God is superabundantly generous in His grace...

We will now return to the Gospel, which does not give us counsel and aid against sin in only one way. God is superabundantly generous in His grace: First, through the spoken Word, by which the forgiveness of sins is preached in the whole world. This is the particular office of the Gospel. Second, through Baptism. Third, through the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Fourth through the Power of the Keys. Also through the mutual conversation and consolation of bretheran, "Where two or three are gathered" (Matthew 18:20) and other such verses (especially Romans 1:12).
~BOC, SA, III, IV

We can be certain that God forgives...

In the first place, it is certain that we do not receive forgiveness of sins through our love or for the sake of our love, but only for Christ's sake, for faith. Faith alone looks upon the promise. It knows that because of the promise, it is absolutely certain that God forgives, because Christ has not died in vain.
~BOC, AP, III, 26-27

The glorious consolation of the doctrine of predestination...

This is how much of the mystery of predestination is revealed to us in God’s Word. If we abide by this teaching and cling to it, is a very useful, saving, consoling teaching. It establishes very effectively the article that we are justified and saved without any works and merits of ours, purely out of grace alone, for Christ’s sake. Before the time of the world, before we existed, yes, even before the foundation of the world was laid--when, of course, we could do nothing good--we were chosen by grace in Christ to salvation, according to God’s purpose. Furthermore, all opinions and erroneous teachings about the powers of our natural will are overthrown by this. God in His counsel, before the time of the world, decided and ordained that He Himself would produce and work in us by His Holy Spirit’s power. Through the Word, He would do everything that belongs to our conversion.

This doctrine also provides the excellent glorious consolation that God was greatly concerned about the conversion, righteousness, and salvation of every Christian. He so faithfully provided for it that even before the foundation of the world was laid, He considered it, and in His purpose ordained how He would bring me to salvation and preserve me in salvation. He wanted to secure my salvation so well and so certainly, since through the weakness and wickedness of our flesh salvation could easily be lost from our hands or through the devil’s and the world’s craft and might it could be snatched and taken from us. Therefore He ordained in His eternal purpose what cannot fail or be overthrown. He placed salvation for safekeeping in this almighty hand of our Savior, Jesus Christ, from which no one can snatch us. Therefore, Paul asks in Romans, because we “are called according to his purpose” (8:28), who “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”? (8:39).

Furthermore, this doctrine provides glorious consolation under the cross and amid temptations. In other words, God in His counsel before the time of the world, determined and decreed that He would assist us in all distresses. He determined to grant patience, give consolation, nourish and encourage hope, and produce an outcome for us that would contribute to our salvation. Also, Paul teaches this in a very consoling way. He explains that God in His purpose has ordained before the time of the world by what crosses and sufferings He would conform every one of His elect to the image of His Son. His cross shall and must work together for good for everyone, because they are called according to God’s purpose. Therefore Paul has concluded that it certain and beyond doubt that neither “tribulation, or distress,” neither “death nor life,” or other such things “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our lord.”
~BOC, FSD, XI 43-49

Knowledge of original sin illuminates the magnitude of Christ's grace...

The knowledge of original sin is absolutely necessary. The magnitude of Christ's grace cannot be understood unless our diseases are recognized.
~BOC, AP, II (I), 33

We do not assign spiritual matters to free will...

Although we admit that free will has the freedom and power to perform the extreme works of the Law; we do not assign spiritual matters to free will. These are to truly fear God, believe God, be confident and hold that He cares for us, hears us, and forgives us. These are the true works of the First Table, which the heart cannot produce without the Holy Spirit....
~BOC, AP, XVIII, 73

Faith is not merely a knowledge of history...

People are also warned that the term faith does not mean simply a knowledge of a history, such as the ungodly and devil have. Rather, it means a faith that believes, not merely the history, but also the effect of the history. In other words, it believes this article: the forgiveness of sins. We have grace, righteousness, and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.
~BOC, AC, XX, 23

Christ had no need of redemption for Himself...

