n through faith.

"Your boasting does not get you anywhere," says Paul to the Galatians,
"because the Sacred Scriptures foresaw and foretold long before the Law
was ever given, that the heathen should be justified by the blessed
'seed' of Abraham and not by the Law. This promise was made four
hundred and thirty years before the Law was given. Because the Law was
given so many years after Abraham, it could not abolish the promised
blessing." This argument is strong because it is based on the exact
factor of time. "Why should you boast of the Law, my Galatians, when
the Law came four hundred and thirty years after the promise?"

The false apostles glorified the Law and despised the promise made unto
Abraham, although it antedated the Law by many years. It was after
Abraham was accounted righteous because of his faith that the
Scriptures first make mention of circumcision. "The Scriptures," says
Paul, "meant to forestall your infatuation for the righteousness of the
Law by installing the righteousness of faith before circumcision and
the Law ever were ordained."

VERSE 8. Preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall
all nations be blessed.

The Jews misconstrue this passage. They want the term "to bless" to
mean "to praise." They want the passage to read: In thee shall all the
nations of the earth be praised. But this is a perversion of the words
of Holy Writ. With the words "Abraham believed" Paul describes a
spiritual Abraham, renewed by faith and regenerated by the Holy Ghost,
that he should be the spiritual father of many nations. In that way all
the Gentiles could be given to him for an inheritance.

The Scriptures ascribe no righteousness to Abraham except through
faith. The Scriptures speak of Abraham as he stands before God, a man
justified by faith. Because of his faith God extends to him the
promise: "In thee shall all nations be blessed."

VERSE 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham.

The emphasis lies on the words "with faithful Abraham." Paul
distinguishes between Abraham and Abraham. There is a working and there
is a believing Abraham. With the working Abraham we have nothing to do.
Let the Jews glory in the generating Abraham; we glory in the believing
Abraham of whom the Scriptures say that he received the blessing of
righteousness by faith, not only for himself but for all who believe as
he did. The world was promised to Abraham because he believed. The
whole world is blessed if it believes as Abraham believed.

The blessing is the promise of the Gospel. That all nations are to be
blessed means that all nations are to hear the Gospel. All nations are
to be declared righteous before God through faith in Christ Jesus. To
bless simply means to spread abroad the knowledge of Christ's
salvation. This is the office of the New Testament Church which
distributes the promised blessing by preaching the Gospel, by
administering the sacraments, by comforting the broken-hearted, in
short, by dispensing the benefits of Christ.

The Jews exhibited a working Abraham. The Pope exhibits a working
Christ, or an exemplary Christ. The Pope quotes Christ's saying
recorded in John 13:15, "I have given you an example, that ye should do
as I have done to you." We do not deny that Christians ought to imitate
the example of Christ; but mere imitation will not satisfy God. And
bear in mind that Paul is not now discussing the example of Christ, but
the salvation of Christ. That Abraham submitted to circumcision at the
command of God, that he was endowed with excellent virtues, that he
obeyed God in all things, was certainly admirable of him. To follow the
example of Christ, to love one's neighbor, to do good to them that
persecute you, to pray for one's enemies, patiently to bear the
ingratitude of those who return evil for good, is certainly
praiseworthy. But praiseworthy or not, such virtues do not acquit us
before God. It takes more than that to make us righteous before God. We
need Christ Himself, not His example, to save us. We need a redeeming,
not an exemplary Christ, to save us. Paul is here speaking of the
redeeming Christ and the believing Abraham, not of the model Christ or
the sweating Abraham.

The believing Abraham is not to lie buried in the grave. He is to be
dusted off and brought out before the world. He is to be praised to the
sky for his faith. Heaven and earth ought to know about him and about
his faith in Christ. The working Abraham ought to look pretty small
next to the believing Abraham.

Paul's words contain the implication of contrast. When he quotes
Scripture to the effect that all nations that share the faith of
faithful Abraham are to be blessed, Paul means to imply the contrast
that all nations are accursed without faith in Christ.

VERSE 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse.

The curse of God is like a flood that swallows everything that is not
of faith. To avoid the curse we must hold on to the promise of the
blessing in Christ.

