Quotes from Martin Luther

For when the heart is evil, all its works are evil, no matter how splendid they are. [And here it is clear that God is speaking, because He judges their hearts.] 1 And this word aptly and clearly expresses the nature of hypocrisy, which is a righteous performance in the eyes of men on earth, but is evil in the heart. Such are all heretics, all pretenders who create an appearance in public to which their heart does not correspond.

By contrast, if God works in us, the will is changed, and being gently breathed upon by the Spirit of God, it again wills and acts from pure willingness and inclination and of its own accord, not from compulsion

The commands of the New Testament are directed to those who are justified and are new men in the Spirit. Nothing is taught or commanded there except what pertains solely to believers, who do everything spontaneously, not from necessity or contrary to their own will.

Almighty God, who through the death of Your Son has destroyed sin and death, and by His resurrection has restored innocence and everlasting life, that we may be delivered from the dominion of the devil, and our mortal bodies raised up from the dead: grant that I may confidently and wholeheartedly believe this, and, finally, with Your saints, share in the joyful resurrection of the just; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

He who does not fear the truth should fear a lie and should worship an image or a phantom as God.

since God is always to be called on, therefore one must always be in trouble.

Though my enemies and all the world oppress me, persecute me, and drive me out, I still have a Lord who is, and wants to be, my Lord because God has promised this to me.

But iniquity on earth is to prefer one's own righteousness to the righteousness of God; indeed, they want the very unrighteousness which they work to be righteousness.

wherever answer, deliverance, or salvation are mentioned in Scripture, there we must be quick to understand that cross and suffering are there before.

You must die if you would live under this King. You must bear the cross and the hatred of the whole world. You must not flee from ignominy, poverty, hunger, and thirst, in other words, all the evil that floods the earth.

Therefore the Law finds man not only unwilling but also unable to do what the Law demands. Thus he says here in the text that on the day of the assembly the people refused and could not hear the voice of the Law, and that therefore they asked for another teacher, one who would speak to them a word they could bear.

Therefore neither discipline nor other virtues which can be invented by the will, nor works taken upon oneself, no matter how difficult, merit forgiveness of sins or reconcile us with God, but only faith in the Son of God.

This is the wonderful power of God, that He rules over all as individuals and over individuals as all. And He knows all things.

Therefore Jerome — whether it is his own judgment or the opinion of others — says that Moses did not want to make mention of Simeon because the traitor Judas was to be born from him;28 and even up to this time the tribe of Simeon is the most contemptible among these dregs of the Jews.

Those who hear the Word of the Gospel concerning Christ are sprinkled with the blood of the Son of God.

Hence the entire psalm accuses nothing but pride, as stated below (v. 23): The pride of those who hate Thee goes up continually. For this is the cause of unbelief and the beginning of all evils.

Every minister should make much of his calling and impress upon others the fact that he has been delegated by God to preach the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit is no sceptic, and the things He has written in our hearts are not doubts or opinions, but assertions - surer and more certain than sense and life itself.

God is both willing and able to help.

Thus over and above the fact that we sin gravely against God, we also afflict ourselves; we take a stand against ourselves and fight until a brother comes up to console and buoy us up with the Word and say: "Why are you insane? Why are you imagining things in your dreams? You are mistaken. God is not angry with you; He has taken away your sin, etc." For a heart that tortures itself needs such a remedy and the comfort of a brother.

God is both willing and able to help. He gives health, happiness, and salvation. You can depend on this.

For such thoughts are accustomed to occur to men's minds when God wants to punish sins; they regard God's Word and absolute truth as something quite absurd.

For all our life should be baptism, and the fulfilling of the sign, or sacrament, of baptism; we have been set free from all else and wholly given over to baptism alone

In this way the godly are filled with the Holy Spirit, so that they cannot keep from breaking forth into thanksgiving, confession, glorifying God, and teaching and proclaiming the Word of the Gospel.