“A Word of Truth” from Immanuel Lutheran Church of Mankato…
A Word of Truth #160
The Holy Spirit is the one—and only one—who can call us out of the darkness of unbelief and bring us into the Light of Jesus, our Savior. In this way, the Holy Spirit brings forgiveness to us and makes us part of God’s family. The Holy Spirit is the one—and the only one—who can keep us safe from every spiritual danger and prevent us from sliding back into darkness.
The means by which the Holy Spirit calls and preserves us in faith is the Gospel—in other words, the Good News about Jesus. The Good News about Jesus is the one means by which God the Holy Spirit brings forgiveness and salvation to sinners. The Gospel comes to sinners through the Word of God as it is studied, read, and preached; and the Gospel comes to sinners through the Sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Paul told Timothy, “The Holy Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15) {WCE}
A Word of Truth #161
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We human beings like to boast. We boast about our favorite football or basketball team. We boast about our mother’s cooking. Boasting comes quite naturally, it would seem. But when it comes to the salvation of our immortal souls, there is no room for human boasting!
All credit for our personal salvation goes to God. God the Father determined the plan the save us. God the Son effected that plan, fulfilling everything that God required on our behalf. God the Holy Spirit moves all who come to faith to repent of their sins and entrust themselves to Jesus. Salvation, then, is a gift of God and certainly not the result of any of our human efforts. Glory be to God! {PDN}
This has been “A Word of Truth” from Immanuel Lutheran Church of Mankato.
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