Five Pint Lutheran

OFFENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-02-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

Offence will happen when sinners rub shoulders with other sinners. The theme to my new blog is an examining how that happens and good news for those who may offend other Christians.http://fivepintlutheran2.wordpress.com/This is the address. I do not have 10 ways to overcome offenses but have spoke with many offended Christians. Some of these offended Christians will not attend worship or even fall into unbelief. Good news is that Jesus offended without sin and this is credited to us through faith. His holy life,his innocent suffering under the wrath of God and his glorious resurrection we have forgiveness. Let us trust this good news and strive to live in it. In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Too Good to be True

2011-11-01T10:09:00.001-07:00

In conversing with other believers one will find a common misconception about our Heavenly Father. So many will state something to the effect that God is still angry with people over sin. This is taught to people either directly or indirectly. From pietistic rules such as you better come to church at least 3 times a week to this terrible thing happened because you did something wrong. Rather than tell others of the good news people make God out to be the one with the problem.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV)

In this section St Paul makes a bold statement which seems too good to be true. Christ’s finished work on the cross and rising from the dead has reconciled all people to God. This is so hard to swallow that many object to it no matter the Theological bend which has grabbed them. To combat this bend we see St Paul continue:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 ESV)

Aha so God is not the one with the problem but rather the sinners who have it against God who will not reconcile. This makes perdition all the worse for it is not the falling short of God that damns but the stubborn refusal to trust in Jesus’ provision. It is so unnecessary for one to spend eternity apart from the goodness and joy of our Creator.

Let us therefore, believe this good news and live in the peace that it gives. In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Chrysostom on Justification by Faith Alone

2011-10-24T08:07:00.002-07:00

More wholesome teaching from John Chrysostom, here expounding Acts ch. 15:

“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that of old days God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe.” (v. 5–7.) Observe Peter from the first standing aloof (κεχωρισμένον) from the affair, and even to this time Judaizing. And yet (says he) “ye know.” (ch. x. 45; xi. 2.) Perhaps those were present who of old found fault with him in the matter of Cornelius, and went in with him (on that occasion): for this reason he brings them forward as witnesses. “From old days,” he says, “did choose among you.” What means, “Among you?” Either, in Palestine, or, you being present. “By my mouth.” Observe how he shows that it was God speaking by him, and no human utterance. “And God, that knoweth the hearts, gave testimony unto them:” he refers them to the spiritual testimony: “by giving them the Holy Ghost even as unto us.” (v. 8.) Everywhere he puts the Gentiles upon a thorough equality. “And put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.” (v. 9.) From faith alone, he says, they obtained the same gifts. This is also meant as a lesson to those (objectors); this is able to teach even them that faith only is needed, not works nor circumcision. For indeed they do not say all this only by way of apology for the Gentiles, but to teach (the Jewish believers) also to abandon the Law. However, at present this is not said. “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples?” (v. 10.) What means, “Tempt ye God?” As if He had not power to save by faith. Consequently, it proceeds from a want of faith, this bringing in the Law. Then he shows that they themselves were nothing benefited by it, and he turns the whole (stress of his speech) against the Law, not against them, and (so) cuts short the accusation of them: “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved, even as they.” (v. 11.) How full of power these words! The same that Paul says at large in the Epistle to the Romans, the same says Peter here. “For if Abraham,” says (Paul), “was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.”
John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, NPNF1: Vol. XIII, A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Homily 32 on Acts 15:1 [italics mine]

--+--

I just read on an Eastern Orthodox blog that justification by faith alone is a 'Protestant heresy'. That may well be a justifiable (sic!) Orthodox view if one is guided by post-Reformation Orthodox polemics on the subject...but then, what to do with statements like this from one of the Fathers whom Orthodoxy most reveres? The only solution would appear to be a doctrine of 'double justification', initially by faith and subsequently by works (not unknown in the West, either!). Among the Orthodox, this position is usually accompanied by a polemic against the 'overly juridical' bent of 'Western theology' since Augustine which Luther subsequently inherited (a curious view, since Augustine certainly did not hold to a juridical/forensic doctrine of justification). Here's an example from a modern Orthodox theologian:
'In summary, it is not an antagonistic attitude that causes the eastern Christian and patristic scholar to recoil at some notions of western and Protestant theology, it is simply that the approach employed by many western scholars (inherited from the likes of Augustine, Anselm and Luther) seems at odds with what eastern Christians believe has been safeguarded since the foundation of the Church at Pentecost. The traditional Orthodox mind is immediately suspicious of biblical interpretations that have little or no root in the early life and theology of the Church; this is true in spades of particularly the forensic notion of justification, and of its consequent bifurcation of faith and works... Because of its less juridical exegesis of Pauline soteriological statements, Eastern Christianity has never had anything approaching the kind of faith v. works controversies that have enveloped and (for both good and ill) theologically shaped the Christian West... Rather, the East has maintained a somewhat distant and even puzzled attitude toward the theological polemics which have raged over justification in terms of faith or works.'
Valerie Karras, in Justification and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement (Liturgical Press – Collegeville, MN)

It is certainly true, as Dr Karras maintains, that Orthodox theology and doctrine followed quite a different trajectory from that of the Western church - to the extent, that is, that the latter has been guided by Augustine's anti-Pelagianism. To my mind Orthodox theology represents a development of the theology of the early semi-Pelagian ascetics, some of whom brought monasticism from the East to southern Gaul (see the life and influence of John Cassian, seminal to the development of monasticism in both East and West). The West officially rejected the theology of this movement at the 2nd Council of Orange (529AD), although its influence was never expunged, principally due to the rise and rise of monasticism into the Middle Ages courtesy the Benedictine movement and its offshoots.

Tellingly, the Christian East has never rejected semi-Pelagianism; from that perspective the centrality of disputes about justification and works in Western theology over the last 500 years must indeed seem inexplicable. But can it really be said that justification by faith alone 'has little or no root in the early life and theology of the Church'!? Granted, the full exposition of the Biblical doctrine had to await the Lutheran Reformation, but there is ample evidence that the Fathers who closely expounded the New Testament in their homilies knew the doctrine. The problem is that they never succeeded in integrating it into their theology of the Christian life as a whole (for various reasons which we might explore in further posts on the subject). That task that was God-given to Blessed Martin Luther, Melanchthon, Martin Chemnitz and other luminaries of the Lutheran Reformation. SDG!

Thank you to Pr Mark Henderson over at Lutheran Catholicity blog for allowing this repost.

WDJM - What Did Jesus Mean?

2011-09-12T07:58:00.002-07:00

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ESV

I have listened to sermons on the above passage. In some of the sermons the treasure hidden in the field is you and me. Jesus is the sacrificial purchaser of this treasure which of course he did by shedding his blood on the cross.

Yet another approach was to present it as Jesus being the treasure. Not that we sell all we have to purchase the field but as a demonstration of incalculable worth this salvation is to each and every one of us.

Still another view was that salvation is to be gained by our sacrificial living and being willing to leave all we have to obtain this treasure.

Which one or more do you think is the most accurate understanding(s) of this passage? Why do you think it is the best understanding? Or have you another understanding which you think is better?

Of hats and hair.

2011-06-17T10:34:00.003-07:00

Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ESV

The other day I heard a preacher say that he is going to start church discipline against women who do not wear head coverings or men with long hair. It was his opinion since it was an apostolic command it should be adhered to and to not do it would damage the person.

1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ESV

The above passage is used to insist that women cover the head while in church. This was customary in all churches years ago. Since it is not customary in some churches it would be incorrect to discipline women who do not cover the head. This is inventing a weight or a law for her to bear which is outside of scripture. In this way one resembles the Pharisees of Jesus’ day which is something he does not tolerate. A better use of a pastor’s time is to do what Jesus says and tell people their sins are forgiven. John 20:23

1 Corinthians 11:16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. ESV

This verse seems to toss it all out the window about long hair on men and head coverings for women to place him or her under bondage. A pastor’s time would be better spent working to increase in his flock more trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. In that way he would encourage to keep eyes on Jesus and to live in the peace that gives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

The Stuff of Jesus: Baptism 3.

2011-04-27T08:43:00.002-07:00

But here the devil is busy to delude us with false appearances, and lead us away from the work of God to our own works. For there is a much more splendid appearance when a Carthusian does many great and difficult works; and we all think much more of that which we do and merit ourselves. But the Scriptures teach thus: Even though we collect in one mass the works of all the monks, however splendidly they may shine, they would not be as noble and good as if God should pick up a straw. Why? Because the person is nobler and better. Here, then, we must not estimate the person according to the works, but the works according to the person, from whom they must derive their nobility. But insane reason will not regard this, and because Baptism does not shine like the works which we do, it is to be esteemed as nothing.*

In the above section of his Large Catechism Dr Luther uses an example of a group of monks to end all monks due to the severity in their practices. The monks lived as hermits in reaction to the degeneracy in the church of the day. The chief monastery was located north of Grenoble France. What made this order so special is they would go out of their way to not interact with other monks to the point that if one was dying no one would care for him. The works of the monks are admired by the monks and some others as great acts for God.

This is the way many in our evangelical and reformed congregations treat baptism. The evangelical will claim it is their work and therefore it cannot save as scripture proclaims so clearly. In our reformed it is taught that it is the work of the visible church to make members out sinners. It is taught to deliver some grace but it is quickly taken back due in part to the doctrine of limited atonement. In both instances due to it being the work of man St Peter’s proclamation in his first epistle is reevaluated so that there is no salvation at all.

1 Peter 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. ESV

To deny the powerful gift of baptism and make it a pitiful work of man robs it of the firm promise that one can look to in struggles on this fallen world. This promise of salvation, apprehended by faith, indeed justifies us. Since it is Jesus’ work for us we are not claiming any of the credit for this benefit so that the salvation is still all about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus has determined to both locate and deliver the benefits of his cross and resurrection in baptism. Instead of trying to snatch this gift away from Jesus let us believe this good news and live in the peace it gives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

*Large Catechism of Martin Luther.

The RAsburry Patch: Blessed Easter - from President Matthew Harrison

2011-04-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

The RAsburry Patch: Blessed Easter - from President Matthew Harrison

Jesus, Our Mercy Seat.

2011-04-21T11:09:00.006-07:00

Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. ESV

Wow, the covering of the Ark of the Covenant was serious business! One had to have it covered by smoke or he would be killed. The covering of the ark, and the blood sprinkled on it, was the propitiation for the people of Israel. This was bloody business. Both a bull and a goat were sacrificed, and the blood of both were for the sins of the people. This happened during the Day of Atonement which happened once a year. In addition to the sacrifice of the bull and goat, a live goat was also required. Aaron would place both hands on the goat confessing the sins of the people and send the goat into the wilderness. Even after all that, the work is not done, because a ritual cleansing was also ordered by the Lord.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. ESV

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus shed his blood to form a new and better covenant. No animal sacrifice is needed; no goat being released to run into the wilderness; no threat of death to any man serving God. Jesus became our high priest and gave His life on the cross to make us right with God. The laws' requirements are covered by the fact that our Lord has become the mercy seat, the propitiation, for all our sins. This happens for a person whether or not he or she believes. Apart from faith in the finished work of Jesus, one does not receive these benefits. Such a tragedy when one refuses the only salvation provided; their eternal death is so unnecessary since their sin debt has been paid in full.

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ESV

Since the shed blood of Jesus has atoned for our sins, let us let go of them after confessing them and realize the books are balanced. Our Father, in His wonderful grace, will not hold us accountable for our sin, so we have no need living under the guilt in our minds. In His mercy, He will not reward us with eternal death, but through faith we receive the right to be called children of God and have an eternity of life awaiting us. Let us believe this good news and live in the peace it gives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

The Stuff of Jesus: Baptism 2.

2011-04-15T08:17:00.003-07:00

Acts 4:11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. ESV

We see clearly that in the name of God, in the name of Jesus, there is salvation. When a person is baptized into the name of the Triune God there is salvation. This is so painfully clear one wonders why it is so hard for some to come to understand. They maintain baptism is the Christian’s work to show loyalty to Jesus and make a profession of faith in him for salvation. There is a dearth of scripture that teaches that fact so it is merely church tradition once again, wrongly, being placed over and against clear scripture.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ESV

For to be baptized in the name of God is to be baptized not by men, but by God Himself. Therefore, although it is performed by human hands, it is nevertheless truly God's own work. From this fact every one may himself readily infer that it is a far higher work than any work performed by a man or a saint. For what work greater than the work of God can we do?*

Baptism is not man’s work whatsoever. Nor is it the invention of man. Jesus uses the hands and the voice of the minister to apply the water and to invoke the name of God. However, it is clearly Jesus doing the baptism. Jesus has located the delivery of the fruit of the cross in the preached word and in baptism. He cleanses his church and makes it to his sight without spot or wrinkle no matter what sin captivates the heart and mind of the baptized believer. Rather than rejoicing in the sin like the unbeliever he or she will be granted repentance in the same Triune name of God. These are strong and precious promises given to us in God’s word. Jesus has given us such a wonderful gift in baptism that no matter what the world, our own sinful flesh or the devil says or does we remain able to tell them “I am baptized!” Let us believe this good news and live in the peace it gives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

* The Large Catechism of Martin Luther.

The Stuff of Jesus: Baptism.

2011-04-03T03:53:00.003-07:00

Today, as in the day of Martin Luther, Christians have mistaken to whom the sacrament of Holy Baptism belongs. You will hear “I was baptized in a ___________ Church.” or “I was baptized as a witness to the world of my faith in Jesus.” These totally miss the point of who instituted baptism and the purpose of the sacrament. There is only one baptism in the Triune name of God. That is Christian baptism which does not depend on the name of the congregation in which it is administered.

