The only hope for idol-addicted sinners who are utterly incapable of decluttering their souls is Jesus, the one at the heart of the gospel, and the only one who stands before the Father with an undivided heart.
More than a friend, Amsdorf was also an important figure in the work of religious reform, providing counsel to Luther on key occasions, shepherding the churches, and defending the faith until his death.
Just as it is necessary that Christ took on flesh for our salvation, so too, it is necessary that he should be in the supper bodily

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There is a power that is stronger and mightier than the power of separation in death. And that power is the power of God’s love for you and me.
Your prayers are not what make you acceptable in his sight. You have already been made acceptable through the blood of Christ.
These words not only rescue and defend; they also attack.
It is one thing to pray against death’s slow and aggressive assault on God’s creation. It is another to trust in the one who has conquered the grave.
Lack of effort isn’t the sworn enemy of fruit-bearing. Self-sufficiency is.
“Who Am I?” edited by Scott Ashmon (1517 Publishing, 2020) is now available for purchase.
By basing our assurance on the promises of God, which we not only hope for in the future but live in now, the Christian can finally rest in the comfort that they are both saved and not responsible for their own salvation.
That is the good news that ifies all hand wringing and wipes away every tear from every eye.
Love is to be the interpreter of law. Where there is no love, these things are meaningless, and law begins to do harm.
When we are hurt, we cry out to God. But sometimes when the hurt gets really intense, our lament turns to complaint. Not only is this normal, but almost every lament in scripture contains a complaint.
Love for our neighbor can be taxing. We may even decide it’s not worth the cost. But in this moment I found a blessed reminder of how different God's love is, and how our value rests in Christ alone.
Ultimately, you are not your problems. You are not your weaknesses. You are not your sins. You are sanctified. You are the recipient of God’s abundant, forgiving, amazing grace.