The Holy Spirit works faith in hearts by the use of the Holy Gospel, and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments. See John 3:5; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:29; 1 Peters 1:23-25; Mathews 28:19-20; Romans 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 10:16.

Over the past week, I have been involved in major house renovation. This has been so time consuming and stressful. Why have I allowed myself to get so involved with a project of little eternal value? I have allowed the enemy to invade my most sacred territory which is time in the Scriptures.

Jesus warns us about such behavior. In the Kingdom of God, the Scriptures is our greatest source for eternal nourishment. The Scriptures feeds our soul and preserves our body for eternity. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said the following: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:1 - 9)." In this parable, the sower is Jesus Christ and the seed is the Scriptures. This is a hard saying but Jesus explains this parable by saying to those most closest to him: "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-- thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown (Mark 410 - 20)."

Notice what Jesus said about "the worries of this life." Christians are like good soil from which fruitful trees comes forth bursting with eternal fruit for all to consume. The fruit of Christians provides essential nourishments for eternal blessedness.  It is the sort of blessedness that brings joy and peace. This week has shown me that house renovations are necessary but I can not allow it to get in the way of my daily time of reading or cultivating the Scriptures. Lord bless you and keep you, may his light shine upon you this day and forever more.

Because the righteousness which can stand before the judgement seat of God, must be perfect throughout and entirely conformable to the divine law; but even our best works are all imperfect and defiled with sin. See Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10; Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:12 and James 2:10.

Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God; and I can receive the same and make it my own in not other way that by faith only. See 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, 2:2; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 4:16, 10:10; Galatians 3:22 and 1 John 5:10 - 12.

Only by true faith in Jesus Christ: that is, although my conscience accuses me, that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have never kept any of them, and am still prone always to all evil; yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never committed nor had any sins, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me; if only I accept such benefit with a believing heart.

That I am righteous in Christ before God, and an heir of eternal life. See Habakkuk 2:4; John 3:36; Romans 1:17, 5:1-2, 8:16; Titus 3:7.