Löhe on Romans 6,21

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

butterflyWhat benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! (Rom 6:21 NIV)

St. Paul clarifies clearly what is past and what is present. The Christians were slaves of sin. That’s history. They have been called and liberated by Christ to a new life in which they now willingly and voluntarily serve righteousness and divine goodness and purity. Before this they were pagans. Now they are Christians. The pagans in Greek and Roman times can generally be classified as slaves of sin. That was in that time. Now it’s better for them. They have been converted from a bad past to a better presence and future.  They have left the bondage and captivity of sin to continue living in a new mode of serving righteousness, justice and good. Now they can pursue good in thinking, willing and doing – which they couldn’t do in the past. Now they are no longer forced to serve iniquity and godlessness. Rather they are liberated to freely serve the god-pleasing, righteousness and truly good works that serve society/community and please God too. That is why we also advocate and promote this significant and profound conversion from the old to the new, for the pagan to the Christian, from outside to inside the Church: It’s the way to go from death to life and from serving vanity and iniquity to serving lasting values, virtues and good in righteousness and purity!

O Lord, you have called us to you that we can now pursue this hearts desire to be yours now and forever from the very bottom of our heart. Oh, would we truly be yours. Oh, would we be totally free from evil’s domination. Compensate our poverty with your divine abundance, our failing with your success, our sinfulness with your grace and mercy. Amen.   

Ah, why did I so late Thee know, Thee, lovelier than the sons of men! Ah, why did I no sooner go To Thee, the only ease in pain! Ashamed, I sigh, and deeply mourn, That I so late to Thee did turn.

In darkness willingly I strayed, I sought Thee, yet from Thee I roved; Far wide my wandering thoughts were spread, Thy creatures more than Thee I loved; And now if more at length I see, ’Tis through Thy light and comes from Thee.

I thank Thee, uncreated Sun, That Thy bright beams on me have shined; I thank Thee, who hast overthrown My foes, and healed my wounded mind; I thank Thee, whose enlivening voice Bids my freed heart in Thee rejoice.

Uphold me in the doubtful race, Nor suffer me again to stray; Strengthen my feet with steady pace Still to press forward in Thy way; My soul and flesh, O Lord of might, Fill, satiate, with Thy heavenly light. (Johann Scheffler, 1624-1677)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the seventh Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 267 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.

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Herrenhuter readings for Wednesday, the 17th July 2013

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

chagal MosesThus says the Lord: “I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something alien.” (Hos 8:12 NIV)

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Rom 2:13 NIV)

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Herrenhuter readings for Tuesday, the 16th July 2013

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

16.-kingfisher-600x900Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. (Pro 20:22 NIV)

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1Th 5:15 NIV)

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Löhe on Romans 6,20

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

slavery1When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. (Rom 6:20 NIV)

Nobody what’s to be a servant or slave. Everybody prefers freedom. Yet there is nobody really free and not in servitude. Or who could honestly say: “I am truly independent. I am on control. I determine my destiny autocratically and without exterior influence”? Who could say that he lives in total harmony with his inner convictions and not under some compulsion and influence exerted by sometimes even quite secret and obscure sources? I’m not going to talk much about outside force, social coercion, circumstantial pressure or traditional considerations. However, who is free of prejudice? Probably nobody. Who is so much in control of his own thoughts and desires as to always prefer the best, truthful and God pleasing – and then also do and achieve it? Whoever can talk just what is right, wise and beneficial to all, who hear him? Error, deception and downright evil is part of our make-up. That’s who and what we are. Even before we can distinguish between good and evil, sin is part of our will and energies. It’s a powerful force to recon with and it causes us to do, not so much, what we would like or prefer, but rather the very opposite and what we really oppose. That’s what is meant by this factual statement: We are slaves of sin. We don’t liberate ourselves from this bondage by shaking those shackles a bit. O those poor fools, who dream of liberty, while still slaves of sin. These dreams are just more proof of our captivity and fruits of that indwelling sin.

