14 Trinity – Sunday
Daily Devotional Materials
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
– Sunday –
Devotion
Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. – Acts 3:19.
We all are poor, miserable sinners. There is no doubt about that. But there are penitent and impenitent sinners. Penitent sinners are such as sincerely repent of their sins, believe in their Savior Jesus Christ, and are willing to amend. Impenitent sinners are such as do not repent of their sins, do not truly believe in the Savior, and are not willing to amend. The Law is to be preached to all sinners, penitent as well as impenitent. But the application of the Gospel to the individual, the consolation of the Gospel applied to the individual, by which he is assured of the grace of God, and by which the absolution, or forgiveness of sins, is pronounced to him–̶that is for penitent sinners only. For the sins of him who repents and is converted shall be blotted out. This is the divine rule which we know, and which our text teaches us. To the impenitent sinners the consolation of the Gospel is not to be given, nor that of Baptism, nor that of the Lord’s Supper, nor that of absolution. To the impenitent sinners, when they become manifest as such, their sins are to be retained. And the Office of the Keys, with the public administration of which, on the part of the congregation, the pastors have been commissioned, is the peculiar, the special, and singular church power which Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of the penitent sinners, but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent. May God graciously grant you, my dear Christian, at all times to be a penitent sinner, in order that you may be filled with the consolation of the Gospel, the consolation that your sins are blotted out.
PRAYER. – O Lord, gracious God, do not let me fall into a state of impenitence through the deceit of sin! Take me into Thy gracious keeping, and for the sake of Jesus Christ bestow on me Thy Holy Spirit, that I may always repent of my sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and willingly amend my sinful life. And thus lead me to the fount of grace which Thou hast caused to flow for me in Thy Word and Sacrament, that there I may find abundant comfort. Amen.
Bible Reading
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
Additional Material
- Source materials used for these Daily Devotions
- Read the KJV Bible Online
- Read the book of Psalms