Jesus calls us his brothers, not because of anything we have done to merit this inclusion in his family, but because we believe on him for salvation.
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God's Word and works in the Sacraments are not idle, but instead set people free from sin, death, the devil, and every sort of fear.
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You may be a birthright Jew, or a birthright Quaker, but without being born again, a salvation through the Word of Christ, there can be no salvation.
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When we receive Holy Communion, we should be careful to increase love, to find our neighbor who is in need and reach out to him in Christ's name.
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If you would be a Christian, then you must not be terribly alarmed or impatient at the the torments of the world and of the devil.
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We have the clear Word of God as testimony for us who believe, that Christ gave himself as a grace to be received in the bread and wine of his table.
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May you be a fresh lump with whom Christ Jesus being worked in, that the grace and power of the Spirit may continue to work out your salvation.
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The one who desires Holy Communion should receive all of it, not the bread alone but the cup of the New Covenant in Christ's blood as well.
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"The baptized Christian is born a citizen of heaven through baptism. We should be mindful of this fact and walk here as if native there."
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We may know the Lord's presence everywhere through the Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the blessed Sacraments.
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May you have faith in God, believing the unbelievable, that sin and death are overcome for you, not because you earned it, but for Christ's sake.
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We aim to believe in what is written in the words of Scripture, so that we may have a faith like Enoch, faith in the God who takes up his people to himself.
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We are left to believe the Word, the word of Christ, and his works that follow after us. not in our own works, but by faith in the word of the cross.
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The Christian life is not a matter of outward appearance but of living by the Word and through faith in and under the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
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Faith must be of a character that excludes all works, personal devotion, piety, or holiness as the reason for salvation, and trusts in Christ alone — that through his death, resurrection, and ascension we are saved from sin and death.
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God demands admission or confession of sin, and that people everywhere repent of their sins, turning away from self to God through his Savior.
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When anxiety, distress, or other trials come your way, hold fast to the Word, keep the faith, you will see Christ clearly there, and he will again bring you joy.
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We confess that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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The old saying that confession is good for the soul is not sufficiently correct; it is the absolute forgiveness of sins that is good for the souls of sinners.
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One finds in Jesus strength and comfort against all vice and bad habits, as true Christians incorporate the life and name of Christ into their own lives.
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Do not try to work yourself up to a feeling of being forgiven and loved by God, but ask him for the faith to know Christ crucified, and the assurance of salvation.
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No one but Christ Jesus has suffered for the sins of others, yet his passion, his suffering and death, avail for the salvation of every sinner who believes on him.
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Whoever disregards the life of Christ on earth, wishing to find eternal life in some other way than he accomplished for us, fails to find salvation.
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In order to keep our focus on God, instead of on self, we are sometimes given a gift: an affliction of the flesh that makes us rely upon God.
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It is the sin of all who have ever lived — including you and me — that sent Christ Jesus to the cross to pay the ransom for of a whole world of sinners.
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Life is sometimes difficult, so we must hold firmly in faith to the word and promises of God in Jesus Christ found in the Scriptures, The Holy Bible.
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This is our hope — our only hope: Christ Jesus — that we might believe in him, and having such faith, come to see him on that great and glorious Day.
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Like children imitating their parents, we should imitate God, especially in doing good things for our neighbors so that the Father is glorified in us.
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We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things, trusting him through his Word, more than feelings, works, or even his good gifts.
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God will keep his promise that the seed of the woman will bruise the head of the serpent, establishing Seth in that line that would herald the Savior.
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We are to turn the other cheek, trusting in God above all things — even government, even ourselves — that he will avenge wrongdoing.
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Lack of faith is what drives us East of Eden, away from the presence of God, the communion of saints, the church, Christ's kingdom, and eternal life.
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God may show mercy even to the unjust so that they may have time to repent and know the full and certain assurance of his love and care.
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Nothing would thwart God's plan, not even Adam's and Eve's disobedience — our our own. He has promised a Savior, and delivered on his promise.
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Be careful how you respond to God when he confronts you with your sins, especially when it involves your neighbor, or family, your closest neighbors.