In the first place, we must above all things know well the words upon which Baptism is founded, and to which everything refers that is to be said on the subject, namely, where the Lord Christ speaks in Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.*

Likewise in St. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.*

In these words you must note, in the first place, that here stand God's commandment and institution, lest we doubt that Baptism is divine, not devised nor invented by men. For as truly as I can say, No man has spun the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer out of his head, but they are revealed and given by God Himself, so also I can boast that Baptism is no human trifle, but instituted by God Himself, moreover, that it is most solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved, lest any one regard it as a trifling matter, like putting on a new red coat.*

In this section Martin Luther recaptures baptism and places it back in the realm of Jesus things rather than man’s things done for Jesus. This changes, of course, what one believes about baptism and its effectiveness as a means of grace. If it were merely the work of men we could not look at it for assurance of our standing as children of God.

Rather than looking for ways to wrestle with scripture to make baptism our work we should rather believe scriptures strong teaching. Leaving baptism to be the stuff of Jesus we can live in the peace and certainty it gives.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

*Martin Luther’s Large Catechism

Shine Jesus Shine!

2011-03-22T03:27:00.003-07:00

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
ESV

The light of the world is Jesus! He is not merely a light like that we have so much in our modern society. Take a drive out into the country at night away from the artificial lights of the city. We return to some of what the people in the day of Jesus experienced at night. In that darkness that one can almost feel and taste a small flame off a match will seem like daytime. The darkness is not of the absence of light but more of the reaction of people to challenges of life. Our bent is toward acting in a way contrary to God’s law and will. This is why we need Jesus because he fulfilled the laws requirements and this is given to us graciously.

Such is the darkness in our world. On every hand we see the sinfulness of man in his cruelty to his fellow man. Death always seems to be the answer. It does not seem to matter if the person is too young or too old and ill to care for him or herself the answer is always death to the world. Christ have mercy. Help us good Lord as your children to be people who honor life as a gift from you and value it no matter the age or capabilities of the person.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ESV

Ok I get it. That is the cause of all the fuss around Christmas. Atheists and others are so offended at nativity scenes and work feverishly to rid themselves of them. The world does not know Jesus and has no use for him. But to those who know him he is the older brother which hung on a cross as his throne on a fallen world. He was also buried and resurrected for our sin. He did all that so we have the right to become children of God in him.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Shut Up!

2011-03-19T04:52:00.003-07:00

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, a roadmap to get to heaven, or a guidebook for successful living etc. These are a few phrases I have heard when people tell you what they think about the bible. You got it! They are all based upon a law only understanding of scripture.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ESV

So there we have it! This is the purpose of the law. It is not to be able to raise perfect children, have a winning soccer team or have a marriage free of stress. The law tells us to shut up! How rude! God does not want us to credential ourselves before him with our puny efforts to obey him. Jesus did that for us and him being God he could where we fail and fall so miserably short.

The bible is about Jesus first and foremost. It also contains the good news of the Gospel. Hear this good news:

Isaiah 44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
and will be glorified in Israel. ESV

What our Lord told Israel so many years ago he tells us today. He has blotted out our transgression and sins. He will not hold those in Jesus accountable for the evil they have done. Do we then sin up a storm? What a horrible question to ask! Why would we want to do that in the face of such a gracious God? Rather let us believe this good news and live in the peace it gives.

In the name of Jesus. †

Oil and Water.

2011-03-14T09:11:00.002-07:00

Nothing will quench my thirst after a time of yard work like a nice tall glass of ice water. I can see it when I am working in my mind. Clear water with ice so cold that when I take it outside it fogs up on the outer part of the glass. Every 3 months or 3 thousand miles we change the oil in our vehicles. That habit will serve us well in keeping a car operational over many years.

Each fluid described above has a specific task for which it qualifies. Neither task is interchangeable. If one fills the crankcase of the car with iced water instead of oil it would be a disaster. Drinking a tall glass of motor oil would cause serious illness or death. The effectiveness of the fluids is also diminished when mixed. The same can be said with the law and the Gospel.

The doctrinal contents of the entire Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and the New Testament, are made up of two doctrines differing fundamentally from each other, viz., the Law and the Gospel.*

Dr CFW Walther, so many years ago, identified the problem in the church of mixing the Law and Gospel. We still have that error today. Some will talk of Jesus being the new Moses. Teaching of how one cannot know he or she is saved unless a drastic change in life has happened to where he or she no longer sins or sins much less. Or that one must make Jesus Lord of one’s life as an extra step in conversion. These and other errors will rob the Gospel of its sweetness and the Law of its sternness. The first happens and one can be led to even doubt one’s eternal salvation. The latter happens and one may fall into impenitence and endanger themselves and their salvation.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

St Paul clearly distinguishes between the Law and the Gospel. The law shows us that all have sinned and fallen short of God. The Gospel on the other hand shows that by faith we now have the righteousness of God given to us. In addition we are justified graciously with no effort on our part. This is the done didness of Jesus’ work for us.

Thanks be to God. †

*Thesis I on the Law and the Gospel by CFW Walther First President of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. 1884

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 14

2010-11-06T19:32:00.002-07:00

While discussing the atonement and people trusting in Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection the following phrase came up from one of my Calvinists. This is presented in order for them to prove Jesus’ work is limited to believers rather than for all people.

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me,

Two things are remarkable about this phrase being presented as proving limited atonement. First it is an assuring promise that those the Father gives Jesus as his sheep will be saved. No ifs ands or buts about it. Against the decision Theology model where it depends on you making the right choice and sticking with it is not the issue. And also those who say by our behaviour change we both prove our faith and maintain it also is shown to be false. But how is it limiting which is terrifying rather than promising which is assurance?

Second we have a partial verse which should be finished to get the entire impact of what Jesus is saying:

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ESV

It is not only bad form to interrupt a person mid sentence and comment but we also see from the remainder of the sentence quite the modifier. The first part can lead, and does lead many, to believe that Jesus is limiting the number of ones who can come. Instead of the terrifying thought; “Have I been given to Jesus?” we have the assuring statement of Jesus not casting anyone off who comes to him. So we can once again look to Romans 10:9,10 and believe this good news and live in the peace that it gives. No questioning necessary!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.†

Wassamotta U from TULIP

2010-11-03T05:21:00.001-07:00

One other feature of our fallen human nature is to try to figure out how God is to blame for man’s failures. The U of the acrostic TULIP is an example of that blame laying. It stands for Unconditional Election. Which on the first glance does give God credit for doing the Salvation job fully and without merit. However, there is the another more sinister part of the teaching:

Unconditional Election is the doctrine which states that God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to a knowledge of himself, not based upon any merit shown by the object of his grace and not based upon his looking forward to discover who would "accept" the offer of the gospel. God has elected, based solely upon the counsel of his own will, some for glory and others for damnation (Romans 9:15,21). He has done this act before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4-8).*

*http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/index.html

In the mind of many so called 5 point Calvinists God is ultimately responsible for people remaining outside of Jesus and spending eternity separated from all goodness and light of our Creator. Let us examine scripture to see if the lost are lost due to God not wanting to save them.

In the above definition Romans 9, or rather two verses from Romans 9, is referred to in teaching God elects some to hell. When one brings up Romans 9 and reads the full context one is hard pressed to see that speaking of the eternal destiny of anyone. We have reference to Israel and his brother Esau and Pharaoh. So the election has to do with the ancestor of our Lord Jesus and the exodus of Israel from Egypt. No mention of anyone either enjoying the Trinity in eternal bliss or spending eternity languishing under his wrath. The destruction mentioned refers to the languishing Edom faced in this world rather than the success usually enjoyed by the first born son. In addition the hardening of Pharaoh caused him to pursue Israel, after the plagues, and the destruction of his armies. God reserves the right to use persons in their sinful acts to accomplish his will and then to save them as he did Saul of Tarsus on his way to persecute Jesus‘ followers.

Ephesians 1:4-8 in no way teaches our Father electing anyone to hell. Rather it teaches the true view of election. Election and predestination always refers to those in Jesus. The Bible also teaches about predestination in Acts 13:48, 2 Thess. 2:13-14, and 2 Tim. 1:9. The "elect" are mentioned in Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:22, Luke 18:7, Romans 8:33, 11:7, Colossians 3:12, 2 Timothy 2:10, Titus 1:1, I Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 5:13; 2 John 1:1, 13.

Due to the fact that there exists no scripture teaching a double election it must be read down on top of scripture in order to defend it. This is abuse of the wonderful gift of scripture and should be cast aside preferring to read scripture as written. This will not satisfy the idle curiosity of humans as to why some are saved and others lost but it is what we have from God on the subject. Jesus lived his perfect life, suffered death on the cross and resurrected for sinners. Better to believe this good news and live in the peace it gives us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

The T Fom TULIP Is a Strange Brew.

2010-10-31T08:29:00.002-07:00

The acrostic TULIP is an easy remember way to summarize Calvinistic doctrine and view of the Christian religion. The T stands for Total Depravity as you will see in this definition describes some of the natural estate of man:

Total Depravity (Total Inability)
Total Depravity is probably the most misunderstood tenet of Calvinism. When Calvinists speak of humans as "totally depraved," they are making an extensive, rather than an intensive statement. The effect of the fall upon man is that sin has extended to every part of his personality -- his thinking, his emotions, and his will. Not necessarily that he is intensely sinful, but that sin has extended to his entire being.

The unregenerate (unsaved) man is dead in his sins (Romans 5:12). Without the power of the Holy Spirit, the natural man is blind and deaf to the message of the gospel (Mark 4:11f). This is why Total Depravity has also been called "Total Inability." The man without a knowledge of God will never come to this knowledge without God's making him alive through Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5).*
* http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/index.html

As far as this definition goes no problem whatsoever. That man is fully incapable of doing good and measuring up to the glory of Jesus is needful so that we have Jesus being 100% to credit for our salvation. However, this teaching does not go far enough, as the more ancient teaching of original sin, which shows us as being much worse throughout our person. We do not even want to measure up to what Jesus does or has done. What we do should be enough in our expectation. We have no desire to love God fully nor our neighbour as ourselves. We have been, will be and must be self seeking because of our weak and fallen condition. Due to our being subjected to sin, death, disease, futility and decay to totally ignore our needs we would be unable to fully serve our neighbour and seek his good. To do that would be sin as well for it would not be good stewards of what gifts the Lord has given us.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. ESV

So strenuous and high is out Lord’s commands Jesus came to fulfill this requirement. Being God who became flesh he was fully able to empty himself and spend himself for us. He had no need to seek his own good but was not subjected to the futility and decay with which we are subjected due to sin. And because of his grace this fully spent character is granted to us through faith and has totally finished from the greatest to the smallest requirement our need in the sight of God.

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ESV

May the name of Jesus evermore be praised for his gracious provision of not only what we lace in righteousness but also paying for our sinfulness on the cross.

Jesus, your blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.**

**Jesus, Your Blood and Righteousness
By: Nicolaus L. von Zinzendorf

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Getting The L Out of Here.13

2010-10-30T05:24:00.005-07:00

One thing that is always surprising but should never be is the arrogance with which the flesh rebels against God. The bible clearly states that God desires all to be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4, but all are not saved. Our Lord has not seen fit to explain this in his word so the flesh wants to fill in the blanks, make things up and generally put words in God’s mouth.

Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ESV

First we have an as it is written here. We have another place to look to see what this phrase means.

Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!” ESV

So we have a clue it is due to pride that God hates Esau. Or more specifically Edom his descendents. But were not the children of Israel proud? Yes but God never looks at the person or his or her behaviour for a choosing but rather it is a choosing of grace. That is the whole point of the prophecy of MalachI is that Israel has been rejecting God all along. Fallen and finite humans by nature reject God and are his enemies who do not see the love and care he has for us.

Second we are to understand what Jesus said about the scriptures testify of him. John 5:39. God told Abraham that in Isaac his seed shall be called but there were twin boys born to Isaac. Esau was first so by law and tradition he should have inherited the blessing and all else. Our Lord can operate under his law or no law at all if he so desires. So in this way the elder will serve the younger which is Christ. When the emphasis is moved off Jesus and on to the sinners involved all bets are off. This is how we end up with a horrible doctrine that teaches Jesus died for less than all humanity which leaves us to wonder if we are died for individually.

Romans 11:32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. ESV

The above verse puts an end to speculation on for whom Christ died and wants to save. This is close context and aids in understanding what came before. Jesus died for all and wants all to be saved. We cannot have it both ways where on one hand some are died for and the rest are unwanted and un died for. What a horrible thing with which to subject yourself and others. Behold the Lamb slain for the world from before the foundation of the world. Believe this good news and live in the peace that it delivers through the means of grace.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Jesus Delivers For You. And This Time He Makes It Personal!

2010-10-19T05:59:00.003-07:00

Last evening we were in conversation with a group of Christians. The subject was “If Jesus died for only a few how do we know, objectively, he died for me?” A following question was asked similar to this; “Where do we find the Gospel so personalized and what importance is it?”

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. ESV

We see here the personal confession of his sins by St Paul. These were not sins of Timothy, Barnabas, Peter or any other person alive during his life. These transgressions of the clear law of God were Saul of Tarsus’ and his personally. So with personal sins laid to his charge he needed a personal payment laid to his account. Every sin we commit is personally chargeable to our account and we too need a personal payment laid to our account as well. If we refuse this payment then our only ending is to suffer in this life under the wrath of God and eternal separation from the source of all good and light.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ESV

The above words are familiar to all Christians. Another participant, Bruce, continued to quote these words as assurance of personal payment for each person’s sin. This served to drive these words home to this relatively new Lutheran although I know them so well. What a wonderful gift to have the fruits of the cross of Jesus delivered to each of us personally. How much more personal can you get than a piece of bread in your mouth and a sip of wine in your belly? That is Jesus delivering these gifts for you for your sins.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Jesus Delivers For You.

2010-10-15T05:16:00.002-07:00

As my children and grandchildren are aging, which hints at me aging as well, the promise of the resurrection Jesus has in his word become more and more needful. And during times of illness it was on my mind as well. That brings a person to questions as to how do I know it is for me this resurrection to life? Clearly scripture teaches a general resurrection of all persons on the last day. John 5:28,29 So how does Jesus deliver this promise to those who believe in him? Do we have to peer in our hearts to see it? Do we examine our works to see if there is enough holiness for God to admire? No. Our Creator, Victim, Priest, Lord and Saviour has another way.

