Why would Luther place our perpetual need of new forgiveness as the first of his 95 thesis against the Roman Catholic view?

**Thesis 1:** **When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.** This thesis is explained by Luther afterwards that by ‘entire’ he means all day and every day. Naturally that is what entire means. And that every believer should cry perpetually for new forgiveness his whole life: > We pray throughout our whole life and we must pray “forgive us our > debts” [Matt. 6:12]; therefore, we repent throughout our whole life > and are displeased with ourselves, unless anyone may be so foolish as > to think he must only pretend to pray for the forgiveness of debts. > For the debts for which we are commanded to pray are real and not to > be treated lightly; and even if they were venial, we could not be > saved unless they were remitted. > > Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 31: Career of the Reformer I > (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.; Vol. 31, pp. > 84–85). Fortress Press. Why did Luther feel the need to say Christians must see themselves as much much more sinful than the Roman Catholics would allow ourselves to view our spiritual state? Why is this his number one thesis?