The True Christian Faith: Faith of the Woman of Canaan, Part 1

Matthew writes that Jesus was in the land of Gennesaret, and says, “Then Jesus went from there and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried to him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil; but he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us; but he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to the dogs; and she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith; be it to you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour,” Matthew 15, verses 21 to 28.

Here you again have a fine example and pattern of a sincere Christian faith. For when this woman perceived how powerfully Jesus preached grace, and heard besides that he could do what he desired, that he showed love and mercy, and that he sent no one away comfortless, she approached him without hesitation, not doubting his grace, mercy, love and power, although she was not heard at the first or second request. She was persistent both in her faith and in her prayer, with such a desire that she might partake of the spiritual crumb of his mercy and obtain relief for her poor daughter. Indeed, she showed such faith, constancy, humility and piety that the Lord said to her, “O woman, great is your faith; be it to you even as you will.”

Faithful reader, observe: if we rightly looked with spiritual eyes on this woman’s faith and fruits, we would be fitly taught by her, especially in two particulars.

For as soon as she heard that the Lord taught pure mercy, grace, repentance and reformation, preached the kingdom of God, raised the dead, made the blind see, the deaf hear, the cripples walk, the lepers clean, healed the sick and cast out unclean spirits; that he rebuked the scribes, the Pharisees and the common people for their unbelief, perverseness, blind hypocrisy and carnal lives, and testified that he was the prophet and Messiah promised in the law and the prophets, so that his fame spread abroad through all Judea and the neighboring countries — hearing all this, her tender heart and mind were so turned to him through such testimonies, miracles, doctrines and deeds of love that she did not doubt his mercy, power, goodness and grace. She therefore went to him with a sincere desire, in sure and true faith, trusting with all her heart that he would not deny her humble prayer but would graciously hear and grant it; and she also obtained what she desired.

She heard and believed; she saw and confessed. But these senseless people imagine that they are Christians, and yet they are, to my understanding, greater unbelievers, blinder, more hardened and worse than Turks, Tartars or any of the heathen. Their works testify that I write the truth. They cannot be moved to hear or obey the truth by godly means and services: neither by doctrine nor by exhortation, neither by the blameless lives nor by the innocent blood of the saints, which is shed daily before their eyes, as was mentioned before when treating of the faith of the murderer.

We have had the movement and doctrine of the holy divine word in Germany for a number of years, and have it still more abundantly every day, in such power and clearness that they may plainly see that it is the finger and work of the Lord. For the haughty are humbled, the avaricious are made kind, the drunkards become sober, the unchaste are made pure, and so on; and they dare not indulge in a single thought, word or act contrary to the will, word and Spirit of the Lord. They receive it with such affection that they do not fear to forsake father, mother, husband, wife, children and possessions, and indeed willingly suffer death on account of it. For many of them are burned, drowned, killed with the sword, arrested, exiled, and their property confiscated; yet all this avails nothing with these obstinate people. If it is only reported (when an innocent sheep has been slaughtered) that he was an Anabaptist, that is enough; they never ask what he professed and what scriptural grounds he had, what his conduct and life were, or whether he injured anyone or not. Nor do they consider that it must be a special power and work that wholly restrains a person from drunkenness, lasciviousness, pomp and pride, from all vanity, abominable lying, carnal life and all idolatry, and constrains him to all sobriety, chastity, meekness, piety, truth and the true worship — on account of which we have to hear all manner of disgrace, endure persecution and misery, and so often suffer the loss of life, as you may see.

If a thief is led to the gallows or a murderer is broken on the wheel, or if any criminal is punished with death, everyone asks what he has done. He is not sentenced by the judges as long as they do not fully understand the ground and truth of his evil deed. But if an innocent, contrite Christian, whom the gracious Lord has rescued from the evil, ungodly ways of sin and placed in the way of his peace, is accused by the priests and preachers and set before the judges, they consider him unworthy of a fair examination as to what reasons or Scriptures move him not to listen to his priests and preachers, not to have his children baptized, not to attend their service, and no longer to eat and drink with them and serve the devil. Nor do they wish to know why he reformed his life and received the baptism of Christ, or what moves him to suffer willingly, or even to die, for his faith. They only ask, Is he baptized? If he answers yes, the sentence is fixed: he must die.

