390. Wednesday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
I rejoice at thy word,
as one that findeth great spoil.
Romans 8, 1-4. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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Frivolous, carnal, and self-righteous persons do not know that they are condemned; and thus they are able to remain unmoved when they read words of life such as these, full of celestial fire. It is an easy matter for them to comfort themselves, as they do not feel the sting of sin, and the devil does not assail the faith which is dead. He, on the other hand, who feels that he is himself carnal, sold under sin, and that he ought to die; and who thus is dumb before his accuser, and is condemned by his own conscience; — such a one finds it not so easy to repeat that which Paul says in our text. However, if the Spirit succeed in teaching him this lesson, it becomes a song of praise in his heart. To him who feels no condemnation, and has no knowledge of the fight of faith, there is nothing but condemnation; but to him who feels his sin, and leans on Christ alone, “there is no condemnation” whatever. Here you must learn to forget yourself and all that you are and do and feel, and look to Christ only, who has condemned sin in the flesh; so that it can no more condemn you, nor hold sway either in your conscience or your life. For Christ took upon himself our flesh, and fulfilled the law, and bore the curse; and unto him, the selfsame Christ, you are baptized, you hear his voice in the gospel, and of his body and blood you partake in holy Communion. Pharisees and shallow Christians may be able to find comfort in their own feelings; but he who is sincerely conscious of the sin and death in his own members wants Christ himself, who died and rose again, sits on the throne, and reigns in the midst of the church by means of the word and sacraments. When you yourself have nothing except that which can condemn you, and yet feel that you cannot deliver yourself up to be condemned, but must on your life find salvation; then the Spirit teaches you to believe, and thus, in the words of Luther, moves you to
go out of yourself and into Christ, and belong to him, as one who has been baptized into him, and is a partaker of his body and blood. Thus you rid yourself of sin and an evil conscience, of death and devil; so that you can say that you know neither death nor hell. Let death first consume my Lord Jesus Christ; let hell swallow my Savior; if sin, or law, or conscience, can condemn, let them direct their accusations against the Son of God! If they can prevail against him, I will let them condemn and destroy me also. But since the Father and Christ still live, I also remain alive; for I know that I am in Christ, even as Christ is in the Father. [John 14, 20]
Commit yourself, then, into the hands of your Savior; he has made all things ready, and all is given you in the gospel. The important thing is to be in Christ; on which point Paul says, Gal. 3, 27: “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You do not believe it, and you urge your objections. You say that it is the world which puts its trust in Christ as he is found in the sacraments. You are mistaken. The world does not in any sense trust to Christ in the word and sacraments. Insofar as they trust to anything, it certainly is not to Christ in the means of grace, but rather to their own deed in making use of word and sacraments. By their unbelief they reject the living Savior in the means of grace. You, however, who heartily desire him, shall by the Spirit of God be taught to believe; and then behold, you are made free from the law of sin and death!
Good Holy Spirit, help us in this most important of all concerns. Teach us, and guide us, that Jesus may be to us the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.*
To God the only wise,
Our Savior and our King,
Let all the saints below the skies
Their humble praises bring.
’Tis his almighty love,
His counsel and his care,
Preserves us safe from sin and death,
And every hurtful snare.
[Common Service Book 305; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.