Quotes from Martin Luther

Note: God came into the world in order to cast down the demons from divine honors. And now man arrogates the same titles to himself, namely, to boast of good and righteousness, which belong to God alone. But this, too, He will at last, at His Second Coming, cast down.]

In short, those of us who are in the church are in the vale of tears.

If we want to talk about natural powers on the basis of this psalm and on the basis of the Holy Spirit's manner of speaking, then we should call "natural" the fact that we are in sin and death and that we desire, understand, and long for things that are corrupt and evil.

If what we need isn't available to us, we have to rely on God's promises. If we don't rely on God, we are testing him.

In the same way, people who sleep when they should be working are testing God. Because God promised to take care of them, they assume that God will find a way. But in Proverbs, God told them to work: "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" (Proverbs 10:4).

When God's judgment is avoided, God also flees, but when it is received, He, too, becomes near. For "in trouble You have enlarged for me" (Ps. 4:1), and "a Help in the troubles that have come upon us" (Ps. 46:1). And Ps. 9:9, "A Helper in due time in tribulation." And there is no lie in this, but it becomes a lie, if you flee from God's judgment.

Gospel bestows all good things spiritual: forgiveness of sins, true righteousness, peace of conscience, everlasting life; and all good things temporal: good judgment, good government and peace.

Therefore our entire salvation and bliss are solely dependent on one Man: Christ. And here the work of our redemption is described in the three propositions: that Christ descended from heaven, that He resides in heaven above, and that He ascends into heaven again. The first one states who the person is; the second, the work He performed, the third, why He performed it.

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.