Quotes from Martin Luther

For this Victor has accomplished everything. There is nothing for us to add to what He has done - neither the blotting out of our sin nor victory over the devil and death.

Where are the unwise, who are not only impatient but plot revenge day and night? But why? Because they do not see how great is the damage of those who have not kept the law of the Lord, therefore they have no sympathy with them but also themselves depart from the law of God through anger and impatience.

Through envy, greed, and councilors young, Jerusalem, Troy, and Rome were hung.

Paul is an expert at allegories. They are dangerous things. Unless a person has a thorough knowledge of Christian doctrine he had better leave allegories alone.

But it is an insight of faith to know and to see that good works, self-glory, and holy life do not do it, but only God's kindness.

When we try to dictate to God the time, place, and manner for him to act, we are testing him. At the same time, we're trying to see if he is really there. When we do this we are putting limits on God and trying to make him do what we want. It's nothing less than trying to deprive God of his divinity. But we must realize that God is free—not subject to any limitations. He must dictate to us the place, manner, and time that he will act.

For it is in this way that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our day, while they pretend a desire for concord, and seek to bring about doctrinal harmony.

I cannot bear with laws for the interpretation of the word of God, since the word of God, which teaches liberty in all other things, ought not to be bound. Saving these two things, there is nothing which I am not able, and most heartily willing, to do or to suffer. I hate contention; I will challenge no one; in return I wish not to be challenged; but, being challenged, I will not be dumb in the cause of Christ my Master.

If I examine myself I find enough unholiness to shock me. But when I look at Christ in me I find that I am altogether holy.

Hence one should follow the advice of the hermit to whom a youth complained that he rather often experienced imaginations concerned with lusts and other sins and to whom the old man replied: "You cannot prevent the birds from flying over your head. But let them only fly and do not let them build nests in the hair of your head. Let them be thoughts and remain such; but do not let them become conclusions."32

The psalm speaks of both, namely, that one must never under any circumstances trust either in temporal things of any kind or in one's own merits; that is to say, one must trust neither in temporal nor in spiritual goods, but through temporal and spiritual things in God alone.

and whatever good Germany has is not the result of her own power, virtue, or wisdom, but has been received from those rejected, despised, and accursed people who are called Christians

By His resurrection Christ won the victory over law, sin, flesh, world, devil, death, hell, and every evil. And this His victory He donated unto us. These many tyrants and enemies of ours may accuse and frighten us, but they dare not condemn us, for Christ, whom God the Father has raised from the dead is our righteousness and our victory.

For this is the judgment of God: "He hath cast down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.

For if "Free-will" cannot of itself will good, but wills good by grace alone, (for we are speaking of "Free-will" apart from grace and inquiring into the power which properly belongs to each) who does not see, that that good will, merit, and reward, belong to grace alone.

A good preacher should have these properties and virtues: 1. Teach systematically 2. Have a ready wit 3. Be eloquent 4. Have a good voice 5. Have a good memory 6. Know when to make an end 7. Be sure of his doctrine 8. Venture and engage body and blood, wealth and honour, in the Word 9. Suffer himself to be mocked and jeered of every one

The greedy misuse the world by striving to acquire it.

The sin and wrath which Moses arouses through his ministry that Prophet cancels through righteousness and grace by His ministry.

Therefore when we are afflicted and disciplined, our heart must be aroused against the feeling of evil, and we must say (cf. Ps. 118:17): "I shall not die, but I shall live, however different it may appear. Although I may, indeed, be compelled to despair of myself, I shall nevertheless hope in Him who made all things out of nothing and can restore me intact after being reduced to nothing, to my very great benefit and that of others.

But whoever wants to call upon God, regardless of where he may be in the world, must turn His face heavenward to Christ and thus come to God through Christ, the real and true temple. For Christ is the proper mercy seat (Rom 3:25), with whom sheer mercy, love, and kindness are found. But whoever seeks God apart from Christ will find the God described by Moses as 'a devouring fire' (Deut. 4:24).

He would like best of all to persecute us with fire and sword, but this method has availed him little because through the blood of martyrs the church has been watered.

God orders us to believe and trust in his goodness, but at the same time, we should never test him. We must take advantage of opportunities that God gives us. If we don't, we aren't living according to his plan. But we must continue to maintain our faith and hope in God.

I'm like a ripe stool, and the world's like a gigantic anus, and so we're about to let go of each other.

all the popes, monks and priests were to fuse all the matter of their preaching into one mass, they would not even then teach and present as much as St.