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Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quotes - Page 9

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The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out... The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity...

The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out... The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity... out of the realm of the finite...into the realm of infinite possibilities.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Faith, Inspiration, Insecurity

We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Gratitude, Giving, Thankfulness
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Samuel Wells (2015). “Life Together”, p.17, SCM Press

Death is the supreme festival on the road to freedom.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Festivals, Supreme
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2001). “Letters and Papers from Prison”, p.141, Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd

Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christian, Strong, Community
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1954). “Life Togehter”

The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Men, Grace, Justified
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2015). “The Cost of Discipleship”, p.10, SCM Press

Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Mother, Destruction, Womb
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2012). “Ethics”, p.174, Simon and Schuster

The earthly form of Christ is the form that died on the cross. The image of God is the image of Christ crucified. It is to this image that the life of the disciples must be conformed; in other words, they must be conformed to his death (Phil 3.10, Rom 6.4) The Christian life is a life of crucifixion (Gal 2.19) In baptism the form of Christ's death is impressed upon his own. They are dead to the flesh and to sin, they are dead to the world, and the world is dead to them (Gal 6.14). Anybody living in the strength of Christ's baptism lives in the strength of Christ's death.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christian, Baptism, World

It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Marriage, Inspirational Marriage, Marriage Problems
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2001). “Letters and Papers from Prison”, p.7, Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd

All are called to be what in the reality of God they are already.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Reality
"The Cost of Discipleship".

He who loves community destroys community; he who loves the brethren builds community.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Community, Brethren
"From Brokenness to Community". Book by Jean Vanier, 1992, 1992.

Human love has little regard for the truth. It makes the truth relative, since nothing, not even the truth, must come between it and the beloved person.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Littles, Beloved, Persons
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Samuel Wells (2015). “Life Together”, p.21, SCM Press

If you do a good job for others, you heal yourself at the same time, because a dose of joy is a spiritual cure.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
God, Spiritual, Jobs

Nothing is so at odds with prayer as vanity.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Prayer, Vanity, Odds
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2008). “Barcelona, Berlin, New York, 1928-1931”

Only in Jesus are we able to pray, and with Him we also know that we shall be heard.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus, Able, Praying
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eberhard Bethge (1974). “Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible”, p.11, Augsburg Books

As brother stands by brother in distress, binding up his wounds and soothing his pain, so let us show our love towards our enemy. There is no deeper distress to be found in the world, no pain more bitter than our enemy's. Nowhere is service more necessary or more blessed than when we serve our enemies.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Brother, Pain, Blessed
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2015). “The Cost of Discipleship”, p.98, SCM Press

It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Men, Suffering, Obedience

The child asks of the Father whom he knows. Thus, the essence of Christian prayer is not general adoration, but definite, concrete petition. The right way to approach God is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christian, Prayer, Children
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2015). “The Cost of Discipleship”, p.111, SCM Press

God can make a new beginning with people whenever God pleases, but not people with God. Therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can only pray for one. Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
New Beginnings, Past, People
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2007). “I Want to Live These Days with You: A Year of Daily Devotions”, p.2, Westminster John Knox Press

If Christ has been given us, if we are called to his discipleship we are given all things, literally _all_ things. He will see to it that they are added unto us. If we follow Jesus and look only to His righteousness, we are in his hands and under the protection of Him and His Father. And if we are in communion with the Father, nought can harm us. God will help us in the hour of need, and He knows our needs.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus, Father, Hands

The beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Brethren
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Samuel Wells (2015). “Life Together”, p.75, SCM Press

There is no way to peace along the way to safety. For peace must be dared. It is the great venture.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Safety, Venture, Way
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Geffrey B. Kelly (1990). “A testament to freedom: the essential writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer”, Harpercollins

God wants to see human beings, not ghosts who shun the world. . . . Our marriage must be a 'yes' to God's earth. It must strengthen our resolve to do and accomplish something on earth. I fear that Christians who venture to stand on earth on only one leg will stand in heaven on only one leg too.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Christian, Heaven, World

Absolute seriousness is never without a dash of humor.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Seriousness, Absolutes
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2001). “Letters and Papers from Prison”, p.141, Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd

Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespected hands ungratefully toss aside what has so disappointed them.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Patience, Art, Eye
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2012). “God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas”, p.4, Westminster John Knox Press

When our will wholeheartedly enters into the prayer of Christ, then we pray correctly.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Prayer, Praying, Christ
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eberhard Bethge (1974). “Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible”, p.11, Augsburg Books

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