“Surely as far as we and our princes are concerned, we are not pure and holy, and our princes have their faults. But Christ rejoices in a clear and trustful confession. Certainly I esteem it highly. By saying one word and denying the Word our princes could have returned to the favor of king and emperor and lived quietly. But they preferred to lose everything and put themselves, their family, and their land in temporal danger rather than forsake the confession. This is the thing that terrifies the emperor and the pope; it also attracts many of us and encourages more people to confess their faith. I’m a beggar. What can I lose when I have nothing? But they risk the loss of their reputation and their principalities for the name of Christ.
“Consequently, even if we are not perfectly holy, Christ will wash away our sins with his blood and, when we depart from this life, will make us altogether pure in the life to come. In the meantime we are content with that righteousness which exists in hope through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.” (Luther’s Works, v. 54, p.375)