Let this, then, be the sum of this article: the little word Lord means simply the same as Redeemer.  It means the One who has brought us from Satan to God, from death to life, from sin to righteousness, and who preserves us in the same. But all the points that follow in this article serve no other purpose than to explain and express this redemption.  They explain how and by whom it was accomplished.  They explain how much it cost Him and what He spent and risked so that He might win us and bring us under His dominion. It explains that He became man, was conceived and born without sin, from the Holy Spirit and Mary, so that He might overcome sin. Further, it explains that He suffered, died, and was buried so that He might make satisfaction for me and pay what I owe, not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood. And He did all this in order to become my Lord. He did none of these things for Himself, nor did He have any need for redemption.
~BOC, LC, II, 31

God deals with us through Word and Sacrament...

Therefore we must constantly maintain this point:  God does not want to deal with us in any other way than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments.  Whatever is praised as from the Spirit--without the Word and Sacraments--is the devil himself.  God wanted to appear even to Moses through the burning bush and spoken Word.  No prophet, neither Elijah nor Elisha, received the Spirit without the Ten Commandments or the spoken Word.  John the Baptist was not conceived without the word of Gabriel coming first, nor did he leap in his mother's womb without Mary's voice.  Peter says, "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit," (2 Peter 1:21). Without the outward Word, however, they were not holy. Much less would the Holy Spirit have moved them to speak with then were sill unholy.  They were holy, says he, since the Holy Spirit spoke through them.
~BOC, SA, III, VIII, 10-13

Salvation by mercy brings certitude to believers...

It is essential to believe that we are saved by mercy so that hope may be sure, so that there may be a resulting distinction between those who obtain salvation and those who do not. When this is expressed in a way without explanation, it seems foolish.  For in civil courts and human judgment, issues about rights or debts are certain, and mercy is uncertain. But the matter is different in God's judgment. Here mercy has a clear and certain promise and command from God. The Gospel is properly the command that directs us to believe that God is reconciled to us for Christ's sake.
~BOC, AP, V (III), 224

The distinction between Law and Gospel is a brilliant light...

The distinction between the Law and the Gospel is a particularly brilliant light. It serves the purpose of rightly dividing God's Word and properly explaining and understanding the Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles. We must guard this distinction with special care, so that these two doctrines may not be mixed with each other, or a law be made out of the Gospel. When that happens, Christ's merit is hidden and troubled consciences are robbed of comfort, which they otherwise have in the Holy Gospel when it is preached genuinely and purely. For by the Gospel they can support themselves in their most difficult trials against the Law's terror.
~BOC, FSD, V, 1

The Holy Spirit works faith in us for Christ's sake...

Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ's sake.
~BOC, AC, V, 2-4

The Creed brings pure grace...

From this you see that the Creed is a doctrine quite different from the Ten Commandments. For the Ten Commandments teach what we ought to do. But the Creed tells us what God does for us and gives to us. Furthermore, apart from this, the Ten Commandments are written in all people's hearts. However, no human wisdom can understand the Creed. It must be taught by the Holy Spirit alone.  The teaching of the Commandments, therefore, makes no Christian.  For God's wrath and displeasure abide upon us still, because we cannot keep what God demands of us.  But the Creed brings pure grace and makes us godly and acceptable to God.
~BOC, LC, II,67-69

Christ's complete obedience given for us...

…He offered to His heavenly Father of us poor sinners His entire, complete obedience. This extends from His holy birth even unto death. In this way, He has covered all our disobedience, which dwells in our nature, and its thoughts, words, and works. So disobedience is not charged against us for condemnation. It is pardoned and forgiven out of pure grace alone, for Christ's sake.
~BOC, FSD, III, 58

The consolation and grace of Baptism...

It [Baptism] is, in short, so full of consolation and grace that heaven and earth cannot understand it.
~BOC, LC, IV, 39-40