Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: 2nd Chronicles 8:11-16:14 Romans 8:9-9:24 Proverbs 19:26-20:1

“He Who Bears All Sins”

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them. ….. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”.
[Galatians 3:10, 13]

This is our highest comfort, to clothe and wrap Christ this way in my sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world, and in this way to behold Him bearing all our sins. When He is beheld this way, He easily removes all the fanatical opinions of our opponents about justification by works. Some teach that our sins are removed by our love – how sad. This removes Christ altogether. For is Christ is truly the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, who became a curse for us, and who was wrapped in our sins, it necessarily follows that we cannot be justified in our own works, not matter how wonderful we think they may be. All Scripture says this: “I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was crucified, and died for our forgiveness.”