We receive justification by faith in Jesus Christ, through the Word of God and as a Work of the Holy Spirit...

Christ, in the last chapter of Luke, commands "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name" (24:27).  The Gospel convicts all people that they are under sin, that they are subject to eternal wrath and death.  It offers, for Christ's sake, forgiveness of sin and justification, which is received through faith.  The preaching of repentance (which accuses us) terrifies consciences with true and grave terrors.  In these matters, hearts ought to receive consolation again.  This happens if they believe Christ's promise, that for His sake we have forgiveness of sins.  This faith, encouraging and consoling in these fears, receives forgiveness of sins, justifies, and gives life.  For this consolation is a new birth and spiritual life.  These things are plain and clear and can be understood by the pious.  They also have testimonies of the Church.  The adversaries cannot say how the Holy Spirit is given.  They imagine that the Sacraments give the Holy Spirit by the outward act (ex opere operato), without a good emotion in the one receiving them, as though, indeed, the gift of the Holy Spirit were a useless manner.

We speak of the kind of faith that is not an idle thought, but that liberates from death and produces a new life in hearts.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit.  This does not coexist with mortal sin.  As long as faith is present, it produces good fruits, as we will explain later.  About the conversion of the wicked, or about the way of regeneration, what can be said that is simpler or clearer?  Let the Scholastics, from so great a host of writers, produce a single commentary upon the Sentences that speaks about the way of regeneration.  When they speak of the habit of love, they imagine that people merit it through works.  They do not teach that it is received through the Word.  They teach just like the Anabaptists teach at this time.  But God cannot be interacted with, God cannot be grasped, except through the Word.  So justification happens through the Word, just as Paul says in Romans 1:16. "[The Gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."  Likewise, he says in 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing."  Proof can be derived even from this:  faith justifies because, if justification happens only through the Word, and the Word is understood only by faith, it follows that faith justifies.
~BOC, AP, IV (II), 61-68

All Scripture, including the doctrine of election, is written for us, not to be driven to despair, but to have hope...

This eternal election or ordination of God to eternal life must not be considered in God's secret, mysterious counsel in a simple-minded way.  It is not as though election included nothing further, or nothing more belonged to it, or nothing more were to be considered in it, that that God foresaw who and how many were to be saved and who and how many were to be damned.  Nor should we think that He only held a sort of military muster, such as, "This one shall be saved, that one shall be damned; this one shall remain steadfast in faith to the end, that one shall not remain steadfast."

From this notion many get and imagine strange, dangerous, and deadly thoughts.  These cause and strengthen either self-confidence and lack of repentance or hopelessness and despair.  So people fall into troublesome thoughts, and say, "Before the foundation of the world was laid" (Ephesians 1:4), God has foreknown His elect to salvation.  And God's foreknowledge cannot fail or be hindered or changed by anyone.  In view of this, if I am elected to salvation, nothing can hurt me, even if I perform all sorts of shameful sins without repentance, have no regard for the Word and Sacraments, concern myself neither with repentance, faith, prayer, or godliness.  I will and must still be saved, because God's foreknowledge must come to pass. If, however, I am not foreknown, nothing helps me anyway, even though I busy myself with the Word, repent, believe, and so on.  For I cannot hinder or change God's foreknowledge."

In fact, even when godly hearts have repentance, faith, and good intentions to live by God's grace in a godly way, thoughts like these arise:  "If you are not foreknown from eternity to salvation, your every effort and entire labor is no help."  This happens especially when they see their weakness and the examples of those who have not persevered, but have fallen away again.

Against this false delusion and thought we should set up the following clear argument, which is sure and cannot fail:  All Scripture is inspired by God.  It is not for self-confidence and lack of repentance, but "for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).  Also, everything in God's Word has been written for us, not so that we should be driven to despair by it, but so that "through the encouragement of Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).  Therefore, there is no question that lack of repentance or despair should not in any way be caused or strengthened by the sound sense or right use of this teaching about God's eternal foreknowledge.  The Scriptures teach this doctrine only to direct us to the Word to encourage repentance and godliness, and to strengthen faith and assure us of our salvation.
~BOC, FSD, XI, 9-12

The Church is those who hear the voice of their Shepherd...

We do not agree with them that they are the Church.  They are not the Church.  Nor will we listen to those things that, under the name of Church, they command or forbid.  Thank God, today a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd.  For the children pray, "I believe in one holy Christian Church."  This holiness does not come from albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other ceremonies they made up without Holy Scripture, but from God's Word and true faith.
~BOC, SA, III, XII, 1-3

The Sacrament is not founded upon people's holiness, but upon God's Word...

For the Sacrament is not founded upon people's holiness, but upon God's Word.  Just as no saint on earth, indeed, no angel in heaven, can make bread and wine be Christ's body and blood, so also no one can change or alter it, even though it is misused.  The Word by which it became a Sacrament and was instituted does not become false because of the person or his unbelief.  For Christ does not say, "If you believe or are worthy, you receive My body and blood." No, He says, "Take, eat and drink; this is My body and blood." Likewise, He says, "Do this" (i.e., what I now do, institute, give, and ask you, take).  That is like saying, "No matter whether you are worthy or unworthy, you have here His body and blood by virtue of these words that are added to the bread and wind."  Note and remember this well.  For upon these words rest all our foundation, protection, and defense against all errors and deception that have ever come or may yet come.
~BOC, LC, V, 16-19

Baptism, as with the entire Gospel, is an outward, verbal preaching...

Now these "new spirits" are so crazy that they separate faith and the object to which faith clings and is bound, even if it is something outward.  Yes, it shall and must be something outward, so that it may be grasped by our senses and understood, and by them be brought into the heart.  For indeed, the entire Gospel is an outward, verbal preaching.  In short, what God does and works in us He intends to work through such outward ordinances.  Therefore, wherever He speaks--indeed, no matter what direction or by whatever means He speaks--faith must look there.  It must hold to that object.  Now here we have the words "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).  What else can these words refer to but Baptism, that is, to the water included in God's ordinance?  Therefore, it makes sense that whoever rejects Baptism rejects God's Word, faith, and Christ, who directs us to Baptism and binds us to Baptism.
~BOC, LC, IV, 30-31

Baptism gives faith the outward thing upon which it stands and rests...

Our would-be "wise spirits" assert that faith alone saves, and that works and outward things do nothing.  We answer, "It is true, indeed, that nothing in us is of any use but faith, as we shall hear still further."  But these blind guides are unwilling to see this:  faith must have something that it believes, that is, of which it takes hold and upon which it stands and rests.  So faith clings to the water and believes in Baptism, there is pure salvation and life.  This is not through the water (as we have stated well enough), but through the fact that it is embodied in God's Word and institution, and that God's name abides in it.  Now, if I believe this, what else is it than believing in God as the One who has given and planted His Word into this ordinance and offers to us this outward thing by which we may gain such a treasure?
~BOC, LC, IV, 28-29

Christ is the surest "interpreter" of His words of institution...

Surely there is no interpreter of Jesus Christ's words as faith and sure as the Lord Christ Himself.  He understand best His words and His heart and opinion.  He is the wisest and most knowledgeable for explaining them.  He does not use allegory to make His last will and testament and His ever-abiding covenant and union.  He does not use allegory elsewhere in presenting and confirming all articles of faith, and in the institution of all other signs of the covenant and of grace or Sacraments (e.g., circumcision, the various offerings in the Old Testament, and Holy Baptism). He does not use allegorical words, but entirely proper, simple, believable, and clear words.  In order that no misunderstanding can take place, He explain them more clearly with the words, "Given for you," "shed for you."  He also lets His disciples rest in the simple, proper sense, and commands them that they should teach all nations to keep what He had commanded them, the apostles.
~FSD, VII, 50-51

His Kingdom comes both here in time and in eternity...

His kingdom comes of itself, without our prayer.  Yet we still pray that it may come to us, that is, triumph among us and with us, so that we may be part of those people among whom His name is hallowed and His kingdom prospers....For the coming of God's kingdom happens in two ways: (a) here in time through Word and faith and (b) in eternity forever through revelation.
~BOC, LC, III, 50, 53

By faith alone...

Therefore, it is necessary that faith alone reconciles and justifies. We do not receive forgiveness of sins through other powers of the Law, or because of these: patience, chastity, obedience toward magistrates, and so on. (Nevertheless, these virtues ought to follow faith.) Therefore, we do not receive forgiveness of sins because of love for God, even though this must follow. Besides this way of speaking is well known. At times we use a word for something and use use the same word for the cause and effects of that thing (synecdoche). For example, in Luke 7:47, Christ says, "Her sins, which are many are forgiven--for she loved much." Christ Himself interprets this when He adds, " Your faith has saved you" (7:50). Christ did not mean that the woman had merited forgiveness of sins by that work of love That is why he adds, "Your faith has saved you." But faith is that which freely obtains God's mercy because of God's Word.
~BOC, AP, V (III), 30-32

Original Sin cannot be understood by reason...