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God has no desire to forget us and so, those who love the Lord will live on in his memory and in another, blessed life so that we may remain in his love.
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Whatever day it is, the promise of the gospel abounds for you, making it the acceptable day for your salvation. Believe! and it will be a brand new day.
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The office of the ministry will always be disgraced by some, as Christ Jesus himself was dishonored, simply because his Word is proclaimed as truth.
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The preacher must not present an obstacle to the Word that results from his life, and especially from his doctrine, so they refuse to believe because of him.
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We are weak in the flesh, yes, but this is all the more reason to strive for purity and to live in holiness since Christ Jesus has made us holy.
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There have been and will always be those who would take advantage of your liberty in Christ, insisting you must do this and that to be saved.
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One needs more than purification of the body in order to be at peace with God. The conscience must be cleansed by faith in the shed blood of Jesus.
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There should be a grateful and increasing degree of perfection in the doctrines we have received, perceiving our errors and striving to mend our ways.
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Everyone — even old Noah, your pastor, and your child — is a sinner who can do nothing without God's assistance. Admit it, and salvation begins.
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The wastelands of unclean spirits are nothing more than unbelieving hearts, Evil is anxious to return home, so keep believing and exercising your faith.
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The law condemns but the gospel takes away all despair, so that, even if one has only some crumbs of faith, she may believe and be a child of God.
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The bare Word of God is what must make the difference for us — not disappointment or glee or any other feeling. Cling to the Word alone!
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All works of love, then, must be directed, as commanded, to our needy neighbors. In these lowly ones we are to find, love, serve, and honor God.
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Be careful that you are not tempted to believe twisted Scriptures, especially when it concerns false promises for your soul. Christ alone is our Promise.
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We do not live by the nourishment of the body alone. We also need spiritual sustenance, or as Jesus says, "that word that proceeds from the mouth of God"
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What do you want Jesus to do for you? Heal some spiritual blindness? Increase your faith? Hear the gospel and receive God's grace? Ask and you shall receive.
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Jesus was able to be patient with his accusers and attackers because he did not entrust himself to their judgment but to him who judges justly.
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We should cheerfully suffer want and temptation for the service of God and the good of our neighbor, like Christ did for us.
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"Reason, flesh and blood, cannot understand, nor grasp that the Scriptures should say how the Son of man must be crucified...to suffer for us."
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We are to owe no person anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law and commandments.
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The gifts of God are to be used in service of neighbor so that God receives the glory for our actions. This is accomplished when we serve with love.
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You just can't win sometimes. Trying to defend yourself does not work; you just get judged all the more. All you can do is entrust yourself to God.
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We are forgiven only if we continue in faith and are occupied with purging out the impurity that remains in us. Life is daily repentance and forgiveness: purging.
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Are you gracious or harsh and demanding of others? We must show mercy and grace to our neighbor, as we have been shown these by Christ.
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God can bring life and healing to the lives of others through your faith, as seen in biblical examples like the centurion who had faith for another.
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Jesus came to earth to do his Father's will, to die for a world's sin. It was his passion, his Plan A; there was no Plan B.
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All works are good, so long as they are done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for his glory, as directed by him rather than by one's own ability.
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Don't you love a good mystery, one told well and ends well? That is what Jesus came to proclaim, a mystery for the ages revealed for you.
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Peter's and Luther's doctrine of the priesthood of believers is central to Paul's teaching on honoring weaker members of the body of Christ.
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The gospel leaves us no room to doubt the Lord's favor, for the first and the last to believe his word will receive his eternal and generous salvation.
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When there is but infinite day, we will require faith no more, nor hope. Love is the permanent thing, and therefore, the greatest of the three that now abide.
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Come to Christ because you are a sinner, not because you think he must have someone as great and pious as you. Come with faith in him, not in yourself.
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A Christian does not live life aimlessly. This life is a race to the prize, eternal life in Jesus Christ, and so, must be run with passion and purpose.
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Seek! Search! Look everywhere else. But you will never find Christ Jesus anywhere else but in the holy Scripture. The Spirit will reveal himself there.
