Opening Prayer
O God, let the truth of Your Word permeate us and sanctify us. Amen.
Text: Psalm 15
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
Devotion
The doctrine of our justification by faith alone is the sun which gives sinners life and light during their earthly life and their final end. This sun must not be darkened by human doctrine. Our works must not be mingled with Christ’s merit at all. The Scripture teaches clearly that man is justified by faith alone, and only this doctrine gives us certainty in our hope of salvation, because only Christ’s work is perfect.
But the justification by which God accounts to everyone who believes a full salvation is so inseparably connected with man’s regeneration and renewal, and by this he is given communion with the holy God. First, it is only the righteous who come to Christ, for those who want to conceal and keep their sin and hide their heart can never believe in spirit and truth and do not receive grace, but remain in their unrighteousness under God’s wrath. Secondly, no one can continue in the state of grace without living a life as before the face of God. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1Jo 1:7). And finally it is the nature of faith that it makes us alive and opens the heart to God’s love, so that all who continue in faith must live a holy life, hate sin, and serve the Lord. They entrust themselves only to God’s grace, become more firmly grounded in this basic doctrine of the Gospel, that “the just shall live by faith,” but this grace drives and urges them to walk in newness of life.
Our Psalm shows a beautiful picture of the life of the saints. “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” This gripping question wakens the soul’s longing for the Lord’s blessed communion. The next two verses (2-3) answer what a righteous person does, and does not do: he walks blamelessly, is the same inside and outside, practices righteousness, deals with everyone according to God’s command, and speaks truth in the heart; backbites no one, does no evil to anyone, and brings no shame on his neighbor. And the next two verses (4-5) also show both what he does and does not do: he regards people according to their status before God: the wicked are loathsome to him even if they appear ever so honorable, but the God-fearing he honors even if they seem ever so poor in the world, and he holds his tongue for God’s sake. He does not amass gold and goods on earth for his own possession, and for no price will he wrong anyone. – Let all this help us examine ourselves.
Closing Prayer
Blessed are the people who live in God’s holy hill! Blessed is the one whose dwelling is in His tabernacle, steadfast and immovable against all the billows of death! Grant us this grace, O God, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Hymn
Underneath Thy wings abiding,
In Thy Church, O Savior dear,
Let me dwell, in Thee confiding,
Hold me in Thy faith and fear;
Take away from me each thought
That with wickedness is fraught,
Tempting me to disobey Thee,
Root it out, O Lord, I pray Thee.
Thou, earth’s greatest joy and gladness,
And salvation, full and free,
Let Thy presence cheer my sadness,
And prepare my soul for Thee!
In the hour when I depart,
Touch my spirit, lips and heart,
With Thy word assure, uphold me
Till the heav’nly gates enfold me.
Kingo: Dearest Jesus, draw Thou near me L 18:2-3 ELH 13:2-3 tr. C. K. Solberg;
tune: Werde munter