A Reading from the Book of Concord 3 year series July 18, 2010 - 8th S A Pentecost

The following reading from the CONCORDIA edition of the Book of Concord is for the LSB series C Epistle, Colossians 1:21-29 for the 8th S A Pentecost, July 18, 2010.

It is from Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, page 94.

for Pentecost 8 (Proper 11), July 18, 2010.

It is from the , .

The gospel message is that Christ reconciled us in his body of flesh to present us holy and blameless before God. Likewise, Paul, acting on Christ's behalf, suffered in the flesh to proclaim Christ that he may present us mature in Christ, continuing in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel.

Click here for the reading formatted for the back of a standard CPH bulletin.

Pastor Doug May
Socorro, New Mexico

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD	8TH S A PENTECOST
APOLOGY OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION	ARTICLE IV: JUSTIFICATION

The adversaries imagine that we have access to God through our own works. Paul, on the contrary, teaches that we have access to God (that is, reconciliation) through Christ. To show how this happens, he adds that we have access by faith. By faith, for Christ's sake, we receive forgiveness of sins. We cannot set up our own love and our own works against God's wrath.

It is certain that sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ as our Atoning Sacrifice, "whom God put forward as a propitiation" (Rom. 3:25). Furthermore, Paul adds, "by faith." Therefore, this atonement benefits us in this way: We receive the mercy promised in Him by faith and set it against God's wrath and judgment. To the same effect, it is written, "Since then we have a great high priest . let us then with confidence draw near" (Heb. 4:14, 16) The apostle tells us to come to God, not with confidence in our own merits, but with confidence in Christ as the High Priest.

Peter says, "To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name" (Acts 10:43). How could this be said more clearly? Peter says we receive forgiveness of sins through Christ's name, that is, for His sake. It is not for the sake of our merits, not for the sake of our contrition, love, worship, or works. He adds: When we believe in Him. (paragraphs 81-83)

Condensed from CONCORDIA: THE LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS, copyright 2005,2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of CONCORDIA, call 800-325-3040.

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