Friday of Lent 1

Friday of Lent 1, 23 February 2018 Ezekiel 18:21-28

God wants all to repent and live. God appeals to Israel to repent and live. Turn from evil to good and you shall live. With that we can agree, but the rub comes in making the turn. What will create a desire to change? Where does one get the power to break away from sin to walk in righteousness? The answer is in “a new heart and a new spirit.” But how does one get a new heart? This takes us to Jesus who said, “You must be born new.” Thus, one does not straighten out his life and then come to Jesus. He comes to Jesus as he is in sin and gets a new spirit. He then follows a new way of life.

Through Ezekiel, God appeals to sinners to repent lest they die, for His will is for everyone to live. Forgiveness, life, salvation. These come to us through the merits of Jesus Christ as He bears our sin to the cross and then victoriously will rise from the dead. Now we are in Lent. But we are always Easter people. The new life Christ offers can only come from His obedience to His Father. Thanks be to God for the obedience of Christ our Savior. 

Hymn: Sing, My Tongue, IN Glorious Battle (Lutheran Service Book 454:3)
Thus, with thirty years accomplished
He went forth from Nazareth,
Destined, dedicated, willing
Did He work and met His death;
Like a lamb He humbly yielded
On the cross His dying breath.

Lord Christ, our eternal Redeemer, grant us such fellowship in Your sufferings, that filled with Your Holy Spirit, we may subdue the flesh to the spirit, and the spirit to You, and at the last attain to the glory of Your resurrection; who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 1

1. Collect for Friday of Lent 1, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm