"I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want "free-will" to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavour after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground ; but because even were there no dangers. I should still be forced to labour with no guarantee of success.¦ But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favour promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God."
React to this quote
More by Martin Luther
See allResonant Thoughts
"I have received your critical essay for the catalogue of the Mattioli collection. I must confess that I am not a little disturbed by what you say. I shall say no more. My own desire is to continue to …"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"“He would never have allowed an Indian secular, or a united Hindu-Muslim, rule which did not make Islam or …"
— Syed Ahmad Barelvi"He was burning with a sense of outrage. He had been tricked and made a fool of; he had been used and flung …"
— Upton Sinclair"Whosoever rises above things of this world, in front of which you kneel is much stronger than you."
— Imam Ibn Hazm (R.A.)"Color is the overpowering of black; white – the final victory over black."
— Dejan Stojanovic"But this present window of opportunity, during which a truly peaceful and interdependent world order might …"
— David Rockefeller"When we speak of power, we mean man's control over the minds and actions of other men. By political power w…"
— Hans Morgenthau

