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I Believe

“You believe that there is one God. You do well in that. The devils believe too, and tremble” (James 2:19). This is a clear proof that it is not enough for salvation to believe that there exists only one God. “Therefore, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, in order that all who believe in him should not be lost but rather have eternal life” (John 3:19). And the Gospel exists for this purpose, “that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you might have life through faith in his name” (John 20:31).1

Our faith is distinguished from that of the devils in this way. We believe in the name of the One called “Jesus” because he will save his people, he will deliver his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). One must come to know the name properly.

The Lord foresaw that people would think belief in God to be sufficient for salvation, therefore he countered: “Believe in me” (John 14:1). Whether we suppose there is a God or not is not up to us. We believe by nature. Certainly there are many who wish deep in their hearts that there were no God (Psalm 14:1), so that they could sin more freely. But deep down they cannot believe there is none. The highest peaks of reason can neither remove the idea from the depths of the self, nor hinder and dampen the recognition of the great Supreme Being. The foundation is laid too deeply in nature and in the heart. That people know there is a God is manifest in them, since God revealed it to them.2 Since the Enemy of souls cannot now prevent people from taking notice of God (he must even do it himself), he gladly persuades them that he has saving faith. One might admit as valid that there is one God and feel fear at his name because he can punish, chastise, afflict, and damn. As a result one does not sin with such abandon anymore, and this produces worldly people who are honorable and upright. But few people know and believe anything substantial about Christ. One need not reach beyond the bounds of Christendom to see this. Many so-called Christians believe the same thing that the nations who follow Muhammad’s teaching believe, the same thing that the Jews believe: in only one God. (Jews exclude Jesus. Muslims omit his true nature although they think of him with deep reverence.) These so-called Christians name the glorious name of Jesus in all manner of circumstances, and allow themselves to be named after him, only somewhat more superficially. Jesus, the great Jesus, whom all the angels of God shall worship, before whom every knee on earth shall bow and all authorities lay their crowns in the dust. To be sure the name appears on people’s lips when it is the custom in a country or city, since this, too, has its fashion. But it is always rare when a person whose reason, reputation, property, or talent sets them only a little above the vulgar mob mentions the Savior often. Most hold that nothing more is necessary to being an honest and upright person than to be respectful before God. But when things have sunk so low in a country or city that key people, the very people upon whom others depend, are ashamed of the Savior and of his teaching, then one can reckon that it will soon come out according to the expression of the prophet Daniel, that Christ is no more (cf. Daniel 9:26).

For a misfortune has already gained ground in Christendom: one has dealings only with God and has very little to do with Christ, as if he had never been upon the earth and did not stand on almost every page of the Bible, or as if he really had little significance and one could believe, live, and be saved without him. That is why people regard the sayings of the Savior as trivial, that is, as fitting for the inferior schools but too coarse and improper for the wise and great people. Many who concern themselves with the Savior think and speak of him in a completely cold-minded way. Others who are considered the best and most pious among Christians believe one must require more seriousness about the knowledge of God than is customary. Since he can drag one to judgment one must honor God, fear God, and stop offending him with sin, and instead love and serve him because of his countless blessings. If others freely sin during the day, these people keep away from evil out of fear and respect. But Christ with his name and merit is unknown, and I believe if people were not sometimes terrified or did not sometimes feel pain, it would be a long time before the name “Jesus” passed their lips. It is necessary for us to take this matter rightly to heart and grasp it in our deepest selves and rightly concern ourselves with Christ: who he is according to his Person, Offices, and Status, and not only experience the power of it for ourselves but confess him before everyone and neglect no opportunity to make his name known to others. And this is the chief task of all the witnesses of Jesus, who have perceived and known him, that they always paint the Savior—who is so unknown—before the eyes of the whole world, and especially before so-called Christendom. Because even if they say: “One must know him, one must have him in one’s heart, one must not let him be taken from one,” you can rest assured, the so-called Christian world does not know him (John 16:3).