Lord, our God! Free and deliver us more and more of the sinful bondage, that we guilty have to endure and help us out to the true and blessed freedom of your children. Comfort us with your holy gospel, that you are a merciful God because of your beloved Son Jesus Christ and that you let yourself be found by those, who seek you. Grant o Lord and God your grace and mercy – especially to those caught up in bondage and who don’t know a way out. Free them and us so that liberated by your holy calling, we would persevere in pursuing holiness and purity and perfection. Strengthen, embolden and enlighten us in this struggle. Grant the true faith, that would move mountains and that will never give up. Hear us for Christ’s sake – he our God and Lord, your Son and our Saviour. Amen.   

Discover all and grant good riddance to all that does not live up to your holiness even if we would miss it sorely. We are assured you know best, what’s good for us and you will lead us to fulfilment of our calling to perfection and holiness because we can’t do it. It’s your work in us. Thank you for that. You o God are my good, my life and all  salvation. (Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Tuesday after the seventh Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 266 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.

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Löhe on Romans 6,19

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAJust as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. (Rom 6:19 NIV)

Let’s consider these words some more. Impurity stands in contrast to that holy discipline of both internal and external life modes, which are well known even to pagans. The focus is mainly on sins against the 6th commandment: “Thou shall not commit adultery!” and that at the various levels – in thought, word and deed. However they are just one aspect of all those pagan vices, which come from an uncontrolled way of life, which has no conscientious objections or limitations. What does marriage mean to a pagan? What does the honour of a girl or woman really entail? What the innocence of an adolescent or youth? St. Paul knew the abominations practiced in his age and writes about them in the epistle to the Romans in the first chapters. Purity was something considered utopian. There were certain laws and commandments in place yes, but since the divine law and will was veiled in darkness – the ways of life and traditional customs did not amount to much in the ways of pure and chaste life styles. Egoism and self-centred self-realization held sway and were of highest priority in society and popular culture.  The measure of all was that which seemed desirable and pleasurable: Just do it! Just read what the popular writers of that time pen down and you’ll learn that there was lots of uncontrollable vice. It becomes very clear to the observant reader that the pagans were both voluntary and involuntary slaves of sin.

Holy Lord and God! You know where we people land up, if we leave you behind and go our own ways. The old evil foe delivers them into the power of injustice and impurity, so that they are lost and can’t free themselves from this slavery and captivity. Oh Lord, behold this calamity and this terrible bondage of vice and break the fetters of sin of all those caught um in this imprisonment. Especially we request you to look favourably on the people of our nation and continent, that they would not devote their energies and capacities to evil and its reign and thus bring shame and sin onto our people, that are suffering in so many appalling ways. Grant us a Youth that lives purely and follows your ways sincerely into a future under your guidance and blessing. Lord, hear our calling and let your grace count more than our guilt and sinful error. Amen.

Lord God, who gladly and freely forgives all sin by grace and who practices benefaction even in punishment of those fallen children, we fall down prostrate before you and praise your Name for we are all members of your kingdom and belong together and to you alone! (Max von Schenkendorf, 1783-1817)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Monday after the seventh Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 265 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.

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Herrenhuter readings for Monday, the 15th July 2013

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

happyAn anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (Pro 12:25 NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other. (Col 3:12-13 NIV)

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Löhe on Romans 6,19

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

serving with joyJust as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. (Rom 6:19 NIV)

In apostolic times the entire population around the Mediterranean See could be divided into slaves and free men. This distinction between liberty and slavery was one of the most important determinations of human life at that time – if not the most decisive. So the apostle takes up a very common fact of life and applies it to the theological discourse that he’s busy with and uses it to explain the fundamental categories of sin and righteousness. These two distinctions also describe humanity in two basic ways and people belong into either of these two different groups and camps. All people are either under sin or under righteousness. There is no middle ground or a place that is exempt from these definitions. We are either servants of sin or of righteousness. It is possible that somebody moves from one category to the other – even back and forth. Jesus Christ is the liberator and saviour, who has opened the door of sin so that people caught up in its darkness and shadow of death would be forgiven and released to enter his righteousness in joy and peace. However whoever is not willing to serve him in righteousness and prefers the godless evil over and above the godly life, can return to the old ways of destruction and futility that follows a sinful life. May the living God prevent that by his grace and mercy + keep us serving him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.