The reader is reminded that all this has no bearing upon civil laws,
customs, or political matters. Civil laws and ordinances have their
place and purpose. Let every government enact the best possible laws.
But civil righteousness will never deliver a person from the
condemnation of God's Law.

I have good reason for calling your attention to this. People easily
mistake civil righteousness for spiritual righteousness. In civil life
we must, of course, pay attention to laws and deeds, but in the
spiritual life we must not think to be justified by laws and works, but
always keep in mind the promise and blessing of Christ, our only
Savior.

According to Paul everything that is not of faith is sin. When our
opponents hear us repeat this statement of Paul, they make it appear as
if we taught that governments should not be honored, as if we favored
rebellion against the constituted authorities, as if we condemned all
laws. Our opponents do us a great wrong, for we make a clear-cut
distinction between civil and spiritual affairs.

Governmental laws and ordinances are blessings of God for this life
only. As for everlasting life, temporal blessings are not good enough.
Unbelievers enjoy more temporal blessings than the Christians. Civil or
legal righteousness may be good enough for this life but not for the
life hereafter. Otherwise the infidels would be nearer heaven than the
Christians, for infidels often excel in civil righteousness.

VERSE 10. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Paul goes on to prove from this quotation out of the Book of
Deuteronomy that all men who are under the Law are under the sentence
of sin, of the wrath of God, and of everlasting death. Paul produces
his proof in a roundabout way. He turns the negative statement, "Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them," into a positive statement, "As many as are
of the works of the law are under the curse." These two statements, one
by Paul and the other by Moses, appear to conflict. Paul declares,
"Whosoever shall do the works of the Law, is accursed." Moses declares,
"Whosoever shall not do the works of the Law, is accursed." How can
these two contradictory statements be reconciled? How can the one
statement prove the other? No person can hope to understand Paul unless
he understands the article of justification. These two statements are
not at all inconsistent.

We must bear in mind that to do the works of the Law does not mean only
to live up to the superficial requirements of the Law, but to obey the
spirit of the Law to perfection. But where will you find the person who
can do that? Let him step forward and we will praise him.

Our opponents have their answer ready-made. They quote Paul's own
statement in Romans 2:13, "The doers of the law shall be justified."
Very well. But let us first find out who the doers of the law are. They
call a "doer" of the Law one who performs the Law in its literal sense.
This is not to "do" the Law. This is to sin. When our opponents go
about to perform the Law they sin against the first, the second, and
the third commandments, in fact they sin against the whole Law. For God
requires above all that we worship Him in spirit and in faith. In
observing the Law for the purpose of obtaining righteousness without
faith in Christ these law-workers go smack against the Law and against
God. They deny the righteousness of God, His mercy, and His promises.
They deny Christ and all His benefits.

In their ignorance of the true purpose of the Law the exponents of the
Law abuse the Law, as Paul says, Romans 10:3, "For they, being ignorant
of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of
God."

In their folly our opponents rush into the Scriptures, pick out a
sentence here and a sentence there about the Law and imagine they know
all about it. Their work-righteousness is plain idolatry and blasphemy
against God. No wonder they abide under the curse of God.

Because God saw that we could not fulfill the Law, He provided a way of
salvation long before the Law was ever given, a salvation that He
promised to Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed."

The very first thing for us to do is to believe in Christ. First, we
must receive the Holy Spirit, who enlightens and sanctifies us so that
we can begin to do the Law, i.e., to love God and our neighbor. Now,
the Holy Ghost is not obtained by the Law, but by faith in Christ. In
the last analysis, to do the Law means to believe in Jesus Christ. The
tree comes first, and then come the fruits.

The scholastics admit that a mere external and superficial performance
of the Law without sincerity and good will is plain hypocrisy. Judas
acted like the other disciples. What was wrong with Judas? Mark what
Rome answers, "Judas was a reprobate. His motives were perverse,
therefore his works were hypocritical and no good." Well, well. Rome
does admit, after all, that works in themselves do not justify unless
they issue from a sincere heart. Why do our opponents not profess the
same truth in spiritual matters? There, above all, faith must precede
everything. The heart must be purified by faith before a person can
lift a finger to please God.

