Five Minutes a Day with Luther - 06-01-2012

[Five Minutes with Luther]

FIVE MINUTES A DAY WITH LUTHER

** Now available in book form: http://lcmssermons.com/about5mins.php **


June 1

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who
reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the
Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His
blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.

* * *

This is the superscription and subscription, Here you quickly
perceive that it is the Gospel which St. Peter preaches. He
calls himself an apostle, that is, one sent to declare a
message. So he would now say: I am an apostle of Jesus Christ,
that is, I have a command from Jesus Christ that I, from Christ,
am to proclaim to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
etc. Thus he writes to those who had previously been heathen,
but were now converted to the faith, and had joined the
believing Jews. They are elect, he says. How? Not of
themselves, but according to God's purpose, for we are unable to
raise ourselves to heaven, or create faith within ourselves. By
the sanctifying work of the Spirit. God has predestined us that
we should be holy. Holiness is not that which consists in the
estate of monks, priests, and nuns; it is a spiritual word,
meaning that there is an inward holiness in the spirit before
God. That you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His
blood. Here, he says, are we made holy, if we are obedient and
believe the Word of Christ and are sprinkled with His blood. We
are saved through faith in Christ and His Word. May grace and
peace be yours in fullest measure. Grace is God's favor, which
now begins in us, but which must continue to increase and grow
even till death. Such is the desire of St. Peter for those that
believed, and it is a true Christian greeting, with which all
Christians might greet one another.

To Thee, Lord Jesus, thanks we give,
Who diedst for us. that we might live,
And through Thy holy, precious blood,
Hast made us righteous before God.

---
Cuda.
aka Pastor Robin Fish
To be Lutheran is to be Christian -- and Vice Versa!

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These daily readings are now available in book form;
read about it at http://lcmssermons.com/about5mins.php.