Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1Jo 3:14 NIV)

What gives us knowledge and recognition that we are reborn through God the Holy Spirit? The answer stands out like a rock: “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1Jo 3:14 NIV) If you continue to love those that are loved by the heavenly Father, then you are a child of his. You have to share the love that he has to be part of him. With the triune God love is not just a thought, but also word and deed. The same holds true for the love of his children. They dedicate body and soul to serve divine love. Just as the soul is all over the body, so also love is in all parts and powers of body and soul. To be permeated by this divine love is a characteristic of godly childhood. This indicates a elevation of life that we don’t have in this fullness as yet. This truth therefore needs to be asked with all sincerity: If we are not, what we should be and if by our own power we can’t become that either, then how on earth are we to pass God’s most holy judgment? However what we are not yet, we can still become. The merciful God himself is willing to compensate our lack. He brings us out of death into eternal life by the vicarious salvation through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ – our Lord.

O dearest Lord Jesus Christ! We plead you to enkindle in our hearts your holy love with which you have loved us lost people even unto death so that we willingly enter your service and mercifully and continuously go after those, who are still caught up in bonds of sin and shame, sighing in great need and calamity. Bless all institutions and societies dedicated to merciful works of love and taking care of your people caught in illness, poverty, captivity and misery, those hurt in warfare and those threatened to loose their souls salvation. Give to all brothers and sisters, who have chosen merciful service as their lives occupation and profession the spirit of faithful and self disparaging love, so that they can continue in this caring service with joy and without moaning. Crown their work with your blessing, so that all need will be answered, sin averted, plague and detriment lessened and many soul saved. Oh Lord deliver us from all evil and take us up finally by your holy grace from this dark vale of tears into your heavenly kingdom. Amen. 

We were God’s enemies, yet he gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ – exchanged his love for our hatred. Whoever believes this will be ignited by his love too and his hate eradicated. Just as God has done to us so we aught to do to our fellow kin. Threats of death we answer with promises of eternal life. Curses return as blessings. In shameful lowliness we’re comforted by the heavenly crown of honour and glory. (Joachim Justus Breithaupt, 1658-1732)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Tuesday after the second Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 231 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.