119. Tuesday after Quinquagesima Sunday.
Lord Jesus, make our whole life new through thy love. Amen.
2 Corinthians 5, 14-21. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
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Saint Paul is fairly beside himself by reason of God’s infinite love and boundless grace toward us. One died for all, then did all die; such was the will and act of God. Christ, the holy and righteous, was sacrificed for us sinners; and God counts this as though we all had died the death of the Righteous One for our sins. As Christ was made to be sin, and was treated as though he were nothing but sin; as he died our death in full, the death of the accursed world; even so are we righteousness only in him, and there is no more any sin for which to die; for Christ died for all sin of whatever kind or degree. God has reconciled the world unto himself in Christ, not imputing their trespasses unto them, but imputing them all unto him. Here the old things are passed away; the former estate in sin and bondage, and the old mind, troubled with fear and an evil conscience, are at an end. Paul prays and beseeches in Christ’s stead that we may believe in Christ and thus enter into this glorious estate of grace. Why will you continue in the service of sin, now that you are free? Why will you continue in fear or in a fiendish obstinacy, now that you are reconciled unto God and have all that which is necessary to a good conscience and a happy, pure and joyful heart? See, says the apostle, I am in all things one of you; and I am dead and risen again with Christ, and live a new life in him; his love throbs in every thought and word and deed; all, all that I do is done in a new spirit quite different from the old. The new spirit manifests itself in me, even to the minutest details in my manner of living. You have what I have; and my heart burns within me as I pray you to accept and make use of this gift of God. — We will follow the light of God’s Spirit, dear reader, and hereafter live the life of faith, justified, regenerated, and sanctified in Christ. We poor fools, who have not heretofore understood this! All is finished; we are reconciled unto God by the death of his Son, and shall live by his life. In this love we will now abide, and give ourselves wholly to thee, Lord Jesus. Thou art one with us, and we with thee; let this union continue. Help us to remain in thee, thou who of God art made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Amen.
Come, thou incarnate word,
Gird on thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend.
Come, and thy people bless,
And give thy word success;
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend.