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Love
"But the fact is, all
Christian doctrines and works, all Christian living, is briefly, clearly and
completely comprehended in these two principles, faith and love. They place man
as a medium between God and his neighbor, to receive from above and distribute
below."
Martin Luther,
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 145.
"For if I love God I love also His will. Now, when God sends
us sickness, poverty, shame and disgrace, that is His will. But what do we do
under such circumstances? We thunder, scold and growl, and bear it with great
impatience...But God does not want this. He wants us to accept His will with
joy and love, and this we are too tardy in doing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, V, p. 26.
"The Word and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are materials with
which He builds. Though the dwelling is not altogether completed, yet through
His grace and love it is accepted of God."
Sermons of Martin Luther, III, p. 322.
"To this end Christ is presented to us as an inexhaustible
fountain, Who at all times overflows with pure goodness and grace. And for such
goodness and kindness He accepts nothing, except that the good people, who
acknowledge such kindness and grace, thank Him for it, praise and love Him,
although others despise Him for it."
Martin Luther,
Sermons of Martin Luther, V, p.
329.
"See, this is what James means when he says, 2:26: 'Faith
apart from works is dead.' For as the body without the soul is dead, so is
faith without works. Not that faith is in man and does not work, which is
impossible. For faith is a living, active thing. But in order that men may not
deceive themselves and think they have faith when they have not, they are to
examine their works, whether they also love their neighbors and do good to
them."
Martin Luther,
Sermons of Martin Luther, V, p.
71.
"Thirdly, Christ shows love is still greater, in that He
exercises it where it is lost and receives ingratitude from the majority; ten
lepers were cleansed and only one thanks Him, on the nine His love is lost. If
He would have made use of justice here instead of love, as men are accustomed
to do and nature teaches, He would have made them all lepers again."
Martin Luther,
Sermons of Martin Luther, V, p. 75
"This is a true definition of marriage: Marriage is the
God-appointed and legitimate union of man and woman in the hope of having
children or at least for the purpose of avoiding fornication and sin and living
to the glory of God. The ultimate purpose is to obey God, to find aid and
counsel against sin; to call upon God; to seek, love, and educate children for
the glory of God; to live with one's wife in the fear of God and to bear the
cross; but if there are no children, nevertheless to live with one's wife in
contentment; and to avoid all lewdness with others."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols. ed. Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 884. Genesis 24:1-4
"Love toward their mother is not so great in children as the
love of their mother toward them, as the proverb has it: Amor descendit, non
ascendit, Love is a plant that grows downward rather than upward."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 138.
"The first destroyers of their own children are those who
neglect them and knowingly permit them to grow up without the training and
admonition of the Lord. Even if they do not harm them by a bad example, they
still destroy them by yielding to them. They love them too much according to
the flesh and pamper them, saying: They are children, they do not understand
what they are doing. And they are speaking the truth. But neither does a dog or
a horse understand what it is doing. However, see how they learn to go, to
come, to obey, to do and leave undone what they do not understand...These
parents will, therefore, bear the sins of their children because they make
these sins their own."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, I, p. 139.
"Therefore, do not speak to me of love or friendship when
anything is to be detracted from the Word or the faith; for we are told that
not love but the Word brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly
treasures."
Martin Luther, What Luther Says, III, p. 1411f.
"You must always have the Word of God in your heart, on your
lips, and in your ears. Where the heart is idle and the Word does not ring out,
the devil breaks in and has done damage before we are aware of it. On the other
hand, such is the power of the Word if it is seriously contemplated, heard, and
used that it is never without fruit. It always awakens new understanding,
pleasure, and devotion and purifies the heart and thoughts. For these are not
inert or dead but active and living words. Martin
Luther, What Luther Says, III, p.
1467.
"Consequently, I say to my worst enemies: Where it is only my
own person that is involved, there I am very willing to help you and to do
everything good for you in spite of the fact that you are my enemy and that all
you ever do for me is to harm me. But where it is the Word of God that is
involved, there you must not expect any friendship or love that I may have for
you to persuade me to do something against that, even if you were my nearest
and dearest friend. But since you cannot endure the Word, I will speak this
prayer over you: May God dash you to the ground! I shall willingly serve you,
but not in order to help you overthrow the Word of God. For this purpose you
will never be able to persuade me even to give you a drink of water."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1480.
"The apostle does not mean to say that children are not to be
rebuked or beaten, but that they are to be chastized in love; but parents are
not to vent their furious temper on them, unconcerned about the way to correct
the error of their children. For when the spirit has been cowed, one is of no
use for anything and despairs of everything, is timid is doing and undertaking
everything. And, what is worse, this timidity, implanted during the tender
years, can almost never thereafter be eradicated. For since they have learned
to be frightened at every word of their parents, they are subsequently afraid
of even a rustling leaf or a tree."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412.
"In matters concerning faith we must be invincible,
unbending, and very stubborn; indeed, if possible, harder than adamant. But in
matters concerning love we should be softer and more pliant than any reed and
leaf and should gladly accommodate ourselves to everything."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412f. Galatians 2:8.
"Doctrine is our only light. It alone enlightens and directs
us and shows us the way to heaven. If it is shaken in one quarter (in une
parte), it will necessarily be shaken in its entirety (in totum). Where that
happens, love cannot help us at all."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 414. Galatians 5:10.
"But this tender mercy is to be exercised only toward
Christians and among Christians, for toward those who reject and persecute the
Gospel we must act differently; here I am not permitted to let my love be
merciful so as to tolerate and endure false doctrine. When faith and doctrine
are concerned and endangered, neither love nor patience are in order. Then it
is my duty to contend in earnest and not to yield a hairbreadth."
Martin Luther,
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 637f.
"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His
sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to
bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest
Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: 'He shall take of the things
of Mine, and show them unto you.' Likewise, He works also other gifts, love,
thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept
unless the Holy Ghost is given." Apology
of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification, Concordia Triglotta, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159. Tappert, p. 125. Romans 3:31;
John 16:15.
"Moreover, neither contrition nor love or any other virtue,
but faith alone is the sole means and instrument by which and through which we
can receive and accept the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and the
forgiveness of sins, which are offered to us in the promise of the
Gospel."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III 31 Righteousness Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 925.