Devotion 213 – Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Opening Prayer

Lord, teach us the Word of Your righteousness. Amen.

Text: Philippians 3:7–11

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Devotion

If you also know the Lord Jesus Christ and know that you indeed are justified by faith in Him, then learn more and more to treasure and value this most excellent knowledge. Many in our day would gladly sell it for a good price, even people who have begun to know it in truth. When an apostle of unbelief displays his doctrine of human reason, then many throw away Christ and the Gospel, faith and the righteousness of faith, the death and life of God’s Son, with all that can save them from sin and Satan, and instead they grasp the deceiver’s spiritless opinions of intelligence and virtue which end in hopelessness and despair. Paul placed an ever higher and higher value on grace in Christ, and could it be otherwise since he always delved deeper and deeper into communion with the Lord? A true scientist who studies God’s works in nature does not tire of rejoicing over his new discoveries in the continually new depths of God’s wisdom, but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Whoever probes therein finds the deep fountains of life, the rich divine well of love and righteousness. And the glorious feature of this is that then we have found just what our heart needs: true peace and the treasure of eternal salvation. Shouldn’t Paul and we with him eagerly study these things into which even the angels desire to look (1Pe 1:12)?

My own virtue from youth on is so absolutely worthless for righteousness and so paltry compared to Christ’s merit, which He gives me, all as if I myself had done it, that with Paul I regard all my own righteousness as filth and throw it away as putrid impurity. But what offense to reason and proud nature! The whole world rebels against such a statement. What is to be done then? My own righteousness is really rubbish, which I must throw away. My whole heart seeks to be found in Christ and to have the righteousness of faith. Paul could not do without Him. Only in the power of His resurrection do I live a life of love, only in communion with His suffering am I cleansed for the holy city. Jesus is my wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification, and my redemption (1Co 1:30). He it is, He alone; shall I say otherwise? I am completely unrighteous and miserable, but in Him I am righteous and blessed. Shall it not then be so? I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. I live to Him who loved me and gave Himself for me!

Closing Prayer

Yes, praise to You, Lord Jesus, You gave me Your righteousness and received me into the fellowship of Your death and Your life. Let die in me everything that is not from You. Let live in me only Your righteousness and love! Sanctify me thereby completely in spirit and soul and body, and let me be found blameless on that day. Amen.

Hymn

Thy love, O gracious God and Lord,
All other loves excelling,
Attunes my heart to sweet accord,
And passes power of telling;
For when Thy wondrous love I see,
My heart yields glad submission;
I love Thee for Thy love to me
In my poor, lost condition.

It is no dream or thought obscure
That in my heart now moves me;
It is both very true and sure:
The blood of Jesus clothes me.
My doom, my death, my sin so grave –
He suffered to remove them;
To me His righteousness He gave;
For this I ever love Him.

Kingo: Thy love, O gracious God and Lord L 441:1.8 ELH 449:1 tr. G. A. T. Rygh and DeGarmeaux (st. 8);
tune: Durch Adams Fall