THE WEEK OF TRINITY VI - SATURDAY

LESSON: ROMANS 8:1-9

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

What are we to learn from Christ’s interpretation of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount? First, you should learn that if you were to be judged by your obedience to the Law, you would have to be condemned as a child of sin and the devil. From this lost condition you cannot possibly rescue yourself by your own resources. You have no alternative but to seek refuge in God and beseech Him to change you. Otherwise, all is lost, and you are ruined.

Therefore, take hold of God’s Word and promises that He is willing to change you, and this will prove itself a source of great help to you. Say to God, “See here, my God, you have set up Christ, your beloved Son, as an example for me. You want me to live as He did. I cannot do this. Change me, dear God, and grant me your peace.”

God comes to our assistance and says, “Because you acknowledge your need of help and seek grace from Me, I will change you and make a new man of you. And though you are not perfect like Christ, as you should be, My Son’s life and perfection shall come to your assistance.” There must always be something to humble us and inspire us with healthy fear.

This is real comfort—depending not on our own ability but on the fact that we have a gracious God who forgives us and on our faith in Christ, not on our own “worthiness.” This also purifies us from day to day, and, wherever there is something still lacking, we trust in Christ to provide us with adequate consolation. This is also the chief thrust of this particular Gospel (Matthew 5:20-26).

SL 11:1350 (11-12)

PRAYER: Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for the hope of salvation which You have provided in the perfect fulfillment of Your heavenly Father’s Law for us, which you offer us in Your Gospel of salvation, for Your mercy and truth’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:179-187.