Justification, a rest...

“If thou feel thy sins, and the burden thereof, look not them in thyself, but remember that they are translated and laid upon Christ, whose stripes have made thee whole (Isa. liii. 5). This is the beginning of health and salvation. By this means we are delivered from sin, justified and made inheritors of everlasting life, not for our own works and deserts but for out faith, whereby we lay hold upon Christ…
And we are, ‘justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. iii. 24). Wherefore it is a great matter to lay hold upon Christ by faith, bearing the sins of the world. And this faith alone is counted for righteousness….Wherefore God doth accept or account us as righteous only for our faith in Christ….
But where Christ and faith be not, there is not remission or covering of sins, but imputation of sins and condemnation. Thus will God glorify His Son, and will be glorified Himself in us through Him.” Martin Luther, Commenting on Galatians 2:15,16.

We are most prone to forget the doctrine of Justification by Faith alone. I have been sweetly reminded of it hence from reading through Luthers commentary on Galatians. Truly it is the most freeing doctrine of all, and hurling oneself headlong therin, sweet refreshment shall come from the pure waters of Zions heavenly stream.