LESSON: EPHESIANS 2:19-22

“When the Counsellor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me.” John 15:26

In what way does the Holy Spirit change the heart and make it new? What means does He use to take hold of the heart? He does it by proclaiming and preaching the Lord Jesus Christ, as Christ Himself declares in John’s Gospel, “When the Counsellor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me.”

We have often heard that this Gospel, which God allows to be preached in the world and proclaimed to everyone, teaches that no one can become righteous before God through the Law, but that the Law only makes the situation worse for every man. Therefore, God sent His beloved Son into the world to die and shed His blood for the world and to demonstrate that men cannot destroy their sins and get rid of them by their own strength and works.

For the proclamation of this Gospel, something additional is needed. I do not necessarily believe this Gospel simply by hearing it preached. For this purpose, God has given us the additional gift of His Holy Spirit who impresses this Gospel upon our hearts, so that it sticks to the heart and lives in the heart. In the work of Christ, there is the whole treasure of salvation, but it is not necessarily distributed and applied.

If we are to enjoy this treasure, the Holy Spirit must come to us and put this treasure into our hearts and awaken faith in this treasure in our hearts so that it becomes our very own possession. This is the special work of the Holy Spirit.

SL. 11:1024 (15-16)

PRAYER: Almighty and merciful Lord, in the gifts of Your Holy Spirit You have given us a sure pledge that Christ’s work of salvation belongs to us. May Your Holy Spirit always continue to bear witness with our spirit that we are Your children and heirs of Your kingdom, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:272-287.