Martin Luther Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Martin Luther.
Famous Quotes By Martin Luther
As for the demented, I hold it certain that all beings deprived of reason are thus afflicted only by the Devil. — Martin Luther
A large number of deaf, crippled and blind people are afflicted solely through the malice of the demon. And one must in no wise doubt that plagues, fevers and every sort of evil come from him. — Martin Luther
God does not slack his promises because of our sins... or hasten them because of our righteousness and merits. He pays no attention to either. — Martin Luther
Since then your sere Majesty and your Lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.
(Reply to the Diet of Worms, April 18, 1521) — Martin Luther
God the Father has made everything to depend on faith, so that whosoever has it has all things, and he who has it not has nothing. — Martin Luther
When I am assailed with heavy tribulations, I rush out among my pigs rather than remain alone by myself. The human heart is like a millstone in a mill: when you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds and bruises the wheat to flour; if you put no wheat, it still grinds on, but then 'tis itself it grinds and wears away. So the human heart, unless it be occupied with some employment, leaves space for the devil, who wriggles himself in and brings with him a whole host of evil thoughts, temptations, and tribulations, which grind out the heart. — Martin Luther
I sit here at ease, hardened and unfeeling-alas! Praying little, grieving little for the Church of God, burning rather in the fierce fires of my untamed flesh.It comes to this: I should be afire in the spirit; in reality I am afire in the flesh, with lust , laziness, idleness, sleepiness. It is perhaps because you have all ceased praying for me that God has turned away from me ... For the last eight days i have written nothing, nor prayed nor studied, partly from self-indulgence, partl from another vexatious handicap.i really cannot stand it any longer; Pray for me , i beg you, for in my seclusion here i am submerged in sins.
Martin Luther
A writing to Melanchthon from the Wartburg Castle on July 13,1521. — Martin Luther
It is easy enough to do good once or twice, but to keep on doing good without getting disgusted with the ingratitude of those whom we have benefited, that is not so easy. — Martin Luther
Preach [and live] as if Jesus was crucified yesterday, rose from the dead today, and is returning tomorrow. — Martin Luther
Did Christ die, or did He not die? Was His death worth while, or was it not? If His death was worth while, it follows that righteousness does not come by the Law. Why was Christ born anyway? Why was He crucified? Why did He suffer? Why did He love me and give Himself for me? It was all done to no purpose if righteousness is to be had by the Law. — Martin Luther
Daily there have to be many troubles and trials in every house, city, and country. No station in life is free of suffering and pain, both from your own, like your wife or children or household help or subjects, and from the outside, from your neighbors and all sorts of accidental trouble. — Martin Luther
An earthly kingdom cannot exist without any quality of persons, some must be free, some serves, some rulers, some subjects. — Martin Luther
From you, my dear Erasmus, let me obtain this request, that just as I bear with your ignorance in these matters, so you in turn will bear with my lack of eloquence. — Martin Luther
The church that preaches the gospel in all of its fullness, except as it applies to the great social ills of the day, is failing to preach the gospel. — Martin Luther
Love is not only pure joy, and delight, but also great and deep heaviness of heart and sorrow. But love too is full of joy and sweetness even in bitter sorrow, because it regards the misery and injury of others as its own. So also Christ was glowing with burning love in His last and greatest agony. According to St. Hilary, it was Christ's greatest joy that He endured the greatest woe. Thus God "giveth strength and power unto His people" (Ps. 68:15). While they experience the greatest sorrow, their hearts overflow with joy. — Martin Luther
The Jews are the most miserable people on earth. They are plagued everywhere, and scattered about all countries, having no certain resting place. They sit as on a wheelbarrow, without a country, people or government ... but they are rightly served, for seeing they refused have Christ and his gospel, instead of freedom they must have servitude. — Martin Luther
You see, however, which is called the Court of Rome, and which neither you nor any man can deny to be more corrupt than any Babylon or Sodom, and quite, as I believe, of a lost, desperate and hopeless impiety. — Martin Luther
Man soll bauen als wollt man ewig leben, und also leben als sollt man morgen sterben.
One should build as if one would live forever, and live as though one would die tomorrow. — Martin Luther
God's work is accomplished when we use the resources given to us. He wants us to use our resources but not put our trust in them. While it's true that hardworking hands bring wealth, it's also true that only the Lord's blessing brings it. As Solomon said, "the blessing of the LORD brings wealth" (Proverbs 10:22). — Martin Luther
If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point which the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. — Martin Luther
Thoughts are not subject to duty. — Martin Luther
Unto him who is able to keep us from falling, and lift us from the dark to the bright mountain of hope, from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy, to him be power and authority for ever and ever. — Martin Luther
Dear rulers ... I maintain that the civil authorities are under obligation to compel the people to send their children to school ... If the government can compel such citizens as are fit for military service to bear spear and rifle, to mount ramparts, and perform other martial duties in time of war, how much more has it a right to compel the people to send their children to school, because in this case we are warring with the devil, whose object it is secretly to exhaust our cities and principalities of their strong men. — Martin Luther
Always preach in such a way that if the people listening do not come to hate their sin, they will instead hate you — Martin Luther
The call is not to be taken lightly. For a person to possess knowledge is not enough. He must be sure that he is properly called. Those who operate without a proper call seek no good purpose. God does not bless their labors. They may be good preachers, but they do no edify. Many of the fanatics of our day pronounce words of faith, but they bear no good fruit, because their purpose is to turn men to their perverse opinions. On the other hand, those who have a divine call must suffer a good deal of opposition in order that they may become fortified against the running attacks of the devil and the world. — Martin Luther
A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply roundly, and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting. — Martin Luther
This is an illustrious example which reminds us that good and saintly men sometimes run into the greatest of misfortunes and dangers not through their own but by someone else's fault. To the others, indeed, who are involved in the same danger no way of salvation or liberation appears, but they think that all is lost. But because there are some godly men, or only one godly man, in the same ship, the ship must reach port safe and sound, however much it has been tossed about by a heavy storm, even though a thousand devils have been fighting in opposition and causing tumult in the same ship. — Martin Luther
So great are the effectiveness and power of the Word of God that the more it is persecuted the more it flourishes and grows. — Martin Luther
The world says of marriage: A short joy and a long displeasure. But he who understands it finds in it delight, love, and joy without ceasing. — Martin Luther
Great God, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created!
The judge of mankind doth appear
On clouds of glory seated!
The trumpet sounds; the graves restore,
The dead which they contained before;
Prepare, my soul, to meet Him! — Martin Luther
Lord, grant that anger or other bitterness does not reign over us, but that your grace, genuine kindness, loyalty, and every kind of friendliness, generosity, and gentleness may reign in us. Amen — Martin Luther
The two chief things are faith and love. Faith receives the good; love gives the good. Faith offers us God as our own; love gives us to our neighbor as his own. — Martin Luther
For God is not gracious and merciful to sinners to the end that they might not keep his Law, nor that they should remain as they were before they received grace and mercy; but he condones and forgives both sin and death for the sake of Christ, who has fulfilled the whole Law in order thereby to make the heart sweet and through the Holy Spirit to kindle and move the heart to begin to love from day to day more and more. — Martin Luther
What shall we do with ... the Jews? ... I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings ... are to be taken from them. — Martin Luther
Yet we must learn that we should pray even in the most desperate evils and hope for the unexpected and the impossible. And it is for this reason that these examples of the holy patriarchs are set before us. They show that the patriarchs, too, were afflicted by sundry cares and trials and yet received more good than they either understood or had been bold enough to ask for. For we have a God who is able to give more than we understand or ask for. Even though we do not know what we should ask for and how, nevertheless the Spirit of God, who dwells in the hearts of the godly, sighs and groans for us within us with inexpressible groanings and also procures inexpressible and incomprehensible things. — Martin Luther
