Class #29: “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts” (Galatians 4:6). All who believe and are baptized have been given the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), so that they know they are saved through faith in Jesus Christ and thus call God their Father. On account of our great weakness, it is of great comfort for the believer to know that the Holy Spirit lives in him (1 Cor 6:19). “This happens without a visible form, namely, when through the spoken Word we receive fire and light, by which we are made new and different, and by which a new judgment, new sensations, and new drives arise in us. This change and new judgment are not the work of human reason or power; they are the gift and accomplishment of the Holy Spirit, who comes with the preached Word, purifies our hearts by faith, and produces spiritual motivation in us” (Luther’s Works, volume 26, p.375).
“But the external signs, as I have said earlier, are these: to enjoy hearing about Christ; to teach, give thanks, praise, and confess Him, even at the cost of property and life; to do one’s duty according to one’s calling in a manly way, in faith and joy; not to take delight in sin; not to invade someone else’s calling but to serve one’s own; to help a needy brother, comfort the sorrowful, etc. By these signs we are assured and confirmed a posteriori that we are in a state of grace” (Luther’s Works, v. 26, p.379).
Overhead: Galatians Class 29 Overhead
Handouts: Galatians Class 29 Handout
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