XIII. OF THE MANNER IN WHICH WE ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD, AND OF GOOD WORKS.

That which I have hitherto and continually taught concerning this subject, I cannot change in the least; namely, that through faith we obtain (as Peter says, Acts 15, 9) another, a new and pure heart, and that God, for the sake of Christ our Mediator, regards and will regard us as entirely just and holy. Although the sins in the flesh are not yet altogether removed or mortified, yet he will not impute them to us, or remember them.

And after this remission of sins, after this faith and renovation, good works follow. And whatever is sinful and imperfect in us, shall not be accounted as sin or imperfection, even for the sake of this same Christ; but we shall, both as to our person and our works, be called and be entirely just and holy, through pure grace and mercy in Christ, abundantly poured out and bestowed upon us. For this reason we cannot boast of our merits and our works, if they are viewed apart from grace and mercy; but as it is written, 1 Cor. 1, 31: "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord," that is, that he has a gracious God. For thus all is right. We further state also, that if good works do not follow, faith is false and wrong.