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Take the Word of God "as it stands," as it is written, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit who works through that very Word in all his people.
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A Christian glories in the things of which other men are ashamed — in the cross and in his sufferings. For the world will not long endure the Word.
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As much as you are able, live in peace with all; spend time with those of humble circumstance. Be a blessing to your neighbor.
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Marriage, because it is God's institution, will be a difficult work, as the flesh will resist and rebel, as it always does against doing God's will.
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Love desires the best for its neighbor, even when one's neighbor does not desire the best for you, so one must pray for them even when they are not neighborly.
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Jesus allowed for believers and unbelievers alike in the church, so that both might be spared, believers from violent uprooting, and unbelievers an opportunity to believe.
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Each Christian has been given a calling, and with that calling a particular gift or gifts to fulfill the calling. These do not make her better or happier than another.
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God permits us to fail in order to make us seek him in his Word. Do not despair when things do not go your way. God is calling you.
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Paul does not put much emphasis on foretelling the future, but on the explanation of the Scriptures, so that there may be faith in the gospel.
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Love is virtue pure and precious. It neither utters, nor thinks any evil of its neighbor. It rather covers sin; not one sin, nor two, but a “multitude of sins.”
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Our worship and good works are to be done for Christ's sake, not because we think that we earn salvation through our deeds or piety.
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Good and bad happens to bad and so-called good people alike. The difference is how one responds, and why, and from where their peace comes.
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If salvation in Christ's light is to be brought about, all other righteousness in ourselves, sought outside of Christ with works, must be rejected.
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Christians are not to be ruled by their feelings or reasoning, for these are matters of their will. But God's will revealed through his Word transforms them.
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Simeon was not impressed by appearances and so, could bless Christ Jesus. If appearances are our motivation, we will not bless Jesus.
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Let us be clear; Luther is not saying that God rewards our works and obedience with salvation. God grants salvation through faith in his grace alone (Eph 2:8–9).
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Christians are priests, each and every one of them, and as priests, are to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. That sacrifice is self for the honor God.
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This section of John’s gospel is not in the earliest manuscripts. The story intrigues me, nonetheless. We wonder what Jesus wrote in the dirt. I like to imagine it was the name of a woman each of the accusers had secretly committed adultery with...
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To be sure, the precise meaning of today’s verse is that one who reads the Revelation to the church is blessed. The church is also blessed if they listen and obey.
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Christians should not curse—in the sense of wishing evil in a person's life. However, Christians are to censure and reprove evil in the hope of good.
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There is more to being persuaded than for a child to believe the Fourth Commandment. Another side of the persuasion is adults teaching it to the little ones.
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God allows suffering to guard against presumption, as example to others to repent, and as preparation for finding Christ, and keeping him.
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One must walk in God’s light; you cannot invent your own well lit pathway. God is the way, so we must walk in his truth. Many would spin God’s truth into their own brand of truth...
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Would you do things to brighten your standing with God? Then you would simply shine with your own dim, human qualities. The Christian, however, reflects a divine glory...
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Having Christ's Spirit within us, we are to love our neighbors so fully through that it seems as though we are indebted to love our them.
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When the scroll of life is opened, what will it say about you? How will it record your response to the great commandment? Will you have loved the Lord your God so much as to believe in him and take him at his word?
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Love of neighbor does not justify us to God. Faith in God does however, compel us to love our neighbor, and this is evidence of faith, and love of God.
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Faith embraces its vocation because it is freed to do so, because it trusts in another. The one who has faith, trusts in God instead of his or her own talents, work ethic, labor, or cunning.
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The light exposes the darkness of human reason, doctrine, and works, and displays our need of the grace and glory of he who is Light from Light, true God from true God.
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Should the created vaunt itself over the Creator? This logic follows downward. Next to the Father come father and mother, those whom God has put in charge.
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The magi may not have known who the newborn king truly was, but you and I are called to attend to our vocations, then think only how we may know Christ.
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If you will not do your job, it will be taken from you. Parenting is important, especially godly parenting. There is no difference between the old leaders of Israel...
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