The Large Catechism – part 62
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Judges 6:36–38
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
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From the Confessions: The Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments
The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods before me.
Reflect for yourself; make inquiries; then tell me. Those who have employed all their care and diligence in the accumulation great possessions and wealth, what have they secured in the end? You will discover that they have wasted their effort and labor, or if they have accumulated great treasure, that they have been turned to dust and disappeared. They never found happiness in their wealth, and it never reached the third generation.
Pulling It Together: If you would trust anything in this life, trust that which has been from the beginning, that truth which continues to flow down to us today. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Trust in the Word. He is faithful, not only to care for your earthly needs but to sanctify your whole person — body, mind, and spirit — in his peace (1 Thessalonians 5:22–24). Trust in the Word who spoke his peaceful benediction over you at the font. Trust him because he said so, because he promised. Take to heart the sign for Gideon, who arose in the morning to find the fleece soaked with water while all around was dry. Have you been baptized? Though all around you seems dry and dead, his promise over you remains. Do not question God’s word. He is full of grace and truth, and is faithful to keep his word to you, bestowing true happiness, grace without limit.
Prayer: Sanctify me by your truth, Lord; your word is truth. Amen.
Click here for resources to learn the Ten Commandments.
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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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