Month: October 2025

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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6

To God alone be the glory!

Sometimes people misunderstand when Christians say we are saved by God’s grace, and not our works. People wonder, doesn’t that lead to people not living for God? If you tell people they are not saved by what they do, but entirely by God, don’t you think that people will use that as an excuse to sin?

It certainly could be used as an excuse to sin. But not if a person truly understands who God is and what he has done. What if you discover that God was kind and generous? What if you discover that God sacrificed his life for you? What if someone you didn’t know, never met, died so that you could live? If you had the opportunity to speak to that person who died so that you could live, what would you say? I think you start with “thank you.”

And isn’t that our life of faith, and why we serve? Because we are set free from sin, because Jesus rescued us. We serve and live out of thanks to our God, not so that we might be saved, but because we have been saved. That is freedom, the freedom to serve our God.

Faith wants to be active. Faith wants to serve God. The apostle Paul wrote that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Jesus has done everything perfectly and has set us free from trying to save ourselves. Faith exults in that. Faith “expressing itself” in the original Greek language is “energoumena.” It’s the same word from which we get “energized” and “energy.”

What can be more important than knowing how God feels about us and what he has done for us? That’s what gives us energy to serve today. We are free from sin and guilt, and we are free to serve our God. To God alone be the glory!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, strengthen me through your Word that I may love and serve others and glorify your name. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

Freedom Through Christ Alone

I visited a friend in a medium-security prison and was seated in a commons area. I was surprised at the relative freedom that seemed to exist. While I waited for my friend, several incarcerated individuals walked through, either going about their tasks or just talking with each other. When my friend arrived, I remarked on that freedom they seemed to enjoy. His response was, “Don’t be fooled. There’s no freedom here.”

We often think that only those who are locked up in a prison have no freedom. The world tends to view freedom as the ability to do whatever we want, when we want, with whomever we want. Freedom often means permission to indulge the sinful flesh.

That kind of freedom is nothing but the worst kind of prison. Because on a spiritual level, there is no freedom that we could ever have. One sin condemns. Each sin convicts. Every sin would leave us in spiritual shackles, doomed and condemned to an eternity away from the presence of God.

Only Jesus gives actual freedom. As the eternal Son of God, Jesus was truly free—unburdened by any sin. And how did he exercise his freedom? By allowing himself to be bound to a cross. With his sacrifice in our place, Jesus sprung the doors of the eternal prison that would have contained us.

And now, we are truly free. Free from sin. Free to serve. Free through the sacrifice of Christ alone.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I thank you for setting me free from my spiritual prison. Grant me joy in living in the joyful freedom to praise you and serve others. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:4-5

Freedom Through Grace Alone

“How will I ever find a gracious God?”

That was the torment of a young man, a monk, by the name of Martin Luther.

He knew that God is righteous and holy. And he knew that God demanded righteousness from his people. And he was taught that the way to meet God’s demand of righteousness was to actually be righteous. So, Luther pursued it with full zeal. It was said that no one prayed more, worked harder, fasted longer, or deprived himself of more than he. In the world of monks, no one was more “monkish” than Luther.

But what Luther realized was that no matter how much he tried to cleanse himself of his sins, he still continued to sin. One quick moment of doubt would plunge him back into the gloom of his own guilt. So, his conscience tormented him. And if God demanded righteousness which was impossible to obtain, then God must be a monster.

As he dug further into the Bible, Luther began to realize what the church of his day had abandoned. God is righteous; this is absolutely true. But the same righteousness that God demands, he also gives!

In the days of the apostle Paul, some also felt that their righteousness was the answer. But Paul was clear. If we think we can save ourselves by our own deeds, our own righteousness, then we destroy God’s grace.

When we give up our own self-righteousness and abandon thoughts of deserving God’s grace, then we can embrace the wonderful truth. We are saved sola gratia, by God’s grace. Jesus was righteous for us, and Jesus paid for our sins.

