"Accordingly, it is a right and sure Spirit who makes us sure concerning the will of God, who does not allow us to doubt but carries out what Paul admonishes: “Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5). Likewise in 1 Thess. 1:5: “For our Gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” This certitude is necessary in every kind of teaching, especially in sacred teaching. For I must be certain what I am to think about God, or rather what He thinks about me. It was a horrible error of the papal doctrine which caused men to become doubtful of the forgiveness of sins and grace. “You should acknowledge that you are a sinner,” they said, “and a sinner of such a kind that you cannot be certain of your salvation.” Thus the whole world was submerged in doubt and in erroneous opinions about God.
Therefore one must learn that God is not uncertain, ambiguous, equivocal, and slippery like a wavering reed, but that He is unequivocal and certain. He says: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; I absolve you of your sins, etc.” Here the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit make no mistake; they are not tossed about by the wind but are rocks and Selah, as God is often named in the Psalms because He is absolutely firm. You may rely solidly on Him and say: “I am holy and saved; I am God’s son and heir, because I have been baptized.”
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