Our Conviction By the Law
Sunday’s Verse:
From Romans 7:7 ESV
“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Saint Paul states: “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’. ” That is a hard word, but it is also holy: God’s Law does not excuse us or flatter us; it tells us the truth about ourselves.
This is why Lutherans like to call the Law God’s mirror, because it reflects back to us what we truly look like before Him. God’s Law is not sinful (Romans 7:7). Sin is. In fact, the Law exposes sin, even the secret sins of our hearts that we try to ignore. Coveting may begin as a whisper, but before God it is an act of rebellion.
That is why this verse is crucial for repentance. The Law convicts us that our problem runs deeper than our actions; it lies in our desires, our motives, and our trust. However, the Law’s convicting work is not meant to end there. It drives us to Christ, who forgives sinners and provides what the Law cannot offer: life, mercy, and peace.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, let Your Law search me and reveal my sin. Do not let me excuse what You have condemned. May it drive me to Christ, who alone is my righteousness and salvation. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo today is licensed through Upsplash+