We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  (1Jo 3:14 NIV)

Love and life belong together. Just like the corollary hatred and death fitting fist-in-glove. Love and life go together, yes, love is life. Whoever loves his brothers is alive. And when he previously was hating them and now has been converted to loving them, then he has moved from death to life. We know this, writes the apostle St. John. This goes a long way to prove that this is knowable and that we can recognize it if one has moved from death into life and thus into the new, eternal life of God. It is possible to know this and that we are reborn to eternal life. This knowledge grants peace, quite and assured confidence. God wants us to have and experience this. Therefore it is not only strange, but also wrong and deplorable if somebody thinks it to be a sign of modesty and humility to be ignorant about the status of his/her soul and inner life. Often such ignorance is just a bad cover-up for the negative condition that is prevailing still. One tries to be something even though there is nothing of faithful consequence or lasting substance. Poor human race! Woe to those, who are confident in the own standing while his/her name has long ago been scratched from the list of eternal salvation.

O saviour of our souls Lord Jesus Christ! Confirm us in our gracious salvation. Let your love determine our entire being and innermost heart. Strengthen our faith, that nothing can rent us asunder from your caring hand. Grant us a sensitive conscience, that we hate and deplore sin and develop a sensitivity of all that is contrary to your will and ways and keep that far away from us and our lives. Grant us steadfastness in faith and Christian hope, that we will build entirely on your meritorious and vicarious salvation, while despairing in all our own being, thoughts and deeds. Lord, we trust in you, let us never be confounded. Amen.  

Lord – take care of me and pull me away from all that holds me back from you. Let my heart be free to join you in heaven!

Lord – take care of me and give me a converted heart and if you see anything that is against your will and way tear it out!

Lord – take care of me and let me fight bravely against Satan, sin and worldly ways held up by your victorious triumph.

Lord – take care of me in the final confrontation and temptation. Lead me safely to your eternal kingdom in peace and glorious fulfilment. (Johann Ludwig Konrad Allendorf, 1693-1773)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Monday after the second Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 230 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.