Concerning Christian Liberty | Page 9

these things? Neither of these states of things has to do with the liberty or the slavery of
the soul.
And so it will profit nothing that the body should be adorned with sacred vestments, or
dwell in holy places, or be occupied in sacred offices, or pray, fast, and abstain from
certain meats, or do whatever works can be done through the body and in the body.
Something widely different will be necessary for the justification and liberty of the soul,
since the things I have spoken of can be done by any impious person, and only hypocrites
are produced by devotion to these things. On the other hand, it will not at all injure the
soul that the body should be clothed in profane raiment, should dwell in profane places,
should eat and drink in the ordinary fashion, should not pray aloud, and should leave
undone all the things above mentioned, which may be done by hypocrites.
And, to cast everything aside, even speculation, meditations, and whatever things can be
performed by the exertions of the soul itself, are of no profit. One thing, and one alone, is
necessary for life, justification, and Christian liberty; and that is the most holy word of
God, the Gospel of Christ, as He says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that
believeth in Me shall not die eternally" (John xi. 25), and also, "If the Son shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed" (John viii. 36), and, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. iv. 4).
Let us therefore hold it for certain and firmly established that the soul can do without
everything except the word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided
for. But, having the word, it is rich and wants for nothing, since that is the word of life, of
truth, of light, of peace, of justification, of salvation, of joy, of liberty, of wisdom, of
virtue, of grace, of glory, and of every good thing. It is on this account that the prophet in
a whole Psalm (Psalm cxix.), and in many other places, sighs for and calls upon the word
of God with so many groanings and words.
Again, there is no more cruel stroke of the wrath of God than when He sends a famine of
hearing His words (Amos viii. 11), just as there is no greater favour from Him than the
sending forth of His word, as it is said, "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered
them from their destructions" (Psalm cvii. 20). Christ was sent for no other office than
that of the word; and the order of Apostles, that of bishops, and that of the whole body of
the clergy, have been called and instituted for no object but the ministry of the word.
But you will ask, What is this word, and by what means is it to be used, since there are so

many words of God? I answer, The Apostle Paul (Rom. i.) explains what it is, namely the
Gospel of God, concerning His Son, incarnate, suffering, risen, and glorified, through the
Spirit, the Sanctifier. To preach Christ is to feed the soul, to justify it, to set it free, and to
save it, if it believes the preaching. For faith alone and the efficacious use of the word of
God, bring salvation. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom.
x. 9); and again, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth" (Rom. x. 4), and "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. i. 17). For the word of
God cannot be received and honoured by any works, but by faith alone. Hence it is clear
that as the soul needs the word alone for life and justification, so it is justified by faith
alone, and not by any works. For if it could be justified by any other means, it would
have no need of the word, nor consequently of faith.
But this faith cannot consist at all with works; that is, if you imagine that you can be
justified by those works, whatever they are, along with it. For this would be to halt
between two opinions, to worship Baal, and to kiss the hand to him, which is a very great
iniquity, as Job says. Therefore, when you begin to believe, you learn at the same time
that all that is in you is utterly guilty, sinful, and damnable, according to that saying, "All
have sinned, and come short of the glory of