One does not begin by first worrying about how one can leave sin behind and become pious, but rather how one can get to know Jesus as one’s own Savior, since the former will follow all by itself, after the Son has once made one free; since he alone can free from sin, he alone can help and counsel in matters for which no human counsel is adequate. We cannot deny that we have sin in us (I John 1:8), and that we carry it upon ourselves until we go to our graves. For this reason the body is dead because of sin (Romans 8:10), and decomposition befalls it. The reality of sin’s malignant poison is so firmly fixed in nature and in the whole mass of humanity that the healthiest thing for them is to go into their graves and be reduced to absolute worthlessness, then the Savior can make something better out of them.*

But even though we carry this body of death, among children of God sin is a banished, crucified, and condemned thing, viewed as a malefactor and prisoner, which does not have to re-appear automatically and inevitably, if only the soul is no longer treacherous, nor friendly with sin. The old self has received its judgment: it is bound to be killed and negated on the cross of Christ (Romans 6:6). “For this purpose the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8), to dissolve the structure and principle of sin and tear it asunder in order that it might not come to desire, deed, and death among believers, and instead the sinful corruption remain underfoot, its power, might, and dominion lost, [that] it might be subject, no longer allowed to be active, nor always to have to await a new execution.**

* [Count Zinzendorf wrote this note himself. He thought this point needed clarification.] At least human souls can already be cleansed here in time, but the remaining elements of human persons are not cleansed prior to the grave. Then, when souls that were in the body with sin leave their tents, a pure soul without sin journeys to the Savior, and when the body which sent forth the sinless soul lies there in the grave, then it is still a sinful little body and will not be designated “totally clean” until its concentrated little kernel is transfigured.

** [Zinzendorf again added this note himself to the published edition of the speeches.] In The Smalcald Articles it says, “The Savior does not allow sin to hold sway and win the upper hand, so that sin is committed, but rather wards it off and restrains it, so that it [sin] is not able to do whatever it will; but if [sin] does do what it wants, then the Holy Spirit and faith are not present. For as St. John says: ‘Whoever is born of God does not sin and cannot sin.’ And yet it is also surely the truth (as the same St. John writes) ‘Therefore if we say we have no sin, we lie, and God’s truth is not in us.’” Vid. Libr. Conc. Edit. Reinecc. p. 511. [[Translator’s note: The Smalcald Articles were penned by Martin Luther as a theological testament; cf. William Russell, Luther’s Theological Testament. Zinzendorf may be quoting from memory here because he actually misquotes Luther.

It is not even necessary for a believer to listen to sin, much less get mixed up in a fight with it, rather since the solemn divorce of the absolved and purified soul from its old husband has taken place through the corpse of Christ, [the believer] must renounce [sin]; therefore now one can serve the true Husband in peace and fruit can be brought to him unto eternal life; one is neither willing, nor inclined, nor compelled to sin anymore.3

This freedom is given to us as a blessedness and a privilege. But no one is to seek it prior to grace, much less is it to be placed above grace, but rather grace must be there first, and in the quality of a godless person one must have obtained the forgiveness of sins, after that follows the privilege that one is no longer compelled to sin and may be godly. One acquires forgiveness through faith in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Without this there is no life, no grace, no forgiveness. Our faith must stand fast on the merit of the Savior, who died for us that he might deliver us from all unrighteousness and purify a people for himself to be his own possession, that they might be industrious workers of good.

Luther wrote that the Holy Spirit does not permit sin to rule, whereas Zinzendorf says it is the Savior, i.e. Jesus, who does not permit it. Cf., the Book of Concord, 310. But of course the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Moreover, classical Christian teaching has it that what one Person of the holy Trinity does the other two participate in. Thus, the triune God is always fully and completely present and active even if speech refers only to one or another of the eternal “Persons”.]]

It will be necessary in all future speeches and presentations that these four questions are laid, so to speak, deep in the self.

The First: What is the sense of the word? What is meant? What is to be understood by it? Therefore, one has to say the meaning of the thing simply, bluntly and without beating around the bush, so that each person might be able to grasp and perceive the main point.

