Our Certain Faith
Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
ACTS 4:19-20
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Our Certain Faith
We can stand the loss of our possessions, our name, our life, and everything else; but we will not let ourselves be deprived of the Gospel, our faith, and Jesus Christ. And that is that. Accursed be any humility that yields or submits at this point! Rather let everyone be proud and unremitting here, unless he wants to deny Christ. With the help of God, therefore, I will be more hardheaded than anyone else. I want to be stubborn and to be known as someone who is stubborn. Here I bear the inscription "I yield to no one." And I am overjoyed if here I am called rebellious and unyielding. Here I admit openly that I am and will be unmovable and that I will not yield a hairbreadth to anyone. Love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7); therefore it yields. But not faith; it will not stand for anything. . .. So far as his faith is concerned, therefore, a Christian is as proud and firm as he can be; and he must not relax or yield the least bit.
From Lectures on Galatians (1535) (Luther's Works 26:99-100)
ACTS 4:19-20
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Our Certain Faith
We can stand the loss of our possessions, our name, our life, and everything else; but we will not let ourselves be deprived of the Gospel, our faith, and Jesus Christ. And that is that. Accursed be any humility that yields or submits at this point! Rather let everyone be proud and unremitting here, unless he wants to deny Christ. With the help of God, therefore, I will be more hardheaded than anyone else. I want to be stubborn and to be known as someone who is stubborn. Here I bear the inscription "I yield to no one." And I am overjoyed if here I am called rebellious and unyielding. Here I admit openly that I am and will be unmovable and that I will not yield a hairbreadth to anyone. Love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7); therefore it yields. But not faith; it will not stand for anything. . .. So far as his faith is concerned, therefore, a Christian is as proud and firm as he can be; and he must not relax or yield the least bit.
From Lectures on Galatians (1535) (Luther's Works 26:99-100)
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