God's gift. For, dear God, I have not invented it from my head, it did not grow in my garden or spring from my well, nor is it born from me. Rather, it is God's gift, and not a human offspring." So both are true. It is mine. And yet it is also not mine. For it is God's, the heavenly Father's, and so I preach and bring such doctrine.
He himself lays out this way of speaking and says, "Even if no one wants to do the will of the one that sent me, etc., they will find out if I speak from me or from God. My teaching is not mine, for it is God's and I only preach it."
This is a necessary article and a completely beautiful text. [He shows] that if one speaks in his house of field, meadow, garden, of cows, butter, calves, cheese, etc., that will not reach the soul and the coming life, as one might desire, even as these things are under the control of reason, which says, "These are mine." But in the preaching office, where the divine Word is the concern, it should go as Christ says here. No one should preach a single doctrine if he has a presumptuousness or doubt about it so that he does not preach on his own or of his own doctrine but rather that he be sure that he is called by God into the preaching office.
All the others also say they teach God's Word. No devil, heretic or sectarian spirit stands up and says, "I, devil, or heretic, preach my doctrine." Rather, they would all say, "It is not my doctrine, it is God's Word." Every one wants to have the reputation that it is God's Word that he preaches. The pope and sects also do that. So then let everyone see to it that he is sure if [the] one [they hear] is speaking of things that do not concern what is temporal but what is saving and sure so that one knows where he should trust his soul. When we have departed to another life, each preacher and listener should be able to say, "I did not invent this doctrine. It is not my gloss, meaning or interpretation, but rather it belongs to the one who sent me."
Everyone in Christendom should be sure of that, the preacher, teacher and pastor, yes, each one who presents God's Word, is sure that his preaching is not his own but rather knows for sure that it is God's Word. Or when you doubt if it is God's Word, remain quiet and shut your mouth until you are sure it is God's Word. A man is a man and dies quickly. With him also die his words and all his thoughts, as stated in Psalm 146:4. When he is gone, so is his word, his teaching, works, thoughts and powers. For a mortal human word is also mortal. If a man cannot have eternal life through his preaching and teaching, then he should keep quiet and only hear God's World alone. For there is no life unless God's Word is there upon which one could say, "I do not have this from men, even if I have received it through men. For God's Word remains forever but man's word ceases. You cannot build upon it." And if one should die, he has no comfort or help from mortal word, rule, works and teaching. There, a Carthusian monk's order and other brotherhoods all cease and if God's Word is not added, that teaches him something better, then no mortal words will hold water.
Altb. V, 714–715: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6–8, 1531; cf. AE 23
The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain Who o'er Thy church with might would reign And always set forth something new, Devised to change Thy doctrine true. O grant that in Thy holy Word We here may live and die, dear Lord; And when our journey endeth here, Receive us into glory there. (TLH 292: 6,9)
