A Reading from the Book of Concord 3 year series March 30, 2008 - Second Sunday of Easter

Standard LSB A Readings: First: Acts 5:29-42 Epistle: 1 Peter 1:3-9 Gospel: John 20:19-31 Psalm: Ps. 148

The following reading from the CONCORDIA edition of the Book of Concord is for the LSB Gospel John 20:19-31 for the Second Sunday of Easter, March 30, 2008.

It is from Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III, paragraphs 9-14, page 538.

The gift of faith created in us by the Holy Spirit is called a blessing, for it enables us, without seeing, to believe that Christ paid the penalty of our guilt and rose from the dead for our justification. Faith receives for us Christ's righteousness, life and salvation.

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	SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
FORMULA OF CONCORD, SOLID DECLARATION	ARTICLE III: THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH

A poor sinful person is justified before God, that is, absolved and declared free and exempt from all his sins and from the sentence of well-deserved condemnation.because of the sole merit, complete obedience, bitter suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Christ alone.

These treasures are brought to us by the Holy Spirit in the promise of the Holy Gospel. Faith alone is the only means through which we lay hold on, accept, apply, and take them for ourselves. This faith is God's gift [Ephesians 2:8-9], by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel and trust in Him. We trust that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the Father, and are eternally saved. Paul says, we are "justified by faith" (Romans 3:28) or "faith is counted as righteous-ness" (Romans 4:5). Faith justifies not because it is such a good work or because it is so beautiful a virtue. It justifies because it lays hold of and accepts Christ's merit in the promise of the Holy Gospel. For this merit must be applied and become ours through faith, if we are to be justified by it. Therefore, the righteousness that is credited to faith or to the believer out of pure grace is Christ's obedience, suffering, and resurrection, since He has made satisfaction for us to the Law and paid for our sins. (paragraphs 9-14)

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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