Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Friday after the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: Philippians 4:1-3 (NKJV)

4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Devotion

St. Paul gives us an example of how we should think about one another in the Church. We often don’t think this way, but we should.

We should see our brothers and sisters as beloved friends and family. We should be of the same mind in the Lord. And we should see ourselves as fellow workers in serving the Gospel of Christ crucified. The Word of God in Jesus Christ is most important, and we all should work together in loving service to that shared focus.

Unfortunately, false teachers encourage us to act differently. Popular religious teaching often focuses on the individual and one’s own sense of feeling holy. Instead of teaching that we should humbly work with others according to our given functions and vocations, they encourage people to “win others over” by manipulation. They promote “self esteem” and superficial piety over sincere repentance and humility. They preach a different gospel, and they teach others to break what Christ has commanded (see Matt. 5:19).

Our Lord Jesus teaches us to humbly repent and to observe all that He has commanded to His Church. We are to be of the same mind in His Word and His will. We are to love and be loved according to His righteousness, not ours.

We pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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