Martin Luther, On Good Works, 1520

Martin Luther emphasized salvation through simple faith in God's promises, and spoke so lightly of "good works," such as fasts, pilgrimages, attendance at masses, alms, and gifts to the Church, that his opponents declared that he cared not how a man acted if only he had faith. Luther explains his position very clearly in the following passages from a little treatise On Good Works, which he wrote in German early in 1520 and dedicated to the Elector of Saxony.

The first, highest, and noblest of all good works is to believe in Christ, as he himself answered in John, chapter vi, when the Jews asked him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Now when we hear this, or preach it to others, we run over it lightly, regarding it as a very simple and easy thing, when we should stop long over it and ponder it well; for all works go back to this and receive all their goodness from it, as one might receive a fief from his lord. We must paint this in strong colors if everyone is to see it clearly.

We find many who pray, fast, endow churches and monasteries, and do this, that, and the other,—who, in short, lead a good life before men; who, if you ask them whether they are sure that what they are doing is pleasing to God, say no, they know not, or are doubtful. Among these are some famous and learned men, who claim that it is not necessary to be sure that we are pleasing to God and who do nothing except urge good works. But we must see that the very same works done without faith are altogether dead and as nothing, for as your conscience stands toward God and believes in him, even so shall it be with your works, which proceed from your faith. Now when there is no faith or good conscience toward God, works are headless and have no life or goodness. So it comes about that when I place faith so high and reject such unbelieving works, they accuse me of forbidding good works altogether, although I gladly extol the good works of faith.

If you ask my critics if they regard as good works laboring at one's trade, coming and going, eating, drinking, and sleeping, and all the other acts that help nourish the body or are generally useful, and whether they believe that God is pleased by such works, you will find that they say no, and limit good works so narrowly that they must consist in praying in church, fasting, or giving alms; other things they regard as actions which God does not esteem. By this damnable want of faith they reduce and diminish the service of God, whom all serve, who believe in him, in all that they say or think. And this the Preacher teaches, saying, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun." To keep our garments white is to have all our works good, whatever they may be, without any distinction. And they will be white when we confidently believe that they are pleasing to God.

We can understand this whole matter by an obvious human example. When husband and wife are fond of one another and live together in love and in confidence in one another, and each believes truly in the other, who shall teach them how they should act, what they should do or leave undone, say or not say, think or not think? Their own insight tells them all that need be, and more too. There is no distinction in their "works" for one another. They do the long, hard, and heavy tasks as willingly as the slight and easy things, and moreover they act with glad, peaceful, and secure hearts and are altogether free and unconstrained. But when doubt comes they begin to ask what is best, and begin to distinguish between their acts in order to gain the other's favor, and go about with troubled and heavy hearts, perhaps well-nigh in despair or driven to downright desperation.

So the Christian who lives in confidence toward God knows what things he should do, and does all gladly and freely, not with a view to accumulating merit and good works, but because it is his great joy to please God and to serve him without thought of reward, contented if he but do God's will. On the contrary, he who is not at one with God, or is in doubt, will begin to be anxious how he may satisfy God and justify himself by his works. He runs off on a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella, to Rome, to Jerusalem, — here, there, anywhere; prays to St. Bridget, or some other saint, fasts this day and that, confesses here and confesses there, asks this man and that, but finds no peace.

J. H. Robinson, ed., Readings in European History vol II (Boston: Ginn, 1905), pp. 66-68.

Submit your answers to the questions below as determined by your instructor.

1. Do "good works" serve a purpose to Luther's way of thinking?

2. Why should men and women do "good works," according to Luther?