THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT - SATURDAYLESSON: PSALM 25:11-22Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15The daughter of Zion receives twofold gifts from Christ. The first is faith and the Spirit in the heart, whereby she is cleansed and freed from sins. The second is Christ himself. And she can glory in the blessings received from Christ just as though all that Christ is and has is her very own, so that she may rely on Christ as her inheritance. Of this Paul speaks when he reminds us that Christ is our Mediator before God (Romans 8:34). If He is our Mediator, He accepts us as His own and we, for our part, accept Him as our own.In Corinthians, Paul also states that Christ in us is made by God to be our righteousness, wisdom, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). Isaiah says concerning the two-fold gifts, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1,2.Here, “He comes to you” means, “for your good, as your very own.” Inasmuch as He is your King, you receive grace from Him in your heart. He keeps you from sin and death, and also becomes your King with you as His subject. But inasmuch as He comes to you, He becomes your sin so that you gain command also of His blessings.This is a delightful and comforting Word! Who is going to despair or become fearful of death and hell if he believes these words and wins Christ as His very own?SL.XI.10,27AE 75,35PRAYER: Thanks and praise be to you, loving heavenly Father, for the wonderful gifts of grace which you have so richly bestowed on us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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