The Second: Does the meaning have a foundation: is it in agreement with Scripture? Since one must neither speak nor think of spiritual things apart from the Holy Scriptures. One knows that the truth is grounded, which brings us to the Third Question: Am I like this? Have I experienced and known this? And finally the Fourth: How do I come to be, experience, or know this?

One has to follow these rules with the teaching of Christ, too. It must be understood, tested, sought, and found.

What does it mean in the present to believe in the Lord Jesus? Godly people know and hold to be true that once about seventeen hundred years ago there was a particular man on earth, who was called “Jesus,” and that it is just as certain that this person was God before [his incarnation], as it is that he became the Son of a human being afterwards; that he died for us human beings, on the cross of course, in the presence of many people, both Jews and Gentiles, that he did it partly to atone by his act for our sins and for the sins of each one, and partly that he might reconcile God, [and] partly in order to break the power and structure of sin on the cross, and negate its authority on earth, so that it might no longer be allowed to rule, but rather be trampled underfoot.

The shortest way to faith is to receive Christ (John 1:12). “To as many as received him, he gave the power to be God’s children, that is, to become people who believe in his name.” In his day many of his own people did not receive him. He counted for little with his lowly, poor demeanor: “We esteemed him not,” says Isaiah 53. But his word and Gospel were effective among some people, so that he once had gathered together more than five hundred brothers who adored him.

We do not see the Savior in a physical way, (which does not help anyway, as we perceive with the people of his own day) therefore we also cannot receive him in a physical manner, as the disciples of his time received his physical and visible presence in the world; but the word of Christ is just as near to us, and makes the secret of the cross just as clear as if the Lord hung before our very eyes. We must believe this word and testimony about him, and both reflect on and preserve it with the very same simplicity and sincerity as the ancients, as soon as we become aware of it intensively, so that the word is spoken in the Spirit, and the power of God comes upon the heart, overcoming us like a fire and desiring to inflame us. If the Lord did not work upon souls in this actual manner, he neither could nor would blame anyone for their unbelief.

But we are still concerned with the words and actions of the Savior, and to be sure in the sight of precisely the same Spirit, through whom so many thousand people were converted at the time of the apostles. If we believe him simply and directly, then we will come to know the power of the truth that Jesus is near to our souls in a special way, that he is the Deliverer and Husband of us all. That word “believe” is an obligation, and the only law upon which salvation depends. We must trust in his primary name, “Jesus,” a Redeemer, Savior, Bringer of salvation, since he must save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). We must believe: 1) That he is a Savior of sinners, who died for the sins of the whole world; 2) That he hung on the cross as an evildoer in the form of sinful flesh, between two murderers, and therefore was despised, rejected, wounded, and broken out of love for souls; 3) That he bought, reconciled, and saved us, and loved us so much that he gave up his life for us, so that he should have first claim on us, because he regarded our souls as so important and paid such a heavy price for them.

It is in this glorious name of the Redeemer that we must believe. To reason this is a matter too significant, solemn, and difficult, and [reason] may indeed still call faith, to which all children are directed according to their feeling and condition: “The Lord’s nuisance.” There are several occurrences of this designation in the old sayings of Scripture. Therefore, so many people do not want to have anything to do with [faith], and if they try it, they deal with it superficially and turn back again, because they neither can nor wish to believe. That is the only reason so many souls are lost, not because they have sinned, but rather on account of unbelief; since without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

It is true sinning must cease as well. For whoever allows sin to rule, or is compelled to let sin reign, has no faith in Christ; faith does not allow us to sin (Romans 6:2). Joyfulness in sin drives the pleasure-bound spirit. But it is likewise true, that transgressing is not the cause of rejection according to the New Testament. It is on account of unbelief that one cannot enter into rest (Hebrews 4:6). Therefore, faith is a special blessing of grace and gift of God, so that whoever has it in simplicity and naiveté can neither think of nor worship God enough.

