Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Thy Kingdom Come
For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Loved. From the
Greek agapao, used repeatedly in
John. God’s sacrificial and faithful love for the entire world alienated from
God, that is, all humankind. Gave.
God not only sent His Son but also offered Him to the world. He became the
atoning sacrifice. Believes. “Whoever
believes in the Son of God, be it with a strong or with a weak faith, may have
eternal life. Worthiness does not depend on the greatness or smallness, the
weakness or strength of faith. Instead, it depends on Christ’s merit.” (Formula
of Concord, Solid Declaration VII 70-71)
Luther: “Look at the
words, I beseech you, to determine how and of whom He is speaking…No one is
here excluded. God’s Son was given for all. All should believe, and not all who
do believe should perish, etc. Take hold of your own nose, I beseech you, to
determine whether you are not a human being (that is, part of the world) and
like any other many you belong to the number of those comprised in the word
all.” (WLS 189)
Perish. Eternal
separation from God. “Out of His immense
goodness and mercy, god provides for the public preaching of His divine eternal
law and His wonderful plain for our redemption, that of the holy, only saving
Gospel of His eternal Son, out only Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”
(Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration II 50)
God gives His only Son as a sacrificial gift to deliver
the world from condemnation and to give eternal life to those who believe in
Him. When we continue in an immoral lifestyle, we naturally resist divine
disclosure of our sin and thus our need for a Savior. Do not flee the light but
repent. God has revealed His strong love in His Son Jesus Christ to forgive
your sins and give you life. [1]
What is the 2nd
Petition? Thy Kingdom come. What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly
comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may
come to us also.[2]
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