Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.
Martin LutherRead
The law of God cannot be fulfilled by external obedience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True adherence to God's law requires internal conviction rather than mere outward actions.
Martin Luther emphasizes that the essence of fulfilling God's law lies in the intentions and beliefs within oneβs heart, rather than just conforming to external rituals and rules. This perspective challenges individuals to seek genuine faith and a personal relationship with the divine, stressing the significance of internal motivation over superficial compliance.
Themes
LawObedienceFaithInternalGod
In practice
Example use cases
A religious leader might reference this quote when discussing the importance of sincere faith over hypocritical behavior.
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
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When men, engaged in unjustifiable pursuits, are aware that obstructions may come from a quarter which bare apprehension of opposition from doing what they would with eagerness rush into if no such external impediments were to be feared.
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I hope to see the two great religions, Islam and Christianity, hand-in-hand, embracing each other. Then the Torah and the Bible and the Qurβan will become books supporting one another being read everywhere, and respected by every nation β¦ [I am] looking forward to seeing Muslims read the Torah and the Bible.
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Things we do not expect, happen more frequently than we wish.
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