Quotes from Martin Luther

The fruit does not make the tree good or bad but the tree itself is what determines the nature of the fruit. In the same way, a person first must be good or bad before doing a good or bad work.

Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ.

Whenever the true message of the cross is abolished, the anger of hypocrites and heretics eases and all things seem to be at peace.

Music must be supported by the king and the princes, for the maintenance of the arts is their duty no less than the maintenance of the laws.

If it were art to overcome heresy with fire, the executioners would be the most learned doctors on earth.

God does not work salvation for fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin vigorously... Do not for a moment imagine that this life is the abiding place of justice; sin must be committed.

When God contemplates some great work, He begins it by the hand of some poor, weak, human creature, to whom He afterwards gives aid.

We refuse to have our conscience bound by any work or law, so that by doing this or that we should be righteous, or leaving this or that undone we should be damned.

Our Lord God doeth work like a printer who setteth the letters backwards; we see and feel well his setting, but we shall see the print yonder - in the life to come.

The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.

Riches, understanding, beauty, are fair gifts of God.

The devil should not be allowed to keep all the best tunes for himself.

The Devil, it is true, is not exactly a doctor who has taken degrees, but he is very learned, very expert for all that. He has not been carrying on his business during thousands of years for nothing.

Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved.

Nothing on earth is so well-suited to make the sad merry, the merry sad, to give courage to the despairing, to make the proud humble, to lessen envy and hate, as music.

Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

Nothing good ever comes of violence.

Forgiveness is God's command.

All our experience with history should teach us, when we look back, how badly human wisdom is betrayed when it relies on itself

The highest gift and favor of God is a pious, kind, godly, and domestic wife, with whom thou mayest live peaceably, and to whom thou mayest intrust all thy possessions, yea, thy body and thy life.

What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.

Good news from heaven the angels bring, Glad tidings to the earth they sing: To us this day a child is given, To crown us with the joy of heaven.

You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it.

One Book is enough, but a thousand books is not too many!