De Nova Obedientia
Faith's Fruit and God's Grace
Faith necessarily produces good works out of obedience to God's will, yet forgiveness and justification are received through faith alone, as testified by Christ and the church's teachers.
Likewise, they teach that this faith should produce good fruits, and that it's necessary to do good works—God's commandments—on account of God's will, not so that we may trust in these works to merit justification before God. For the forgiveness of sins and justification are received through faith, just as the voice of Christ also testifies: "When you have done all these things, say, 'We are useless servants.'"✦ The ancient ecclesiastical writers teach the same thing. For Ambrose says this: "It has been established by God that whoever believes in Christ shall be saved—without works, by faith alone, freely receiving the forgiveness of sins."
Read the original Latin
Item docent, quod fides illa debeat bonos fructus parere, et quod oporteat bona opera, mandata a Deo facere, propter voluntatem Dei, non ut confidamus per ea opera iustificationem coram Deo mereri. Nam remissio peccatorum et iustificatio fide apprehenditur, sicut testatur et vox Christi, Cum feceritis haec omnia, dicite, servi inutiles sumus. Idem docent et veteres Scriptores Ecclesiastici. Ambrosius enim inquit, Hoc constitutum est a Deo, ut qui credit in Christum, salvus sit, Sine opere, sola fide, gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.17.10 — So also you, when you have done all that was commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what we were obligated to do.'
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