Five Minutes a Day with Luther - 05-16-2017

[Five Minutes with Luther]

FIVE MINUTES A DAY WITH LUTHER

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


May 16

Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires.

* * *

The Apostle calls these Christian virtues the fruits of the
Spirit, for they bring with them most excellent fruits and
benefits. All those who have them give glory to God, and with
these fruits draw and entice others to embrace the doctrine and
faith of Christ. Then he names these virtues, with which the
Christian gives glory to God, and says: "Against such things
there is no Law." As he says in another place: "The Law is not
given for the righteous man." For the righteous live in such a
way that they have no need of any Law to admonish or to constrain
them, but without the compulsion of the Law, they willingly do
those things which the Law requires. They have received the
Holy Ghost by faith, who will not permit them to be idle.
Although the flesh may resist, still they walk after the Spirit.
So a Christian accomplishes the Law inwardly by faith, for
Christ is the fulfilling of the Law for righteousness to all
that believe; outwardly by works and remission of sins. This
whole section concerning works shows that the true believers are
not hypocrites. They are also provoked to anger, uncleanness,
etc., which, nevertheless, they do not do, but crucify the
flesh, that is, they repress the wantonness of the flesh, and
walk according to the Spirit. When they are admonished by the
threatenings of God, in which He declares that He will severely
punish sin, they are afraid to commit sin, and being armed with
the Word of God, with faith and prayer, they do not obey the
lusts of the flesh.

That gladly I obey Thy Word,
Create in me a new heart, Lord,
And naught but what Thou wilt, desire;
With such new life my soul inspire.

---
Cuda.
aka Pastor Robin Fish
Lutheran to the core -- and just a little beyond.

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