Martin Luther: Faith Is Not Perfected by Love or Works

It is corrupting the Scriptures to twist this to mean that the righteous live by a working faith—that is, faith is formed and made perfect by love, so that if it is not formed by works of love, it does not justify us.  -- Martin Luther



Galatians 3:11

11. Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4. The apostle says in effect, “Why do we need any long argument? No one can argue with this clear statement of the prophet: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ If they live by faith, then they do not live by the law, for the law is not faith.” Here Paul views the law as contrary to faith.

It is corrupting the Scriptures to twist this to mean that the righteous live by a working faith—that is, faith is formed and made perfect by love, so that if it is not formed by works of love, it does not justify us. The Holy Spirit could have said that the righteous will live by faith formed and beautified, or made perfect, by love. But he deliberately omits this and says plainly, “The righteous will live by faith.” What God has called faith is a true and certain faith that does not doubt God or his promises, nor the forgiveness of sins through Christ, so that we will remain safe and secure in Christ and always hold before our eyes the passion and blood of the Mediator and all his benefits. Faith, which lays hold on Christ, is the only way we stop those benefits from being taken out of our sight.


Luther, M. (1998). Galatians. Crossway Classic Commentaries (148). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.