All who see or hear such miracles of Almighty God: that such poor, unlearned men, indeed sometimes poor, feeble women or girls, are so strengthened in God that they fear neither judge nor executioner; that neither fire nor water, neither noose nor sword, neither life nor death can turn them from their faith. These persecutors do not ask what they did, whether they are traitors to their country or city, whether they have taken the property of others or disgraced someone’s daughter or wife, or whether they did anything not in accordance with the word of God, with common honesty and natural uprightness. O no! So much discretion and love are not to be found. If they only have the word of the Lord, believe it, fully obey his commands and ordinances, and gladly order their poor, weak lives by the truth, then they are called rebels by the lords and heretics by the learned, and are judged by the common people to be well deserving of such cruel punishments and disgraceful death. See, this is how the murderous, bloodthirsty devil has deceived the whole world through his priests and preachers — so much so that I fear scarcely one is to be found among a hundred thousand who will lay to heart such strong faith, obedience, frankness, power, great suffering and shameful death, so that he would for once reflect on his abominable unbelief, disgraceful wickedness and presumptuous, carnal life, or doubt the doctrine of his teachers, their sacraments, lives and worship. How truly the prophet said, “The righteous perishes and no man lays it to heart,” Isaiah 57, verse 1. There cannot be found beneath the wide canopy of heaven a more hardened unbelief, a more perverse, scornful, obstinate wickedness, a more accursed madness, a more detestable ungodliness, or a worse state of things than the one just related.

If there is news of war and soldiers, the whole land is in dismay, great and small, townspeople and peasants; armor for defense is provided; they keep watch and make ready to defend themselves as well as they can. Or if they hear of famine or pestilence, then all who have come to years of understanding tremble. And if, on the contrary, there is a time of tranquility, peace, prosperity and well-being, then all who hear of it rejoice. But now the trumpets of the Lord Jesus Christ are blowing and the drums are beating, warning us in tender love, through all his apostles and prophets, to shun the crafty wiles and subtle assaults of Satan, and that all who follow and obey him must die. Yet few are found who put on the armor of God; few who guard against the secret encroachments of Satan and prepare to resist him. Both men and women run into his hands of their own accord and eagerly do the things that delight him; and those who do not have to expect great tribulation and much misery.

Besides, it is plain that the abominable pestilence of false doctrine will destroy the whole world. The bread of life, which is provided for all the spiritually hungry, is very scarce because of the envious outcry and false writings of the serpent-like preachers; and alas, there are few who weep and sigh over it.

The eternal grace, mercy, favor, glory, kingdom and joy of Christ are offered to us. But our ears have grown dull, our hearts have become hardened, and in our perverse wickedness we do not desire them. But this pious woman did not do so; she heard, believed, saw his miracles and confessed his power; and therefore she prayed with confidence and obtained what she desired, for she believed Christ with all her heart and did not doubt his grace.

In the second place, she admonishes all pious parents to be concerned for the salvation of their children, because she pleaded so faithfully for her demon-possessed daughter, not stopping until she was heard. For it cannot be otherwise: if I am a true Christian, all my works before God and my neighbor are works of love, for God (by whose word a Christian is born) is love, says John. That the Father and those who are born of him are alike, of one mind and heart, is as clear as daylight.

If I seek the praise of the Lord with all my heart and desire the salvation of my neighbors, many of whom I have never seen, how much more should I desire the salvation of my children, whom God gave me, who came from my loins and are by nature my flesh and blood? So that the mighty Lord may be praised and eternally honored by them.

What I write I consider unquestionably true; I write it from the true testimony of my own conscience, as before Almighty God, before whom I stand: all true, believing parents are so minded toward their children that they would far sooner see them put in a dungeon for the sake of the word of the Lord and his testimony than see them with the deceiving priests in their idolatrous churches, or with drunken, erring interpreters in taverns, or in the company of scorners who despise the name of the Lord and hate his holy word.

