A reading from the Book of Concord - 3 year series - October 18, 2015

[A Book of Concord Reading]

The following reading from the CONCORDIA edition of the Book of
Concord is for the Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 for the Pentecost 21,
series B, October 18, 2015.

It is from Solid Declaration, Article II, pages 523-524.

The desires of our heart are contrary to God's will and deceitful
because they don't give us the lasting happiness we expect.

The reading is formatted for the back of a standard CPH bulletin
at
http://lcmssermons.com/images/boc/CY2015/Proper%2024%20B.OT.doc

Pastor Doug May
Socorro, New Mexico
dou...@fishers.net

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD - 3 YEAR SERIES
PENTECOST 21, SERIES B
SOLID DECLARATION
ARTICLE II, FREE WILL

God's Word testifies that the intellect, heart, and will of the
natural, unregenerate person in divine things are turned
entirely away from God. Also, a person is not only weak,
incapable, unfit, and dead to good, but is also sadly perverted,
infected, and corrupted by original sin so that he is entirely
evil, perverse, and hostile to God by his nature and
disposition. He is very strong, alive, and active in everything
that is displeasing and contrary to God.

For the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.
(Genesis 8:21)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
(Jeremiah 17:9)

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. (Romans
8:7)

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the
desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are
opposed to each other. (Galatians 5:17)

I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my
members another law waging war against the law of my mind and
making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
(Romans 7:22-23)

The natural or fleshly free will in St. Paul and in other
regenerate people strives against God's Law, even after
regeneration. (paragraphs 17-18)

Condensed from CONCORDIA: THE LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS, copyright
2005 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, visit
http://bocl.org/concordia or call 800-325-3040

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