A Treatise on Good Works Quotes

“This is the most dangerous trial of all, when there is no trial and every thing goes well; for then a man is tempted to forget God, to become too bold and to misuse times of prosperity.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Thy kingdom come, that Thou rule us, and not: we ourselves," for there is nothing more perilous in us than our reason and will.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“all heathen books are poisoned through and through with this striving after praise and honor.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Now you see for yourself that all those who do not at at all times trust God and do not in all their works or sufferings, life and death, trust in His favor, grace and good-will, but seek His favor in other things or in themselves, do not keep this Commandment, and practise real idolatry, even if they were to do the works of all the other Commandments, and in addition had all the prayers, fasting, obedience, patience, chastity, and innocence of all the saints combined.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Therefore, when some say good works are forbidden when we preach faith alone, it is as if I said to a sick man: "If you had health, you would have the use of your limbs; but without health the works of your limbs are nothing"' and he wanted to infer that I had forbidden the works of all his limbs.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Oh, if a man were so to regard himself and his position, and attended to its duties alone, how rich in good works would he be in a short time, so quietly and secretly that no one would notice it except God alone!”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“If every man had faith, we would need no more laws, but every one would of himself at all times do good works, as his confidence in God teaches him.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“faith alone makes all other works good, acceptable and worthy,”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“In order to put to death our works and the [old] Adam, God hangs around our necks many unpleasant burdens that make us angry, much suffering that tries our patience, and finally death and the world’s contempt. By doing these things, God is simply trying to expunge our anger, impatience, and turmoil and replace them with his work, that is, with his peace. As Isaiah says in chapter 28: “God undertakes a strange work” in order to arrive at his proper work.q What does this mean? He means that God sends us suffering and turmoil in order to teach us patience and peace. God permits us to die in order to make us alive until each person is so peaceful and quiet that it does not matter whether things go well or poorly, whether one lives or dies, is honored or dishonored. At that point, God alone dwells there and human works are no more. This is what it means to keep the Sabbath rest and make it holy in the right way. Here there is no human control, delight, or sorrow at all. Instead, God alone leads each human being, and nothing is present but divine delight, joy, and peace along with all the other works and virtues.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“In order not to forget God and through lack of restraint to misuse one’s good fortune, it is ten times more necessary to call upon God’s name during a period of bliss than in the midst of tribulation.”
― Martin Luther, Treatise on Good Works: Luther Study Edition

“It is easy to speak God’s name and to record his glory on paper and walls; but to praise God with an upright heart, to bless him for his benevolence, to call upon him in every distress, and to seek consolation from him—those are truly the greatest works, though rarely seen, alongside faith. When”
― Martin Luther, Treatise on Good Works: Luther Study Edition

“Here the evil spirit hinders men with all his powers. Oh, how often will he here prevent the desire to pray, not allow us to find time and place, nay, often also raise doubts, whether a man is worthy to ask anything of such a Majesty as God is, and so confuse us that a man himself does not know whether it is really true that he prays or not; whether it is possible that his prayer is acceptable, and other such strange thoughts. For the evil spirit knows well how powerful one man's truly believing prayer is, and how it hurts him,”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Although we cannot all be writers, we all want to be critics.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“Here we must first of all resist all wrong, where truth or righteousness suffers violence or need, and dare make no distinction of persons, as some do, who fight most actively and busily against the wrong which is done to the rich, the powerful, and their own friends; but when it is done to the poor, or the despised or their own enemy, they are quiet and patient.”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

“VIII. Beyond all this is the highest stage of faith, when; God punishes the conscience not only with temporal sufferings, but with death, hell, and sin, and refuses grace and mercy, as though it were His will to condemn and to be angry eternally. This few men experience, but David cries out in Psalm vi, "O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger." To believe at such times that God, in His mercy, is pleased with us, is the highest work that can be done by and in the creature;”
― Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works