Reason can produce civil works, but not spiritual works...

The Ten Commandments require outward civil works, which reason can in some way produce.  But they also require other things placed far above reason: truly to fear God, truly to love God, truly to call upon God, truly to be convinced that God hears us, and to expect God's aid in death and in all afflictions. Finally it requires obedience to God, in death and all afflictions, so that we may not run from these commandments or refuse them when God lays them upon us.
~BOC, AP, IV (II), 8

We are simply to believe and cling to the Word...

In the Creed we confess, "I believe...in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who...was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell."  In this Confession, Christ's burial and descent to hell are distinguished as different articles.  We simply believe that the entire person (God and man) descended into hell after the burial, conquered the devil, destroyed hell's power, and took from the devil all his might.  We should not, however, trouble ourselves with high and difficult thoughts about how this happened.  With our reason and our five senses this article can be understood as little as the preceding one about how Christ is place at the right hand of God's almighty power and majesty.  We are simply to believe it and cling to the Word. So we hold to the substance and consolation that neither hell nor the devil can take captive or injure us and all who believe in Christ.
~FSD, IX, 1-3

The doctrine of election provides glorious consolation under the cross and amid temptations...

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 is 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." (See Romans 8:28, 29, 35, 38, 39.)
~BOC, FSD, XI, 48-49

Christ is the surest "interpreter" of His words of institution...

Surely there is no interpreter of Jesus Christ's words as faith and sure as the Lord Christ Himself.  He understand best His words and His heart and opinion.  He is the wisest and most knowledgeable for explaining them.  He does not use allegory to make His last will and testament and His ever-abiding covenant and union.  He does not use allegory elsewhere in presenting and confirming all articles of faith, and in the institution of all other signs of the covenant and of grace or Sacraments (e.g., circumcision, the various offerings in the Old Testament, and Holy Baptism). He does not use allegorical words, but entirely proper, simple, believable, and clear words.  In order that no misunderstanding can take place, He explain them more clearly with the words, "Given for you," "shed for you."  He also lets His disciples rest in the simple, proper sense, and commands them that they should teach all nations to keep what He had commanded them, the apostles.
~FSD, VII, 50-51

Faith must be the mother and source of works good and pleasing to God...

Faith must be the mother and source of works that are truly good and well pleasing to God, which God will reward in this world and in the world to come.  This is why St. Paul calls them true fruit of faith, also fruit of the Spirit.  For, as Dr. Luther writes in the Preface to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans:

"Faith, however, is a divine work in us that changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[:12-13].  It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers; it brings with it the Holy Spirit.  O, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith.  It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly.  It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them.  Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever.  He gropes and looks for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are.  Yet he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times.  This knowledge of and confidence in Gods grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all creatures.  And this is the work that the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. That it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire." (LW, 35:370-71)
~FSD, IV, 9-13

Human will is capable of nothing divinely good...

Second, God's Word testifies that the intellect, heart, and will of the natural, unregenerate person in divine things are not only turned entirely away from God, but also are turned and perverted against God to every evil.  Also, a person is not only weak, incapable, unfit, and dead to good, but is also sadly perverted, infected, and corrupted by original sin so that he is entirely evil, perverse, and hostile to God by his disposition and nature.  He is very strong, alive, and active in everything that is displeasing and contrary to God.
~BOC, FSD, II, 17

Distinct, unchanged natures in Christ and in the Sacrament...

