Martin Luther: Ignorance of my nature is ignorance of God.

"So it is not irreligious, idle, or superfluous, but in the highest degree wholesome and necessary, for a Christian to know whether or not his will has anything to do in matters pertaining to salvation....For if I am ignorant of the nature, extent and limits of what I can and must do with reference to God, I shall be equally ignorant and uncertain of the nature, extent and limits of what God can and will do in me - though God, in fact, works all in all. Now, if I am ignorant of God's works and power, I am ignorant of God himself; and if I do not know God, I cannot worship, praise, give thanks or serve Him, for I do not know how much I should attribute to myself and how much to Him. We need, therefore, to have in mind a clear-cut distinction between God's power and ours, and God's work and ours, if we would live a godly life." 

~Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

Luther: Who Should Receive Baptism?

"Who should receive baptism? The one who believes is the person to whom the blessed, divine water is to be imparted."

~ Martin Luther, A Treatise on the New Testament, in Luther's Works, volume 51

Luther: Laws on Temperance Not to be Tolerated

Temperance is not only in eating and drinking, but it is regularity in the whole life and conduct, words, works, manners ; that we should not live too expensively, and should avoid excess in ornament and clothing; that none come out too proudly, and make too lofty a show. But in regard to this St. Peter will not fix any rule, measure, or limit, as the Orders have prescribed for themselves, who have wished to do all by rule, and have framed statutes which must be exactly observed. It is a thing not to be tolerated in Christendom, that men should require by laws that there be a common rule on temperance; for people are unlike one to another; one is of a strong, another is of a weaker nature; and no one in all things is at all times situated as another. Therefore every one should see to himself how he is situated, and what he can bear.

~ Martin Luther, on 2 Peter 1:6

Luther: Justification by Law is like Eating from an Empty Dish

“…trying to be justified by the Law is like counting money out of an empty purse, eating and drinking from an empty dish and cup, looking for strength and riches where there is nothing but weakness and poverty, laying a burden on someone who is already oppressed to the point of collapse, trying to spend a hundred gold pieces and not having even a pittance."

~ Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians: Chapters 1-4 (as quoted in Schreiner, Galatians)

Luther: I am still fighting works righteousness

Do you struggle daily to believe the Gospel? This is an encouraging word on the life-long battle to believe justification by faith apart from works of the law from the good doctor himself. Martin Luther, writing to a recent convert out of Roman Catholicism, confessed his battle against works righteousness:

"They try to do good of themselves in order that they might stand before God clothed in their own virtues and merits. But this is impossible. Among us you were one who held this opinion, or rather, error. So was I, and I am still fighting against the error without having conquered it yet."

(from Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel, as quoted in the sermon, "The Curse of the Law and the Cross of Christ" by Lee Tankersley, in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Fall 2010.)

Luther: How to Talk to the Devil

"When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: 'I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.'"

~ Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel

Why Faith is Powerful

“Faith is infinitely powerful, because it gives glory to God which is the greatest service that can be offered him. To give glory to God is to believe him, to regard him as true, wise, righteous, merciful, almighty—in short, to acknowledge him to be the author and giver of all goodness. This is not done by reason but by faith. That is what makes us God’s people. Without faith, God’s glory, wisdom, righteousness, truth, and mercy are unseen in us. The chief thing that God requires of us is that we give him the glory and divinity—that is, that we take him not for an idol but for the true God who watches us, listens to us, shows mercy to us, and helps us. When we have done this, we acknowledge God’s full and perfect divinity—that is, he has whatever a faithful heart can attribute to him. To be able to give that glory to God is the greatest wisdom, the greatest righteousness, the greatest religion, the greatest sacrifice. Thus we can see what an excellent righteousness faith is, and conversely what a horrible and grievous sin infidelity is."

~ Martin Luther, Galatians

Happy Reformation Day!

Luther on Diligence in Hearing the Word & the Danger of Neglecting It

Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians, explains why our greatest service to God is to diligently hear and read the Word, and why our greatest danger is to be weary of it:

The Devil is Willing to Improve You!

"If [the devil] cannot ruin people by wronging and persecuting them,

he will do it by improving them."

~ Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 26

Luther: Who Does God Accept?

“Therefore, God accepts only the forsaken, cures only the sick, gives sight only to the blind, restores life to only the dead, sanctifies only the sinners, gives wisdom only to the unwise fools. In short, He has mercy only on those who are wretched, and gives grace only to those who are not in grace. Therefore no proud saint, no wise or just person, can become God’s material, and God’s purpose cannot be fulfilled in him. He remains in his own work and makes a fictitious, pretended, false, and painted saint of himself, that is, a hypocrite.”

~ Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 14: Selected Psalms III

Luther: This Obedience Pleases Him

When I have this righteousness reigning in my heart, I descend from heaven like the rain that makes the earth fertile. That is to say, I come out into another kingdom, and I do good works whenever I have a chance. If I am a minister of the Word, I preach, I comfort the brokenhearted, I administer the sacraments. If I am a householder, I am in charge of my house and my family, and I bring up my children in the knowledge and fear of God. If I am a magistrate, I work hard at the job that heaven has given me. If I am a servant, I do my master’s business faithfully. Whoever is convinced that Christ is his righteousness works cheerfully and well in his vocation, and also submits through love to the magistrates and their laws even if they are severe and cruel. If necessary, he will submit to all manner of burdens and dangers in this present life, because he knows that this is God’s will and that this obedience pleases him.

~ Martin Luther, preface to his commentary on Galatians

Sermon: A Mighty Fortress is Our God

The audio from my sermon on Psalm 46 and Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," is available through the link below:

• A Mighty Fortress is Our God: Resting in the Presence and Promise of Christ