And yet, by Your Grace, I am unafraid.

[JM]

I found the following during my morning devotion in my "Lutheran Book of Prayer (http://www.amazon.com/Lutheran-Book-Prayer-Concordia-House/dp/0758608594)", it's from a prayer titled, "Devotion at the Approach of Death."

_____________

Have mercy on me, O Lord, I fear your judgments, for they are just and true.

"The wages of sin is death," and my death is just and well deserved. I am a sinner, from the moment You breathed life into me until the day of my death; I am a child of Adam, doomed to die. My sin is always before me, now more than ever as I lie on my bed and ponder my life. O Father, how I have sinned against You and those around me! I am ashamed even to admit it. I sometimes try to minimize it to others and say, "I've lived a good life," but I know the truth. Every day of my life has been soilded with sin. I am afraid of dying. I fear the unknown; I fear losing hold on my life.

And yet, by Your grace, I am unafraid.

Your psalmist says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints," and the Holy Spirit cries out from heaven, "Blessed are [those] who die in the Lord." I cling to these words. Your Son, Jesus, my Lord, became man to take up my sins and my sinfulness in His own sinless humanity and to bury it all in His perfect death. He embraced me on His cross, and in Him I already am judged and crucified.

Grant me to trust this with all my heart!

_____________

Often I forget about the warning Edwards gives us, "Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the greater part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done. He does not intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take effectual care, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail." This mornings devotional was important to me and much needed, I just thought I pass it along. The prayer book has been a great help.

Peace,

j

[Edial]

Hi J.
I see the Grace of God as very effectual in our weakness.
I am not talking in a context of salvation, but in everyday life.

To me, one of the aspects of the grace of God is protection from evil (or the evil one).
We have just a vague understanding why and when God allows or disallows the evil to touch us.

So, we rely on His Grace and Mercy and Wisdom.

Grace of God is also very effectualy when evil already touched us.
Paul was left with that thorn is the flesh, because in his weakness he'll rely on God's grace.
And having grace of God is sufficient for our spiritual life.

Grace of God gives me comfort in trials of life, since through these trials I experience His Grace.

God is EXTREMELY loving and caring, because He uses His most comforting aspect, His Grace, when we need it most, when we hurt.

Thanks, :)
Ed

[RadMan]

Even though it was a good devotion I'm at the age that I would rather not "reflect" on it. It's too much of an immediate reality. There's always the thoughts of the unknown even though I know I'm saved and I going to heaven. I live for the here and now. It's like someone worrying about the "end times". If you're a Christian it doesn't matter.

[maylor]

I got a copy of the Lutheran Book of Prayer for Christmas. That little book is the best gift I received for the holiday.

We sang the hymn Amazing Grace last sunday in church. I've heard this song many times over the course of my life, and now for the first time it has real meaning for me, for my life.

The lyrics:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.


Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.


When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

The last stanza brought a tear to my eye, a tear of joy.
To spend eternity praising and thanking Almighty God for his unending love, mercy and grace will be wonderful indeed!

[DaRev]

I got a copy of the Lutheran Book of Prayer for Christmas. That little book is the best gift I received for the holiday.

We sang the hymn Amazing Grace last sunday in church. I've heard this song many times over the course of my life, and now for the first time it has real meaning for me, for my life.

The lyrics:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.


Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.


When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

The last stanza brought a tear to my eye, a tear of joy.
To spend eternity praising and thanking Almighty God for his unending love, mercy and grace will be wonderful indeed!

You won't find the second verse above in a Lutheran hymnal because it confuses Law and Gospel.

[maylor]

You won't find the second verse above in a Lutheran hymnal because it confuses Law and Gospel.

You're right, pastor even made a comment to us that the original lyrics were different from those we were going to sing. I copy/pasted lyrics from a random site and didn't actually check to see if they were the same as in our hymnal.

[DaRev]

You're right, pastor even made a comment to us that the original lyrics were different from those we were going to sing. I copy/pasted lyrics from a random site and didn't actually check to see if they were the same as in our hymnal.

And I understand that the last verse is attributed to Harriet Beecher Stowe.

[maylor]

And I understand that the last verse is attributed to Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Correct, pastor talked a bit about John Newton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newton) in the sermon and mentioned that Harriet Beecher Stowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe) authored the lines I refered to previously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace

[JM]

How is the last verse Law?

[DaRev]

How is the last verse Law?

The last verse is fine.

The second verse gives the impression that our reception of God's grace is dependent upon our believing, when in fact our believing is a result of God's grace. The verse has it backwards.

[JM]

In the second verse, the way I understood it, "appear" simply refers to the apprehension of Grace by the sinner. Grace didn't appear to the sinner because of belief but the idea of Grace being "precious" the "hour I first believed." Believing was a result of the lines one and two.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

If you'll notice line two has a reverse in thought, "my fears relieved by Grace." Lines three and four, I think, are also a reversal in thought, "the hour I believe I came to understand how precious Grace is." [appear: To come or be in sight. Websters 1828].

I can't be certain about it, I could be wrong and often am...but knowing the work of John Newton, he was a Calvinist and probably wouldn't have wanted it understood the way you good folks do.

Any links to quick articles about Law and Grace?

Thanks.

j

[filosofer]

Well, the other problem with the second verse is that Gospel is used in two different senses (Wide sense of all of God's Word including the Law - "'twas grace that taught my heart to fear"; narrow sense of true Gospel - "and grace my fears relieved").

[DaRev]

Well, the other problem with the second verse is that Gospel is used in two different senses (Wide sense of all of God's Word including the Law - "'twas grace that taught my heart to fear"; narrow sense of true Gospel - "and grace my fears relieved").



This, too, is true.

[JM]

Oh, I see it's a difference of theology that causes us to view these verses differently.

Reformed view
In his Institutes of the Christian Religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutes_of_the_Christian_Religion), the Reformer John Calvin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin) likewise distinguished three uses in the Law. Calvin wrote: "That the whole matter may be made clearer, let us take a succinct view of the office and use of the Moral Law. Now this office and use seems to me to consist of three parts."[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_and_Gospel#_note-inst1)

By "exhibiting the righteousness of God, — in other words, the righteousness which alone is acceptable to God, — it admonishes every one of his own unrighteousness, certiorates, convicts, and finally condemns him."[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_and_Gospel#_note-inst2)
It acts "by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice."[10] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_and_Gospel#_note-inst3)
"The third use of the Law. . .has respect to believers in whose hearts the Spirit of God already flourishes and reigns. . . . For it is the best instrument for enabling them daily to learn with greater truth and certainty what that will of the Lord is which they aspire to follow, and to confirm them in this knowledge. . ."[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_and_Gospel#_note-inst4)This scheme is the same as the Formula of Concord, with the exception that the first and second uses are transposed.

Paul preached the Gospel to Felix in Acts 24 and he trembled, James tells us to believe and tremble, the women who trembled with fear fell down before Christ MK 5, when God's Grace is revealed we fear until we trust and then we fear again because the Glory of God is apprehened or understood.

Thanks for the give and take.

j