Lord, save us from the tyranny of darkness and smash the fetters of sins, that we become your servants and thus truly free men and children of righteousness, light and bliss. Help us also to remain in you – o faithful saviour – until we reach the ultimate freedom in your heavenly realms before your eternal throne. Amen.

1. We know that Christ is raised and dies no more. Embraced by death, he broke its fearful hold, and our despair he turned to blazing joy. Alleluia!

2. We share by water in his saving death. Reborn, we share with him an Easter life as living members of our Savior Christ. Alleluia!

3. The God of splendor clothes the Son with life. The Spirit’s fission shakes the church of God. Baptized, we live with God the Three-in-One. Alleluia!

4. A new creation comes to life and grows as Christ’s new body takes on flesh and blood. The universe, restored and whole, will sing: Alleluia! Text: John Brownlow Geyer (b. 1932)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for the seventh Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 264 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.

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Herrenhuter readings for Sunday, the 14th July 2013

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

ploughing the groundBreak up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD. (Hos 10:12 NIV)

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (Col 4:5 NIV)

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Löhe on Romans 6,11

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Baptism5Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom 6:11 NIV)

Jesus lives. What he is living, he is living for God. The same holds true for us. After we have died together with Christ on the cross, we now live with him. Even if this life with him often seems more hope than reality, then this hope is growing yet and becoming more and more of a certainty as we move along. Still there are many, who deem this to be just a distant vision of an even further utopia even though they have been called by their holy Baptism to live in confident assurance of this living faith even now. And too many look for superior grace while ignoring the means of grace, that pour out this grace in richest measure like a stream of water flowing along the way making this grace easily available and with it life and salvation. How often does a friend lament his insecurity concerning his own salvation and that he unsure of his faith and connection with Jesus Christ, while the testimonial of baptism received long ago is there all along? The baptismal grace, which has been his since it was received by God’s goodness and mercy in that sacramental flood and washing is the passport to the divine peace and lively communion and fellowship with Christ. It is yours to use and enjoy. It is enough to awaken and strengthen our faith, it suffices to bring forth gratitude and love in richest measure and without any noise or commotion moves God’s people by these sacrificial means of grace to the ultimate destination in heaven.

Holy and unsearchable God, Lord divine and supreme! We laud and praise you for revealing yourself to us in your glory and goodness through your son Jesus Christ. We thank you for making us your children in holy Baptism and thus liberating us to a life in peace and joyful confidence under your gracious and merciful reign. We confess that we have ignored and ignored this your grace far too often, loosing out on its multiple benefits. Lord, don’t punish us as we deserve. Don’t hide your gracious countenance from us – even if it would serve us right. We trust only in your great and never ending mercy and rely solely on the gracious forgiveness of your Son Jesus Christ – our Lord – to be saved now and forever. Pour out your Holy Spirit over us in richest measure, that we are renewed, sanctified, enlightened and comforted to put all our hope on the coming glory until we see it by your providence and care. Amen. (H. Greiner)

All who believe and are baptized Shall see the Lord’s salvation; Baptized into the death of Christ, They are anew creation; Through Christ’s redemption they will stand Among the glorious heavenly band Of every tribe and nation.

With one accord, O God, we pray, Grant us your Holy Spirit; Help us in our infirmity Through Jesus’ blood and merit; Grant us to grow in grace each day By holy Baptism that we may Eternal life inherit. (Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634-1703 tr George A.T.Rygh, 1860-1942)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the sixth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 263 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.

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Herrenhuter readings for Saturday, the 13th July 2013

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

resurrexitI know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25 NIV)

Jesus has freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb 2:15 NIV)

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