John 6:52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. ESV

All other gods of the world religions require to be fed and cared for by the followers. This is another way that Christianity, biblical Christianity, differs. With the Lord Jesus feeds his followers of himself. In feeding us he delivers to us forgiveness of sins as he promised when he instituted the Supper. In the above section we have much more detail in the benefits one receives in the Supper. So the Real Presence of our Lord in the Supper is much more than just an academic discussion. It gets right down to brass tacks on whether we can actually take Jesus at his word or not. Jesus in some mysterious way has located himself in the bread and the wine so that when it touches our lips and tongue forgiveness, life, salvation and resurrection is received at once.

Some object to this because people receive these gifts and yet are lost. I get that. Really I do. However, this does not interrupt the promises of God as St Paul said in Romans 3:3 that unfaithfulness does not nullify the faithfulness of God. Yes forgiveness, life, salvation and resurrection were won for us back nearly 2000 years ago by Jesus. He brings that forward and delivers it to you in the bread and wine which is his body broken and blood shed for you. Rather than doubting these strong promises let us believe this good news and live in the peace it gives us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Righteous Judgment

2010-10-06T07:06:00.003-07:00

“How can a person who believes that way be a Christian?” Oh to have a dime for every time I have heard that one. Many times it will be said by a person who has experienced a change from one doctrinal viewpoint to another. In this case it came from a gentleman who used to believe in Decision Theology. This is actively taught by many in the Christian church that a person becomes saved by deciding to follow Jesus and to believe in him for salvation. Although this can sound good to the ego that we play a part in salvation it is false in the fact one can find it nowhere in scripture. It is therefore a false teaching to believe that we are active in salvation for it would be in reward for a correct decision and a work. However, is this false teaching and the misunderstanding mean that the believer in the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for salvation is eternally damned? Do we have the ability or even the Lord’s permission to make that judgment?

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ESV

The above teaching of Jesus is most unpopular with those who think they have a special calling to judge the salvation of others. When presenting this to the self appointed judge he or she will claim it is taken out of context. When asked to put that back into the sermon and point out the additional verses needed to make it say we are to judge it cannot be done. The person who has read more of the scripture and more often will say something about we are commanded to use righteous judgment. The following is the only passage found where we have men commanded to use righteous judgment. The other sections have to do with God doing the righteous judgment.

Deuteronomy 16:18 You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. ESV

Having served on a jury I have also received a command from a judge to judge according to the law. As a Christian we too are to use judgment using the law of God. We find a brother caught up in an offence it is very appropriate to use the law of God to point out the sin in order for the Holy Spirit to convict and we can give the blessed Gospel to him for his salvation. That is in order for him to be restored to faith not to lord it over for us to feel more holy than him. We are to never use this as an occasion to pass final judgment upon the individual as if we know what the eternal destination for him will be. That is Jesus’ job and we are to leave the Lord Jesusing to the Lord Jesus.

John 5:22 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. ESV

Using personal opinions to judge another person has horrible consequences. It will take away any peace that said person has in the Lord. They are confessing with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in the heart that God has raised him from the dead. Instead of taking the conclusion the Apostle give in Romans 10 that one is being saved the opposite happens. Doubt is cast upon the confession spoken rather than giving the peace that it offers. We can never tell what the person truly trusts in the heart. God alone places it there sees that and judges it. Let us busy ourselves rather to build each other up in the true faith by patiently referring to the word of God and not do the work of the devil, the world and the lust of our flesh.

Because all judgment was given to Jesus what the person is ultimately doing is breaking the first commandment against having other gods in the face of God. This is also taking the name of Jesus in vain for he or she is misusing the teachings of our Lord that are meant to comfort and using it rather to terrify. This is much more serious for Jesus said that if one should offend one of the little ones who believe in him it would be better than a millstone be hung around their neck and cast into the deep. This is not a prescription for punishment but a threat of eternal damnation if it is done impenitently. Nor can one stop doing it on his or her own. It is another sin which needs to have its back broken by confessing it and receiving the forgiveness that was purchased on Calvary.

Lord Jesus, grant us true repentance for the grievous sin of idolatry by judging falsely. Amen †

Jesus Gives Us His Father To Be Our Father.

2010-09-18T18:04:00.003-07:00

The law does strange things when mixed with our fallen human nature. On the one hand we will think that we can do this. In this way we believe we are able to curry God’s favour and get more out of him by obedience. On the other hand we will protest against it and look for ways around the command and in that way disobey in thought, word and deed.

Luke 11:1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. KJV

Question 120. Why has Christ commanded us to address God thus: "Our Father"?

Answer: That immediately, in the very beginning of our prayer, he might excite in us a childlike reverence for, and confidence in God, which are the foundation of our prayer: namely, that God is become our Father in Christ, and will much less deny us what we ask of him in true faith, than our parents will refuse us earthly things.

What we see in the above quote from the Heidelberg Catechism is an approach to the prayer Jesus gave us to pray. The reward for praying in this fashion? That we may get things our way. The qualification is that we do this in true faith. One does not have to ask an awful lot of things from God until one notices the lack of response. The reason would be in the mind; “I must not have asked in true faith.” The response would be either guilt within ourselves and distrust praying to Our Father or anger that he did not accept our offering of this service. In the prayer Jesus taught us we ask for our daily needs. These are firm promises found in scripture that God will supply all that is needed. We are repeating back to God his words in this prayer. We do not have the promise of a new house, furniture, vehicle and a perfect child. God gives us what we need and that may be an old house, torn furniture, aging car and a brat who constantly breaks our heart. So many Christians have been hurt by the churches who teach, as above, that if we ask in true faith we will have everything we want. The world, our own sinful flesh and the devil will seize these opportunity to attempt to lead one from the faith.

Is Jesus here laying down a law or is it a gift? When a law is given there is an adjoining penalty for not obeying it. This is true in our daily walk. A speed limit is established there is a penalty that joins it when it is violated. Even a common ordinary law such as that will excite in us the desire to push the limit. If it was strictly enforced no doubt our local government would not lack money. Due to concern for the uproar from citizens, normally, it is enforced with a lax hand.

God’s laws are either obeyed perfectly or disobeyed completely. There is no laxity with God. Either you obey perfectly or death is the penalty. Taking that into account we not only have to worry about not getting what we want from God in exchange for our praying in true faith we have to worry about eternal punishment. No this prayer must be considered from a different angle in which it is good news not damning law.

Our Father who art in heaven.

What does this mean?--Answer.

God would thereby [with this little introduction] tenderly urge us to believe that He is our true Father, and that we are His true children, so that we may ask Him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.

In his Small Catechism Martin Luther would rather teach us that this is a tender urging or gift from Jesus to us. He is giving us his Father to be our Father. Not just a stern Father but a dear Father who loves us so that he gave us Jesus to bear our sins to the cross and in faith we are his dear children. Okay so if we have this approach to God will he therefore grant us everything we request? Of course not! Many of the things we want would not be good for us. We are inclined to be self centered and will in turn rather be greedy and grasping when having our stuff.

Luke 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? KJV

We have the promise of what we need shall be provided by our Father in Heaven. In addition he will give us the Holy Spirit. We receive the Holy Spirit in order to guide us in being thankful for what we have, grant us repentance for coveting what we don’t have and true faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Being baptized into Jesus we have his righteousness lived in his holy life given to us as a garment. As the Father was well pleased with Jesus at his baptism we walk as well pleasing children in the righteousness we have by baptism through faith. Let us therefore with grateful hearts address God as Our Father which art in Heaven….

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Walking In The Spirit. Sinlessness?

2010-09-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

The way some bible teachers have it is that if you are walking by the Spirit you are not sinning. Conversely if you are guilty of sinning in a given day you are therefore walking in the flesh and not the Spirit. And if you are walking in the flesh according to this section of scripture you will not inherit the kingdom of God. So on Monday thru perhaps Tuesday you don’t recall any particular sins so you are inheriting the kingdom of God. But on Wednesday you lost your cool and tore another person’s face off with a real good tongue lashing. That would be considered strife or at least a fit of anger. And perhaps it takes you a few days to cool off because it was a reaction to someone’s real trespass. If you die in those days will you go to hell?

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ESV

Notice St Paul is not saying that walking in the Spirit is being sin free. Rather due to the fruit of the Spirit which are attitudes and motivation we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. The flesh not only desires to sin but takes delight in it. I am sure you have heard an unbeliever brag about lashing out at another. He or she really let the other person have it and cannot wait to do it again. And he or she will keep on doing it again as until the next victim happens to cross his or her path.

The desire of the Spirit, on the other hand, will bring that person to realize the sin which he or she committed and grant them true repentance and forgiveness of sin. The only promise that can be made to our Father is that we will do that sin again and other ones in addition. We never outgrow our need each day for the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In baptism we are clothed with him so we can live before our Father in a holiness which is not our own. Those who are walking in the Spirit freely admit he or she has no righteous of his or her own but only the one we have by faith. To assure us even more Jesus comes to us in his body and blood to strengthen us and keep us in the true faith to life everlasting. In these ways we never have to depend upon some progression of holiness for assurance you cannot become more holy than Jesus.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Jesus At Work. Don't Be Angry.

2010-08-29T07:07:00.004-07:00

Nothing will cause more anger among Christians than Jesus doing his Jesus job. One would expect anger from the Jews in Jesus’ day who had formed the idea of whom the Messiah would be and what he would be about. And one is right. Also one would expect the unbelieving world to be totally ticked at his actions. And one would be right about that too. Humans are, after all, in rebellion against God which is why we need a Saviour to reconcile us to God. But we are by nature unwilling to be reconciled and think it is God who has the problem and needs to be appeased. Such is the dilemma with the following section.

John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ESV

Two main groups of Christians are angry about this section. First we have the Arminians who teach that one must make a choice to believe. The first 5 verses indicate that Jesus came in the world to bring light to all persons, as creator cares for all creation, was rejected by the unbelievers and all one has to do is believe. If they even refer to the last verse is where the anger comes in. “It is not fair!” they will say because it is taught it is God’s will that saves the believer. Instead of rejoicing that Jesus is 100% Saviour in this salvation business they do not seem to want to get over the idea we have no part in our salvation.

The second group which get upset at it is our Calvinists. In order to protect God’s Sovereignty they will tend to either ignore the first verse or spend days trying to redefine what it means to enlighten everyone. After all how could Jesus be here to enlighten everyone if God has chosen some for damnation and others for salvation. The answer, of course, is that God has never chosen specific persons to be damned. At least one cannot find that taught in scripture when read in its entirety and plainly.

Rather than something about which to be angry this is another comforting section of scripture. First, for my Arminians. It is not up to us to make a choice to believe in Jesus. This is good. In dealing with the public one realizes a constant: People are forever changing his or her minds. It would be terrifying to trust one’s own choice or judgment in salvation. We have a cornucopia of salvation programs out there from which to choose. One is presented, believed for a time and than rejected when a more attractive program presents itself. True salvation was planned by God before the foundation of the world. It is delivered to us through his means of grace the preached word and the sacraments by which we receive faith and are maintained in the true faith. If one can get over oneself this is fantastic news.

For my Calvinists. It is great and comforting to know that Jesus did not make a special group for eternal damnation. That he came into this world to complete the requirements of the law, to die and pay for the sins of the entire world and resurrect for all of humanity’s justification. If Jesus came only for a limited group we would be cursed with always having to look inside ourselves to see if we have true faith or at our changed lives to know if we are truly saved. Whatever “truly saved” means. What a terrifying life to have to constantly question one’s salvation. On the other hand some will become comfortable with sin by minimizing the accusation of the law in order to have sufficient pious works to rely upon. Nothing is a faith killer like relying upon works to be saved or to know one is saved.

So much better it is to read in scripture about our wonderful Saviour who came to fulfill the laws demands for us. After the law fulfilled for us he bore our sins to the cross for us. And after going into death and the grave for us he resurrected for our justification for us. The much used for us in this last section was on purpose for that is the Gospel. For us men and for our salvation as is stated in the Nicene Creed written so many years ago to summarize the gift of eternal life. Let us believe this good news, live in the peace it delivers and not be angry.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Jesus Delivers His Cleansing,

2010-08-27T11:52:00.002-07:00

Where is the water in Baptism in the Epistles? This is the question asked by those who want to have a waterless Baptism which is secret to the eyes and where one receives the Holy Spirit. Here it is my doubting friends:

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ESV

Some have said in response to this. “That is only one verse!” For the first 1500 years in the Holy Christian Church there were no major disputes about whether Baptisms included water. It was only at the time of the Reformation that we had a group wanting to cast off historic doctrine because it looked and sounded too popish. To do this one has to see the bible as a wax nose to twist and shape into any desired form. This is truly a mishandling of the word of God and is why we have such a mess yet today 500 years later. Sinners never being satisfied are always looking for new moving of the Spirit to hit them.

In baptism we receive the glorious cleansing of the connection of water with the word of God. In this promised gift Jesus cleanses us from all sin so that we are presented, in Jesus, totally clean without spot or wrinkle. This ends all the foolish strivings humans do in Christianity to move up a ladder in holiness. Certainly some changes happen to old habits. They, due to the love and gratitude to Jesus, become loathsome to the believer. When confronted with the remaining sin repentance is granted as well as forgiveness. When confronted again with this sin repentance happens and again the forgiveness of sin. This is a constant in the life of a believer and is the first purpose of the law in church. However, one remains clean and without spot or blemish is the promise we have in baptism.