When we look to Jesus, then we, like Luther and Paul, find a gracious God.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for giving me the righteousness that I could never earn. Help me to trust that I am saved through your grace alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5

Freedom by Faith Alone

Have you ever seen videos where someone is building an intricate structure or path out of dominoes? And with one little mistake, one accidental brush of the hand, the whole structure comes crashing down.

That’s what happened in Galatia in the days of the apostle Paul. Paul rightly proclaimed that salvation has been won through the blood sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

But other teachers came along with their message that just a little bit more was needed. What Jesus did was good and fine, but more needed to be added. Males must be circumcised. Certain festivals and regulations had to be followed—not just as a good idea, but as a requirement for salvation. They were teaching essentially that Jesus + their deeds = salvation. Paul told them the truth. Jesus + their deeds = destruction.

We may be tempted to do the same at times. We might think there must be some reason that God loves me. There must be a reason why I am forgiven. And we think that the answer must be in something that we do. We are tempted to add just a little bit of our goodness, just a touch of our own deeds. And in trying to improve God’s salvation, we bring it all crashing down around us.

The wonderful truth is we can be sure of salvation not because of what we do, but rather because of what Jesus has done. Nothing more needs to be added. His works are perfect. Nothing can be improved. Jesus never let one careless word stray from his mouth, one uncharitable thought lingers in his mind, or one selfish moment deprive someone of the love they needed.

And that perfect life of Jesus, and his willing death, are now yours. How? Through faith in what Jesus did for you. Don’t try to add to it. That just spoils it. Rather, rejoice that God saves you through faith in the works and sacrifice of Jesus—now yours, through faith!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for taking my place and being my Savior. Grant me joy today to serve you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8: 31-32

Freedom by Scripture Alone

Scams are everywhere. Some scammers look to deceive you into giving up sensitive information through fraudulent emails, text messages, or websites. Others use fear or greed to lure you into giving up your money. In the end, they want to take advantage of your weaknesses to exploit you.

The devil is the ultimate scammer. He would lead us to believe that we are just fine in our relationship with God all by ourselves. He wants us to be convinced that there are many paths to God, and they all end up in the same place. He wants us to trust that as long as we are a good person, that’s going to be good enough for God.

He wants us to believe this, knowing full well that we’re not just fine or good with God all on our own.

So how do we sift truth from falsehood?

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The truth is, you and I are not good enough on our own to stand before God.

But Jesus is. One word of God’s truth sends the devil packing. Remember how Jesus defeated the devil at the start of his ministry? Each time Jesus said, “It is written.”

Today, we give thanks that God reveals his truth not in our opinions or worldly philosophy, but in the words of the Scriptures alone. In that, we will never be deceived.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for preserving your Word so that I know the truth. Jesus, help me continue to hold to your truth. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36

Free Indeed!

Willie Williams spent twenty-two years in a Georgia prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When he was exonerated by DNA evidence, he was set free. Of course, he was beyond happy with his freedom. But he also struggled to get used to it. He didn’t feel free. For a long time, he woke up at three o’clock in the morning and looked around to see if he was still in prison. Sure enough, though, he really was free.

Freedom is a precious gift. It is an undeserved gift because we commit crimes, sins, against our Creator. We came into this world as prisoners of sin and held captive by the eternal death we deserved.

But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has set us free. Jesus allowed our sin to pin him down on the cross. He allowed our death to entomb him. He broke out of our prison when he died and rose again from death. We are free! Free indeed!

You may not feel very free. Do your daily temptations threaten to enslave you? Do your daily problems make you feel trapped? Do your fears and worries box you in and paralyze you? Do you look ahead to the end of life and feel death’s walls closing in?

Don’t be fooled by your feelings. Listen to what the Son promises you—he has set you free. You are free: Free indeed!

Sin has no more power to condemn—you are forgiven. Temptation has no more power to control you—Jesus is always with you. Death has no more power to terrify you—Jesus lives again, and so will you.

Willie Williams had to keep reminding himself that he really was free.

So do you. You may not feel free, but through Jesus, you are. Free indeed! And one day, in heaven, you’ll feel it fully: no sin, no problems, no temptations, no fear, no death.

