TRUE SACRIFICES

Hosea 6:6.  I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know Me.” The Living Bible

FEELING FORGIVEN

"When it comes to forgiveness, God forgives our sins for Jesus' sake, because of His work in dying & rising from the dead to atone for our sins. Jesus won forgiveness on the cross, & He now gives that freely to you & me as a gift. It is not simply knowing the right things or feeling the right way. Forgiveness is a reality, given by God through His sacramental Word. Easy to say; hard to believe sometimes though, isn't it? . . . 

"Because God gives this forgiveness to us by His Son through the Church, we receive this reality by faith, even if we may not always feel it. God remains steadfast, regardless of our fickle hearts:  'My flesh & my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever' (Ps. 73:26) All of us have times when we doubt. All of us have times when we feel as though God hates us or that we are not loved or are not worthy. In such moments, flee to God's Word & Sacraments. This is where we hear the Gospel. This is where God draws us back to our Baptism & gives us His own Son for the forgiveness of sins in the meal. And this reality is greater than our hearts or minds:  'By this we shall know that we are of the truth & reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, & He knows everything' (1 John 3:19-20)." Rev. Todd Peperkorn, The Lutheran Witness, August 2021

A GOOD DEFENSE

"The first step is training. I must study God's Word on a daily basis . . . The second focus is on my surroundings. I must also be careful not to surround myself too closely with those who don't believe in God's Word . . . It doesn't take too much sense to realize that you become like those with whom you spend the most time. Know your surroundings & control them; don't let your surroundings control you. Finally, practice what you know is right." Reggie White, Men's Devotional Bible

OPENING EARS

"Whenever the Word of Christ is spoken to you--whether in a sermon, a devotion, a hymn, or straight from the Bible--Jesus Himself is present & speaking His powerful Word into your ears. The very Word of Christ that can open deaf ears is the same Word that creates & sustains special ears of faith in you so that you might hear rightly! To hear of your sin & especially to hear that for Christ's sake all of your sins are forgiven--this is what the Word does for you. The Word grants you repentance & creates & sustains faith in you! When Jesus speaks, things happen." Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

CONFESSION & REPENTANCE

"Those who say that they live in Him must live the same way He lived." (1 John 2:6) "Everyone sins. We all mess up--daily, in fact. That's why we need confession & repentance, or turning to God. But there is a difference between falling into temptation but confessing it when you realize it, & deciding that this sin is acceptable & you're going to keep living in it. So look for the signs & don't get off into dangerous territory, but stay on the route God wants you on." Michael DiMarco, Devotions for the God Guy

LOVING GOD

"To love God means that we obey His commandments." (1 John 5:3) "As a God guy you prove your love to (God) by doing what He says . . . This doesn't mean you won't mess up or that God doesn't forgive you when you do--oh yes, He does (see 1 John 1:9)! But it does mean that as a God Guy you will want to love Him, & love obeys . . . Study (God's Word), memorize it, teach it. Make it part of the very fiber of your being. When you do you will find that blessings abound." Devotions for the God Guy

THE DOCTRINE OF GOOD WORKS

"'This means that no one will be justified before God except by & on account of this, that I die & rise again.' It is this 'going' which alone accomplishes that God graciously accepts a man & regards him as righteous, if he clings to Christ with faith . . . 'What about the doctrine of good works? Is this, then, to be nothing? Is it not beautiful & laudable when someone seeks to keep the Ten Commandments & is obedient, chaste, honorable, & truthful?' Answer:  Yes, indeed! We should do all of this, & it is also a good doctrine & life, but only if we leave it in its place where it belongs & keep the two doctrines distinct, about how we become righteous before God & how & why we should do good works. Although the doctrine of good works must be proclaimed, yet alongside of it & even before it we must also carefully teach (so that the doctrine of the Gospel & of faith remains pure & unadulterated) that all our works, no matter how good & holy they may be, are not the treasure or merit because of which we become acceptable & pleasing to God & obtain eternal life. Rather, it is this alone:  that Christ is going to the Father, & through His 'going' acquires this for us, & gives & shares with us His righteousness, innocence, & merits." A Year in the Gospels with Martin Luther

TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

"The Christian's righteousness is not the kind of righteousness that has grown in us (like the other righteousness, which is called the righteousness of the Law or human righteousness), but it is a completely heavenly & divine righteousness apart from & beyond us . . . I want to be called a Christian from clinging to this Savior--as He has taught me & as all saints who wanted to stand before God have had to do. As St. Paul says, I am 'found not having my righteousness according to the Law' (Phil.3:9), but His righteousness, which He gained for my by this going away, by which He overcame my sin & death, & which He proclaims & gives to me through the preaching of the Gospel. When you have that, then go ahead & do as many good works as you can, but do them in accordance with God's command. Without this & before this you can do nothing good, because you are still in unbelief, do not have or know Christ, & therefore are under sin with all that you do . . . " Martin Luther

BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST

God's Own Child, I Gladly Say it (LSB #394, STS. 4 & 5)

Death, you cannot end my gladness; I am baptized into Christ! When I die, I leave all sadness To inherit paradise! Though I lie in dust & ashes Faith's assurance brightly flashes:  Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal mine.

There is nothing worth comparing To this life-long comfort sure! Open-eyed my grave is staring:  Even there I'll sleep secure Though my flesh awaits its raising, Still my soul continues praising:  I am baptized int Christ; I'm a child of paradise!