How, it is asked, can water do this? The real activity is not in the water, the baby being baptized, the older child or adult submitting to baptism nor the minister applying the water. It is the combination of water and the name of the Triune God. We see clearly that it is Jesus who is actually doing the baptizing. Since this is Jesus’ powerful work for us we need not doubt its power. What wonderful assurance we have in this activity of Jesus. No longer do we have to examine our own holiness to know we are in Christ. No longer do we have to try and remember an inner experience from years ago. No longer do we have to wonder if a decision we made was sincere enough. When the accusations come we can say to the world, our own sinful flesh and Satan “I am baptized!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 12

2010-08-22T14:02:00.005-07:00

Charles Spurgeon in the following quote summarizes the challenge one faces when discussing Limited Atonement with an adherent:

I would rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of men be added to it. (Charles Spurgeon, Sermons, Vol. 4, p. 70)

On first glance I would have to agree that I would rather believe in Limited Atonement than to have to add the work of an unbeliever to grace in order to obtain salvation. This would clearly be adding works to Jesus in order to bring about salvation. Whenever I find myself in conversation with a Calvinist this argument always raises as if he or she believes Lutherans teach free will due to denying Limited Atonement. This was one of my early delights when coming into Lutheranism! I can have a Jesus dead on the cross for the sins of the world as the scriptures clearly present. In addition I do not have to trust any decision I made in salvation to which my Arminians would point.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. ESV

Yes, my Calvinists, Lutherans also like verse 14. Pasting that back into context it shows once again that God is doing the saving work without the help of man. That we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to deliver to us the forgiveness of sins and to instruct us in making judgments. However, nowhere in this section 1 Corinthians, the rest of the letter nor anywhere else in scripture does it say that the unbeliever is not atoned for. So it is not about what we would rather have, Mr. Spurgeon and my Calvinists, but what does scripture clearly teach. It teaches we have a Jesus who took the entire weight of God’s wrath for the entirety of mankind. We cannot have a Jesus who, in 2 Corinthians 5:19, reconciles the entire world so that the sins are not held against them and have a Jesus who only does reconciling for some of humanity. We have only one Jesus who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

The salvation of men is God’s business. It is impossible to understand why some are saved and others lost. What it cannot be is that it is due to that person’s lack of decision which is not taught anywhere in scripture. It also cannot be that God did not desire the salvation of that person for scripture contradicts that idea. It is best to leave off speculating of the why and wherefore of this issue and believe the promises of God and live in the comfort they give.

pax domini. †

Our Sovereign Adopting Father.

2010-08-15T04:59:00.003-07:00

One of the most comforting teachings in scripture is that of the adoption of sinners by our Heavenly Father. Adoption is the closest relationship one can have with a parent apart from being begotten. We see in Romans 8:15 as adopted children of God we call out to God as Abba! Father! This is again repeated in Galatians 4:6. This is the same terminology by which our Lord Jesus called out to him just prior to his crucifixion.

Mark 14:36And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” ESV

Wow! We have the privilege to address the Creator of all things in the same manner as his only Begotten Son addressed him. No other religion has its adherence as adopted children. The best analogy we can use to describe relations with God in all other religions is the follower as employee or slave and God as Employer or slave owner. We are members indeed of the family of God and no longer a slave, employee or servant to God. Jesus calls us friends, brothers and adopted children of God

Galatians 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. ESV

We receive this adoption by faith in the waters of baptism. Not the secret baptism so many in evangelicalism teach. This unknown baptism delivers nothing to no one to which one can look for assurance that he or she is loved by God. There is only one baptism taught in scripture and that is the one where water is going on in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Sprit. That is the essence of adoption is to have a new name placed on you. A sinner brought into the loving relationship of the Holy Trinity! Why do so many reject this in favor of the unknown? Perhaps that it is too fantastic for the human brain to contemplate. Part of our fallen nature is to assume that if one cannot measure or totally understand something it cannot be true. That leaves a person in a horrible state for nothing makes sense to us in the Gospel. In the entirety of God’s word nothing about him makes any sense due to it being outside our experience.

Or do you not know, St Paul writes to us in his epistle to the Roman church, that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? In baptism we are plunged into the death of elder brother Jesus. Somehow, which we cannot understand, Jesus has instituted baptism for the purpose of transferring the fruit of his cross to us. We cannot return to the cross for it occurred nearly two thousand years ago. Jesus gave us this gift to know we have the forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit in a tangible way. This is evidence of actually being the temple of God. We are the temple of God even though we may not feel like it or look like it. We don’t have to search our works or our level of trust but rather believe this good news and live in the peace that it offers.

The law says, "Do this," and it is never done. Grace says, "believe in this," and everything is already done.*

In the Name of Jesus. Amen †

*The Heidelberg Disputation of Martin Luther, May 1518

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 11

2010-08-05T18:22:00.002-07:00

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. ESV

When speaking with my Calvinists one thing is a constant. We can never settle on the definition of certain words. One of these words is all. Almost to a person all will be explained, especially in the above section, to be merely referring to all types of persons. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus’ finished work was for the salvation of both Jew and Gentile so one tactic is to say that the word all refers only to some people’s understanding that the Jews had a leg up on the faith.

Aha, it is assumed, from the word Gentile being in the above part of St Paul’s letter to young Pastor Tim here again it is speaking against the controversy. However, one must not be too hasty to make that argument. Remember context both near and far is crucial in understanding scripture. Nothing in the entire letter is addressing the controversy of the Judaizers. Although extremely important was settling that controversy it is simply not addressed in this letter. St Paul is once again pointing out his apostleship to the Gentiles which once again amazing considering what a real Jew he was. So once again we see our Calvinists pressing their presuppositions that God does not want certain people saved therefore, all cannot mean all.

Over and over again I have been told that to believe God wants those who will perish in unbelief to be saved is a challenge to the Sovereignty of God. This is only the case when one takes the Sovereignty of God and will limit it to what is understandable. This is rather teaching the sovereignty of human reason rather than the Sovereignty of God to be something to be defended at all cost. Reason is indeed necessary for banging about here on a fallen world but should never be used to explain how a Holy and Almighty God beholds his creation nor his intention for it.

Isaiah 55: 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.ESV

So there we have how God sees himself. Truly angered at sin both in deeds and in thoughts. But always ready to be sought out and later on shows how he sends his word out to call his created people to himself. That word was manifested in the flesh, lived the perfect life for people, suffered for their sins and was raised for their justification. How anyone can see all that effort just to refuse to save some is totally foreign to scripture. Have reason serve us well in our daily rounds and have the scripture show us our marvelous and humanly unreasonable God.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 10

2010-08-03T12:13:00.004-07:00

While in conversation with a friend who is a Calvinist about Limited Atonement he said he had a verse which would end all teaching of Jesus dying for all of humanity. I asked him to give me the verse which would end that teaching:

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
FROM every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” ESV

I capitalized the word from to indicate what he emphasized when reading that verse. When a person emphasizes a word in a passage it pays to watch out. What we see here is a scene from heaven after the resurrection of the dead. This is where the church catholic is gathered from all time and all nations. Yes indeed those were ransomed from every tribe, language, people and nations. What is clearly does not say is that those who are in attendance were the only ones died for. Those who refuse to trust in Jesus’ perfect life, death, burial and resurrection do not receive these gifts. That in no way indicates that those gifts are not theirs or that God in did not want them to have eternal life.

This is a sadness. Due to his or her own stubborn refusal to believe in Jesus that instead of eternal life the unbelievers are entering into eternal death. Many believers that I have talked to have loved ones and friends who are great folks but have a steadfast refusal to trust in Jesus. What these dear ones are trusting is in his or her own goodness. That if there is a god in their thoughts it is a false god who will weigh the good against the bad and all will be swell. Still others have children who were raised in the faith but have rejected it for various reasons. This can cause hours of tears in concern and prayer for these children’s eternal salvation.

One thing the L does for some of my reformed is to give them an out. A fiction which they can tell themselves so that the sadness can be kept at bay. Others eventually will commence blaming God for the lost condition of their family or friends. “Why did you let my son and daughter be born? Didn’t you have enough kindling for hell?” This is similar to the charge Adam had against God for the woman God gave him. Eve had the similar charge against God for the serpent God placed in the garden. Interesting to note in the record of that exchange the serpent did not pass the blame along to anyone else. He seemed pretty cool with all of it.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” <ESV

God does not explain in his holy word, apart from unbelief, why that even though Jesus died for all sinners why some are saved and others lost. Father is merciful to his children so we can go ahead and pray and cry for our lost family and friends. Jesus did not die in order to send people to hell perhaps he will grant them true repentance and faith in Jesus. Let us believe this good news and live in the peace that it offers instead of telling ourselves the fiction of Limited Atonement. Sorry my friend no sale. Okay, not sorry. Instead very grateful that we can know, objectively, we are atoned for in the death of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 9

2010-07-25T14:22:00.002-07:00

Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.ESV

“You have that verse out of context.” That was the response I received when discussing Limited Atonement with a Calvinistic buddy of mine. The word context is a lead balloon often used to quench an argument. Context is definitely needed in finding out what scripture teaches on a subject. My challenge is to show how many verses, such as the one above, one needs to make it say that Jesus did not taste separation from God for every person. Without that proof context is just that a lead balloon which is supposed to shut everyone up that disagrees with the person using the word.

Limited Atonement is a presupposition that is read down on top of scripture to try to answer the question of why some are saved and others lost. In reading this on top of scripture then sections of scripture which clearly teaches that Jesus is Savior of all men is read to say the opposite. This is an attempt to protect the Sovereignty of God for if God wants all men to be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4, and all men are not saved then we do not have a Sovereign God is the fear. This fear is a challenge to the Sovereignty of God in that we once again fall upwards in an attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible. This is fascinating that a professing Christian would refuse to affirm a clear teaching because it does not make sense to a finite mind steeped in sin.

I accept the challenge:

Hebrews 2:5 Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. ESV

Wow! Far from teaching Limited Atonement the near context throws more incredible and incomprehensible stuff our way. Jesus made us perfect through suffering in order to call us brothers? Yes God is Sovereign. Jesus exercised his Sovereignty in being born of a virgin, suffering under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died and was buried. He was Sovereign in descending into hell and raising from the dead. And is now Sovereign at the right hand of the Father giving us his gifts through word, baptism and body and blood. All in order to call us brothers!

Now the challenge is yours my Calvinists. Put this into context to show it is for fewer than all. Or believe this good news and live in the peace it offers.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Gifts of Assurance.

2010-07-16T09:21:00.003-07:00

In times of trial and temptation we really need to look outside of ourselves for assurance of Our Fathers love and concern. We need some tangible witness that our sins are forgiven. Many groups of Christians today will look at experience in order to find evidence of these gifts. Some will look to the repeat of pleasant feelings or perhaps ecstatic gifts of tongues or healings which are not promised in scripture. Or will mistakenly think that good works are sufficient evidence of forgiveness of sin. God is fully capable to provide these feelings and gifts. It is true that good deeds happen although all tainted with sin. What we have, instead, are the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ESV

We see that the Holy Spirit bears witness to us that we are children of God. Therefore as children of our loving Heavenly Father we can expect all things to be for our benefit even if suffering is involved. How do Christians, all of them, have this witness made sure in this veil of tears? By the sure and certain promises located in God’s holy scriptures. One thing is consistent within the entire Holy Christian church. Each of us are baptized into the Name of God upon entrance into it. Whether this happened as an infant in the vast majority of Christian traditions or as a confessing older child or adult the same promise is associated to being baptized.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ESV

Washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. This is tangible and objective evidence that one can reflect on in the deepest and darkest hours of temptation. This can never be taken from us by our sinful flesh, the world which includes false and erring brothers or by Satan himself. Baptism is not merely a one time long ago event but rather a continual renewing of the promises of God which is available at all times. When one evokes or hears evoked the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we have available the recollection of that promise which was delivered to us personally. We were placed under the cross of Jesus in baptism. As a long standing practice many Christians will make the sign of the cross upon themselves. Some will say that is not commanded in scripture but should realize we are physical persons so physical actions will aid in driving home this promise as actually belonging to each of us. This is rejected in favor of a waterless baptism of the Holy Spirit. This baptism is found nowhere in scripture and is assumed for some come to faith prior to baptism. This is easily understood because of the older testament faithful who lived prior to Christian baptism instituted by Jesus. The day to day tragedy in rejecting the strong promises in baptism the Christian is left with nothing tangible to know he or she is a child of God. Instead one is left with a fading memory of a past decision he or she made and an ever searching for good works or ecstatic gift to prove faith.

Luke 24: 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ESV

Jesus’ desires that through proclamation that his Christians receive repentance and the forgiveness of sins. So from the outside resource of the voice of the pastor disturbing air molecules and having them bang into eardrums we know we have forgiveness of sins. The larynx, air molecules, eardrums and brains to properly interpret the vibrations the Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the loved children of God. It should be no surprise that the Creator of all things can use matter to do his bidding. It seems ludicrous that some of the same Christians who will fight tooth and nail with atheists about God creating all things have a problem with the same Creator being comfortable with matter. Rather than trusting the firm promise of Jesus he or she will say it is his or her understanding or step of faith that secured forgiveness. And others will credit the great teacher he is who delivered the message. Christ have mercy!

Matthew 26:26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”ESV

The third way the forgiveness of sins comes to us objectively is in the Sacrament of the Lord’s body and blood. Notice how clearly we are to drink of the cup which is his blood for the forgiveness of sin. What wonderful joy it is to have such a gift and to know what is delivered in it! Again too many doubt the forgiveness of sins are delivered in the Sacrament. How tragic! To doubt our Savior’s clear words forces one to look elsewhere to know sins are forgiven. People will look somewhere to themselves such as feelings or a changed life. Yes the feelings of gratefulness are real but over time they will dim and sometimes be absent. Lives do change after coming to faith but when one looks at the perfect law of God and is honest he will have to admit he is still a strong sinner and cannot free himself.

In scripture we have strong promises indeed. The Holy Spirit is promised to be located in baptism and indwells the baptized bringing the forgiveness of sin. The Holy Spirit is also located in the word so that when it is preached faithfully not holding back on law for repentance or qualifying Gospel for forgiveness of sin the gift is delivered. And Jesus has promised to be located truly present, in a mysterious way, in the bread and wine of Holy Communion for the forgiveness of sin. Let us believe these wonderful promises and live in the peace they offer and deliver to us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Poison

2010-06-27T11:08:00.004-07:00

Preachers of holiness of the Christian life seem to have a point. Most certainly as a Christian one should desire to put away all manner of sin. Any sane and rational person in society would wish to do this as well. This way he or she can live peaceful and productive life. He will be well thought of by relatives, neighbors, friends and business acquaintances. She will be sought out for council by her peers. Through these means of self motivation God uses to control evil behavior, in the temporal realm, out of fear of punishment or hope of reward. In this way he keeps sinners from consuming one another on a daily basis. What would be proper motivation for a believer in our Lord Jesus? Sadly the before mentioned preachers of self holiness state that you know you are saved by keeping the law.

Galatians: 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ESV

We see by the above section that preaching of the law to “know” you are saved would be like having to ground all children confining them to their rooms to prove they are members of the family. The law is much more than a set of guidelines for behavior. It is a prison. It is a killer. It kills all hope we have to be in relationship with our Father in heaven by our own efforts. The standard is perfection pure and simple. No grading on the curve. No Mulligan to do it again. No good old college try. Perfect holiness from conception until death is the requirement. Death itself proves we cannot please God on our own. Death is the wages of sin so no matter how nice Auntie was she died because she was a sinner.

So why preach the law in this false way. One reason would be that many churches do not teach the Sacraments. The view of baptism in these congregations range from a rite of passage into the church to a work we do to show our faith in Jesus. Both instances take the work of baptism out of Jesus’ hands and places it into man’s hands. The real danger exists in that this style of obstructing the strong promises Jesus makes in baptism and focuses it entirely on the sinner. The faithfulness of the pastor and congregation one is joining with to show fidelity to Jesus is in view. Or perhaps the dedication one feels toward his or her Savior. Either one of those points can wax and wane over time. It is much more needful to keep the strong promises found in scripture in view with regards to baptism rather than the efforts of sinners to remain faithful.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ESV

Sadly many Christians have not been taught and therefore deny the strong promises associated with baptism. The above verse shows the gift we get of the righteousness of Jesus put upon us. For this reason the believer who does not understand this will gather to him or herself all sorts of self holiness preachers in order to weigh whether the self holiness they demonstrate is sufficient to know how God regards them. That because of our baptism Our Father beholds us as holy children in Jesus. Why is it assumed that our Father in heaven is a worse parent then we had on earth or then we are for our children? Who would tell a child “Because you did not obey me perfectly you are no longer my child.“ If a parent would have that attitude he or she would be branded an abusive parent and should have the child taken away. How, ultimately could one trust in our Heavenly Father if he is perceived in this fashion? He would never reject one who is in Jesus for we are clothed with Jesus’ righteousness and are therefore holy in Our Fathers sight.

This false doctrine changes the focus of our gaze off Jesus’ finished work and places it solely on the believing sinner. This is to as much as to say Jesus left some of the Jesus job undone for us to finish. Many will labor under this delusion and some will even forsake the faith because it seems so hopeless. Christ have mercy!

C.F.W. Walther, first President of the Lutheran Church Missouri synod, speaks to the poison of false doctrine in the following text taken from his lectures. These lectures were given over 100 years ago but are still quite relevant to our present day.

From what has been said you can gather how foolish it is, yea, what an awful delusion has taken hold upon so many men’s minds who ridicule the pure doctrine and say to us: “Ah, do cease clamoring, Pure doctrine! Pure doctrine! That can only land you in dead orthodoxies‘. Pay more attention to pure life, and you will raise a growth of genuine Christianity.” That is exactly like saying to a farmer: “Do not worry forever about good seed; worry about good fruits.” Is not a farmer properly concerned about good fruit when he is solicitous about getting good seed? Just so a concern about pure doctrine is the proper concern about genuine Christianity and a sincere Christian life. False doctrine is noxious seed, sown by the enemy to produce a progeny of wickedness. The pure doctrine is wheat-seed; from it spring the children of the Kingdom, who even in the present life belong in the kingdom of Jesus Christ and in the life to come will be received into the Kingdom of Glory. May God even now implant in your hearts a great fear, yea, a real abhorrence, of false doctrine! May He graciously give you a holy desire for the pure, saving truth, revealed by God Himself! That is the chief end which these evening lectures are to serve.

Third Evening Lecture: Walther’s Law and Gospel September 26,1884

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

But May It Never Be

2010-05-30T14:14:00.003-07:00

The church at Galatia did not have the problems of the one at Corinth of a man living with his stepmother in sin. They did not have one-up-man-ship treatment of the gifts of the Spirit. Nor did it appear that they had the letting go of sin problem of Corinth. So what was the big thing about which St Paul says this?

Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. ESV

Since the church in Galatia did not have all the outward evidence of being sinners what was St Paul threatening against? They have deserted Christ not to chase after outward and gross sins. They were deserting Jesus to work on their own self righteousness. They did not seem to understand that Jesus did the whole righteous living job. Specifically the ceremonial law of circumcision. This ceremonial law was no longer a requirement to be a true God worshipper as in the older Testament. This had been replaced, by the institution of Jesus, with water and Spirit baptism.

One may say that this letter is out of date. Personally I have never heard of a church that teaches one has to be circumcised to be a true Christian in our day. Does this mean that the epistle to the Galatians is someone else’s mail? Tragically no. Legalism, knowing one is a Christian by deeds, is not far away at all. Unfortunately many preachers in otherwise sound bible believing churches teach people that there is no assurance of salvation other than continual moral improvement. They teach if one is constantly sinning each day there is no way he or she is a true believer. Granted that after a time in the Christian faith one would not expect a Christian to partake in former gross outward acts of a lustful life. The biblical approach in that type of sermon is to preach repentance and forgiveness of sin rather than to try harder not to sin.

However what about sins of the mind and heart. These are totally not in control. An errant thought. A glance toward a desired object which causes momentary lust or covetousness. Or you meet up with a person you think did you wrong and you would like nothing better than to either make or hear of that person suffering. In addition the actual sin of unbelief that Jesus did the whole Jesus job and needs our help to get it done. All these things show that a Christian is by nature far from God deserving eternal damnation.

So where is this moral progress to be seen? It is not to be seen nor is it to be boasted on. Rather the boasting is to be on the promises Jesus won for us on the cross.

Galatians 6:14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified unto Me, and I to the world. ESV

The subject of the boasting is cross of the innocent suffering and death of our Jesus. This is where you sins were pinned with Jesus. He endured the wrath of God instead of it being endured by you. Do yourself and those around you a huge favor stop bragging on your supposed self righteousness. That does much more harm than good for it sounds like you have forsaken Jesus in favor of your own efforts at righteousness. Rather speak of how Jesus took all you sins with him to the cross and delivers that to you when you hear the Gospel preached and partake of his glorious holy Supper. This is most certainly true and can aid others in his or her trust in those same promises.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Of Sanctification

2010-05-23T05:55:00.003-07:00

The Third Article.

Of Sanctification.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.*

Much wind is used. Much ink is spilled. All in the hopes of showing the Christian what his or her part they have in sanctification. This is incorrect for we see in scripture who does the sanctifying.

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. ESV

Yes the believer does good works. Due to the working of the Holy Spirit he brings us into and keeps us in our Lord Jesus. Without his working the words of scripture read and preached would bounce off of deaf ears for we would never be able to receive it. The words of St Peter later in his letter “baptism now saves you also” become meaningless. And Jesus’ words “This is my body and This cup is the new covenant in my blood” are as equally ridiculous.

For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us. Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, to which we could not attain of ourselves. **

Holy Spirit, Praise your name for delivering to us the benefits of the cross of Jesus. Grant to us true repentance for our slowness of hearts to believe all that you have for us. Amen †

* Small Catechism of Martin Luther Article 3 of The Apostles’ Creed

** Martin Luther’s Large Catechism Article 3 of The Apostles’ Creed

When was Your Conversion Experience?

2010-04-18T16:19:00.003-07:00

When were you saved? On what day and in which hour did your life change? Well you know that if you cannot recall a day that you became a believer you cannot know that you are saved, don’t you? These questions can plague a believer to the point of distraction and doubt about salvation. They are based upon some concern for others by those who believe he or she had some part in salvation by making a choice. Some, who will deny free will, maintain there must be a point of time to which one can point for proof of salvation.

We are not to look back to our conversion for assurance, but we must go to the Savior again and again, every day, as though we had never been converted. My former conversion will be of no benefit to me if I become secure. I must return to the mercy-seat every day, otherwise I shall make my former conversion my savior, by relying on it. That would be awful; for in the last analysis it would mean I make myself my savior. -- C. F. W. Walther, *Proper Distinction* p. 207

In the above section Walther explains something which the bible teaches plainly. It is not just a one time looking to Jesus but a daily owning up to sin and fleeing to Jesus lest we become too secure and take our eyes off Jesus. This is especially true if one is raised in a Christian home where the word of God is read and taught. From infancy these words were heard and taken in. So that when a question is asked of the child instructed in the faith the response can be one of faith and assurance in the strong word of God.

2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ESV

From the above St Paul did not hold St Timothy to a conversion experience but rather pointed to the word of God being sufficient to bring one to faith. So under the common evangelical exam one could walk away form St. Timothy doubting his conversion since he probably did not have a huge life change as did St Paul. However, nowhere in scripture do we find the requirement that one have a big life change experience. Granted those converted from a life of hedonism will see some rapid change. The sin which once so enthralled him or her is now repulsive. After a time all the outward vileness will be gone. What will come with maturity and years of Jesus leading and walking with us is we will in fact see sins which were before hidden under more obvious actions. We do remain full blown children of Adam for as long as we are bashing about here in this fallen world.

The gift that carries us through is baptism and its promises. When we are constantly repenting and receiving forgiveness for sins such as covetousness or anger with a brother we can rest assured of the promises of our baptism.

Galatians 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. ESV

And our God is so gift giving he has also willed that repentance and forgiveness of sins be proclaimed through all the earth. And if those two gifts were not enough he also gives us his body and blood to eat and drink. After years of remembering God placing his name on you. Hearing Jesus died for you and you receive forgiveness life and salvation for you in the Supper no doubt casting brother in Jesus, your flesh or the devil can totally cast you into doubt.

Good Lord Jesus. Thank you for all the assuring promises in these your gifts. May they keep us in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen †

The Unexpected.

2010-04-07T12:44:00.003-07:00

She was brought to Jesus in order to tempt him. This woman caught in adultery. Was she guilty? Without a doubt! Caught in the act she was and worthy of death according to the civil laws of the day. However, it was not about her sin which those who brought her to Jesus were concerned. They wanted to put Jesus on trial. He was constantly congregating with sinners such as she. This did not sit well with the clean churchly. Those who had all their Theological ducks lined up neatly. We all love our ducks lined up and to be outwardly clean. But oh how that can build ego! While building ego it blinds to ones own sin doesn’t it? They expected Jesus to condemn her. As we expect Jesus to condemn others but not us.

John 8: 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ESV

After Jesus did some writing on the ground Jesus asked for any of them who were without sin throw the first stone. Then he wrote some more. Many have speculated he wrote accusations against some of them or all of them the sins of which they were guilty. Some have given other opinions about writing the law. We don’t know what Jesus wrote. But the most important thing he did was the unexpected. He forgave her. And this forgiveness brought new life. A life free from bondage to her sin. Jesus was there for her like no other man was there for her.

I heard many times over how some think the Gospel is both good news and bad news. Good news for those who believe it but bad for those who do not. This is false teaching. It fails to consider that we are all in the same condemned boat outside of Jesus. That those who believe were never condemned somehow apart from the general run of humanity. And that God chose some to damnation along with choosing the redeemed. This is moving the focus off Christ the Chosen Lamb to be Slain and looking at which sinners are saved and which are lost. Not focusing on Jesus leads to all sort of error. When Jesus is the focus in the choosing these issues fade from sight. Those in Jesus are chosen for eternal life.

John3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” ESV

We see here the Gospel of Jesus does not condemn nor is it bad news to the unbeliever. The good news, the gift, is for all. Even those who will not turn to Jesus due to evil deeds which they want and appreciate. The forgiveness is theirs. Such a pity to love the temporary pleasure of this life and self righteousness which will end when we are resurrected. An eternity of continual dying instead of eternal life with he who is Life.

“Holy Spirit, grant true repentance for those loving darkness. I think especially of family and friends who have estranged themselves from you. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy!”

In the name of Jesus. †

A Reason to Fear

2010-03-28T06:25:00.003-07:00

Why should one fear the Lord? Many answers abound for that question. The Lord is our Creator. He has the ability and right to send us to eternal damnation. He is mysterious.

Valid reasons all. However, how does our Triune God want to be feared. All the above reasons will terrify. These come about by having improper sermons preached at us. Ones that center attention on the divine attributes. Or how that now one is a Christian one has the ability to totally conquer sin in his or her life. God locates himself in coming to us in gentleness not in terror. A loving Heavenly Father who is reconciled to us. The Good Shepherd who in his death reconciled us. The gentle Holy Comforter who creates faith to receive that reconciliation.

Psalm 130:3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared. ESV

Imagine that! A holy and almighty God who does not mark, keep a record, of our iniquities. Has he gone soft on sin? Does he give us a Mulligan so we can take another run at holiness? Not at all! But the sacrifice of our Good Shepherd has paid for the sins of the entire world. So then why all the noise about having to become Holy as God is Holy? There again Jesus covered that with his entire life from conception on being Holy for us. Why are not all people going to live eternally in the Presence of God? Unbelief pure and simple. The natural man is God’s enemy and will not trust him. That is not a satisfactory answer however, that is the only answer we are given.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ESV

There you have it. Plain, simple and so sad. Sins are all paid for a person but he or she rejects it and spends eternity separated from the source of life. “Heavenly Father, grant repentance and the forgiveness of sin through your word to our friends and family that still reject you as well as all others in the world.” In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Conformed to The Image of Jesus.

2010-02-14T16:09:00.002-07:00

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ESV

Cant beat that can you? We will be conformed to the image of the sinless God the Son! Christ coming again to judge the living and the dead. Jesus loved so much by believers both young and old. Yes Jesus has all those items and a whole lot more. While on this dead and dying world he was, for a time, a very popular preacher. But only for a time.

As finite humans we tend to see what we want to see. And it does not help to have many preachers who will itch the ears and pump us up toward looking forward to a triumphant existence. What we have, in those befuddled minds, are mountain top experiences with no limit to the amount of sin we can defeat. After all Jesus is sinless so we in his image would be sinless too. Some so called preachers teach we will not have daily pattern of sin. If one has a daily pattern of sin surely that person cant be saved. Most certainly God is strong enough to keep his people from sin. I want to ask preachers like that “How is it going for you? Did you sin yesterday? Today? Will you sin tomorrow? Do you see a pattern there?” So goes the Theology of Self Glory.

Several items the Theologian of Self Glory fails to consider. Jesus was despised and rejected so badly that those in his home town of Nazareth want to pitch him off a cliff for what he was saying. He was constantly under attack from Satan, his hordes of demons and followers who tried to trip him up at every turn. Being God the Son of course he never fell to the temptations and his holiness is transferred to us by grace. Finally betrayed by one of his disciples and deserted by the others he was nailed to the cross. This, then, is the Theology of the Cross of Jesus.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ESV

Putting those previous verses back into context we see the real Theology of the Cross. The epistle to the Romans really needs to be left in tact for if one just pulls selected verses he or she will always have it wrong. Kind of like pulling a block out of a wall which weakens the entire wall. Pull out enough of them it comes crashing and hurts all those who are nearby. The hurting happens when a listener to this type of false teaching is troubled by no visible progression in holiness. Long gone are the visible and gross outward sins. What is left are sins of the heart. Those sins of the heart are known only to the individual Christian but are revealed to him or her in scripture. So even if listening only to the Theologian of Self Glory he or she will be struck with despair when exposed to the glaring light of the law of God in scripture.

These sins show us our daily need to flee to the Crucified Jesus and cry out for mercy. His faithfulness and suffering for us is good news. But none of us are the only begotten of the Father so we will not fare so well during times of temptation and desertion. We are destined to be conformed, more or less, to the suffering and dying servant. That was the image of Jesus on a dying world subjected by him to futility and despair. He endured all that without sin for us. When we do not endure it sinless we still have a righteousness not our own so we can stand before our Father in heaven.

Then come the times of being rejected. Now one expects rejection by unbelievers and those who were never raised in the Christian faith. However, the cross we are given to bear daily will include rejection from fellow Christians. Erring brethren who have a false conception of Jesus as a Divine vending machine. Enter a prayer and out pops a blessing. One attempts to correct that misunderstanding and in turn may have a friendship end. He will indeed shower us with blessing but that blessing may be painful to endure such as our spouse rejecting us because of Jesus. Or the rejection one may experience when lovingly rebuking an erring adult child who is wondering away or refusing to stop living in open rebellion against our Father. Now these are sufferings, which are related specifically to the cross of Jesus, will deeply trouble and try the tender hearts of those who love Jesus. But we keep our eyes on our crucified and risen Jesus and off our selves and circumstances for we know we will be raised by him on the last day.

Washed, Sprinkled Clean and Assured

2010-01-31T15:20:00.003-07:00

Assurance. How can I be sure how God our Father thinks of me and beholds my person? This is the question asked of me many times. To what shall I refer for it is normally asked by a believer in Jesus who is coming to grips with being a sinner. The sin maybe one that seems huge or the so called little sins of not being able to forgive another person for some wrong done. Perhaps it is not being content with what the Lord is providing in either lack of things or suffering disease. Or some other sin of the heart which is a constant plague which takes the assurance out of life.

We are indeed by nature turned against God. The sins we commit do not make us sinners but rather are sure proof that we have fallen short of the glory of Jesus. This is the war that is, and should be, ongoing in our persons. It is a necessary battle to keep our inner brat from taking over and once again ruling our lives. This old nature can never be reformed or instructed in righteousness. This will be with us until our departure from this fallen and dying world.

With this battle raging and so many teachers out there proclaiming the victorious and ever improving life for the believer one can really get concerned about assurance of our Father’s favour. Some have actually preached that if you have a habit of sinning daily you cannot be a real Christian. This is a clear contradiction of clear teaching in scripture that we are at the same time saint and sinner. And one is tempted to enquire of the preacher whether he sinned yesterday, will sin today and tomorrow. If he or she says no then we know we are dealing with a person who is lying to his or her self. No good news there. The glorious good news is that we are, in Father’s sight in Jesus a true saint against whom will not call us into account for our sin.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ESV

There! A wonderful section of scripture which shows our salvation is not based upon anything whatsoever we may or may not do. By the blood of Jesus we enter the holy places of God. We have sweet communication with our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus. This refers in part to the former partition in the Temple to the Holy of Holies which is the flesh of Jesus. The Lord has exited that space and now comes to us first when he took on human flesh and finished his work. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper Jesus comes to us in his real presence to once again assure us of his abiding with us. No more waiting till the last day to have our Jesus with us but he has located himself for us in his supper. This renewal is such a wonderful gift of assurance that the false teaching that we anything whatsoever to do with our salvation need be rejected and rebuked on every occasion.

Jesus, due to his perfect life, death, burial and resurrection has become our great high priest. As this priest he offered himself as a one time payment for the sin of the entire world. The fruit of this sacrifice is delivered to us initially in our baptism. Throughout the toils and troubles of this life we can remember those promises and go forth in newness of life realizing our bodies washed with water and the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. No more evil conscience that is turned against our God and in unto ourselves. And a heart which sincerely desires to love our Creator with our whole heart and our neighbour as ourselves. We are true children of God in whom he delights in and because of Jesus for us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Assurance by Command Keeping? Ooops!

2010-01-02T04:52:00.003-07:00

Question: Do you keep the ten commandments of our God perfectly? If the answer is no how do you know that you are in right with our Creator? This is a loaded question which can terrify the most pious of believers. Christians who do not believe, teach and confess the promises associated with the word of God, baptism and the Lord’s supper are left in a quandary. How do I know I am saved? What evidence am I displaying which I can see, and others as well, that I am actually in Jesus and a child of God? Many will point to this section to relieve their terrified mind and on the flip side accuse others of gross sin. This is done by taking the moral requirements of God and believing we are graded on a curve. As the Christian matures, it is thought, he or she is more and more capable of obeying the law. Yes we do progress by recognizing old temptations and avoiding these sins. However, due to being by nature sinners turned against God this avoidance will be followed by pride. If the commandments spoken of in 1 John are to be kept what are they?

1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ESV

Now it certainly appears that one should expect the ability to walk in obedience to the law of God. To become more and more like Jesus and derive comfort from that. However, we have no choice but to be honest with ourselves that we in no way keep the law perfectly knowing perfection is all that is acceptable to God. So what commands are these? The commands or mandates of Jesus include behaviour on our part but also what we are to do in response to sin and missing totally the mark set. The close context of these verses hold the key.

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

What is the real sin here? That one may constantly covet, hold ill will against another or perhaps gossip? Yes those are damnable transgressions of the law however, Jesus died for those sins and all other sins. The sin of which we are constantly guilty is unbelief. Every sin is a variation of unbelief. We covet because we do not believe our Heavenly Father has supplied all we need. We know much better what we need than he does. We see in the near context that he is our advocate when we do sin. Jesus commandments to us also include the remedy for us and our sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ESV
These words carry forgiveness of sin. Sure and blessed promises from God through his evangelist and will enter our ears when heard and eyes when read. No activity on our part. No valiant effort on our part to cease sinning which we can never do no matter our want. It is the passive reception of the promises associated with the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. No prideful or morbid introspection needed for it comes from outside us in the preaching of the good news.

In additions the promises are also ours in the passive reception of gift of Holy Baptism:

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. ESV

Many will doubt this promise for they see baptism as a work of the humans involved rather than God’s powerful work of delivering the fruit of the cross of Jesus to a sinner. This is robbery to take that which Jesus instituted to make disciples, deliver the forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Again trusting in these promises bypass any self examination we may do of what we do. By recalling these promises and trusting in them we know we are true children of God and that he is therefore our true Father and delights in us because of Jesus.

The promise is also contained in the passive reception of the Sacrament of our Lord’s body and blood:

John 6:54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ESV

It is totally amazing. That there are Christians out there who look upon eating a bit of bread and drinking a sip of wine is actually a work. They, unfortunately for them, missing the entire point of Jesus’ instituting this gift for us. We do not understand how Jesus does this. With the bread we eat in the Supper we eat his body yet it remains bread. In the cup we drink both wine and his blood. But it must be true for in the short space of 48 words we see the promise of eternal life, resurrection on the last day and the abiding in Jesus. This is too much for finite minds to fathom. Best to read those words, trust them and rejoice in the promises contained in them. Leave off forever the credentialing ourselves by presenting our behaviour to God, others and ourselves to admire and prove once and for all we are believers. Rather trusting in the sure and blessed promises our Creator gives us for our peace and comfort in a fallen and dying world.

These strong promises of our Lord remove any doubt of his love for us. The strong words of Jesus and his apostles remove the terror of what sinful man may do to us in these last days. These strong words remove any sting of our approaching death holds for us whether near or far off. We need not fear the grave anymore than our sleeping place at night for the resurrection comes on the next day. Alleluia.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Got Ya Covered.

2009-12-20T13:05:00.005-07:00

The bad news: Due to the fact that every infant conceived and born into this fallen world has a heart turned against his or her Creator. This infant is enslaved to sin and cannot through any action he or she takes get free from this enslavement. This bad news is appalling and is in much dispute for that reason. However, no matter what ones opinion is of a particular teaching of scripture it is true and it is seen daily in the lives of each of us. Each of us, when we are honest even with ourselves, knows how far we have fallen from the glory of God.

So what of this bad news? Does one live in denial? Spend our lives in the wringing of our hands? Will God be pleased merely with the emotion of disappointment and worked up sadness over it? Do we work hard to mend our ways in order to hopefully curry God’s favour?

The good news: No, God did it for us!

Galatians 4:4 4:1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. ESV

Jesus came to earth as a conceived infant. This way we are covered all the way back to our conception. Our inherited guilt is covered by Jesus’ perfect life. An infant will cry when wet, dirty or hungry. He or she will also cry for no reason then wanting attention. This is one way the baby demonstrates original sin later he or she will find other ways of proving it. As an infant Jesus communicated need by crying, unlike the away in a manger song says, but never in a sinful way.

Jesus’ heart was pure and at all times turned toward God his Father from his conception as recorded:

Hebrews 10:5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ESV

Jesus came in the form of a little baby in order to be sacrificed for our sins. We are covered through our entire life with his holiness. Our sins are paid for on his cross. The fruits of his cross are delivered to us in our baptisms. Jesus preceded us into death and because of his promise that we will join him in his resurrection unto life eternal that is covered as well.

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ESV

In the name of Jesus. †

A Much Closer Relationship

2009-12-13T16:41:00.002-07:00

Some of the parables Jesus taught has led many to think of God only as a slave owner, employer or some other demanding task master. Such a parable is found recorded in Matthew 25: 14-28. This is usually called the Parable of the Talents. Perhaps a better title would be The Absentee Property Owner. It is not a hint on successful business or how to be a good trustee. When examined living solely under the law those teachings will be understood in that way. Two faithful slaves went out and did business and were rewarded. The unfaithful slave hated his master and hid the trust in order to save his neck lest he lose it in poor business dealings. The point being is that the unfaithful slave did not understand his master as being kind and forgiving.

However in Jesus we have a much closer relationship with God:

John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ESV

Not because we go after it. No thanks to what we do or do not do. We have a Heavenly Father by birth. Rebirth actually. Adoption through water and Spirit. We have a loving Heavenly Father not a task master who will hold us to account at the last day. So many do not have this peace because of the faulty teaching that God expects a certain level of effort from each of us. These will say we are not saved because of works but we will lose something if we don’t get a move on it. The teachers of the law state we must work hard at making Jesus Lord of our life not just to trust in his finished work on the cross. As if one could add any value to what Jesus did in his perfect life in active obedience to the law. And the whipping, torture of the cross and finally, which we cannot understand, his being separated and forsaken by his Father. How can one God be separated like that? We do not have the answer but what a wonderful gift we have been given to have our eternal debt paid.

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ESV

This is one of the places Jesus summed up the requirements of heaven. Not only perfection from this time forth but to have always have been perfect. Our Father looks at us through Jesus and his righteous life is credited to us. This has been referred to as the happy exchange. Jesus takes our sin and gives us his holiness. Now how can anyone add to that?

In the name of Jesus. †

The Christian Life is More Than Merely Forgiveness of Sin.

2009-12-06T04:38:00.002-07:00

The response in the title came during a conversation with a professing Christian about what he referred to as the demands of the Gospel to stop sinning. It appears to be quite a bit of false teaching that still maintains that now we are saved we have power to stop sinning. This sounds reasonable and it would be grand if it were true. After all who would be in gratitude to our Saviour and want to keep on sinning? And isn’t God powerful enough to keep us from sinning?

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Many times we will hear believers use vv 5& 6 to show that we have to quit sinning to be honest about our faith. It is thought that walking in darkness is sinning up a storm and no one that sins each and everyday can say truthfully that he or she is saved. But one should keep reading to find the close context to clarify what is meant by not walking in darkness.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

So walking in the light we can see to walk in fellowship with other believers. In this way one is never wanting to do the oneupmanship so common among people. We see clearly our sin and need of the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and we are all in this together. For to live in denial of our sin has this result:

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. ESV

Lying to ourselves is to cast out the truth of scripture which clearly teaches that no matter the outward sins we forsake which is needful and we will forsake them We still have sins of the heart which are just as damnable. We now have forgiveness through Jesus even before we ask. This confessing is in contrast to living in denial of sin. We have the promise that God forgives and forgives and forgives. Instead of seeing scripture accusing us of covetousness and thinking but I gave up something else we say yes Lord I’m an idolater forgive me in the name and for the sake of Jesus. This sets us free indeed. Merely forgiven? Lord have mercy!

Psalm 32:3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. ESV

In the name of Jesus.†

Faith Alone: Luther and Calvin

2009-11-27T12:13:00.002-07:00

http://issuesetc.org/?p=1484

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Trailed by Good Works

2009-11-22T06:24:00.003-07:00

Of course good works matter to our Heavenly Father. Many times the charge that those of us who believe teach and confess one is saved apart from works we also state that good works do not matter. These good deeds matter so much that those works follow us into our eternal rest.