God has not given us reason and the counsels and help of reason that we should despise them. This is what those men do who are either presumptuous or in a state of despair. When they say: "Whatever I do, I shall not hinder what must necessarily come to pass by a kind of fate," this is the voice of those in despair. But the presumptuous are accustomed to make this boast: "If I have to live, I shall live even if I do not eat. God has promised life, therefore it does not matter whether I eat or do not eat." But since we have God's promises, we must take careful precautions not to tempt God by presumption and not to sin by despair. When you have a ladder, there is no reason for throwing yourself out of a window, nor should you go through the middle of the Elbe when you have a bridge. But each one should do what reason instructs him to do and commend the rest to God. He will grant fitting results. Here — Martin Luther
Put thou thy trust in God;
In duty's path go on;
Fix on His word thy steadfast eye;
So shall thy work be done. — Martin Luther
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Romans 3:28 — Martin Luther
The fool will upset the whole science of astronomy, but as the Holy Scripture shows, it was the sun and not the earth which Joshua ordered to stand still. — Martin Luther
Here again Diatribe confidently brings in a gloss to suit herself, just as if Scripture were under her complete control. As for considering the prophet's meaning and intention, what need was there for a man of such authority to do that? All we need is: Erasmus says so, therefore it is so. — Martin Luther
Here is the truly Christian life, here is faith really working by love, when a man applies himself with joy and love to the works of that freest servitude in which he serves others voluntarily and for nought, himself abundantly satisfied in the fulness and riches of his own faith. — Martin Luther
Either God must be unjust, or you, Jews, wicked and ungodly. You have been, about fifteen hundred years, a race rejected of God. — Martin Luther
If God is to create or to preserve a creature, God must be present and must make and preserve God's creation both in its innermost and outermost aspects. — Martin Luther
In contrast to ethical relativism, Christianity sets forth a system of absolute moral values and affirms that God has placed within the very structure of this universe certain moral principles that are fixed and immutable. — Martin Luther
When the devil wants to cause offense against the true doctrine and faith, he does not do so through insignificant people, who do not rate highly with the world, but through those who are the very best, the wisest, the holiest, and the most learned. — Martin Luther
This is the good and happy news, that Christ has paid for our sin, and through His suffering has redeemed us from eternal death. It is His kingdom and His ministry, to preach the Gospel to the poor; that is His purpose. For to the great and holy He cannot come. They do not wish to be counted sinners, and therefore do not need His Gospel. — Martin Luther
Wealth is the smallest thing on earth, the least gift that God has bestowed on mankind. — Martin Luther
Beer is made by men, wine by God. — Martin Luther
I am disappointed with America. And there can be no great disappointment where there is not great love. I am disappointed with our failure to deal positively and forthrightly with the triple
evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism. We are presently moving down a dead-end road that can lead to national disaster. America has strayed to the far country of racism and militarism. — Martin Luther
We refuse to have our conscience bound by any work or law, so that by doing this or that we should be righteous, or leaving this or that undone we should be damned. — Martin Luther
That prudence of yours makes you veer about, determined not to commit yourself to either side, but to pass safely between Scylla and Charybdis; with the result that, finding yourself battered and buffeted by the waves in the midst of the sea, you assert everything you deny and deny everything you assert. — Martin Luther
Adam was created, as it were, intoxicated with rejoicing toward God and was delighted also with all the other creatures. — Martin Luther
Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed so is the body. — Martin Luther
Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given; While angels sing with tender mirth, A glad new year to all the earth. — Martin Luther
Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding. — Martin Luther
Let Christ's righteousness and grace, not yours, be your refuge. — Martin Luther
Take a look at your own heart, and you will soon find out what has stuck to it and where your treasure is. It is easy to determine whether hearing the Word of God, living according to it, and achieving such a life gives you as much enjoyment and calls forth as much diligence from you as does accumulating and saving money and property. — Martin Luther
It is easier to live as a Protestant, but better to die as a Catholic. — Martin Luther
Thus my learning is not my own; it belongs to the unlearned and is the debt I owe themMy wisdom belongs to the foolish, my power to the oppressed. Thus my wealth belongs to the poor, my righteousness to the sinners. — Martin Luther
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. — Martin Luther
A man cannot do good before he is made good. — Martin Luther
I am persuaded that without knowledge of literature pure theology cannot at all endure ... When letters have declined and lain prostrate, theology, too, has wretchedly fallen and lain prostrate ... It is my desire that there shall be as many poets and rhetoricians as possible, because I see that by these studies as by no other means, people are wonderfully fitted for the grasping of sacred truth and for handling it skillfully and happily. — Martin Luther
Faith looks to the word and the promise; that is, to the truth. But hope looks to that which the word has promised, to the gift . — Martin Luther
