Opening Prayer
Lord, let Your Word bow our hearts in obedience to You. Amen.
Text: Matthew 3:8–10
“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Devotion
Do not neglect to make a heartfelt confession today, and let it be known in your life that you have been turned to the Lord. Let no one think that he is a Christian simply because he belongs to a people who are called Christian, and because he outwardly uses God’s Word and Sacraments and lives properly. Nor let anyone comfort himself that he once repented and that he no longer follows the crowd, but holds to the little flock. The Pharisees were precise with their worship of God and kept themselves strong according to customs, but their hearts were farther from the Lord than dead stones. Do you bear fruits worthy of repentance? Do you live in heartfelt meekness, living faith, and true sanctification? Is Jesus your life and do you walk before God? Do you deny your own will and practice love? We’re not asking if you are perfect in these things, but we ask in all seriousness if you live in daily repentance from your heart, if you are a new creation in Christ and strive for perfection. True Christians, unfortunately, are weak, but they confess their sin daily with sorrow and prayer for mercy. But many unconverted foolishly try to take comfort in Christians’ weaknesses, and they sin against grace. There is an immeasurable distinction between the decent children of the world and weak Christians. The heart of the unconverted is far from God. They do not seek Jesus with any inward longing, for they do not know their sin and do not feel their poverty. They love and seek their own and strive after earthly things. Christians on the other hand earnestly turn to God, seek Him from the heart and strive continually to live well-pleasing to Him. They daily feel their own sin with pain, and they have their hope always in grace in Christ. Do not think that this is a little thing. If you are a fruitless tree, then the ax is laid to the root and you are cut down and thrown in the fire. The dry branches on the vine are not fit either to bear fruit or to be lumber, but only for the fire. So repent, get a different attitude, and become a new person! If only we could tell you as urgently as it ought to be said, how absolutely necessary this is! Do not delay. Listen and follow the Lord’s calling today, today!
But you believers, humble yourselves and repent, one and all, for your own sins and for the church’s sins, and show in your life that you have been with the Lord today. From now on live with greater care than before, irreproachable and pure as God’s blameless children among the vain and perverse generation, among whom you shine as a light in the world. Let this day be for us all a day of repentance! Let us all together with heartfelt confession of sin and urgent prayer stand before the throne of grace!
Closing Prayer
Give us the power of Your Spirit to do this, merciful God. Grant that we bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, to the praise of Your name and for the salvation of our souls. Amen.
Hymn
There is salvation still
For hearts contritely crying
To Him whose gracious will
Is now to save the dying.
His grace doth beckon thee
To seek thy Savior blest;
O hasten, swiftly flee
Unto His blessed rest.
As in its mother’s arm
The child sweet comfort gaineth,
So, shielding thee from harm,
The Lord thy heart sustaineth,
O seek that sweet repose,
Come unto Him and stay;
Thy Savior now is close,
O come to Him today.
German/Brorson: I Dag er Naadens Tid L 387:8-10 HCH 184:3-4 tr. P. C. Paulsen;
tune: I Dag er Naadens Tid (LHy 521); alternate hymn: So truly as I live, God saith ELH 417