One point, which is so difficult to many that they prefer to do and suffer all things; one cause of so many religious exercises, which are many thousand times more difficult than faith, but which are all devised only in order that they might take the place of faith. Accordingly, the art of faith is a narrow way and narrow gate which so few find (Matthew 7:14), because in point of fact it depends on nothing except that we want to let ourselves be helped; since the whole plea in Christ’s stead consists only in that we should allow ourselves to be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:20). Thereafter, free grace makes, gives, and does all the rest. (A secret hidden from most people!) They do not understand it, because they are either too superficial or too melancholy, and prefer to let themselves be morose and bitter. God wills to bestow grace upon all sinners on account of Christ, and by grace to cast natural sin and natural religion into a heap.

The genuine sinner has the first, greatest, and more direct claim and comes nearer and more easily to grace. When a scoundrel is converted it is a plain miracle; but when a pious person is saved, it is a double marvel and an extraordinary success. Scripture says Christ died thus for the godless (Romans 5:6); and he himself speaks along the same line when he says he did not come to call the righteous (Luke 5:32). By nature we are all equally sinners and equally godless before God; but this situation is so concealed and so hidden by means of reason and education that people often no longer know themselves. One person condemns another wholeheartedly for being a sinner, and ignores the fact that he condemns himself along with the other. “You are the man of death,” said Nathan to David, who had thought to condemn another. Many a person has had neither opportunity nor provocation to sin, and therefore could not become aware of the true condition of the heart; should such a one have time, occasion, training, and capacity, they probably will sin more crudely and abusively than all others; since sin is truly planted in the heart of one and all, only more disguised, more hidden, more deceptive and more dangerous [in those who believe themselves to be without sin]. Indeed, such people express greater enmity toward the Savior, greater unbelief, and greater fury over the propriety of grace.

Generally speaking it is a bad method to pass judgment on people solely because of what they do; but it is even worse to conclude from the omission of one act or another that nothing of the evil inclination is left.4 “The Lord looks upon the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Deeds belong in the worldly court of law, and must be judged and punished there, which is nothing either more or less than fair. But the divine jurisdiction goes deeper, to the very heart and motive, in judging good and evil things.5

Therefore, we must come to Jesus as sinners, and declare ourselves, according to our hearts and minds, to be godless, fornicating, drunken, insolent, ferocious or lying people, and that disposition and mind will be changed, [we must] seek the grace and blood-won justification of the One who makes the godless righteous. The most innocent, the most pious, the person who has probably been so blameless from the moment of emerging from the womb to the present that one would have to take him for an angel on account of his good training, in relation to whom one neither hears nor sees anything evil, this very person [bears] the same appraisal and damnation as the most immoral sort of human beings among [us]. None is better on account of his little tidbit of good, and none is more wicked because of his many evil acts. All need grace, mercy, and a Savior’s blood; before God none [of our works] carry any weight, neither our scampering and running about, nor our repentance and improvement, but rather his mercy alone, Christ’s atonement, satisfaction, and reconciling offering on the cross. To be sure, one can abuse this precious truth in the direction of safety and irresponsibility; but nevertheless it is and remains the truth pure and simple. This even produces unity in religion, but is, as far as that goes, almost the only true and proper controversy about reality. This also makes the leading and tending of souls concise and easy. If each one understands himself to be a sinner in his own way, and humbles himself before grace, then befalls him what is meant for the eminent and well deserving.

There are so many different kinds of people, and Satan has bound them by means of so many different kinds and modes of evil, or deceived them with various appearances of good, that one could certainly not disentangle them from each other, if there were not also a universal sickness for which a medicine was suitable. But thus one can now say to souls, that all human beings require grace, the respectable just as much as the profligate, so that all need Christ’s blood, which alone cancels the future wrath, conquers Satan and hell, cleanses the heart, cures injuries, pulls the love of sin out by the roots, and can produce all good.

We are sinners in our best works and actions as well as with our greatest acts of sin. No intention, no matter how good, helps without Christ, either to free from sin, or to be godly and do good. Consequently, one must really concern oneself only about faith in Christ, but let all other things quickly go; and forget about them like a child. And Jesus must become our faith, our love, and our hope, the only object and purpose of our life: all thinking, speaking, and desiring must become completely his; then they are right and fitting before God because of Christ.

