Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, let the Word of Your grace and peace enter our hearts. Amen.
Text: Revelation 1:4-7
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Devotion
Our Lord Jesus Himself redeemed us with His own blood, so that Satan no longer has any right to hold us captive in sin. The kingdom 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 on them and reigns in them, and the Spirit sanctifies them through Jesus’ blood. By Baptism we received the right and access to it, and by faith we have entered it. With Saint Paul we say then: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom 8:33-35). We are indeed weak in ourselves, but strong in Him through faith, for we believe that we, who are baptized into Christ who died and rose again for us, have died to sin by the death of Christ and we have been made alive with Him by His resurrection. And in believing this, we really have it, so that we live and reign with Him and have free access to the Father. Sin still continues to trouble us, but we dare enter the Holy Place through Jesus’ blood. We dare even to come before God’s throne and receive forgiveness and power to win the victory. Use your royal power, dear Christian, and your priestly right for what is best for you and your fellow believers. Only always go forward in the light. Confess your sin honestly to the Lord, and press on with prayer for grace. Then nothing shall condemn you, nothing rob you of your peace, and no sin rule over you. If you still feel so weak both in faith and life that it seems you always have to give in, yet for the sake of Jesus’ blood, this shall not happen.
Closing Prayer
Let Your Spirit, O God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, keep us awake and pure. Amen.
Hymn
O Thou blest Immanuel,
What exceeding joy from heaven
Hast Thou caused in me to dwell,
Since Thy life for me was given!
Thou hast me from Satan freed
And supplied my ev’ry need.
In Thine arms I find relief,
Soon Thy home I shall inherit;
Sin and sorrow, death and grief
Nevermore shall vex my spirit;
For Thy Word to me doth pledge
An eternal heritage.
Brorson: O Thou blest Immanuel L 79:1-2 HCH 197:1-2 tr. J. C. Aaberg;
tune: Meinen Jesum (Darmstadt; ELH 88); alternate hymn: O for a faith that will not shrink ELH 364:1-2