Let us not flutter too high, but remain by the manger and the swaddling clothes of Christ, 'in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.' — Martin Luther
Outwardly you keep the law with works out of fear of punishment or love of gain. Likewise you do everything without free desire and love of the law; you act out of aversion and force. You'd rather act otherwise if the law didn't exist. It follows, then, that you, in the depths of your heart, are an enemy of the law. — Martin Luther
With reference to the elect we might distinguish between three classes. First, there are those who are satisfied with God's will, as it is, and do not murmur against God, but rather believe that they are elected. They do not want to be damned. Secondly, there are those who submit to God's will and are satisfied with it in their hearts. At least they desire to be satisfied, if God does not wish to save, but reject them. Thirdly, there are those who really are ready to be condemned if God should will this. These are cleansed most of all of their own will and carnal wisdom. And these experience the truth of Canticles 8:6: "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death." Such love is always joined with cross and tribulation, for without it the soul becomes lax, and does not seek after God, nor thirst after God, who is the Fountain of Life. — Martin Luther
Truly, if faith is there, the believer cannot hold back ... he breaks out into good works. — Martin Luther
He who wholly renounces himself, and relies not on mere human reason, will make good progress in the Scriptures; but the world comprehends them not, from ignorance of that mortification which is the gift of God's word. — Martin Luther
I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us. — Martin Luther
I must remain a child and pupil of the Catechism, and am glad so to remain. — Martin Luther
The universities only ought to turn out men who are experts in the Holy Scriptures, men who can become bishops and priests, and stand in the front line against heretics, the devil, and all the world. But where do you find that? — Martin Luther
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished ... — Martin Luther
Isaiah calls the Church barren because her children are born without effort by the Word of faith through the Spirit of God. It is a matter of birth, not of exertion. — Martin Luther
Where, then, is our orator running off to, who was going to speak about a palm, but talks of nothing but a gourd? It started as a wine jar, why does it end as a water jug? — Martin Luther
We ought first to know that there are no good works except those which God has commanded, even as there is no sin except that which God has forbidden. — Martin Luther
Mankind has a free will; but it is free to milk cows and to build houses, nothing more. — Martin Luther
The devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer, he constantly seeks our life, and wreaks his anger whenever he can afflict our bodies with misfortune and harm. Hence it comes that he often breaks men's necks or drives them to insanity, drowns some, and incites many to commit suicide, and to many other terrible calamities. Therefore there is nothing for us to do upon earth but to pray against this arch enemy without ceasing. For unless God preserved us, we would not be safe from him even for an hour. — Martin Luther
Our whole life should be manly; we should fear God and put our trust in him. — Martin Luther
The heart overflows with gladness, and leaps and dances for the joy it has found in God. In this experience the Holy Spirit is active, and has taught us in the flash of a moment the deep secret of joy. You will have as much joy and laughter in life as you have faith in God. — Martin Luther
You must learn to call on the Lord. Don't sit all alone or lie on the couch, shaking your head and letting your thoughts torture you. Don't worry about how to get out of your situation or brood about your terrible life, how miserable you feel, and what a bad person you are. Instead, say, Get a grip on yourself, you lazy bum! Fall on your knees, and raise your hands and eyes toward heaven. Read a psalm. Say the Lord's Prayer, and tearfully tell God what you need. — Martin Luther
Hence the best service that anybody can render God is diligently to hear and read God's Word. — Martin Luther
I put the Scriptures above all the sayings of the fathers, angels, men and devils. Here I take my stand. — Martin Luther
In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure. — Martin Luther
Faith is the 'yes' of the heart, a conviction on which one stakes one's life. — Martin Luther
We know that death never skips or spares anybody and that no one ever returns. And yet we go on like the blind, who see as little at midday as in the pitch-dark night. We do not take these examples to heart; we do not realize that today or tomorrow our turn will come. — Martin Luther
I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ. — Martin Luther
If any earthly institution or custom conflicts with God's will, it is your Christian duty to oppose it. You must never allow the transitory, evanescent demands of man-made institutions to take precedence over the eternal demands of the Almighty God. — Martin Luther
It is a miracle how God has so long preserved His Book! How great and glorious it is to have the Word of God! — Martin Luther
What the situation will be like in the world before the Lord returns, namely, Christ will be despised, and the preachers of the Gospel will be regarded as fools. — Martin Luther