Luther wrote that the Holy Spirit does not permit sin to rule, whereas Zinzendorf says it is the Savior, i.e. Jesus, who does not permit it. Cf., the Book of Concord, 310. But of course the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Moreover, classical Christian teaching has it that what one Person of the holy Trinity does the other two participate in. Thus, the triune God is always fully and completely present and active even if speech refers only to one or another of the eternal “Persons”.]]
It will be necessary in all future speeches and presentations that these four questions are laid, so to speak, deep in the self.
The First: What is the sense of the word? What is meant? What is to be understood by it? Therefore, one has to say the meaning of the thing simply, bluntly and without beating around the bush, so that each person might be able to grasp and perceive the main point.
The Second: Does the meaning have a foundation: is it in agreement with Scripture? Since one must neither speak nor think of spiritual things apart from the Holy Scriptures. One knows that the truth is grounded, which brings us to the Third Question: Am I like this? Have I experienced and known this? And finally the Fourth: How do I come to be, experience, or know this?
One has to follow these rules with the teaching of Christ, too. It must be understood, tested, sought, and found.
What does it mean in the present to believe in the Lord Jesus? Godly people know and hold to be true that once about seventeen hundred years ago there was a particular man on earth, who was called “Jesus,” and that it is just as certain that this person was God before [his incarnation], as it is that he became the Son of a human being afterwards; that he died for us human beings, on the cross of course, in the presence of many people, both Jews and Gentiles, that he did it partly to atone by his act for our sins and for the sins of each one, and partly that he might reconcile God, [and] partly in order to break the power and structure of sin on the cross, and negate its authority on earth, so that it might no longer be allowed to rule, but rather be trampled underfoot.
The shortest way to faith is to receive Christ (John 1:12). “To as many as received him, he gave the power to be God’s children, that is, to become people who believe in his name.” In his day many of his own people did not receive him. He counted for little with his lowly, poor demeanor: “We esteemed him not,” says Isaiah 53. But his word and Gospel were effective among some people, so that he once had gathered together more than five hundred brothers who adored him.
We do not see the Savior in a physical way, (which does not help anyway, as we perceive with the people of his own day) therefore we also cannot receive him in a physical manner, as the disciples of his time received his physical and visible presence in the world; but the word of Christ is just as near to us, and makes the secret of the cross just as clear as if the Lord hung before our very eyes. We must believe this word and testimony about him, and both reflect on and preserve it with the very same simplicity and sincerity as the ancients, as soon as we become aware of it intensively, so that the word is spoken in the Spirit, and the power of God comes upon the heart, overcoming us like a fire and desiring to inflame us. If the Lord did not work upon souls in this actual manner, he neither could nor would blame anyone for their unbelief.
But we are still concerned with the words and actions of the Savior, and to be sure in the sight of precisely the same Spirit, through whom so many thousand people were converted at the time of the apostles. If we believe him simply and directly, then we will come to know the power of the truth that Jesus is near to our souls in a special way, that he is the Deliverer and Husband of us all. That word “believe” is an obligation, and the only law upon which salvation depends. We must trust in his primary name, “Jesus,” a Redeemer, Savior, Bringer of salvation, since he must save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). We must believe: 1) That he is a Savior of sinners, who died for the sins of the whole world; 2) That he hung on the cross as an evildoer in the form of sinful flesh, between two murderers, and therefore was despised, rejected, wounded, and broken out of love for souls; 3) That he bought, reconciled, and saved us, and loved us so much that he gave up his life for us, so that he should have first claim on us, because he regarded our souls as so important and paid such a heavy price for them.
It is in this glorious name of the Redeemer that we must believe. To reason this is a matter too significant, solemn, and difficult, and [reason] may indeed still call faith, to which all children are directed according to their feeling and condition: “The Lord’s nuisance.” There are several occurrences of this designation in the old sayings of Scripture. Therefore, so many people do not want to have anything to do with [faith], and if they try it, they deal with it superficially and turn back again, because they neither can nor wish to believe. That is the only reason so many souls are lost, not because they have sinned, but rather on account of unbelief; since without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
It is true sinning must cease as well. For whoever allows sin to rule, or is compelled to let sin reign, has no faith in Christ; faith does not allow us to sin (Romans 6:2). Joyfulness in sin drives the pleasure-bound spirit. But it is likewise true, that transgressing is not the cause of rejection according to the New Testament. It is on account of unbelief that one cannot enter into rest (Hebrews 4:6). Therefore, faith is a special blessing of grace and gift of God, so that whoever has it in simplicity and naiveté can neither think of nor worship God enough.
One point, which is so difficult to many that they prefer to do and suffer all things; one cause of so many religious exercises, which are many thousand times more difficult than faith, but which are all devised only in order that they might take the place of faith. Accordingly, the art of faith is a narrow way and narrow gate which so few find (Matthew 7:14), because in point of fact it depends on nothing except that we want to let ourselves be helped; since the whole plea in Christ’s stead consists only in that we should allow ourselves to be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:20). Thereafter, free grace makes, gives, and does all the rest. (A secret hidden from most people!) They do not understand it, because they are either too superficial or too melancholy, and prefer to let themselves be morose and bitter. God wills to bestow grace upon all sinners on account of Christ, and by grace to cast natural sin and natural religion into a heap.
The genuine sinner has the first, greatest, and more direct claim and comes nearer and more easily to grace. When a scoundrel is converted it is a plain miracle; but when a pious person is saved, it is a double marvel and an extraordinary success. Scripture says Christ died thus for the godless (Romans 5:6); and he himself speaks along the same line when he says he did not come to call the righteous (Luke 5:32). By nature we are all equally sinners and equally godless before God; but this situation is so concealed and so hidden by means of reason and education that people often no longer know themselves. One person condemns another wholeheartedly for being a sinner, and ignores the fact that he condemns himself along with the other. “You are the man of death,” said Nathan to David, who had thought to condemn another. Many a person has had neither opportunity nor provocation to sin, and therefore could not become aware of the true condition of the heart; should such a one have time, occasion, training, and capacity, they probably will sin more crudely and abusively than all others; since sin is truly planted in the heart of one and all, only more disguised, more hidden, more deceptive and more dangerous [in those who believe themselves to be without sin]. Indeed, such people express greater enmity toward the Savior, greater unbelief, and greater fury over the propriety of grace.
Generally speaking it is a bad method to pass judgment on people solely because of what they do; but it is even worse to conclude from the omission of one act or another that nothing of the evil inclination is left.4 “The Lord looks upon the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Deeds belong in the worldly court of law, and must be judged and punished there, which is nothing either more or less than fair. But the divine jurisdiction goes deeper, to the very heart and motive, in judging good and evil things.5
Therefore, we must come to Jesus as sinners, and declare ourselves, according to our hearts and minds, to be godless, fornicating, drunken, insolent, ferocious or lying people, and that disposition and