God’s word, the gospel, is the very power of salvation. This is how God bequests the eternal inheritance of the saints. He constructs a Christian through the word of his grace—in other words, through the righteousness of Christ.
Everywhere Jesus traveled, he healed people, and fed them, but also taught them in the synagogues, as well as on the mountains and plains. Never once did he complain that all those people ever wanted out of him was his word.
Great blessing awaits those who have developed the practice of going to worship on the Lord’s Day. But if they attend church only to go through the motions, not truly involved in the what is happening...
We spend our days working for the food to feed ourselves and our families, struggling for higher position, and trying to keep illness and death at bay. These were the very temptations that faced Jesus in the wilderness.
Be persuaded by the testimony of Scripture to worship God as he commands, not as the civil law or cultural conscience dictate. In other words, if local, state, or federal law change to the degree of demanding that you must not worship on the Lord’s Day, you have but one option, Christian.
Why are you in the kingdom but to be a suitable subject, doing your king’s bidding? But what is his will? you may wonder. He has made this matter obvious, though the details may seem unclear.
Would you be ignoble? Ignore the Scriptures. Would you be honorable? Attend to the weekly service to hear the word of God read and expounded.
Christians worship, not only when commanded, but when there is need. Are you a sinner in need of forgiveness? Worship. Are you thankful? Worship.
On their way to worship, Paul and Silas were hounded by a slave fortune teller, whom they healed of demonic possession, essentially cutting of a flow of money to her owners. For this, they had Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned.
Take a break. Find respite from the hubbub every day, if you can. It is a great way to honor the First Commandment, to put the Lord first in your day. But certainly take a break on the Lord’s Day.
What is the aim of the gospel? That question will guide you in determining if something is a matter of the spirit or a religious observance.
When we read the law, much less try to keep it, we must also hear the word of grace. The commandments do us no good without God’s grace.
Find a way! Speak their language while proclaiming the word of truth. Teach in different ways. Get through to them, especially as pertains to these first commandments.
This is what The Small Catechism does; it teaches us to put on the only righteousness that is effective. It instructs us to fear, love, and trust in God, who alone is our righteousness.
We do well to entrust ourselves to God. He is faithful to strengthen us and protect us from evil. He is faithful to so in this life and save us for the life to come.
Poor Job was tormented by his friends, shunned by his family, and was of the opinion that God was after him. Did he simply complain about his plight? Was he reduced to whining about his tribulations?
There is no easier way for the works of God to be demonstrated in our lives than by our calling upon the Father. See the different ways we pray it is so. May your name be holy among us.
In this example of Herod, we may quickly observe what is important to God. Herod was full of himself, wanting people to hear his words.
Some people, those relying on their own old nature, cannot bear to hear God’s word, let alone understand it. They will not listen, because they are not of God; they do not have a new nature.
The disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. Some say that this means “little Christs.” If so—if Christians are those who would imitate him—their lying would immediately bring dishonor to the name of the God whom they follow.
The worst way to take God’s name in vain, is to say or believe that favor from God is received in one’s own name, his own reputation—in other words, by the merits of what he does.
Jesus uses the Name in a doubly devout manner. Not only does he teach what his Father sent him to teach, he gives God the credit too. Jesus’ teaching depended on the reputation of the one who sent him.
Jesus taught us in the Fifth Petition of his prayer to trust in God for forgiveness of our sins. Human nature reasons that our suffering is caused by God no longer loving us, and that there must be a reason for the loss of his care.
Why is it that God is so concerned with words, that we speak the truth and use his name, his reputation, with care? Words, true words, create life. They create faith in Christ Jesus, which leads to eternal life.
Fear is a good thing. But we say that we do not want our children growing up, fearing the Lord. We want them to fear hot stoves, bad influences, and other harmful things, but not to fear taking the Lord’s name in vain.