All Are Not Treated Alike
With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself perverse.
PSALM 18:26 (RSV)
+
All Are Not Treated Alike
The persons of the saints need to be distinguished from those of the perverse. For since the saints live uprightly in faith toward God and in love toward their neighbor, all that they do therefore is pleasing as well, whether sacrifices or the work of their hands, etc. Indeed, God is so well-pleased with His people that even their sins and errors do them no harm, and God is holy together with His saints even amid their sins. On the other hand, since the godless live perversely, caring nothing about faith toward God and mercy toward their neighbor, but boasting about their sacrifices and works and reveling in them, God also along with them makes Himself perverse and becomes perverse also to them. It is as if He were saying: "Since you reject My commandment about faith and mercy and do not deign to give it any place, I, in turn, will have no regard for your most sublime work of sacrifice—or, rather, to put it plainly, I do not want it! So far are your sins from being harmless to you that even your greatest merits are, for you, the greatest sins."
From Annotations on Matthew 1-18 (Luther's Works 67:70)
March 9
PSALM 18:26 (RSV)
+
All Are Not Treated Alike
The persons of the saints need to be distinguished from those of the perverse. For since the saints live uprightly in faith toward God and in love toward their neighbor, all that they do therefore is pleasing as well, whether sacrifices or the work of their hands, etc. Indeed, God is so well-pleased with His people that even their sins and errors do them no harm, and God is holy together with His saints even amid their sins. On the other hand, since the godless live perversely, caring nothing about faith toward God and mercy toward their neighbor, but boasting about their sacrifices and works and reveling in them, God also along with them makes Himself perverse and becomes perverse also to them. It is as if He were saying: "Since you reject My commandment about faith and mercy and do not deign to give it any place, I, in turn, will have no regard for your most sublime work of sacrifice—or, rather, to put it plainly, I do not want it! So far are your sins from being harmless to you that even your greatest merits are, for you, the greatest sins."
From Annotations on Matthew 1-18 (Luther's Works 67:70)
March 9
Posted in Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2024
January
Faith Comes By HearingAll Day LongThe Lord Keeps for HimselfSalvation Has ComeGrafted InStand Fast By FaithKindness and SeverityThe MysteryMercy on AllUnsearchableLiving SacrificesGiftsGenuine LoveThe Meaning of LifeGod EstablishedThe Summary of the Law is LoveThe Armor of LightMade to StandLiving to the LordEvery Knee Shall BowStumbling BlockTrue FreedomServant of the ChurchOur ExampleFellow WorkersAbound in HopeA Good TeacherGod’s WorkTravel PlansThe Fullness of His BlessingStrive TogetherWelcomeGreet One AnotherWatch Out
February
GreetingsAble to StrengthenAuthorityBlessed BeRedemption in His BloodSpiritual BlessingsGive ThanksDead Men WalkingBy GraceImmeasurable RichesBy GraceGod's WorkmanshipSeparatedBrought NearNo More HostilityTotal AccessFellow CitizensFor This ReasonMystery RevealedLeast of AllEternal PurposeFaith in HimSpiritual StrengthAbundant GiftWalk in LoveChrist's MeasureGifts to MenUnity of the FaithTo and Fro
March
Truth in LoveWalking a New PathA New SelfPut Away FalsehoodNew LifeImitators of GodSons of DisobedienceChildren of LightThe Will of the LordOne FleshFilled with the SpiritThe Church SubmitsChrist LovesProfound MysteryChildren of PromiseBring Them UpBondservants of ChristYour MasterStrong in the Lord