Far sooner would they see them bound hand and foot for the sake of the truth of the Lord and dragged before lords and princes than see them marry rich persons who do not fear God or walk in the ways of the Lord, but pass their time in splendor, with music, heavy drinking, dancing and singing. Far sooner would they see them scourged from head to foot for the sake of the glory and holy name of the Lord than see them adorn themselves with silks, velvets, gold, silver, costly, striped and fashionable clothes, and the like vanity, pomp and haughtiness. Indeed, far sooner would they see them exiled, burned at the stake, drowned or put on the wheel for righteousness’ sake than see them live apart from God in all earthly and carnal lusts — than see them be emperors and kings and then be damned.

Woe to all, indeed woe to all who are not concerned for the salvation of their children! If I so love their bodies that I overlook their sins; if I do not punish the transgressions of the young with the rod and rebuke the older ones with words; if I do not teach them the ways of the Lord; if I do not set them a blameless example; if I do not point them at all times to Christ and his word, ordinances, commands and example, and do not seek their salvation with all my heart and soul — then I will not escape my punishment, for in the day of the Lord their souls, blood, damnation and death will be required at my hands, as of a dumb and blind watchman.

Christianity plainly teaches us that all Christian parents should be as sharp, saturating salt, a shining light, and blameless, faithful teachers in their houses. The high priest Eli was punished because he did not zealously rebuke his children.

If I see my neighbor’s ox or donkey go astray, I must bring it back to the owner or keep it safe, as Moses teaches. If it is fitting for me to do this with another’s animal, how much more concerned should I be for the souls of my children, who are so easily misled by the youthful flesh, in which no good dwells.

If I see my neighbor’s ox or donkey fallen into a pit, or meet it on the way lying under the weight of a burden, I must not leave it until it is freed; how much more should I be concerned for my children, whom I have before me, that they do not lie under the burden of their sins. And if they are not earnestly rebuked and instructed in grace, they will fall into the infernal abyss of eternal death.

Again, if I see my neighbor’s house on fire and his goods perishing, it is reasonable that I should exert myself to put out the fire and, if possible, to save the goods; but it is much more reasonable that I put out the fire of base desires in my child with the water of the divine word, and preserve the heavenly goods as far as is in my power.

The Holy Scriptures teach that God purifies the heart by faith, that faith comes by hearing, and that by faith we are justified. Therefore let everyone who truly loves his children take heed that he rightly and purely instruct them as soon as they can hear and understand the word of the Lord; that he lead them in the ways of truth, and that he zealously watch over all their doings, so that they may learn from their youth to know the Lord their God, to fear, love, honor, thank and serve him, so that the inborn nature of sin may not rule in them or conquer them, to the everlasting shame of their poor souls.

Moses taught Israel, saying, “These words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up; and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes, and you shall write them upon the posts of your house and on your gates”; “that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth,” Deuteronomy 6, verses 6 to 9; Deuteronomy 11, verse 21.

In another place he says, “And it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? that you shall say to him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage,” Exodus 13, verse 14.

Joshua commanded Israel according to the command of the Lord, and said to the twelve men, “Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones? Then you shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever,” Joshua 4, verses 5 to 7.

See, dear reader, this is how the Israelites were obliged to teach their children from their youth and to acquaint them with all the blessings and miracles of the Lord that had been bestowed on them and their fathers, so that they might fear, love and serve the Lord all their days, and so receive the blessing and escape the curse that was contained in the law.

It is the same with us: if we rightly confess Christ, we believe his word, and we and our children desire to obtain the happy fields and pleasant land and eternally inherit the grace he has promised his children. Therefore let us not neglect it, but lay it well to heart that we teach our children rightly in the word and instruct them concerning his righteous judgments, so that they will learn to fear the Lord with all their heart and turn from evil.