In addition to Christ's and St. Paul's expressions (the bread in the Supper is the body of Christ or the communion of the body of Christ), the following forms are also used:  under the bread, with the bread, in the bread.  With these words, the papistic transubstantiation may be rejected and the sacramental union of the bread's unchanged essence and Christ's body may be shown.  In the same way, the expression "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14) is repeated and explained by the equivalent expressions, "The Word...dwelt among us" (John 1:14); likewise, "in Him the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9); likewise, "God was with Him" (Acts 10:38); likewise, "in Christ God was" (2 Corinthians 5:19), and the like.  These show that the divine natures, unchanged, are personally united.  Many eminent ancient teachers, such as Justin, Cyprian, Augustine, Leo, Gelasius, Chrysostom, and others, use this comparison about the words of Christ's testament, "This is My body."  Just as in Christ two distinct, unchanged natures are inseparably united--the natural bread and Christ's true natural body--are present together here on earth in the appointed administration of the Sacrament.
~BOC, FSD, VII, 35-37

No mere outward blemish...

We reject the teaching that original sin is only a slight, insignificant spot on the outside, smeared on human nature, or a blemish that has blown upon it, beneath which the nature has kept its good powers even in spiritual things.
~BOC, FE, I, 14

Every mote of our existence is from God...

For although the whole world should work together, it could not add an hour to our life or give us a single grain from the earth.
~BOC, LC, I, 166

Consolation for the conscience plagued by works...

Until now, consciences were plagued with the doctrine of works.  They did not hear consolation from the Gospel.  Some people were driven by conscience into the desert and into monasteries, hoping to merit grace by a monastic life.  Some people came up with other works to merit grace and make satisfaction for sin.  That is why the need was so great for teaching and renewing the doctrine of faith in Christ, so that anxious consciences would not be without consolation but would know that grace, forgiveness of sins, and justification are received by faith in Christ.
~BOC, AC, XX, 19-22

Human righteousness is hypocrisy before God...

The entire notion that a person is righteous is mere hypocrisy before God.  We must acknowledge that our heart is, by nature, destitute of fear, love, and confidence in God.  For this reason, the prophet Jeremiah says, "After I was instructed, I slapped my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded" (31:19). Likewise, "I said in my alarm, 'All mankind are liars'" (Psalm 116:11). That is, they do not think correctly about God.
~BOC, AP, II (I), 33-34

Without His grace, all our willing and running, our planting, sowing and watering--are all nothing...

Also Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."  It is God's will that His Word should be heard and that a person's ears should not be closed.  With this Word the Holy Spirit is present and opens hearts, so that people pay attention to it and are converted only through the Holy Spirit's grace and power, who alone does the work of converting a person.  For without His grace, and if He does not grant the increase, all our willing and running, our planting, sowing, and watering--are all nothing.  As Christ says, in John 15:5 "Apart from me you can do nothing."  With these brief words the Spirit denies free will its powers and ascribes everything to God's grace, in order that no one may boast before God.
~BOC, FE, II, 5-6

The understanding and reason of mankind are completely blind and without understanding of spiritual matters...

This is our teaching, faith, and confession on this subject:  in spiritual matters the understanding and reason of mankind are completely blind and by their own powers understand nothing, as it is written in  I Corthinians 2:14, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
~BOC, FE, II, 2

The Living Word awakens within us understanding, pleasure, and devoutness...

On the other hand, the Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit.  It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts.  For these words are not lazy or dead, but are creative, living words.  And even though no other interest or necessity moves us, this truth ought to urge everyone to the Word, because thereby the devil is put to flight and driven away.
~BOC, LC, I, 101-102

Original sin precludes belief in, fear of, and love for God, as well as seeks fleshly things...

We are right in our description of original sin when we say that it is not being able to believe God and not being able to fear and love God.  We are right when we say that it includes concupiscense, which seeks fleshly things contrary to God's Word.  This means when it seeks not only the pleasures of the body, but also fleshly wisdom and righteousness.
~BOC, AP, II (I), 26

The Sacraments and Word are effective because of Christ's institution and command...

Strictly speaking, the Church is the congregation of saints and true believers.  However, because many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled within them in this life, it is lawful to use the Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of Christ, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat" (Matthew 23:2). Both the Sacraments and Word are effective because of Christ's institution and command, even if they are administered by evil men.
~BOC, AC, VIII, 1-2