Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Judges 1:1-5:31 Luke 21:29-22:53 Proverbs 13:24-25

“Faith Takes Hold”

“For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
[Romans 10:10]

Faith takes hold of Christ and has Him present, enclosing Him as the ring encloses the gem. And whoever is found having this faith, has the Christ grasped in the heart. This is means and merit by which we obtain the forgiveness of sins and righteousness. “Because you believe in me.” God says, “and your faith takes hold of Christ, whom I have freely given to You as your Justifier and Savior, therefore to be righteous.” Thus, God accepts you or accounts you righteous only on account of Christ, in whom You believe . When we have taught the faith in this manner, it is good. When you take hold of Christ by faith, through whom you are righteous, we can then go and love our neighbor, no matter what a scoundrel they may be. Paul tells us that God loved us first, scoundrels, that we all happen to be.