My dear brother, know Christ, and specifically the crucified Christ. Say to him: "You, Lord Jesus, are my righteousness, and I am your sin. You have accepted what was mine, and have given me what is yours. You accepted what you were not, and granted me what I was not." Beware, brother, of yearning for such great purity that you no longer see yourself as a sinner and do not want to be called one. Christ indeed resides only among sinners. Therefore, he came down from heaven, where he dwelled among the righteous, so that he could also dwell among the sinful. Meditate on his love, and you will experience his sweetest comfort. For if we can attain peace in our souls only through our own efforts and toil, why then did Christ die?
(Martin Luther, letter to Georg Spenlein, April 8, 1516)
