To Live unto God: Justified by Grace*

In this excerpt from his Commentary on Galatians, Martin Luther expounds Galatians 2:19 to explain the liberating distinction between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of grace through faith in Christ. Luther emphasizes that true Christian freedom consists in being justified by grace alone, whereby the conscience is released from the bondage of the law and empowered to live unto God through the Spirit's work. This passage exemplifies Luther's central Reformation insight that salvation comes through faith in Christ's finished work rather than human effort or legal obedience.