Let us also keep before them God’s boundless mercy and love and the services of his grace, so that they may love him and walk in his statutes. Let us imprint on their hearts Jesus Christ, our only and eternal Savior, with his Holy Spirit, word and example, so that they may rightly know him and follow in his footsteps; and let us set them an example in all wisdom, righteousness and truth, with a pious and virtuous life, so that through such wise admonition and the blameless example of their pious parents they may be instructed in the kingdom of God and trained in every kind of good.

For all who have such a faith as this woman had, and see that the end of sin is death, will not cease to sigh and lament to God that he would in mercy help their poor children so to resist the impure spirit of the devil that he may not lead them captive at his evil will, to the eternal shame and disgrace of their poor souls.

But that they may from their youth rightly learn to know the immortal, eternal God and Father through Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and in truth serve and submit to his cross; and recount all the mighty works and miracles of the Lord our God — the great mercy, grace, favor and love of the Almighty Father, his blessed word, will, ordinance and life, with all the merits, power and fruit of the death and blood of Christ his blessed Son, and also the generosity, wisdom, truth and gifts of his eternal and Holy Spirit — all this to their children and children’s children and all their descendants, until the Lord Jesus Christ appears in the glorious majesty of his heavenly Father in the clouds of heaven for the final judgment, where everyone will be rewarded according to his works, whether good or evil, Second Corinthians 5, verse 10.

See, worthy reader, this is how it is fitting for true Christians to teach, admonish, rebuke and correct their children, to set them an example in all righteousness, to raise them in the fear of the Lord, and to be concerned for their poor souls, lest through their negligence they depart from the true path, die in their sins and finally perish in their unbelief.

The Lord spoke of Abraham and said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment,” Genesis 18, verses 17 to 19.

Pious Tobit taught his son and said, My son, obey your father, serve the Lord in truth and be just, and teach this to your children, that they give alms, always fear God, love him, and trust in him with all their heart.

And when they reach the age of maturity and do not have the power to refrain (but whoever has it, I would advise with Paul to use it for the Lord), let them not marry those outside Christ and his church, be they noble, rich or handsome, as the proud, avaricious and unchaste of this world do; but let them marry those who fear, love, seek, honor, follow and serve the Lord with the whole heart, be they noble or lowly, rich or poor, comely or uncomely; for they are holy and children of saints, and therefore it is of the Lord and must be done in his name.

Let everyone beware and do right, lest the wrath and fearful judgments of God be brought upon him because of his lewdness and evil desires, just as the judgments were brought on in the days of Noah and Lot, Genesis, chapter 6.

But alas, how few there are who take this to heart and sincerely seek the salvation of their children! If they can only provide for them in temporal things, their desires are satisfied. The priests’ ordinances and church services alone are their faith, their hope and the foundation of their salvation; they neither know nor seek any other.

Their whole life from beginning to end is contrary to the word of Christ. For as soon as they are born they are carried to the idolatrous, false bath (baptism); the holy name of the Lord is falsely pronounced over them; they are raised in all vanity and blindness, in pomp and splendor, in open idolatry and false worship, and in the ignorant, unrestrained life of the world.

In and out of their houses they hear and see nothing but unrighteousness, malice, lying, cheating, cursing, swearing, unfaithfulness, avarice, quarreling, fighting, drunkenness, whoring and all manner of disgrace. They never learn to know Christ and his word, but they hate the truth and persecute righteousness. In short, they show by their actions that they are full of the evil, unclean spirit and are led by his will, as may be seen.

For as your spirit is, so your fruits must be. If the Spirit of Christ, which is holy and pure, is in you, then your whole life and fruit are also pure and holy. Again, if the spirit of the evil one is in you, then all your ways and fruits will be evil and impure. This is incontrovertible.

Therefore Paul says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Again, those who are led by the spirit of the evil one are the sons of the devil. Dear reader, reflect well on this. Indeed, if these poor people had but a spark of the Spirit of the Lord, they would a thousand times sooner be boiled in oil and burned with fire than hear and see such foolishness, ungodliness and wantonness in their children, much less teach them or set them an example in such things. For it is incontrovertible, according to the power of the Scriptures, that if they do not become partakers of Christ, their end will be eternal death.

