"Salvation unto us has come"
	Paul Speratus, 1523, abr. Composite tr. 1910
	Text from: EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN HYMN-BOOK
	(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1912), pp.317-319
	
	314
	8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7
	
	SALVATION unto us has come
	By God's free grace and favor,
	Good works cannot avert our doom,
	They help and save us never:
	Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
	Who did for all the world atone;
	He is the Mediator.
	
	2.  What God doth in His Law demand
	No man to Him can render,
	And so He draws His flaming brand
	To punish the offender:
	Our flesh has no those pure desires
	Which first of all the Law requires,
	So we're in condemnation.
	
	3.  It was a false, misleading dream
	That God His Law had given
	For us to keep and merit claim
	And earn our way to heaven:
	God's Law is but a mirror bright
	To bring the inbred sin to sight
	That lurks within our nature.
	
	4.  By our own strength to put aside
	God's wrath, and win His blessing,
	Is useless task, by many tried,
	Is only guilt increasing:
	For God hypocrisy abhors;
	Flesh with the spirit ever wars,
	for 'tis by nature evil.
	
	5.  And yet, the Law fulfilled must be
	Or we were lost forever;
	Therefore God sent His Son, that He
	Might us from death deliver;
	He all the Law for us fulfilled,
	And thus His Father's anger stilled
	Which over us impended.
	
	6.  Since Christ hath full atonement made
	And brought us to salvation,
	Each Christian may therefore be glad
	And build on this foundation:
	Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
	Thy death my life now is indeed,
	For Thou hast paid my ransom.
	
	7.  Not doubting this, I trust in Thee
	Thy word cannot be broken;
	To all dost call, "Come unto me!"
	No falsehood hast Thou spoken:
	"He that believes and is baptized,
	"He shall be saved,"say'st Thou, O Christ,
	"And he shall never perish."
	
	8.  He's just 'fore God, and he alone,
	Who by this faith is living;
	This faith will by good works be known,
	To God the glory giving;
	Faith gives thee peace with God above,
	But thou thy neighbor too wilt love,
	If thou art a new creature.
	
	9.  The Law reveals the guilt of sin
	And makes man conscience-stricken;
	The gospel then doth enter in
	The sinful soul to quicken.
	Come to the Cross, trust Christ, and live;
	The Law to you no peace can give
	With all its good endeavors.
	
	10.  From faith in Christ, whene'er 'tis right,
	Good works are surely flowing;
	The faith is dead that shuns the light,
	No good works ever showing:
	By faith alone the just shall live,
	Good works alone the proof can give
	Of love, which true faith worketh.
	
	______________________________________________________________
	
	This text was converted to text format for Project Wittenberg 
	by Christopher M. Fincher and is in the public domain. You may
	freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any 
	comments or suggestions to:
	 
	Rev. Robert E. Smith, Concordia	Theological Seminary.
	E-mail: CFWLibrary@CRF.CUIS.EDU
	Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
	Phone: (260) 452-3149  Fax: (260) 452-2126
	______________________________________________________________