Luther again on faith-produced works

“When we have thus taught faith in Christ, then do we teach also good works. Because you have laid hold upon Christ by faith, through whom you are made righteous, begin now to work well. Love God and your neighbor. Call upon God, give thanks to him, praise him, confess him. Do good to your neighbor and serve him: fulfill your office. These are good works, indeed, which flow out of this faith and this cheerfulness conceived in the heart, namely that we have remission of sins freely by Christ.Now whatever cross or affliction afterwards ensue, they are easily borne, and cheerfully suffered. For the yoke that Christ lays upon us is sweet, and his burden is light (Matt. 11:30). When sin is pardoned, and the conscience delivered from the burden and sting of sin, then may a Christian bear all things easily: because he feels all things within sweet and comfortable, therefore he does and suffers all things willingly. But when a man walks in his own righteousness, whatever he does is grievous and tedious to him, because he does it unwillingly.”[1]
[1] Martin Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, cited in John Dillenberger, Martin Luther, pp. 111,112.