Among the mysteries which we are unable to solve Luther enumerates the
questions: Why did God permit the fall of Adam? Why did He suffer us to
be infected with original sin? Why does God not change the evil will?
Why is it that some are converted while others are lost? We read: "But
why does He not at the same time change the evil will which He moves?
This pertains to the secrets of His majesty, where His judgments are
incomprehensible. Nor is it our business to investigate, but to adore
these mysteries. If, therefore, flesh and blood here take offense and
murmur, let them murmur; but they will effect nothing, God will not be
changed on that account. And if the ungodly are scandalized and leave in
ever so great numbers, the elect will nevertheless remain. The same
answer should be given to those who ask, 'Why did He allow Adam to fall,
and why does He create all of us infected with the same sin when He
could have preserved him [Adam], and created us from something else, or
after first having purged the seed?' He is God, for whose will there is
no cause or reason which might be prescribed for it as a standard and
rule of action; for it has no equal or superior, but is itself the rule
for everything. If it had any rule or standard, cause or reason, it
could no longer be the will of God. For what He wills is right, not
because He is or was in duty bound so to will, but, on the contrary,
because He wills so, therefore what occurs must be right. Cause and
reason are prescribed to a creature's will, but not to the will of the
Creator, unless you would set another Creator over Him." (E. 259; St. L.
1840.)
Regarding the question why some are converted while others are not, we
read: "But why this majesty does not remove this fault of our will, or
change it in all men (seeing that it is not in the power of man to do
so), or why He imputes this [fault of the will] to man when he cannot be
without it, it is not lawful to search, and although you search much,
you will never discover it, as Paul says, Rom. 9, 20: 'O man, who art
thou that repliest against God?'" (E. 223, St. L. 1796.) "But as to why
some are touched by the Law and others are not, so that the former
receive, and the latter despise, the grace offered, this is another
question, and one not treated by Ezekiel in this place, who speaks of
the preached and offered mercy of God, not of the secret and
to-be-feared will of God, who by His counsel ordains what and what kind
of persons He wills to be capable and partakers of His preached and
offered mercy. This will of God must not be searched, but reverently
adored, as being by far the most profound and sacred secret of divine
majesty, reserved for Himself alone, and prohibited to us much more
religiously than countless multitudes of Corycian Caves." (E. 221; St.
L. 1794.)
Christians firmly believe that in His dealings with men God is always
wise and just and good. Luther: "According to the judgment of reason it
remains absurd that this just and good God should demand things that are
impossible of fulfilment by free will, and, although it cannot will that
which is good but necessarily serves sin, should nevertheless charge
this to free will; and that, when He does not confer the Spirit, He
should not act a whit more kindly or more mercifully than when He
hardens or permits men to harden themselves. Reason will declare that
these are not the acts of a kind and merciful God. These things exceed
her understanding too far, nor can she take herself into captivity to
believe God to be good, who acts and judges thus; but setting faith
aside, she wants to feel and see and comprehend how He is just and not
cruel. She would indeed comprehend if it were said of God: 'He hardens
nobody, He damns nobody, rather pities everybody, saves everybody,' so
that, hell being destroyed and the fear of death removed, no future
punishment need be dreaded. This is the reason why she is so hot in
striving to excuse and defend God as just and good. _But faith and the
spirit judge differently, believing God to be good though he were to
destroy all men_." (E. 252; St. L. 1832.) "The reason why of the divine
will must not be investigated, but simply adored, and we must give the
glory to God that, being alone just and wise, _He does wrong to none,
nor can He do anything foolish or rash, though it may appear far
otherwise to us. Godly men are content with this answer_." (E. 153; St.
L. 1714.)
According to Luther, divine justice must be just as incomprehensible to
human reason as God's entire essence. We read: "But when we feel ill at
ease for the reason that it is difficult to vindicate the mercy and
equity of God because He damns the undeserving, _i.e._, such ungodly men
as are born in ungodliness, and hence cannot in any way prevent being
and remaining ungodly and damned, and are compelled by their nature to
sin and perish, as Paul says [Eph. 2, 3]: 'We were all the sons of wrath
even as others,' they being created such by God Himself out of the seed
which was corrupted through the sin of the one Adam,--then the most
merciful God is to be honored and revered in [His dealings with] those
whom He justifies and saves, although they are most unworthy, and at
least a little something ought to be credited to His divine wisdom by
believing Him to be just where to us He seems unjust. For if His justice
were such as could be declared just by human understanding, it would
clearly not be divine, differing nothing from human justice. But since
He is the one true God, and entirely incomprehensible and inaccessible
to human reason, it is proper, nay, necessary, that His justice also be
incomprehensible, even as Paul also exclaims, Rom. 11, 33, saying: 'O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!' Now,
they would not be incomprehensible if we were able, in everything He
does, to comprehend why they are just. What is man compared with God?
How much is our power capable of as compared with His? What is our
strength compared with His powers? What is our knowledge compared with
His wisdom? What is our substance compared with His substance? In short,
what is everything that is ours as compared with everything that is
His?" (E. 363; St. L. 1962.)
Christians embrace the opportunity offered by the mysterious ways of God
to exercise their faith. Luther: "This is the highest degree of faith,
to believe that He is merciful, who saves so few and condemns so many,
to believe Him just, who by His will [creating us out of sinful seed]
necessarily makes us damnable, thus, according to Erasmus, seeming to be
delighted with the torments of the wretched, and worthy of hatred rather
than of love. If, then, I could in any way comprehend how this God is
merciful and just who shows such great wrath and [seeming] injustice,
there would be no need of faith. But now, since this cannot be
comprehended there is to be an opportunity for the exercise of faith
when these things are preached and published, even as when God kills,
our faith in life is exercised in death." (E. 154; St. L. 1716.)