There are two classes of doers of the Law, true doers and hypocritical
doers. The true doers of the Law are those who are moved by faith in
Christ to do the Law. The hypocritical doers of the Law are those who
seek to obtain righteousness by a mechanical performance of good works
while their hearts are far removed from God. They act like the foolish
carpenter who starts with the roof when he builds a house. Instead of
doing the Law, these law-conscious hypocrites break the Law. They break
the very first commandment of God by denying His promise in Christ.
They do not worship God in faith. They worship themselves.

No wonder Paul was able to foretell the abominations that Antichrist
would bring into the Church. That Antichrists would come, Christ
Himself prophesied, Matthew 24:5, "For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Whoever seeks
righteousness by works denies God and makes himself God. He is an
Antichrist because he ascribes to his own works the omnipotent
capability of conquering sin, death, devil, hell, and the wrath of God.
An Antichrist lays claim to the honor of Christ. He is an idolater of
himself. The law-righteous person is the worst kind of infidel.

Those who intend to obtain righteousness by their own efforts do not
say in so many words: "I am God; I am Christ." But it amounts to that.
They usurp the divinity and office of Christ. The effect is the same as
if they said, "I am Christ; I am a Savior. I save myself and others."
This is the impression the monks give out.

The Pope is the Antichrist, because he is against Christ, because he
takes liberties with the things of God, because he lords it over the
temple of God.

I cannot tell you in words how criminal it is to seek righteousness
before God without faith in Christ, by the works of the Law. It is the
abomination standing in the holy place. It deposes the Creator and
deifies the creature.

The real doers of the Law are the true believers. The Holy Spirit
enables them to love God and their neighbor. But because we have only
the first-fruits of the Spirit and not the tenth-fruits, we do not
observe the Law perfectly. This imperfection of ours, however, is not
imputed to us, for Christ's sake.

Hence, the statement of Moses, "Cursed is every one that continueth not
in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them," is
not contrary to Paul. Moses requires perfect doers of the Law. But
where will you find them? Nowhere. Moses himself confessed that he was
not a perfect doer of the Law. He said to the Lord: "Pardon our
iniquity and our sin." Christ alone can make us innocent of any
transgression. How so? First, by the forgiveness of our sins and the
imputation of His righteousness. Secondly, by the gift of the Holy
Ghost, who engenders new life and activity in us.

Objections to the Doctrine of Faith Disproved

Here we shall take the time to enter upon the objections which our
opponents raise against the doctrine of faith. There are many passages
in the Bible that deal with works and the reward of works which our
opponents cite against us in the belief that these will disprove the
doctrine of faith which we teach.

The scholastics grant that according to the reasonable order of nature
being precedes doing. They grant that any act is faulty unless it
proceeds from a right motive. They grant that a person must be right
before he can do right. Why don't they grant that the right inclination
of the heart toward God through faith in Christ must precede works?

In the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews we find a
catalogue of various works and deeds of the saints of the Bible. David,
who killed a lion and a bear, and defeated Goliath, is mentioned. In
the heroic deeds of David the scholastic can discover nothing more than
outward achievement. But the deeds of David must be evaluated according
to the personality of David. When we understand that David was a man of
faith, whose heart trusted in the Lord, we shall understand why he
could do such heroic deeds. David said: "The Lord that delivered me out
of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver
me out of the hand of this Philistine." Again: "Thou comest to me with
a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the
name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I
will smite thee, and take thine head from thee." (I Samuel 17:37, 45,
46.) Before David could achieve a single heroic deed he was already a
man beloved of God, strong and constant in faith.

Of Abel it is said in the same Epistle: "By faith Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." When the scholastics come upon
the parallel passage in Genesis 4:4 they get no further than the words:
"And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering." "Aha!" they
cry. "See, God has respect to offerings. Works do justify." With mud in
their eyes they cannot see that the text says in Genesis that the Lord
had respect to the person of Abel first. Abel pleased the Lord because
of his faith. Because the person of Abel pleased the Lord, the offering
of Abel pleased the Lord al