Seventh Sunday after Trinity – Sunday

Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. – I Peter 2:9.

Here on earth there is a generation, a people, that is gathered from among all nations. It is God’s chosen generation. All its members are spiritual kings and priests, who rule over the devil, the world, and their own flesh (through God’s rule of all things on their behalf), and offer their hearts and lives as a sacrifice to God. It is a holy nation, because it has received the righteousness of Christ by faith, and serves God with holy works. It is a peculiar people, a people of God’s possession, purchased by Him to be His own forever. It shows forth and proclaims, by word and deed, the excellencies of God, and spreads abroad the glory of His name.

This is the generation, the people, which God has called, which, by His almighty call of grace, He has called out of the darkness of sin and unbelief into His marvelous light, the light of His grace which is in Christ Jesus, the light of faith in Christ Jesus. This generation, this people, is the whole Christian Church on earth, the true Christian Church, all the true believers whom the Holy Ghost calls by the Gospel, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. This is the one Holy Christian Church on earth, the communion of saints, the communion of those who are sanctified through faith in Christ. This is the generation, the people, which makes a joyful noise, and is glad, and sings: “Know ye that the Lord, He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

This generation, this people, is called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified by the grace of God alone. Its supreme focus and greatest joy are the saving grace of God in Christ. And what wondrous grace has been bestowed upon this people! What a blessed people this is! And you, O Christian, belong to this people!

PRAYER – Thanks be to Thee, heavenly Father and eternal God, that, by the Holy Ghost, working through Thy Word, Thou hast also called me to Christ, my Savior, and hast made me a partaker of His salvation by faith, so that I belong to that chosen generation which is Thy holy nation and Thy peculiar people in time and in eternity. I pray Thee, Lord, graciously continue to bestow on me the gifts of Thy Spirit, working through Thy Word,  that, before all the world, I may show forth Thy praises and glorify Thee, who so graciously hast called me out of darkness into Thy marvelous light. Amen.

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, vouchsafe within our souls to rest;

come with Thy grace and heav’nly aid, and fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

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Thy light to every thought impart, and shed Thy love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state, with deathless might invigorate.

(Hymn 233, st. 1 and 4; TLH)