On the other hand, we believe, teach, and confess that original sin is not a minor corruption.  It is so deep a corruption of human nature that nothing healthy or uncorrupt remains in man's body or soul, in his inward or outward powers....This damage cannot be fully described. It cannot be understood by reason, but only from God's Word.
~BOC, FE, I, 8

God's chief works among people...

God's two chief works among people are these:  to terrify; to justify and make alive those who have been terrified.  Into these two works all Scripture has been distributed.  The one part is the Law, which shows, reproves, and condemns sins.  The other part is the Gospel, that is, the promise of grace bestowed in Christ.  This promise is constantly repeated in the whole of Scripture, first having been delivered to Adam, afterward, to the patriarchs. Then, it was still more clearly proclaimed by the prophets.  Lastly, it was preached and set forth among the Jewish people by Christ and then spread out over the entire world by the apostles.  All the saints were justified through faith in this promise, and not by their own attrition or contrition.
~BOC, AP, XII (V), 53-54

The Promise of Christ's Word in the Lord's Supper...

Consider this true, almighty Lord, our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, after the Last Supper. He is just beginning His bitter suffering and death for our sins. In those sad last moments, with great consideration and solemnity, He institutes this most venerable Sacrament. It was to be used until the end of the world with great reverence and obedience. It was to be an abiding memorial of His bitter suffering and death and all His benefits. It was a sealing of the new Testament, a consolation of all distressed hearts, and a firm bond of unity for Christians with Christ, their Head, and with one another. In ordaining and instituting the Holy Supper, He spoke these words about the bread, which He blessed and gave: "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you," and about the cup or wine: "This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

We, too, are simply to believe with all humility and obedience our Creator and Redeemer's plain, firm, clear, solemn words and command, without any doubt and dispute about how it agrees with our reason or it is possible. For these words were spokne by that Lord who is infinite Wisdom and Truth itself. He can do and accomplish everything He promises.
~BOC, FSD, VII, 44,47

God does not consider prayer because of the person...

God does not consider prayer because of the person, but because of His Word and obedience to it....Let this be the first and most important point, that all our prayers must be added and rest upon obedience to God, regardless of who we are, whether we are sinners or saints, worthy or unworthy....He will not allow our prayers to be in vain or lost.  For if He did not intent to answer your prayers, He would not ask you to pray and add such a severe commandment to it.
~BOC, LC, III, 16-18

God stakes His honor, power, and might on Baptism...

Understand the difference, then.  Baptism is quite a different thing from all other water. This is not because of its natural quality but because something more noble is added here.  God Himself stakes His honor, His power, and His might on it.  Therefore, Baptism is not only natural water, but a divine, heavenly, holy, and blessed water, and whatever other terms we can find to praise it.  This all as because of the Word, which is a heavenly, holy Word, which no one can praise enough.  For it has, and is able to do, all that God is and can do.
~BOC, LC, IV, 17-18

The Word makes saints of us all...

Whenever God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read, or mediated upon, then the person, day, and work are sanctified.  This is not because of the outward work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all.
~BOC, LC, I, 92

The Holy Spirit reveals and preaches, illumines and enkindles...

...the Spirit has His own congregation in the world, which is the mother that conceives and bears every Christian through God's Word. Through the Word He reveals and preaches, He illumines and enkindles hearts, so that they understand, accept, cling to, and preserve in the Word. Where the Spirit does not cause the Word to be preached and roused in the heart so that is it understood, it is lost.
~BOC, LC, II, 42-43

Where God's Word is crosses will also be...

If we would be Christians, therefore, we must surely expect and count on having the devil with all his angels and the world as our enemies.  They will bring every possible misfortune and grief upon us. For where God's Word is preached, accepted, or believed and produces fruit, there the holy cross cannot be missing.  And let no one think that he shall have peace. He must risk whatever he has upon earth--possessions, honor, house and estate, wife and children, body and life.  Now, this hurts our flesh and the old Adam.  The test is to be steadfast and to suffer with patience in whatever way we are assaulted, and to let go whatever is taken from us.
~BOC, LC, III, 65-66

God cannot lie or deceive...

David, on the other hand, was a despised man, hunted down and chased, so that he did not feel his life was secure anywhere.  Yet, he had to survive, in spite of Saul, and become king.  For these words of the promise had to abide and come true, since God cannot lie or deceive.  Just let not the devil and the world deceive you with their show, which indeed remains for a time, but finally is nothing.
~BOC, LC, I, 46