PRAYER FROM LUTHER’S PRAYERS:

O Lord, increase our faith. Gladly and truly I would think of

you as my dearly beloved Father, and Christ as my brother.
But alas, my deeds will not follow. Therefore, help my
unbelief, so that I may accept your word as truth and glorify
your name. O Lord, end our captivity. Redeem us, for we are
the first-born of your new creation. As redemption has been
perfectly and sufficiently accomplished through Christ, so
may we fully and truly know and accept it. As by your
mighty hand the sea was dried up by the parching wind, so let
everything of our remaining bondage vanish. Amen

FROM LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM:

The Lord’s Prayer:
The Third Petition

Your will be done, on earth as is heaven.

What is this?
In fact, God’s good and gracious will comes about
without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may
also come about in and among us.
How does this come about?
Whenever God breaks and hinders every evil scheme
and will of the devil, the world, and our flesh that would
not allow us to hallow God’s name and would prevent Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon
the coming of his kingdom. And God’s will comes your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect
about whenever God strengthens us and keeps us and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their
steadfast in his Word and in faith until the end of our enemies, and bestow on the Church your saving peace; through
lives. This is God’s gracious and good will. your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
GOSPEL: John 8:31-36
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you
continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you
will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and
have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by
saying, ‘You will be made free’?’
34 Jesus answered them, “Very, truly, I tell you, everyone who
commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a
permanent place in the household; the son has a place there
forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free
indeed.”
SECOND READING: Romans 3:19-28
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those
who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced,
and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20 For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by
deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the
knowledge of sin.
21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God
has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the
prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus
Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward
as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through
faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his
divine forbearance he has passed over sins previously
committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he
himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith
in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By
what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith.
28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from
works prescribed by the law.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus.
Romans iii. 23-24.
However great and heavy sin may be, this article is still greater,
higher, and wider, for no man has spoken it out if his own wisdom, or
established it, but He who created and upholds heaven and earth. My
sin and my saintliness must remain here on earth, for they concern this
life and my doings here; but there on high, I have different treasure,
greater than these two, where Christ is seated holding me in His arms,
covering me with His wings, and overshadowing me with His mercy.
You say: How can that be, since I feel my sin daily, and my
conscience condemns me, and holds up the wrath of God before me?
Answer: you should learn that Christian justification, whatever you
may think or imagine, is nothing but the forgiveness of sins, which
means that it is such a kingdom or sovereignty as deals only with sins
and with such overflowing grace as takes away all wrath.
For it is called forgiveness of sins because we are down-right
sinners before God and there is nothing in us but sin, although we may
possess all human righteousness. For where He speaks of sin there
must be real and great sin; just as forgiveness is not a joke but
something really serious. Therefore when you look at this article you
have two things, first, that sin takes away all your sanctity, however
devout you may be, on earth; and second, forgiveness brings to nought
all sin and wrath, so that your sin cannot cast you into hell nor can
your sanctity lift you into heaven.
Therefore, before the world I will be devout and do as much as
I can, but before God I will gladly be a sinner, and not be called by any
other name, in order that this article may remain true. Otherwise there
would be no forgiveness or grace, but it would have to be called a
crown of righteousness and of my own deserving. Apart from
forgiveness there is and remains nothing but sin which condemns us.
Sermons from the year 1529. W.A. 29. 573f.
Taken from the book:
Day by Day We Magnify Thee by Martin Luther Page 255