Luke’s Reviews > Luther's Works, vol. 31: Career of the Reformer I > Status Update

Really enjoying "The Freedom of a Christian." "One thing, and only one thing, is necessary for Christian life, righteousness, and freedom. That one thing is the most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ."
"The soul can do without anything except the Word of God and ... where (that) is missing there is no help at all fore the soul. If it has the Word of God it is rich and lacks nothing."

"proper righteousness...is that manner of life spent profitably in good works, in the first place, in slaying the flesh and crucifying the desires with respect to the self...in the second place, this righteousness consists in love to one's neighbor, and in the third place, in meekness and fear toward God."

"It is impossible for one to be a Christian unless he possesses Christ. If he possesses Christ, he possesses at the same time all the benefits of Christ. ...Righteousness, strength, patience, humility, even all the merits of Christ are his through the unity of the Spirit by faith in him. ..And this is the confidence that Christians have and our real joy of conscience...

"People must be taught that if they really want to find peace for their consciences they should learn to place their confidence ... in the world of Christ who gives the promise."

"It is the sweetest righteousness of God the Father that he does not save imaginary, but rather, real sinners, sustaining us in spite of our sins and accepting our works and our lives which are all deserving of rejection, until he perfects and saves us. ...we ...escape his judgment through his mercy, not through our righteousness."