If God’s grace is absolute, man’s last defenses as ethical man are down; he is at God’s mercy. And man would rather, as the example of the Pharisee tragically shows, not be at God’s mercy, at least not absolutely. He wants to hold on to some fragment of self.

Franzmann, Martin. Follow Me
cited by: Jeske, Tom. You Can Print That, p. 4
January/February 2006. Preach the Word, Vol. 9, No. 3

When the Betty Crocker Company first came out with cake mixes, all the cook had to do was add water. But the mixes didn’t sell well. Market research revealed that people wanted to be involved in producing the cake. So the company changed the recipe and required the customer to add an egg to the mix too. Then the product took off like wildfire.

Satan’s most effective weapon is whispering in the sinner’s ear, “You need to do something for your salvation.” “It’s too easy,” Satan says when the sinner hears that all he has to do is believe in God’s Son as his Savior. And sinners concur... Of course, Satan forgets to mention that the cake of salvation the sinner tries to bake can only turn out to be a flop, one that will give stomachaches when sins trouble and when death draws near.

Lauersdorf, Richard. Together with Jesus – All You Have To Do

Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.

Coolidge, Calvin

Comment: Of course, that doesn't fit with what the Bible says. When the rich man thought that by perseverance and determination he had kept God's Law and should be able to enter into heaven by doing something, Jesus pointed to one of the man's weaknesses - his love for money. Jesus presented the man with a task, that would make the man struggle with his selfishness: sell everything and give it to the poor. When the man went away sad, the disciples wondered who could be saved, if even this righteous individual could not save himself. Jesus response was simple, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Omnipotence and salvation do not belong to man or his perseverance and determination, but with God alone.

The "Opinio Legis" is that stubborn human attitude that we all have, which thinks that we can save ourselves by what we do.

NEW TOPIC - OPINIO LEGIS

The sinful nature, which we still possess, has an addiction to turn grace into merit—to turn the cross and Christ into our glory and to focus our attention on us rather than Christ... The only cure is to drown the old nature daily—kill it at the cross— and to praise Christ for all he has done for us, including bringing us to this point in the history of the church as his disciples eager to serve him as he directs.

…As with any addiction, our sinful nature does not go away when we give in to it, even if only a little. It only grows in power and intensity. It must be destroyed by daily repentance. This repentance can only happen by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the law and gospel. First the law to crush, then the gospel to empower and heal. Without this power, there is no change, and we perpetually pursue what satisfies our ego. We look for credit, merit, acclaim, acceptance by others, value, and human glory.

Braun, John A. The Gospel Is the Power God Gives Us
to Do His Work, p. 99
Spring 2006. Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Vol. 103, No. 2

Like all perfectionists, Wesleyans have to minimize the law’s definition of sin: Even when a Christian’s love is perfect, his actions may not be. Such imperfect behavior, however, may be due to repressed psychological complexes rather than to a sinful heart. Even sinful desires are not sinful if one does not give in to them. We are not directly responsible for original sin, only for actual sin.

Brug, John F. The Lutheran Doctrine of Sanctification
and Its Rivals. p, 198
Summer, 2004. WLQ, Vol. 101, No. 3

Comment: Note the colon. The author is giving examples of minimizing sin. Which he and I believe is wrong. It's even a sin to have wrong thoughts, no matter whether or not you act on them.