After 500 years pastors can learn a lot from an interesting pastoral letter that Luther wrote in 1531 to Barbara Lisskirchen, a lady from Freiberg who expressed her deep spiritual depression with her struggles to accept the doctrine of election. – Translation from Dutch by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"Grace and peace in Christ, honourable and valued woman! From your beloved brother, Hieronymus Weller I have heard how depressed you are by doubts concerning God’s eternal election. For me, it's sad to hear this. My sincere conviction is that Christ, our Lord, wants to provide relief to you from your doubts and struggles. Amen. This disease of spiritual depression is not unknown to me: I have personally been at deaths door in this hospital. Besides my prayer for you I now want to advise and comfort you. To do this in writing is actually not enough. However, I cannot fail to write to you – and pray that God bestows his grace on you through my letter.

I just want to let you see how God has cured me from this ailment and with what medicine I should daily be strengthened:

First of all you must be assured in your heart that such thoughts are certainly whispers of the wretched devil. Such thoughts are nothing else than an effort to fathom the Divine Majesty of God and penetrate his eternal counsel of election. It is, after all, inappropriate and useless that you spend all your time and attention to something that God haven't ordered you to do. David says: ' I do not occupy myself with big things, too great and too marvellous for me' (cf. Psalm 131). Therefore, it is certain that such thoughts do not come from God, but from the devil, who teases man with it, so that man begins to hate God and becomes desperate. All this notwithstanding that in the first commandment God has clearly forbidden it, and wants us to trust, love and praise Him.

In the second place: When such thoughts attack you, you need to ask yourself: ' Dear soul, which commandment tells me that I should be absorbed by these thoughts? ' If you do not find such a commandment, say: “Go away, wretched devil! You want to press me in a corner and teach me that I have to take care of myself– while God everywhere says he will provide for me: "I am the Lord your God”. That means He cares for me and I should trust him. I want to do what Peter says: “Cast all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pt 5:7).

Thirdly: If such thoughts do not cease – for the devil never stops – then you should say: “Don’t you hear, devil, that I do not want to have such thoughts? And in addition, God forbids such thoughts! Get out of here! I now have to focus my thoughts on God's command and I let him care for me. But if you still want to argue about these things – then ascend up to heaven! God will know what He wants to answer you.”

In the fourth place: among all the commandments of God, this is the most important: that we are to always fix our eyes on Lord Jesus Christ with the eyes of our heart. He must be the main daily Mirror in which we see how much God loves us. How wonderfully He, as a good God, has provided for us, that He has even surrendered his dear son for us. Here, here, I say, one learns the true knowledge of God’s election – nowhere else! Here is where we find it, here, where you believe in Christ. Do you believe, then you are called; are you called, then you are chosen – that is certainly true! Let this mirror not be snatched from the eyes of your heart. However, if there are such thoughts that come to your mind, and they bite you like fiery snakes, then don’t listen to your thoughts and do not look at the snakes, take your eyes away from them and look to the brazen serpent, that is: Christ surrendered  for us, then - with the will of God you will be healed from your depression!

I pray that our beloved Lord Jesus Christ would be please to show you his feet and hands and speak a friendly greeting in your heart, so that you would look to him alone and would listen to him alone – until you will rejoice in him forever. Amen. "

On the last day of April 1531.

D. Marthinus Luther