“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
What a comfort it is for believers to know that nothing can separate them from the love of God that is theirs through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord!
O gracious God, by the Spirit’s working through Your Word, keep me in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus so that nothing separates me from Your love. Amen.
“But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:21
The light reveals our sinfulness and points us to Christ Jesus as our only Savior. Those whose lives are built upon the truth of God’s Word come to light so that it may be revealed that the good they do as believers is God’s work in them. They let the light expose their sins so that they might repent and look to Christ for forgiveness. They then seek His help and strength to walk according to God’s truth.
O God, forgive my sins and cleanse my heart for Jesus’ sake that I may live for You and bring glory to Your holy name. Amen.
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:19-20
Jesus and His teaching are a bright and shining light in this dark and sinful world. His Word reveals our utter sinfulness and the only way of salvation — through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross — but people prefer to avoid the light because they do not want their sinful way of life to be exposed and reproved.
Dear Lord Jesus, grant that I let the light of Your Word shine upon my soul and reveal my sinfulness that I might be moved to repent and look to You and Your cross in faith for pardon and forgiveness. Amen.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17
God sent His Son into the world as a true man, not to condemn mankind but to make atonement for the sins of all by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross so that we might look to Him in faith and be spared when He returns in judgment on the Last Day. We, too, bear witness to Christ Jesus, not to condemn the people of this world but to point all to Christ and His cross so that they might be saved.
O gracious God, thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us. Grant that we believe and take comfort in the Gospel so that we might be saved and have life without end. Amen.
“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:33-34
Though we are sinners and condemned by God’s law, do we, as believers, need to fear being condemned on the day of judgment? God has declared us just and righteous through faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Christ Jesus Himself is the Judge who will condemn the ungodly, and He is the one who died for us and rose again and even now intercedes on our behalf at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.
O gracious and merciful God, thank You for declaring me just and righteous in Your sight through faith in the Son — for redeeming me as Your own dear child through the shed blood of Christ Jesus. Amen.
