Monday, October 23, 2006
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
GOD IS MY DEFENDER
To be sure, from our conscience we get only thoughts of accusation, because our works are nothing in the presence of God (unless He Himself by His grace works in us), although it is easy for us to excuse ourselves in our own eyes, because we are easily pleased with ourselves.
But what does it profit except that we are thereby convinced that we knew the Law? For any such self-pleasing thoughts testify that we have done good and refrained from evil, but we have not thereby pleased God or fulfilled the Law completely.
Whence shall we take thoughts to defend us? Only from Christ, and only in Him will we find them. For if the heart of a believer in Christ accuses him and reprimands him and witnesses against him that he has done evil, he will immediately turn away from evil and will take his refuge in Christ and say, "Christ has done enough for me. He is just. He is my defense. He has died for me. He has made His righteousness my righteousness, and my sin His sin. If He has made my sin to be His sin, then I do not have it, and I am free. If He has made His righteousness my righteousness, then I am righteous now with the same righteousness as He. My sin cannot devour Him, but it is engulfed in the unfathomable depths of His righteousness, for He himself is God, who is blessed forever."
Thus we can say, "God is greater than our heart" (1 John 3:20). The Defender is greater than the accuser, immeasurably greater. It is God who is my defender . . .
This is sufficient for me. Why should I fear? And whom should I fear? For (In John 6:38) He says . . . "Him who comes to Me I will not cast out." This I will accept, love, and cherish. Therefore I will surely remain secure with Him. For here I am dearly and unmistakably assured that I will not be rejected and cast out . . . in another passage it is written that no one will snatch me out of His hand (John 10:28). Christ is determined to protect and defend me, so that no one will take me from Him, even though all the devils and the gates of hell (Matt. 16:18) were against me.
-- Martin Luther
Lectures on Romans, Luther's Works, Volume 25;
Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6-8, Volume 23
