Luther: “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God”

 

Here's one meme-ing its way around cyberspace: 

“The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.”--- Martin Luther

Where did it come from? Via a few cursory searches the earliest usage in this exact form I could find was from D. James Kennedy, Evangelism Explosion (1977), p.38

Notice Kennedy does not put the statement in quotes.  As far as I can tell, this is the source where this English quote originated from. I suspect he's paraphrasing Luther. From where? I do not know!