Dear Pastor Jackson,
O what a beautiful morning! O what a beautiful day! The sun is shining! The birds are singing cheerfully in the trees! The grass is growing! My sheep and cows are playfully bucking and kicking! The 3 days of brutal winter weather is over!
As I pondered the apostles creed the word "almighty" stood out for me with greater meaning and emphasis.
I believe in God the Father ALMIGHTY.
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, mercifully putting our salvation under His own Almighty Will instead of our own will and invented works.
"My Father which gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, mercifully begetting us with the word of truth by His own will instead of our will and invented works.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." James 1:17,18
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:2-5
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, blessing us with all spiritual blessings, and has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world and has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will instead of according to our own will and invented works. We have not chosen God or Christ by the powers of our own will and invented works. God has chosen us to be in Christ according to His own will!
" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." Ephesians 1:3-12
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, giving us His only begotten Son to bear our sins, death, and hell so we may have faith in Jesus and be given eternal life according to His abundant mercy and grace instead of according to our own will and invented works.
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:13-19
Yes, God our Heavenly Father is ALMIGHTY, giving us food, clothing, and all our goods, daily protecting us from all evil to our body and soul, and causing wars to cease unto the end of the earth, especially the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
136 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
So let us DESPAIR and DESPISE our own will, reasoning, and devotional endeavors to get closer to God. Learn Christ! Learn to trust in Him instead of your own invented endeavors!! So now Dr. Martin Luther asks you a very important question:
"I wish to know the condition of your heart, whether you have at last come to loathe your own righteousness and desire to rejoice in the righteousness of Christ and to be of good cheer because of it. For in these days the temptation to presumptuousness is very strong, particularly in those who strive with might and main to be righteous and godly and do not know of the altogether immaculate righteousness of God which is freely given us in Christ. As a result of this they are searching for something good in themselves until they become confident that they can pass muster before God as a people who are properly adorned with virtuous and meritorious deeds, - all of which is impossible. While you were with us, you held this opinion, or rather error, just as I did. For my part, I am still wrestling with this error and am not quite rid of it yet. Therefore, my dear brother, learn Christ - Christ crucified. Learn to sing praises to Him and to despair utterly of your own works...Ponder this love of His, and you will realize His sweetest consolation. For if we must achieve rest of conscience by our own toil and worry, for what purpose did He die? Therefore you are to find peace in Him by a hearty despair of yourself and your own works. And now that He has received you, made your sins His and His righteousness yours, learn also from Him firmly to believe this, as behooves you; for cursed is everyone who does not believe it." (Dr. Martin Luther, St. L. Ed., XXIa, 20f or Law and Gospel, CPH, pg. 109-110
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