Chapter 5: TO WHOM GOOD WORKS ARE TO BE ASCRIBED, AND HOW THEY ARE NECESSARY

TO WHOM GOOD WORKS ARE TO BE ASCRIBED, AND HOW THEY ARE NECESSARY

But since they who are the children of God are led by the Spirit of God, rather than that they act themselves (Rom. 8:14), and "of him, and through hint, and to him, are all things" (Rom. 11:36), whatsoever things we do well and holily are to be ascribed to none other than to this one only Spirit, the Giver of all virtues. However it be, he does not compel us, but leads us, being willing, working in us both to will and to do (Phil. 2:13). Hence Augustine writes wisely that God rewards his own works in us. By this we are so far from rejecting good works that we utterly deny that anyone can be saved unless by Christ's Spirit he be brought thus far, that there be in him no lack of good works, for which God has created him. For there are divers members of the same body; therefore each of us has not the same office (1 Cor., ch. 12). Inasmuch as it is so necessary for the law to be fulfilled that heaven and earth shall pass away before one iota or the least point thereof be remitted, yet because God alone is good, and has created all things out of nothing, and by his Spirit makes us altogether new, and wholly leads us (for in Christ nothing avails but a new creature), none of these things can be ascribed to human powers; and we must confess that all things are the mere gifts of God, who favors and loves us of his own accord, and not for any merit of ours. From the above it can be sufficiently known what we believe justification to be, by whom it is brought us, and in what way it is received of us, and by what passages of Scripture we are induced to so believe. For although of many we have cited a few, yet by these few anyone who is even moderately versed in the Scriptures will be satisfied, and even more than satisfied, that passages of this kind that ascribe nothing but sin and perdition to us. As Hosea says, and all our righteousness and salvation to the Lord, meet readers of the Scriptures everywhere.