8. Saturday after First Sunday in Advent.
Lord Jesus, let thy words
of peace and grace force their way
into our hearts. Amen.
Revelation 1, 4-7. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.
❦
Our Lord Jesus himself has redeemed us with his own blood, so that Satan has no right to hold us captive in sin. The kingdom which Christ founded by his death and resurrection is the kingdom of grace and peace; all who belong to it are kings and priests. The grace of the triune God rests upon them and reigns in them, and the Spirit sanctifies them by the blood of Jesus. In baptism right and access to this kingdom were granted us, and we have entered into it by faith. Therefore we dare to say with Saint Paul: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” We are, to be sure, weak in ourselves, but we are strong in him by faith; for we believe that we, baptized unto Christ, who died and arose from the dead for us, are dead from sin by his death, and quickened with him by his resurrection; and while we believe this, it is ours in very truth, so that we live and reign with him and have free access to the Father. Sin continues still to oppress us, but we dare to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Christ and come before the very throne of God, and we receive forgiveness and strength to win the victory. Make use of your kingly power, dear Christian, and of your priestly privilege for the good of yourself and the brethren. Come forward into the light always; confess your sin honestly before the Lord, and pray earnestly for mercy; then shall nothing condemn you, nothing rob you of your peace, and no sin rule over you. Even though you may, at times, feel so weak both in faith and life that you seem certain to succumb at last; yet, for the sake of the blood of Jesus, this shall not come to pass.
Let thy Spirit, O God, the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, keep us vigilant and pure. Amen.*
O for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe;
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!
That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod;
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God.
[TLH 396 (listen here); or ELH 364]
* 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.