Until then, trust what the Son tells you: you are free. Free indeed!

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, since you have set me free, I am free indeed! Thank you! Help me to trust that this gift of freedom is really mine. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 John 5:6-11

Water and Blood

The probes that go to the other planets in our solar system are looking for a lot of things, and one of them is always water. People think that if water is found, there is the chance of finding life. Without water, you can’t really have life.

When Jesus came to give us life, he began his public ministry with his baptism by water and the Spirit at the hand of John the Baptist. God told us at that time that Jesus is his beloved Son, and we believe that testimony because the Spirit has worked faith in our hearts through the power of baptism. Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life.

The probes that check our health look at a lot of things, and one of them is always our blood. Healthy blood is important; there is life in the blood. Loss of blood can lead to loss of life.

When Jesus came to give us life, he shed his blood for us. His death on the cross paid the punishment for our sins, fulfilling and ending the need for the animal sacrifices that God had commanded. Without the shedding of that blood, there would have been no forgiveness. Now we have forgiveness through Jesus, and where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

Jesus came by water and blood. Rejoice today that, because he did, you have eternal life.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for providing your Son, Jesus Christ, who came for me by water and blood. Lead me to live a life of service to you until I join you in perfect everlasting life. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Genesis 32:30

Wrestle with God Anticipating Glory

“And the winner is…” When the referee dramatically raises the winner’s hand and confetti falls from the ceiling, sheer joy (and sometimes a certain amount of surprise) beams from the face of the victor.

Jacob could not believe it. He had just spent the night wrestling with God. And he lived to talk about it. Think about that. Seeing God face-to-face should mean death. Sinners cannot survive in the blazing holiness of the Almighty. When the Old Testament prophet Isaiah saw a glimpse of the Lord, he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). When one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, realized who Jesus truly was, he fell to his knees and begged, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

Jacob knew the same truth. A deceiver like him didn’t deserve to walk away from an encounter with God. But that’s the wonder of God’s grace and mercy: Jacob lived. He lived because God was not there to destroy him but to bless him. That’s the story of the whole Bible. Over and over, sinners stand face to face with God—and instead of condemnation, they receive mercy. Again and again, God meets sinners face to face, not with wrath but with love.

How is that possible? Because when Jesus went to the cross with our sins on his shoulders, his Father turned his face away from Jesus so that he could turn his face in favor to us. Jesus suffered God’s wrath and justice, so that one day, you will stand before God in all his glory. You will not be afraid. You will not be consumed. You will look into the face of your Savior and live.

So today, remember Peniel. Remember Jacob’s wonder because it’s your wonder. In Christ, you will see God face-to-face, and your life will be spared.

Prayer:

Lord, like Jacob, I don’t deserve to see your face. Yet in Jesus, you show me mercy. Thank you that in him I live, now and forever. Keep me clinging to your grace until the day I see you in glory. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome. Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.”
Genesis 3:28-29

Wrestle with a God Who Lets Us Win

If you’ve ever wrestled with a little child, you know the routine. They’re giggling, grunting, straining, giving it all they’ve got. And what do you do? You play along for a while, and you let them win. Not because they’re stronger, but because you love them.

That was Jacob’s night. He struggled with God and “overcame.” How? Not because he overpowered the Almighty, but because God let him win. God stooped down, allowed Jacob’s faith to cling, and then he was delighted to bless him.

That’s how our heavenly Father treats us. He loves it when we hold him to his promises. He loves it when we wrestle in faith. And in the end, he lets us win, not because we’re stronger, but because Christ has already overcome for us.

At the cross, Jesus looked like he had lost as he was pinned down by nails, mocked, and beaten. But in that defeat came victory. Sin was paid in full. The devil’s head was crushed. And Easter Sunday, when Jesus walked away from the tomb, the last enemy of death was defeated. Because he overcame sin, death, and the devil, we too will overcome.

So, when you wrestle with God in prayer, when you cling to his Word, know this: your Father delights in you. He’s the God who lets you win and blesses you.

Prayer:

Father, keep me clinging to your promises and resting in Christ’s victory. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.