In his work, Freedom of a Christian, Luther writes, "Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that...
For our Liturgical study today we are meditating on the Introit, or the entrance Psalm. This is a proper of the liturgy, or a part of the liturgy that changes either each Sunday or every Church season. The invocation and Sanctus are things that don't change, whereas the Introit, gradual, and...
In the Gospel according to St. Luke we have a glorious account that teaches us about the forgiveness of sins. It is the account of the Paralytic when, after Jesus sees him being lowered into the house says, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law hate this...
"How does this sanctifying take place?" Luther asks in the Large Catechism. Luther answers, "Just as the Son obtains dominion by purchasing us through His birth, death, and resurrection, etc., so that Holy Spirit effects our sanctification through the following: the communion of saints or...
C.F.W. Walther wrote on the Office of the Holy Ministry saying, "O, glorious, high office, too high for the angels! May we always hold it in high regard, not looking at the person who bears it and despising his weakness, but looking instead at the Institutor of this office and His exuberant...
Psalm 146:3-4 confess, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish." These words offer immense comfort to us as we begin our vocational tasks this week. It is very tempting to...
There are many assumptions that kill. We assume that people are out to get us, and therefore put the worst possible twist on everything they do. We assume that people don't like us, therefore, we put up walls that shouldn't exist. We assume that people know what is right and do the wrong thing...
In the Large Catechism, Luther confesses, "Therefore, when I urge you to go to confession, I am simply urging you to be a Christian" (Large Catechism Tappert 460.32). Here Luther is speaking about private of personal confession and absolution. He urges every Christian to take hold and use this...
Starting this Today, every Thursday is going to be a little devotional reading and writing from the Book of Concord. This is just to mix things up a little bit and get everyone into reading through the Confessions of the Lutheran Church. Today we are looking at the article of Justification. The...
The book of Hebrews says, "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful...