20 Feb March 8th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE  CHURCH AT THESSALONICA

CALLED BY THE GOSPEL

2 Thessalonians 2:15 “He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You, like David, were a sinner at your conception. (Psalm 51:5)  The Bible declares that because of your sins you were hostile to God (Romans 8:7), spiritually dead and separated from God.  (Ephesians 2:1) St. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Seeing you and all of humanity as spiritually dead and His enemies, God in love reached out to you to give you the gift of life. (John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9.)  Today’s devotional verse says that “He called you to this (faith in Jesus Christ) through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

The Small Catechism says that in your sin you were “spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God.  In this condition you could by your own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, your Lord or come to Him.”  Yet, out of His unfathomable love for you, God desired you to be forgiven of your sins so He sent His Holy Spirit to “call you by the Gospel to partake of the spiritual blessings that are yours in Christ.”  This means that “ . . . by the Gospel the Holy Spirit “enlightens you with His gifts giving you a saving knowledge of Jesus, so that you trust, rejoice, and find comfort  in Him.”

You, by God’s undeserved love and the sending of His Holy Spirit to work through the precious Gospel moved your heart to believe that Jesus Christ saved you from your sins and through Him you have received the gift of everlasting life.  God through Jesus removes His sentence  of eternal death and declares you sinless through the waters of Holy Baptism.

Prayer:  Father in heaven, thank you for choosing me to be Your child by adoption.  Keep me in the true faith to life everlasting.  Amen.

Oh, how great is Your compassion, Faithful Father, God of grace,

That with all our fallen race In our depth of degradation

You had mercy so that we Might be saved eternally!

Your great love for this has striven That we may, from sin made free, Live with You eternally. Your dear Son Himself has given

And extends His gracious call, To His supper leads us all.

Firmly to our soul’s salvation Witnesses Your Spirit, Lord,

In Your Sacraments and Word,  There He sends true consolation,

Giving us the gift of faith That we fear not hell nor death.

Lord, Your mercy will not leave me; Ever will Your truth abide.

Then in You I will confide, Since Your Word cannot deceive me,

My salvation is to me Safe and sure eternally.

I will praise Your great compassion, Faithful Father, God of grace,

That with all our fallen race In our depth of degradation

You had mercy so that we Might be saved eternally.

(LSB 559)