Concerning the Mass – part 28
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Peter 2:4-5
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
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From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession
But our opponents always apply the term “sacrifice” to the ceremony alone. They exclude the preaching of the gospel, faith, prayer, and similar things, even though the ceremony has been established because of these. The New Testament requires sacrifices of the heart, not ceremonies for sin that are to be performed in the manner of a Levitical priesthood.
Pulling It Together
That holy priesthood called the Church is the temple of God through which sacrifices are to be made to him. We do not mean physical sacrifices. For Christ is the physical sacrifice that ended the need for further sacrifices of flesh. Rather, we are to offer ourselves to God in spiritual sacrifices of the heart like praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and other forms of worship. These are the sacrifices that God accepts for Christ’s sake. But they do not remove our sin (Hebrews 10:11). Rather, they are the joyful sacrifices of those who have been redeemed by Christ Jesus, who is the only sacrifice that has remitted sin (Hebrews 10:14).
Prayer: Teach me to worship you aright, O Lord. Amen
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Author
Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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