In a letter of comfort, dated April 30, 1531, Luther refers to the fact
that he, too, had passed through temptation concerning predestination.
"For," says he, "I am well acquainted with this malady, having lain in
this hospital sick unto eternal death. Now, in addition to my prayer I
would gladly advise and comfort you, though writing is weak in such an
affair. However, I shall not omit what I am able to do (perhaps God will
bless it), and show you how God helped me out of this affliction, and by
what art I still daily maintain myself against it. In the first place,
you must be firmly assured in your heart that such thoughts are without
doubt the inspiration and the fiery darts of the foul fiend.... Hence it
is certain that they do not proceed from God, but from the devil, who
therewith plagues a heart that man may become an enemy of God and
despair,--all of which God has strictly forbidden in the First
Commandment, bidding men to trust, love, and praise Him--whereby we
live. Secondly: When such thoughts come to you, you must learn to ask
yourself, 'Friend, in what commandment is it written that I must think
or treat of this?'... Fourthly: The chief of all the commandments of God
is that we picture before our eyes His dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is to be the daily and the chief mirror of our heart, in which we see
how dear we are to God, and how much He has cared for us as a good God,
so that He even gave His dear Son for us."
"Here, here, I say, and nowhere else, a man can learn the true art of
predestination. Then it will come to pass that you believe on Christ.
And if you believe, then you are called; if you are called, then you are
also surely predestinated. Do not suffer this mirror and throne of grace
to be plucked from the eyes of your heart. On the contrary when such
thoughts come and bite like fiery serpents, then under no circumstances
look at the thoughts or the fiery serpents, but turn your eyes away from
them and look upon the brazen serpent, _i.e._, Christ delivered for us.
Then, by the grace of God, matters will mend." (St. L. 10, 1744 sq.; E.
54, 228.)
In Luther's _House Postil_ of 1533 we read: "From the last passage:
'Many are called, but few are chosen,' wiseacres draw various false and
ungodly conclusions. They argue: He whom God has elected is saved
without means; but as for him who is not elected, may he do what he
will, be as pious and believing as he will, it is nevertheless ordained
that he must fall and cannot be saved; hence I will let matters take
what course they will. If I am to be saved, it is accomplished without
my assistance; if not, all I may do and undertake is nevertheless in
vain. Now every one may readily see for himself what sort of wicked,
secure people develop from such thoughts. However, in treating of the
passage from the Prophet Micah on the day of Epiphany, we have
sufficiently shown that one must guard against such thoughts as against
the devil, undertake another manner of studying and thinking of God's
will, and let God in His majesty and with respect to election untouched
[unsearched]; for there He is incomprehensible. Nor is it possible that
a man should not be offended by such thoughts, and either fall into
despair or become altogether wicked and reckless."
"But whoever would know God and His will aright must walk the right way.
Then he will not be offended, but be made better. The right way,
however, is the Lord Jesus Christ, as He says: 'No one cometh unto the
Father but by Me,' Whoever knows the Father aright and would come unto
Him must first come to Christ and learn to know Him, _viz_., as follows:
Christ is God's Son, and is almighty, eternal God. What does the Son of
God now do? He becomes man for our sakes, is made under the Law to
redeem us from the Law, and was Himself crucified in order to pay for
our sins. He rises again from the dead, in order by His resurrection to
pave the way to eternal life for us, and to aid us against eternal
death. He sits at the right hand of God in order to represent us, to
give us the Holy Spirit, to govern and lead us by Him, and to protect
His believers against all tribulations and insinuations of Satan. That
means knowing Christ rightly."
"Now when this knowledge has been clearly and firmly established in your
heart, then begin to ascend into heaven and make this conclusion: Since
the Son of God has done this for the sake of men, how, then, must God's
heart be disposed to us, seeing that His Son did it by the Father's will
and command? Is it not true that your own reason will compel you to say:
Since God has thus delivered His only-begotten Son for us, and has not
spared Him for our sakes, He surely cannot harbor evil intentions
against us? Evidently He does not desire our death, for He seeks and
employs the very best means toward assisting us to obtain eternal life.
In this manner one comes to God in the right way, as Christ Himself
declares, John 3, 16: God so loved the world that He gave His
only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. Now contrast these thoughts with those that
grow out of the former opinion, and they will be found to be the
thoughts of the foul fiend, which must offend a man, causing him either
to despair, or to become reckless and ungodly, since he can expect
nothing good from God."
"Some conceive other thoughts, explaining the words thus: 'Many are
called', _i.e._, God offers His grace to many, but few are chosen,
_i.e._, He imparts such grace to only a few; for only a few are saved.
This is an altogether wicked explanation. For how is it possible for one
who holds and believes nothing else of God not to be an enemy of God,
whose will alone must be blamed for the fact that not all of us are
saved? Contrast this opinion with the one that is formed when a man
first learns to know the Lord Christ, and it will be found to be nothing
but devilish blasphemy. Hence the sense of this passage, 'Many are
called,' etc., is far different. For the preaching of the Gospel is
general and public, so that whoever will may hear and accept it.
Furthermore, God has it preached so generally and publicly that every
one should hear, believe, and accept it, and be saved. But what happens?
As the Gospel states: 'Few are chosen,' _i.e._, few conduct themselves
toward the Gospel in such a manner that God has pleasure in them. For
some do not hear and heed it; others hear it, but do not cling to it,
being loath either to risk or suffer anything for it; still others hear
it, but are more concerned about money and goods, or the pleasures of
the world. This, however, is displeasing to God, who has no pleasure in
such people. This Christ calls 'not to be chosen,' _i.e._, conducting
oneself so that God has no pleasure in one. Those men are chosen of God
and well-pleasing to Him who diligently hear the Gospel, believe in
Christ, prove their faith by good fruits, and suffer on that account
what they are called to suffer."
"This is the true sense, which can offend no one, but makes men better,
so that they think: Very well, if I am to please God and be elected, I
cannot afford to live so as to have an evil conscience, sin against
God's commandments, and be unwilling to resist sin; but I must go to
church, and pray God for His Holy Spirit; nor must I permit the Word to
be taken out of my heart, but resist the devil and his suggestions, and
pray for protection, patience, and help. This makes good Christians,
whereas those who think that God begrudges salvation to any one either
become reckless or secure, wicked people, who live like brutes,
thinking: It has already been ordained whether I am to be saved or not;
why, then, should I stint myself anything? To think thus is wrong; for
you are commanded to hear God's Word and to believe Christ to be your
Savior, who has paid for your sin. Remember this command and obey it. If
you notice that you are lacking faith, or that your faith is weak, pray
God to grant you His Holy Ghost, and do not doubt that Christ is your
Savior, and that if you believe in Him, _i.e._, if you take comfort in
Him, you shall by Him be saved. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, grant this unto
us all! Amen." (E. 1, 204; St. L. 13, 199.)