Good Works in the New Life of Righteousness

Strange as it may seem, Luther's reform came to take pride in its instruction on good works. The experience of conversion to Christ's salvation does lead, according to Luther, to a movement of descent into the world and society to meet human needs. "When I have this righteousness within me, I descend from heaven like the rain that makes the earth fertile. That is, I come forth into another kingdom, and I perform good works whenever the opportunity arises." WA 401, 51, 21-23; LW 26, 11.

J. Wicks, Luther's reform: studies on conversion and the church, (Mainz: Ph. von Zabern, 1992), pp. 38-39.