The Ungodly and the Godly

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
PSALM 36:1-2
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The Ungodly and the Godly
The godly make no claims for themselves, but rather whatever they have they acknowledge to be a gift of God's grace; they have nothing to offer God, but they only receive from Him. The ungodly in their desire to influence God by their works despise God and make gods of themselves. . .. Sham avails nothing but is an abomination to God. However, the people of Christ's kingdom are the poor, the mean, the insignificant, the fainthearted, the harassed, the lowly, the fearful. These He will judge; that is, He will make the just cause prevail. He will justify them, He will give them grace, He will forgive the sins of those who acknowledge and confess them and do not rely on themselves. He says in Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc." Therefore they will be judged with righteousness, that is, they will have righteousness and will increase in it, they will be reproved with equity, which is the righteousness of faith, whereby they are upright before God and men; they do for both God and men what pleases them: glory to God and kindness to men.

From Lectures on Isaiah (Luther's Works 16:121)
May 11
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