Fri.-Sabbath, 8/16-18/19 Devotion

Thank God—it is almost Sunday! We GET to go back to church again. What an amazing honor. In order to help us get ready for the Lord's Day, here is Martin Luther, from his preface to his astounding "Galatians" commentary. . . .

"Just as the earth does not generate rain and cannot of itself work to produce it, but receives it by the mere gift of God from above, so this heavenly right-eousness is given us by God without our working for or deserving it. See, then, how much the earth is able by itself to do in getting showers of rain to make it fruitful; that much, and no more, are we able to do by our own strength and works in winning this heavenly and eternal righteousness. We shall never be able to attain it unless God himself bestows it on us, imputing it to us by His gift beyond words.

"The greatest wisdom of Christians, then, is to have nothing to do with the law and works and the whole of active righteousness, especially when the con-science wrestles with God’s judgment. On the other hand, the quintessence of wisdom among those who are not among God’s people is to know and earnestly follow the law and active righteousness."