Therefore, all you who fear the Lord, love your children with divine love and seek their salvation with all your hearts, as Abraham, Tobit and the Maccabean mother did. If they transgress, rebuke them sharply; if they err, admonish them as a parent; if they are childlike, bear with them patiently; if they are of good understanding, instruct them in a Christian way; dedicate them to the Lord from their youth; watch over their souls as long as they are in your care, so that you do not lose your salvation on their account; pray without ceasing, as this pious woman did, that the Lord may grant them his grace, so that they may resist the devil, subdue their natural depravity by the Spirit and help of the Lord, and walk from their youth up before God and his church in all righteousness, truth and wisdom, in a firm and sure faith, in unfeigned love and living hope, in an honorable and holy life, blameless and without offense, abounding in the fruits of faith, to eternal life. Amen.

In addition to all the examples already given, the diligent reader may also, with a pious and good conscience (mind), seriously reflect on the faith of the immaculate, glorious mother Mary, of Matthew, of the aged Simeon and Hannah, and also of the blind man (Luke, chapter 1; Matthew, chapter 9; Luke 2, verses 15 and 18; Mark, chapter 10), and more like them; and I trust that by the help and grace of God he will fully understand how simple, plain, unfeigned, pious, righteous, forbearing, ardent, peaceable, joyous, merciful, amiable, ameliorating, modest, moral, humble, zealous, blameless and pious a true, regenerating Christian faith is — inwardly in power before God, and outwardly in fruits before one’s neighbor.

Indeed, just as a good, fruitful tree of its own accord, without any compulsion, always brings forth its own good fruits, so a true Christian faith must also bring forth its own good fruits. For it is infallible: the righteous must live by faith.

If Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and Samuel, with all the patriarchs and prophets, believed the word of the Lord which was declared to them by angels, or were found so faithful in it, how much more should we believe and be faithful to the word which the Prince of angels, God’s only begotten Son, the true witness and Teacher of righteousness, Christ Jesus, who came from the high heavens, from his Father’s bosom, brought down and taught on earth!

It will not suffice to say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he fulfilled the law for us, that he paid for our sins with his blood and made reconciliation with the Father by his offering and death; nor will it suffice merely to believe that his gospel is true, his word is right, the wages of sin is death and grace is eternal life. The heart must rightly grasp it and the mind must be resolved on it; otherwise it will not justify. Paul says, “With the heart man believes to righteousness,” Romans 10, verse 10.

All who believe with their whole hearts that Christ Jesus is the righteous Branch of David, the righteous, wise King, the true, promised Prophet, the right Way and Truth, and our only Propitiator, Intercessor, Mediator and High Priest, Jeremiah 22, verse 5, also believe that all his words are unchangeable and true and his offering sufficient and perfect. They therefore obey his word, walk in his commands, bow to his scepter and set their consciences at peace by his grace, reconciliation, merits, offering, promises, death and blood. They believe and acknowledge that if they neglect his word and will, presumptuously transgress his commands and live according to the flesh, God will require it at their hands and punish them eternally with the fire of his wrath through his righteous judgment. For if those who willfully transgressed the law of Moses were to die without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, how much sorer will the punishment of those be who trample underfoot the Son of God, who count the pure blood of the New Testament as impure, and who profane the Holy Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10, verse 28. [Note 1]

Yes, kind reader, if we truly believed it and acknowledged it from the depths of our souls, it would so move our hearts and kindle them with the fear and love of the Lord that even if all the tyrants that ever were rose up in all their dreadful torture and bloodshed and stood before us, they would not in the least deter or hinder us from the word and way of the Lord. Besides, all our impure, carnal thoughts, unseasoned words and useless, ungodly works would soon die, as Sirach says, “The fear of the Lord drives away sins,” Ecclesiasticus 1, verse 21; and without the fear of the Lord it is impossible to become right.

