25 Sep October 17th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

 WE PREACH JESUS CHRIST AS LORD

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

The sinful nature of humanity has tampered with the message of the Christian church throughout the ages.  Within a short time after Jesus’ Ascension, Judaizers followed the Apostles wherever they went.  They insisted the Apostle’s were not preaching and teaching the entire message of salvation.  In addition to the necessity of believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, they said a person had to continue to observe faithfully all of the Old Testament Laws.

At the time of Luther, the Roman church was mixing the necessity of good works of various kinds with the gospel being necessary for salvation.  It was teaching a person could purchase with money God’s forgiveness of their sins.  They even taught a living person could purchase God’s forgiveness for those who had already died.

More recently, there were those who replaced the gospel with what became known as the social gospel.  Their message was that Jesus came into the world to bring about social reform.  They believed the purpose of the church was to strive to initiate and implement equality of people everywhere.

There is only one message God has given the Christian church to proclaim.  It is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.  It is to direct people to Jesus who alone is “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)  This message will never change because “there is no other name (the name Jesus) under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

St. Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:3-5)  It important for you and all people to remember, “. . . there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Prayer:  Lord, keep me ever in the one true faith in Jesus Christ to life everlasting.  In His holy name.  Amen.

We walk by faith and not by sight, No gracious words we hear

From Him who spoke as none e’er spoke, But we believe Him near.

We may not touch His hands and side, Nor follow where He trod;

But in His promise we rejoice And cry “My Lord, my God!”

Help then, O Lord, our unbelief; And may our faith abound

To call on You when You are near And seek where You are found.

For You, O resurrected Lord, Are found in means divine;

Beneath the water and the Word, Beneath the bread and wine.

Lord, when our life of faith is done, In realms of clearest light

We may behold You as You are, With full and endless sight.

(LSB 720)