Portals of Prayer - A Daily Devotion from Concordia Publishing House
Devotional Reading for: 02/09/2010
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6
The hope of true faith is that we are truly powerless. Does that sound odd? Read the sentence again: the hope of true faith is that we are truly powerless. Now let us explore that phrase backward. “We are truly powerless.” Personal powerlessness is deeply seated in Christian teaching. Scripture points to this condition through a variety of images. “Blind.” Not just nearsighted. “Dead.” Not merely comatose. “Broken.” Worse than cracked. “Powerless.” Not simply a little bit weak. “The hope of true faith” rests on this conviction of powerlessness. Faith believes what it cannot see. When we understand ourselves to be powerless, we necessarily look to another source for strength and grow increasingly restless for a helper to intervene. Jesus Christ comes to help. He dies for us, who are powerless and ungodly. The hope of our faith rests on our conviction that despite our soul’s infirmity, Christ provides healing. In offering Himself in our place, powerless to those who crucified Him, Jesus showed Himself powerful to save.
Strengthen my faith in my powerlessness, O Lord. Strengthen my hope in Your power to save me from sin through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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