Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.
Martin LutherRead
Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true good person acts benevolently, but their goodness cannot be solely determined by their actions.
This quote emphasizes the distinction between being inherently good and performing good deeds. It suggests that moral character is not defined by good actions alone, but rather that a genuinely good person naturally engages in benevolent behavior as a reflection of their inner qualities.
Themes
GoodnessCharacterMoralityActionsBenevolence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community service, one could start with this quote to stress the importance of genuine character.
More from Martin Luther
All quotes βNow if I believe in God's Son and remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a hundred times more beautiful to me than before. Then I will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, apples, as I reflect that he is Lord over all things. ...God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.
Martin LutherRead
It is the part of a Christian to take care of his own body for the very purpose that, by its soundness and wellbeing, he may be enabled to labour, and to acquire and preserve property, for the aid of those who are in want, that thus the stronger member may serve the weaker member, and we may be children of God, and busy for one another, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfiling the law of Christ.
Martin LutherRead
Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.
Martin LutherRead
We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.
Martin LutherRead
In a mouse we admire God's creation and craft work. The same may be said about flies.
Martin LutherRead
Similar quotes
Of course God is endlessly multi-dimensional so every religion that exists on earth represents some face, some side of God.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynRead
Faith is in the soul. Belief is thought. Faith is so rich. Faith gives me my spiritual self.
Ram DassRead
In the ancient world individuals have sold themselves as slaves, in order to eat. So in society. Here is a witch-doctor who can save us from the sorcerers - a war-lord who can save us from the barbarians - a Church that can save us from Hell. Give them what they ask, give ourselves to them bound and blindfold, if only they will! Perhaps the terrible bargain will be made again. We cannot blame men for making it. We can hardly wish them not to. Yet we can hardly bear that they should.
C. S. LewisRead
Cats and monkeys; monkeys and cats; all human life is there.
Henry JamesRead
There isn't a sharp line dividing humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. All the time, we find animals doing things that, in our arrogance, we thought were just human.
Jane GoodallRead
The spirit is the true self, not that physical figure which can be pointed out by your finger.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead