7. Friday after First Sunday in Advent.
Lord, let thy word enter into
and quicken our hearts. Amen.
Romans 5, 17-21. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.
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By the fall of Adam death became of force and should have ruled over us all, even though we had no further transgressed the law of God. The offense of one was the offense of all. But the like rule obtains also in regard to Christ and his righteousness; to accept this righteousness is to come into possession of the sovereign power of life. There one; here one. — The offense of one, the offense of all; the righteousness of one, the righteousness of all. By his obedience alone, not by his and ours; by his life, his victory, his fulfillment of the law, without the aid of any work of ours, are we saved. He alone has bruised the serpent’s head; the high priest alone entered in with the sacrifice for the sins of the world; David alone slew Goliah; there was none with our Lord when he trod the winepress of wrath. Furthermore, the obedience of one does not save from the one fall, only, in which we fell in Adam; many other offenses have been added to the offense of Adam, but no other saving obedience has been superadded to the one. The law works transgressions, and thereby offenses have become many. But by the obedience of Christ alone atonement has been made for every offense, so that there is no room for any other atoning obedience in addition to this. Sin abounds in the world; hence the terrible rule of death; but in the kingdom of Christ we have the glorious reign of grace through his righteousness. The unbelievers are the slaves of sin, but all the people of Christ are free. They are not as yet sinless; they feel their guilt with pain, and they could not stand before the judgment of God’s holy law; but in Christ they are under grace, not under the law. Than these words nothing can be more beautiful: “As sin has reigned unto death, even so shall grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Blessed be Christ!
May this gospel be painted before our eyes throughout our whole life and in our last hour. Grant us this, thou Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Blest is the man, forever blest,
Whose guilt is pardoned by his God,
Whose sins with sorrow are confessed,
And covered with his Savior’s blood.
Blest is the man, to whom the Lord
Imputes not his iniquities,
He pleads no merit of reward,
And not on works, but grace relies.
[TLH 392 (listen here); or ELH 416 (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.