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The following reading from the CONCORDIA edition of the Book of Concord is for the LSB Gospel, John 6:51-69 for the 11th S. a. Pentecost, August 16, 2009. It is from Large Catechism, Apostles Creed, paragraphs 40-45, pages 403-404. The Holy Spirit using God's word creates faith in Christ, whose words are eternal life. Click here for the reading formatted for the back of a standard CPH bulletin. Pastor Doug May
What do you mean "I believe in the Holy Spirit?" Answer, "I believe that the Holy Spirit makes me holy, as His name implies." "But how does He accomplish this, or what are His method and means to this end?" Answer, "By the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. For the Spirit has His own congregation in the world, which is the mother that conceives and bears every Christian through God's Word. Through the Word He reveals and preaches, He illumines and enkindles hearts, so that they understand, accept, cling to, and persevere in the Word." Where the Spirit does not cause the Word to be preached and roused in the heart so that it is understood, it is lost. Under the papacy faith was entirely put under the bench. No one recognized Christ as his Lord or the Holy Spirit as his Sanctifier. No one believed that Christ has gained this treasure for us, without our works and merit, and made us acceptable to the Father. The Holy Spirit was not there to reveal it and cause it to be preached. But men and evil spirits taught us to obtain grace and be saved by our works. For where Christ is not preached, there is no Holy Spirit who creates, calls, and gathers the Christian Church, without which no one can come to Christ the Lord. (paragraphs 40-45)
These are excerpts from the Book of Concord.
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