Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
JESUS, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING
From the Large Catechism (Luther's comments on the Second Article):
+ "Here we learn to know the second person of the Godhead and get to see what God gives us over and above the temporal blessings mentioned before -- how He has poured Himself out completely for us, not withholding anything of Himself from us."
+ "When you are asked, 'What do you believe according to the Second Article concerning Jesus Christ,' answer very briefly, 'I believe that Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, has become my Lord.' What is it to 'become my Lord'? This means He has redeemed me from sin, from the devil, from death, and from all evil. Before that, I had no Lord and King, but was held captive in the devil's power, condemned to die, and bound up in sin and blindness."
+ "For when we had been created and had received all manner of good things from God the Father, the devil came and brought us down into disobedience, sin, death, and every misery. There we lay in disgrace with God and under His wrath, sentenced to the eternal damnation which we had brought on ourselves and thoroughly deserved. For us there was no counsel, help, or comfort until the one eternal Son of God in His boundless mercy pitied our misery and wretchedness and came from heaven to help us. All those former tyrant jailers have now been routed. Into their place stepped Jesus Christ, the Lord of life, righteousness, and every goodness and blessing, who has rescued us poor, lost humans out of the jaws of hell, won us, freed us, and brought us back into our Father's favor and grace; He has taken us beneath His shield and shelter to reign in us with His righteousness, wisdom, power, life and bliss."
Since Christ hath full atonement made And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad And build on this foundation.
Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead, Thy death is now my life indeed,
For Thou hast paid my ransom.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 377:6)