In faith we need not tremble like the devils, but instead can be sincere and confident like children.

1. In this speech Count Zinzendorf expresses his theological opposition to so-called rational or natural religion. Intellectuals in the eighteenth century found very appealing the idea that all actual, historical religions share a common core. This core was thought to consist of a simple set of religious ideas that constituted the truth of any and all religion. Thus, the actual teachings and practices of a religion were not to be taken seriously except insofar as they expressed these core ideas. Lord Herbert of Cherbury set forth the core in this way: 1) there is one supreme God; 2) this God ought to be worshipped; 3) the connection between piety and virtue is the most important part of religious practice; 4) people must repent of their wickedness and vices; and 5) there is reward or punishment after this life (cf. Cherbury’s little book De Veritate, published in Paris in 1624). These tenets were thought to be rational because they were imagined to be discoverable within every religion by all truly rational people. They were said to be natural because they were thought to be written into the fabric of nature. There are several telling philosophical and anthropological objections to this view. But Zinzendorf found it religiously and theologically objectionable from the perspective of Christian teaching. Some of his reasons appear in this speech.

2. The Count grants the advocates of rational or natural religion this point: existence itself drives us to be religious. Every person organizes life, and must do so, according to some fundamental convictions and commitments. By means of these one unifies personality and life, makes sense of experience, and understands the self’s role in the cosmos. The object of these commitments and convictions is that which concerns us ultimately, on which our being or not being depends, i.e., our god. Zinzendorf notes here in his own way that all people recognize a god, a high essence or Supreme Being, a main thing in life. But simply to have a god of some sort, even a highly moral one, is not enough to grant participation in what Christians call salvation. Even atheists can be very religious about their atheism! But one must know the true God. It is only the true and actual God who is able to save.

3. This way of talking about sin and godliness belongs fully to the ancient Christian tradition. It appears in classical form in the writings of Augustine, the great bishop of Hippo in North Africa from the late fourth century to the early fifth century. He had said it like this: “When humanity by free will sinned . . . the freedom of the will was lost . . . Accordingly, the one who is the servant of sin is free to sin. And hence [one] will not be free to do right, until, being freed from sin, [one] shall begin to be the servant of righteousness. And this is true liberty . . .” Enchiridion, chapter 30. Thus, for Augustine, apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, one is free only to sin. Even the virtues of the pagans are but splendid vices because their acts do not proceed from faith in Christ (Romans 14:23) and thus can only be sin. But once having been freed by God’s grace in Jesus, once having been delivered from bondage and servitude, a person is no longer compelled to sin. One is no longer bound to sin no matter what one does and has the privilege of doing righteousness in obedience to God. Augustine is quick to note that though freed from the inevitability of sin, Christians continue to sin in fact. Christians still require daily forgiveness of sins, since in this life one continues to struggle against sin and sin always remains a possibility. In this life Christians are always sinners who are nevertheless justified by grace through Jesus Christ. Luther had a great deal to say about this!

4. It is very interesting that Zinzendorf should use the phrase “evil inclination” here. It has a long history in the Jewish tradition. Since ancient times rabbis have spoken of two inclinations in each person. The yetzer ha-tov, the good inclination, and the yetzer ha-rah, the bad inclination, are said to strive for mastery of the heart of every person. Paul seems to have been thinking in this tradition in Romans 7. One wonders where Zinzendorf picked up this way of talking. It may have been from rabbis and Jews he knew, or it might simply have come from his reflection on Paul’s writings in the New Testament.

5. Zinzendorf’s point turns on the distinction between mere civil righteousness and righteousness before God. One could be blameless before the worldly court of law, but at the same time be utterly damned as wicked before God. Since God looks upon the heart and motive, true obedience means doing God’s will with a pure and joyful heart with no regard for consequences or rewards. It means loving and obeying God with abandon and purely for God’s own sake. One’s civil righteousness has only an ambiguous and uncertain relationship to that!