The daily Luther
18th March
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
Romans 8 (iii)
Whenever I feel that my sins are tormenting my conscience, then I lift up my eyes and gaze at the brazen serpent on the cross - my beloved Lord Jesus Christ! Then I discover that there is another sin ranged against my sin even though my sin is accusing me and would devour me. This other sin, however, is Christ, my Lord, Who, for our sake, has become sin, even though He Himself was innocent of any sin, but He allowed this to happen so that we may be justified before God. This very same sin is so powerful that it condemns my sin and not only sweeps away the sins of the whole world but also consumes them.
The complete Luther - "A Meditation for Each Day of the Year" is available as a biligual (English and German) BREVIARY published by Wartburg Verlag Weimar. It can be purchased in English, world-wide from most internet book shops.