Seeing then that it is very evident that a sincere Christian faith acknowledges God in his righteousness and therefore fears his judgment, and so through fear buries sin and dies to it, as has been related more than once — and that you nevertheless live in all avarice, unchastity, drunkenness, wrath, lewdness, blindness, idolatry and every kind of wickedness — tell us, beloved, where then is your faith and the word of God you boast of so much? Do you not know that it is written, “If you live after the flesh you shall die”? Or do you think you can trifle with God as with a man? Do not be deceived, says Paul; God will not be mocked.

Ah, reader, take heed! I tell you the truth in Christ. Beware! If you do not repent with all your heart and seek God through Christ, do not hear, believe and fear him, but remain earthly and carnal and walk after the lusts of your flesh, your sentence is already pronounced: it will be death. As Christ himself says, I judge no man, but the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

I therefore faithfully admonish you, as before God, even as I admonish my own soul: put off at once false doctrine, all unbelief, idolatry and earthly, disgraceful lives, in which, alas, you have walked until now, lest the wrath of God overtake you in the sleep of your sins.

Awaken! He is still merciful. Seek and receive the true doctrine, true faith, true sacraments and the true service, and lead a godly life, as the Scriptures teach: “Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your reward,” Isaiah 58, verse 8.

Further, I say: if you truly believed and rightly understood that through Adam’s disobedience you became children of the devil, of wrath and of eternal death, subject to the righteous curse and judgment of God, and that now all obstacles and all your sins are taken away and reconciled through the precious blood of Christ, so that you are called from wrath into grace, from curses to blessings, and out of death into life (not to mention the favors shown you daily), then your hearts would sprout forth like the sweet-scented, blooming violet, full of pure love; indeed, they would flow like the living fountain from which the refreshing, sweet waters of righteousness flow, and with holy Paul you would say from the bottom of your soul, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? For it can never be, if I am in the bond of perfection with him and love him with a pure heart, a good conscience and unfeigned faith, that anything can then turn me away or separate me from him. For it is my own desire and highest joy to hear and speak of his word and, in my weakness, to walk as he commanded and taught through his Son, even should it cost money and possessions, flesh or blood. His will be done.

See, dear reader, since it is plain in the Holy Scriptures that the true Christian faith dies to sin through the fear of God and through love does the things of righteousness, though in weakness, I leave it to you to judge whether those believe from the heart who say with the mouth that the blood of Christ is the propitiatory sacrifice for their sin, and nevertheless seek and pursue every kind of idolatry, such as infant baptism, holy water, absolution, auricular confession, masses, gold, silver and wooden images, wafers, stone churches and the drunken adultery of the priests. Ah, how good it would be for them to reflect!

I say, as truly as the Lord lives, no other remedy for our sins will ever be found, in heaven or on earth — neither works, merits nor sacraments, even when they are used according to the Scriptures; neither cross, tribulation, angels, men nor any other means will avail — but only the immaculate, crimson blood of the Lamb (Christ), which was shed out of pure grace, mercy and love for the remission of our sins, Mark 14, verse 24.

Hence it is incontrovertible that all who use such strange, idolatrous means for sin do not belong to the believing, grateful church of Christ. Therefore I will present you with a few passages from the gospel and the writings of the apostles, and set them before your eyes as a clear mirror in which you may view yourselves and see whether you are believing Christians.

Thus the word of the Lord teaches: “Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And again, “Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Prove yourselves by this: if you are born of the pure seed of the holy word, then the nature of the seed must be in you; and if you have become like little children, then there is no more pride, unchastity, avarice, hatred and envy in you, for innocent children know nothing of such sins. But if you go on living in the old Adam and not in Christ, and walk after the base, impure desires of your flesh, then you prove by your practice that you are not born of God and do not have his faith.

The word of the Lord teaches again, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Here, prove yourselves again. He who believes and is rightly baptized truly repents, circumcises his heart, dies to sin, rises in Christ to a new life, and so on. But if you remain impenitent, with your hearts uncircumcised, not dead to sin, but live outside Christ and his word, then the deed is your witness that you are unbelievers and do not have the baptism of Christ. Again the word of the Lord teaches, “If you will enter life, keep the commandments.” For in Christ, says Paul, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but the keeping of the commands of God. And this is his command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Mark 12, verse 30.