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How, when we are liable for so many sins, can we be justified? He showed the one who wiped away all sins, so that both from the faith of Abraham, through which he was justified, and from the saving passion, through which we were delivered from sins, he might confirm the word. And having spoken of his death, he speaks also of the resurrection. For he did not die for this, that he might hold us liable for punishment, and condemned, but that he might do good; for to this end he both died and rose, that he might make us righteous. Therefore, being justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What is, Let us have peace? Some indeed say, that we should not be contentious, striving to bring in the law; but to me it seems that he is henceforth discoursing to us about our manner of life. For since, having discoursed much about faith and righteousness through works, he put it forward; so that no one might think that what was said was a pretext for indolence, he says: Let us have peace; that is, Let us no longer sin, nor return to our former ways; for this is to have war with 60.468 God. And how is it possible, he says, to no longer sin? How was it possible before? For if, when we were liable for so many things, we were delivered from all of them through Christ, much more shall we be able to remain in the state in which we are through him. For it is not the same thing to receive a peace that did not exist, and to keep it once it is given, since acquiring is more difficult than keeping; but nevertheless the more difficult thing has become easy, and has come to pass. Therefore the easier thing will also be easy for us to accomplish, if we hold fast to him who has accomplished those things for us. But here it seems to me he is hinting not only at what is easy, but also at what is reasonable. For if he himself reconciled us when we were at war, it is reasonable to remain in the reconciliation, and to give him this return, so that he may not seem to have reconciled stubborn and ungrateful people to the Father. For through him, he says, we have also had access by faith. If, then, he brought us near when we were far off, much more will he keep us when we have become near. 2. But consider how everywhere he posits two things, both what is from him and what is from us. But his contributions are various and many and different; for he both died for us, and reconciled us, and brought us near, and gave unspeakable grace; but we have contributed faith alone; which is why he says, By faith into this grace in which we stand. What grace, tell me? To be deemed worthy of the knowledge of God, to be delivered from error, to know the truth, to obtain all the good things through baptism; for to this end he brought us, that we might receive these gifts; for not simply that there might be a remission and deliverance from sins only, but that we might also enjoy countless honors. And he did not stop with these, but he also promised other things, those unspoken good things that surpass both mind and word. Therefore he has set down both; for by saying, The grace, he indicated the present things which we have received; and by saying, And we boast in hope of the glory of God, he revealed all the future things. And he said well, In which we stand. For such is the grace of God; it has no end, it knows no limit, but always proceeds to greater things; which is not the case with humans. I mean something like this: someone received office and glory and power, but he does not stand in it perpetually, but quickly falls from it, and even if a man does not take it away, death coming upon him will certainly take it away. But the things of God are not like that; for neither man, nor time, nor circumstance of affairs, nor the devil himself, nor death coming upon us will be able to cast us out of them; but when we die, then we possess them more securely, and proceeding on we always enjoy more things. So if you distrust the future things, from the present things and what you have already received, believe also in those. For he said this, And we boast in hope of the glory of God, so that you may learn what kind of soul the faithful one must have. For it is necessary to be fully assured not only concerning the things given, but also concerning the future things as if they were given; 60.469 for he boasts

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Πῶς τοσούτοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι δυνάμεθα δικαιωθῆναι; ἔδειξε τὸν πάντα ἀπαλείψαντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τῆς πίστεως τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, δι' ἧς ἐδικαιώθη, καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πάθους τοῦ σωτηρίου, δι' οὗ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπηλλάγημεν, βεβαιώσῃ τὸν λόγον. Εἰπὼν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον, λέγει καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα ὑπευθύνους ἔχῃ κολάσει, καὶ καταδίκους, ἀλλ' ἵνα εὐεργετήσῃ· ἐπὶ τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἀνέστη, ἵνα δικαίους ἐργάσηται. ∆ικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν; Τινὲς μέν φασιν, ὅτι Μὴ δὴ στασιάζωμεν φιλονεικοῦντες τὸν νόμον εἰσαγαγεῖν· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ περὶ πολιτείας ἡμῖν λοιπὸν διαλέγεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ περὶ πίστεως διαλεχθεὶς καὶ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων δικαιοσύνης, αὐτὴν προὔθηκεν· ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ῥᾳθυμίας ὑπόθεσιν εἶναι τὰ λεγόμενα, φησίν· Εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν· τουτέστι, Μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνωμεν, μηδὲ πρὸς τὰ πρότερα ἐπανερχώμεθα· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πόλεμον ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν 60.468 Θεόν. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν, φησὶ, τὸ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν; Πῶς τὸ πρότερον ἐγένετο δυνατόν; Εἰ γὰρ τοσούτων ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι, πάντων ἀπηλλάγημεν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν οἷς ἐσμεν μεῖναι δι' αὐτοῦ δυνησόμεθα. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον μὴ οὖσαν εἰρήνην λαβεῖν, καὶ δοθεῖσαν κατασχεῖν, ἐπειδήπερ ἡ κτῆσις τῆς φυλακῆς χαλεπώτερον· ἀλλ' ὅμως γέγονε τὸ χαλεπώτερον εὔκολον, καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξέβη. Οὐκοῦν ἔσται καὶ τὸ εὐκολώτερον ἡμῖν εὐκατόρθωτον, ἂν ἐχώμεθα τοῦ καὶ ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν ἠνυκότος. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ τὸ εὔκολον αἰνίττεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εὔλογον. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς κατήλλαξεν ἐκπεπολεμωμένους, εὔλογον μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς καταλλαγῆς, καὶ ταύτην ἀποδοῦναι αὐτῷ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ σκαιοὺς καὶ ἀγνώμονας κατηλλαχέναι τῷ Πατρί. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει. Εἰ τοίνυν μακρὰν ὄντας προσήγαγε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐγγὺς γενομένους καθέξει. βʹ. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει πῶς πανταχοῦ τὰ δύο τίθησι, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν αὐτοῦ ποικίλα καὶ πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα· καὶ γὰρ ἀπέθανε δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ κατήλλαξεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσήγαγε, καὶ χάριν ἔδωκεν ἄφατον· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν πίστιν εἰσηνέγκαμεν μόνον· διό φησιν, Ἐν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν. Ποίαν, εἰπέ μοι, χάριν; Τὸ καταξιωθῆναι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώσεως, τὸ τῆς πλάνης ἀπαλλαγῆναι, τὸ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιγνῶναι, τὸ πάντων ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀγαθῶν· εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς προσήγαγεν, ἵνα ταῦτα λάβωμεν τὰ δῶρα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἵνα ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσις γένηται καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ μυρίων ἀπολαύσωμεν ἀξιωμάτων. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις ἔστη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα ἐπηγγείλατο, τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα καὶ νοῦν καὶ λόγον ὑπερβαίνοντα ἀγαθά. ∆ιόπερ ἀμφότερα τέθεικε· τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Τὴν χάριν, τὰ παρόντα ἐδήλωσεν ἅπερ ἐλάβομεν· τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὰ μέλλοντα ἐξεκάλυψεν ἅπαντα. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις· οὐκ ἔχει τέλος, οὐκ οἶδε πέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ μείζονα ἀεὶ πρόεισιν· ὅπερ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔνι. Οἷόν τι λέγω· ἔλαβέ τις ἀρχὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ δυναστείαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἕστηκεν ἐπὶ ταύτης διηνεκῶς, ἀλλὰ ταχέως αὐτῆς ἐκπίπτει, κἂν μὴ ἄνθρωπος ἀφέληται, θάνατος ἐπελθὼν ἀφαιρήσεται πάντως. Τὰ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ τοιαῦτα· οὔτε γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, οὐ χρόνος, οὐ περίστασις πραγμάτων, οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος, οὐχ ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθὼν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς δυνήσεται· ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀποθάνωμεν, τότε ἀκριβέστερον αὐτὰ κατέχομεν, καὶ πλειόνων ἀεὶ προϊόντες ἀπολαύομεν. Ὥστε εἰ διαπιστεῖς τοῖς μέλλουσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὧν ἔλαβες ἤδη, καὶ ἐκείνοις πίστευε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἶπε, Καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μάθῃς οἵαν ψυχὴν τὸν πιστὸν ἔχειν δεῖ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν δεδομένων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ὡς δεδομένων πεπληροφορῆσθαι χρή· 60.469 καυχᾶται γάρ