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” ESV

This verse tells us the proper position works are in relation to the Christian. These works do not proceed us into glory but rather follow behind us. This is the position that they should be in life. Rather than looking at these deeds to determine our salvation or how much better a believer we are now than in the past we look to Jesus. In his perfect life, death, burial and resurrection he took care of the laws requirements for us and paid for our sin debt.

Luke 17:7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” ESV

Jesus tells us how we are to see our good deeds. We are not to parade them around for others to admire. In addition neither should we lift them to our Master to admire, tell us thank you and reward us for doing our duty. Yes we will be rewarded for the works produced in us by the Holy Spirit but that is a reward in grace not debt.

So what qualifies as a good deed? It can be feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and other such prescribed deeds. In addition, as Jesus mentions, working at our vocations whatever God has supplied to us. In these varied vocations we serve our neighbour and are the means whereby things on earth are done that our Creator wants done.

*Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22

From the small catechism of Martin Luther. Table of duties. Duties? Yes duties. Many believers in Jesus complain about the tedium of daily work whether at home or on the job. Still others moan about unappreciative supervisors and ever increasing goals. And most everyone is concerned about the future because of the hits pensions and other retirement vehicles took recently. Patient endurance in these trials and faithful carrying out of our vocations are recognized by our Father as good deeds. We don’t have to look for invented activities to please our Father. Merely do what is our duty and in Jesus they are good works. Wow!

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

All the Promises of God 4

2009-11-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

“How do you know you are saved?” Oh that I had a dollar bill for every time this question was asked of me or heard it asked of another person over the years. It is a fair question when you are speaking with someone who has certainty of salvation. No question in his or her mind that he or she has assurance of eternal life. We are instructed in scripture to always be prepared to give an answer when asked to defend the hope we have in us. 1 Peter 3:15.

Answers will vary from a time when a life change happened. Another person will know that they know that they know that they are saved. Still another will talk of this burning joy that is within them. I would not have any reason to doubt the sincerity of those responses. However, each of them are subjective. No one can prove a years ago life change, inner knowledge in another person or the burning sensation and prove it to another person. Each of those emotions can be had by anyone in any religion and will do nothing in witnessing to another.

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ESV

Scripture is the only real place to point another person for assurance of salvation for it contains the strong promises of God. In the above passage the very same St Peter was answering the question of some terrified persons whom he just told they were guilty of killing their Messiah. It was to agree with the charge from our Creator and be baptized. In this way receive the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit.

Here we have a gift which cannot be taken away. This gifting comes totally from the outside and is passively received. When one is baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at that time those promises are theirs. This also works many years after the fact. We should never think of our baptism as an event in the past but also brings the promised gifts to us daily. Recalling these promises, in faith, gives us assurance we are baptized in the Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and we therefore can go forth in a new life knowing we are God’s child in our daily vocations. We also have the assurance of the resurrection which will give meaning to our lives of service and suffering are not in vain. What a marvelous bunch of promises contained in those promises associated with baptism! Wow!

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

All the Promises of God 3

2009-11-11T04:35:00.001-07:00

Matthew 26:26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” ESV

When we receive the true body and blood of our Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion we receive the tangible Gospel. As Jesus promised that the bread is his body and the contents of the cup is the blood of the new covenant. We actually receive, according to the words of Jesus, his body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. Yes that is correct! We have our sins forgiven in the eating and drinking the Sacrament.

This revolts the mind that wants to measure everything which happens by common experience. To the senses what we receive is bread and wine. Just a bit of bread and a sip of wine? How can the infinite God be present truly in the finite? Think of conceived by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary. At one time the Creator God was smaller than the size of a pin head. He was no less God as a zygote than he was playing with his friends as a child. Helping his guardian Joseph. Being hungry, tired and thirsty while being plagued with temptations from Satan. And dead on a hunk of wood for the sins of the world. Yes Jesus, the Creator of matter has no qualms whatsoever of employing it to do his bidding.

1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ESV

This is how we flee from idolatry. We take the words of Jesus and say amen to them rather than submit them to rationalization. St Paul also here teaches that when we receive the Holy Supper we receive 4 items. Bread and wine, body and blood. Believe it or not. Like it or not. We have Christ’s strong promise of his coming to each of us in his Holy Supper. Don’t fall victim to the world, flesh and devil by rejecting this promise based solely on not making sense. Look at all the things in the Christian faith we believe without question.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen. †

All the Promises of God 2

2009-11-07T01:11:00.002-07:00

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” ESV

Another way that one can hear the gospel proclaimed is to go to a worship service where there is a confession that we are by nature sinful and unclean. Therefore we can never keep God’s law and are justly deserving of his punishment here and in eternity. After this confessions the pastor will say that God in his mercy sent his son to die for our sin and in the stead and by the command of his Lord, Jesus Christ, he forgives us all our sins. In the name of the Father † Son and Holy Spirit. In addition when one meets with a pastor who adheres to the promise of Jesus the troubled sinner will again here the Gospel and the forgiveness of sin.

What takes the place of it in churches which do not believe a man is commanded to forgive sins in the name of the Triune God is some kind of you can do better speech. Or perhaps an understanding talk about all people have those temptations and sin. The main difficulty with that is the sinner retains his sin in his mind. Either no comfort of the removal of the guilt or a sin in thinking in pride the sin can be muscled up against and defeated by his or her effort. This falls short of the promise that Jesus has given and is in plain denial of it.

And what is more when one is approached by another who has wronged him or her as a baptized child of God we can forgive that person in the same Triune name. Being part of the priesthood of believers we have that wonderful privilege as well. And when the person who did the wrong we can pray that God grant them true repentance and full joy and assurance in Jesus. We may never hear a word of apology from that person but we have forgiven them as Jesus commands and as we pray in the Our Father.

Many will object to this promise. It has been said that because of his or her faith in Jesus he or she does not need nor desires sins forgiven by another. The biggest problem with that objection is that Jesus wants you to have it. He is your Saviour and knows what is best for your faith. This is a direct way for a minister to not only proclaim the Gospel but to directly assure the sinner his or her sins are indeed forgiven. This is a fallen and dying world and as time goes on it is not getting any better. These promises are given for our benefit and offers the peace that passes all our understanding.

In the name of Jesus, Amen. †

All the Promises of God

2009-11-01T11:58:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. ESV

In scripture we see God making manifold promises to sinners. These promises find fulfillment in Jesus perfect life, death burial and resurrection. The greatest promises God gives is the forgiveness of sin. Back throughout history it was this promise that has been the focus of the faith of all God’s people from Adam and Eve forward.

Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ESV

Does this forgiveness and being right before God come about by trying harder? Does it come about by thinking good thoughts about oneself? How about by doing good for the neighbour? This is what all the world’s religion with a personal deity teach the adherents as to the road to having favour with God. All except Christianity. In Christianity we have God working hard for us. He came in the flesh to do what we could not do. Lived a life under his own law. Stood trial where false accusations were made and was condemned to a most shameful death. After which he was buried and rose again the third day for our justification.

The above facts of history are all true and quite provable for all the witnesses who saw Jesus’ life, death burial and the resurrected Jesus. Any attorney would weep for joy over all the eyewitness testimony of these facts in a trial. In fact I have heard attorneys state that with all that eyewitness testimony at his or her disposal trial would be a waste of time. So do the historic facts forgive sin? If one gets a person to admit to the historic facts of Jesus does that save him?

No it does not. There are many caught up in false “Christian” cults who admit to the facts and will say it is for our sin. Many in true Christian churches believe these facts and are yet condemned due to the guilt and stain of sin. What is missing in all this? Tragically these lost dear ones are not repenting of sin and receiving the forgiveness of sin through faith. This is helped by soft peddling the law as something that we can pull off.

Jesus said that repentance and forgiveness of sin are to be proclaimed in his name. It is through this preaching of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sin is how one received this forgiveness by faith hearing. Romans 10:17 This is crucial for those of us who were raised in the Holy Christian Church to hear at all times as well as those who have never been in the Christian Church. We are sinners not because of what we do but who we are as descendents of Adam. Like our first parents we seek to be our own god and saviour and will lose sight of Jesus each and everyday. Let us encourage every pastor we know to continue to preach repentance of sin and Jesus crucified as the only answer for our sin.

In the name of Jesus. †

Getting the L Out of Here. Part 8

2009-10-28T04:52:00.003-07:00

Romans 5:18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. ESV

What we see here is a comparison and contrast between two men. From the lesser to the greater we have our father Adam the first man. He embodied all of humanity so when he fell into sin we all fell with him. This is in a nutshell the Doctrine of Original sin. Therefore we are by nature sinful and unclean and deserve our Creator’s wrath both in this life and in eternity. The second man is God and man. In his perfect obedience, the cross and his resurrection he embodied all of humanity suffering the just punishment for all our sin. In that act all of humanity is reconciled. The debt is paid. The books are balanced. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 By faith we receive the fruits of that sacrifice. Romans 3:28 So those who go into everlasting perdition do so for not believing and receiving this gift. John 3:18

Our reformed want to claim a Limited Atonement. Saying Jesus died only for those who would believe They have a huge problem in Romans 5:18-19. Clearly it states that the righteous act of Jesus leads to justification and life for all. The many not the few. The other part of the huge problem is that if the first Adam embodied all humanity the second Adam embodies all as well since it is from the lesser to the greater. As the old saying goes “You cannot have it both ways.” Either not all are guilty for the transgression of Adam and are free and need no Saviour or they are guilty and need one. There again if it is true for the lesser than it is true for the greater.

Radical! By letting go of the L one can look upon the perfect life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus with full assurance since it is for all humanity. This is something which our reformed who buy fully into the L cannot do. I encourage all those stuck in this ambiguity to “Get the L Out.” Stop looking to your self for assurance and look to Jesus alone.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Where is True Assurance of Grace and Salvation?

2009-10-18T14:50:00.002-07:00

Westminster Confession of Faith. Chapter XVIII

I. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

In a previous blog post we looked at the Canons of Dordt’s teaching on assurance. Now we see the Westminster divines had a similar idea. More morbid introspection. This again is needed due to the teaching of Limited Atonement by they Calvinists. One cannot hold to that doctrine consistently and point only to the death of Jesus for assurance. If Jesus did not die for everyone then the cross of Jesus is off the table. What does the scripture say? Don’t you know?

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ESV

We see that a person who has been baptized into Jesus was baptized into his death. The fruits of the cross of Jesus are transferred to the person baptized. This is not just an historic fact but a person, such as myself, remains baptized 40+ years in the future and for the rest of life.

ERomans 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ESV

Daily we can recall the promise that we have been united with him in death and will be resurrected as Jesus was resurrected. This is how, biblically, we can be assured we are in the state of grace rather than trying to work up this assurance by spotting our own faith, love for Jesus and trying to do good deeds. These things will naturally flow from the person, being fruits of the Spirit, who is in Jesus but not something we can use to have assurance. Our measurements of these items will always either be exaggerated or may entirely escape our notice. It is a firmer foundation to trust in the strong promises of God where he has located himself for our forgiveness and ongoing assurance. We can tell our false or erring brothers and sisters that we are baptized so keep your false accusations to yourself. We can make the sign of the Holy Cross invoking the Triune name of God so to drown our flesh daily putting it once again to death on that cross. And we can tell our old adversary, who daily falsely accuses us, “We are baptized! What of it?"

Baptized into Thy name most holy,
O Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
I claim a place, though weak and lowly,
Among Thy seed, Thy chosen host.
Buried with Christ and dead to sin,
Thy Spirit now shall live within."*

*Baptized Into Thy Name Most Holy"
by Johann J. Rambach, 1693-1735
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Assurance of Election.

2009-10-13T14:54:00.002-07:00

I have been asking a question to those who believe in Limited Atonement. "How, if Jesus did not die for every person, do you know you are died for?" The answers are numerous but all involve some type of inward peering. A fellow Lutheran reminded me of an article contained in the Canons of Dordt which shows this inward peering to be quite consistent.

Article 12: The Assurance of Election
Assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God's Word-- such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.

The problem with all this turning into oneself for assurance is that oneself is where the problem sits. Either one will notice the absence of the above mentioned fruits of election and be cast into despair worse than before. On the other hand a person may notice these things or set about to work them up and be filled with pride and arrogance toward others who have not worked up these items. What a dreadful place to look since we are such dismal failures that we need saving by another. Why should we look to ourselves for any assurance?

Mark 7:20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” ESV

We see in the above statements of Jesus inward peering is the last thing we should be doing. Deceit and pride come out of the heart of a sinner. This is why we must always be looking outside ourselves for salvation and assurance of the same.

This is where Jesus points us for assurance:

John 6:52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread [3] the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus [4] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. ESV

We see here a tangible way in which Jesus comes to us for the forgiveness of sin. Receiving the true body and blood of our Lord gives us the assurance we are forgiven and have eternal life and will be raised on the last day. In these promises we have Jesus located to bring the fruits of his life, death, burial and resurrection. Coming totally from outside us. No maudlin or prideful peering inwards to do spiritual measuring which are never accurate due to our sinfulness.

Lord may your body and your blood be for my soul the highest good! Amen. †

Promises Broken. Promises Kept.

2009-10-07T09:53:00.002-07:00

In this world, seems especially in this day and age in the USA, one is constantly hearing and making promises. Promises are wonderful things to hear. Men and women are elected based upon promises. The covenant of marriage is based upon promises. Prospective employees promise a good days work for pay and benefits. Employers promise in return for a good days work pay, benefits and fair treatment will be enjoyed by the employees.

Alas in a broken and dying world filled with sinners promises are made to be broken. Some are broken because when made there was no real desire to keep them. The others are broken because we do not have the ability to keep them. With all good intentions we may wish to live by these promises but fall far short.

In either case we need the Eternal Promise Keeper:

Romans 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ESV

Behold all the promises in the above section. Wow! What a wonderful section filled with the assuring promises from the One who keeps promises perfectly. Even in the reading of it one may think that it cant be all that easy and good. Others will object and start thinking of people who confess with the mouth but do not live the life. Or at least that is the unrighteous judgment of the person judging the life of the other.

So what are you going to do? Toss doubt at everyone who sees these promises and latches hold on them with full assurance and faith? Or will you give this to a terrified sinner in the hour of doubt due to his or her failings in what he or she has done or left undone? Remember what the righteousness based on faith says both to you and the other sinners in your life. What we do is of no consequence in this equation. Rather in whom we place our trust for salvation.

This is the radical done didness of the Gospel of our Lord. Salvation based solely on his perfect life, death, burial and resurrection. The deeds are done. The price is paid. Death is conquered. Eternal life secured. What is left for us to do?

In the Name of Jesus. †

God, Water and Word Equals Wow!

2009-09-27T04:24:00.002-07:00

When God interacts with water fantastic and devastating things happen. The very first chapter in Holy Scripture shows God the Spirit interacting with H2O.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. ESV

A swirling chaotic mass covered the new earth. We see here an early on God using a created item to bring forth an everlasting good. We have the water, and the word of God working this creative miracle. When he finished creating the universe, earth and everything in them he said they were operating in a good fashion.

The fall came. Man chose to try to fall upward and to be his or her own God. Things deteriorated drastically to where God was so angry he decided to destroy mankind with a flood. Rather than wiping out the entire human race he chose to see Noah as holy in his sight. So the ark was built and the flood came and took away all the unbelievers. After this washing our Lord told Noah to depart the ark into the new recreated world. Once again thru water, the Holy Spirit creating faith in Noah and the word of God the world was a new creation. St Peter refers to this flooding as symbolic of baptism which now saves us. 1 Peter 3:20-21.

The above shows us how that in the past God has shown himself gracious in using water to effect changes. Today is no different he is still showing us his grace by means of water.

Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ESV

So we again see a mighty act of God using water to show himself gracious. We have the mightiest act of God with the least amount of water. In this we have The promises of God throughout the scriptures since the first Pentecost baptism. Once again water, the Holy Spirit delivering the goods and the word together in one place in a rebirthing of a new creature. This time it is the delivery of the fruits of the perfect life, innocent, bitter sufferings and death and resurrection of Jesus. We can remember each day we are baptized into these works of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Predestination: A Doctrine of Radical Comfort 2.

2009-09-16T08:51:00.003-07:00

Romans 8 is one of the most assuring passages in scripture. It starts out with no condemnation for those who are in Jesus with no strings attached. Then ends with assurance of God’s never ending love from which nothing can separate us. Towards the end of the chapter, while working up to the climax we see:

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ESV

Radical! Promised Spirit is aiding us in our prayers and that all things that happen God will work together for our good no matter what happens. The reason for all this is that he knew us beforehand and has predestined those in Christ Jesus to be like him. This causes suffering. Jesus when on earth suffered and told his disciples then and us by extension we will be hated and rejected as well. However, all these God works together for our good. He is also faithful in calling those foreknown and predestined. In addition he justified those whom he foreknew, predestined and called. And has glorified all whom he foreknew, predestined, called and justified. Radically comforting!

What is missing in this chapter is any mention of those outside of Jesus. Some would argue that because of necessary inference we know that those outside of Jesus were predestined to be damned. There again we see where the double predestination idea is forced on scripture. All this will do is rip the sweetness out of the text for a believing sinner either wondering about him or herself or a loved one. We have, therefore, the radical comfort of looking at the crucifixion of Jesus as for us. No need to examine our works or shakiness of our trust at times of being attacked by false and erring brothers, our sinful flesh or the devil.

What also is missing is anything that those in Jesus have decided, exercised anything or did any other work we have done. This further shows the radically comforting knowledge that Jesus is 100% Savior and we have nothing to do with it. Christians under the false impression that it has something to do with them are forever questioning whether they were sincere or if anything they have done measures up. The answer to the former is probably not and the latter definitely not. Let me repeat myself. You have absolutely nothing to do with your salvation. Radical!

In the Name of Jesus. †

How to Kill Sin in Your Life?

2009-09-13T14:08:00.003-07:00

Dr John MacArthur, Grace to You Ministries, wrote an article entitled How to Kill Sin in Your Life. First off it is refreshing to see someone speak against the sins of the heart as treated as not being all that bad. The sin usually addressed is the gross outward acts which destroy the person doing it and those around them. Whereas sins of the heart are not known to those around the believer unless he or she makes them known. These are sins which God can see and finds as repulsive as the most heinous murders.

As loving children of God we desire to rid our lives of sin. We are constantly at battle with it in our lives. Sins which are outward actions or words spoken are relatively easy to control. An unbeliever with proper motivation can curb the desire to say inappropriate things, obey the speed limit, not steal from his or her employer and to be a faithful spouse. A believer when he or she curbs those actions does, by the grace of our Father in Jesus, have proper motivation. As far as sins of the heart is an entirely different matter. Yes we are to resist those as well but can one kill them?

Romans 6:1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. ESV

We see from the above passage that we do not kill sin but rather we are crucified with Jesus in baptism and are dead to sin. We were crucified with him that the body of sin be brought to nothing. So we have no desire to sin and when we, as always, fall short of the glory of Christ it seems like death to us. That is the one crucial thing missing from the article. Jesus crucified for us. This is what destroys sins power over us is to repent and receive forgiveness for sin. This is given freely with no strings attached but rather out of love and gratefulness to Jesus we strive daily against sin. However in Jesus we are dead to sin and that with no effort from us but we receive it passively. Instead of having to put sin to death Jesus puts us to death and raises us to walk in newness of life.

This section of St Paul’s letter is wonderful soaring stuff. So, it may seem, to keep us from fooling ourselves that we will become more and more perfect as time goes on we see later what the Christian life is like.

Romans 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. ESV

There you have it. The Christian life with all its warring inside and also the cure. So it is not using our will power, the words of Jesus as a help, hours of prayer seeking to know our sin or any other such flexing of muscle but rather the finished work of Jesus. As always it is not about you but rather Jesus for you.

Praise to you O Christ. †

Predestination: A Doctrine of Radical Comfort.

2009-09-07T07:27:00.002-07:00

One of the most comforting doctrines, when rightly understood and taught, in scripture is predestination. On the outset this can sound harsh and unfair of God to predestine to salvation those who believe. It is assumed that if there is predestination to eternal life therefore those who are damned are predestined to be so. That is reaching around scripture and connecting the dots behind it in order to find explanations which God has not given to us.

Acts 13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. ESV

We see in the above scripture that those who heard the message from St Paul and St Barnabas rejoiced to hear this and some were appointed to eternal life. This is a wonderful truth that God does all the saving and does not leave anything to chance in a decision we have to make or a full understanding we must grasp. It is a total gifting of salvation and all that is needed to receive this gift and trust in it. No need for personal inward gazing to determine if all the ducks are lined up or whether one was sufficiently sincere.

Then we see the effect an unbelieving heart has. It will not only disregard the preaching of salvation but will in response persecute those bearing the good news. We by nature wish to be our own Savior. That is the result of the fall upwards toward trying to be God. This manifests itself in the church by disbelieving the clear promises of God. It also is seen when one is not satisfied with the answers God has chosen to give and ventures off trying to peer into that which God has hidden from view.

We have his written word which gives us plenty to contemplate. This word gives us plenty with which to keep us occupied and presents to us and brings to us salvation. This word reveals God to us in the person of Jesus who after living perfectly for us bore all the sins of humanity to the cross rising on the third day for us. Radical!

In the Name of Jesus. †

Yes! The Gospel Can Save Even Christians!

2009-09-06T03:16:00.001-07:00

Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ESV

Above, in v. 47, we have what Jesus wants preached in sermons. Often you will hear conservative Christians criticize the preaching of Joel Osteen and other popular television preachers. Topics usually surround what we can get out of God. Name it and claim it sermons have no room for conviction of sin and forgiveness found only in the Gospel.

In listening to several sermons from some of these Christian’s favorite preachers one has to listen to several until one hears Christ crucified for sinners in these as well. At times we are treated to a grand bible study from the pulpit. Nothing incorrect is taught. Perhaps some interesting historic information on first century Christians is shared. Perhaps the doctrinal stance of one of the reformers or other theologian is spoken on and scripture given to either back it up or dispute it. But bible studies and preaching are two separate acts.

Certainly sin is preached on but it is often the sin of others. How that this church body or that one is dropping the ball where we are not. Where impenitent sinners out there need to hear the law to convict them and the Gospel so they can be saved. However, the law is never executed on the person sitting in the seats listening to this sermon. This is very comfortable if one never reads the scripture for him or herself and have the law executed on them from the pages of scripture. They never are taught how that those condemning words from a Holy God is on them as well. Perhaps he or she has quit some gross outward sin and is able to avoid other temptations as well but in the heart and mind is covetousness, spite, anger towards others, grudges and all the other sins that manifest themselves in our hearts and minds. Each of these sins of the heart and mind justly deserves God’s present and eternal punishment as well as all the sins we see those on the outside of our circle do.

One can almost understand why a person like Osteen really does not want to preach that from a his pulpit. He would lose attendees by droves. No one who is seeking his or her own end wants to hear about how far short they fall and that suffering maybe all the experience to be had in this life. But what excuse do the men have who should know better. If one is a supporter of a more traditional preacher on radio or sermon audio he or she should encourage that man to preach Christ and him crucified. The preacher in the pulpit of the church should be encouraged to do so too. Years ago that was the case no matter the sign in the church yard. Christ crucified was preached from the pulpit into the ears of sinners each week. That is the victory which overcomes the world, our faith. 1 John 5:4

Jesus is Lord of the church. He purchased her for himself by his own innocent sufferings and death. It is his desire that repentance and the forgiveness of sins be preached into the ears of sinners. Bible studies are great and a necessary part of a Christian’s life. However, proclamation times, sermons, are for the executing the severe law and giving the sweet Gospel. As Christians we remain full blown children of Adam and need to hear this as often as we can. This is the only way to overcome sin is by repenting and receiving forgiveness of sin. Yes the Gospel can save even a Christian.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Our Creator for You.

2009-08-16T05:32:00.003-07:00

One can understand people searching out God. There are so many gods on the market that one can miss the True and Living God. In the Holy Christian church much disagreement and confusion exists about this God with whom we are to deal. But should there be such confusion?

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. ESV

We see in the section from the letter to the Colossian Church that Jesus is the revealed God. Using means, as God is always wont to do, he took on human flesh to reveal all that we need to know about God. How that God is kind, compassionate, forgiving and giving. So much is God this way that he had himself nailed to a cross carrying the sins of the entire world with him and paying its penalty.

This is highly unsatisfying to the unbeliever. The Jews are offended and the Greeks stumble at it. Imagine our Creator submitting to that treatment and not taking vengeance there and then. So much not taking vengeance that he actually prayed for his crucifiers that the Father would forgive them. No this problem with the crucifixion of Jesus that the unbeliever has is quite understandable.

What is terrifying is to see the disregard some Christians have toward the cross. Many will go to churches where the preacher will seldom mention the cross. Instead of repentance and the forgiveness of sins preached in the name of Jesus will be a law presentation and a warning that if one does not stop sinning he or she is in for it. On the other side of the spectrum law is preached that if one obeys properly health wealth and happiness is a guarantee with great parking thrown in for good measure. Still further in that direction law is preached to those who care about righteousness are sinning by not liking what impenitent sinners keep doing and still call themselves Christian. All these focus on what the Christian has to muscle up against and nothing about what Jesus has already done.

Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ESV

Yes indeed as loving children of our Father we are to fight sin. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can lay aside obvious vice. However, we still fall far short of the glory of our Sinless Shepherd. He is the standard isn’t he. This is why Our Lord stated that repentance and the forgiveness of sin be proclaimed in his name. We need it!

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses as We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us

2009-08-16T04:58:00.000-07:00

Getting The L Out of Here. Part 7

2009-08-12T04:31:00.003-07:00

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

“There you have it! This verse proves Limited Atonement.” Oh that I had a dollar for every time a statement such as that has been made about that verse. Like always we want to paste this back onto the context to see if meaning of the passage follows suit with that assumption.

Matthew 22:1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” ESV

This parable is a ridiculous story. No one dared turn down an invitation from a king for a wedding feast. One the one hand it is a great honor to be invited. On the other hand one turned down this invitation to his or her own peril. Not living in an age of sovereign kings we cannot relate that each and every whim, if not obeyed, could bring about forfeiture of everything one owned and perhaps his or her life. This is speaking of the treatment God’s prophets received from his people when they came telling about the judgment and deliverance they would find in YHWH. However we see the ultimate reaction of the king was to invite everyone without exception.

Most guests show up in the provided wedding garments with the exception of one guest. He thought his garment was appropriate. These garments represent what we receive by faith. The robe of Jesus’ righteousness is received by those who believe and is what we wear when we go to the Lamb’s High Feast and what we wear in that eternal feast of victory in glory. Those in unbelief will not receive that righteousness preferring to trust in his or her own good works. This garment is never appropriate for it is tainted with sin although it may look holy.

So this passage refers not one bit to who is died for and who is not. The call goes out to all. Our Father does not play the game where he would call those for whom Christ did not die to repent for they would not have the price paid. This is placing our thoughts and ways as finite fallen humans onto God. And it is also submitting v 14 to an idea cooked up outside of scripture and again read down on top of it. The understanding is not complex at all. Those who are in Christ are chosen for he is the living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious. To the unbeliever Jesus is the rock of stumbling and offence and they will not receive his gifts. Those who believe do receive him and become a spiritual house and a royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:1-9

This is a horrible playing with scripture to tell others Jesus did not die for all of mankind. That teaching takes the bitter sufferings and death of Jesus away as objective evidence of sin paid for and tosses the sinner back on him or her self to try to hash out an answer. This answer will never keep a person in the true faith over the long haul. We are constantly under attack and accused by false and erring brethren, the world, our sinful flesh and the devil. The last place we need to look to for assurance is the seat of the problem which is ourselves. Rather look to the finished work of Jesus and how we receive the benefits won by him through preaching of the word, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. For you.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Getting The L Out of Here. Part 6

2009-08-06T19:40:00.002-07:00

Double Jeopardy! This is the response one gets from those who believe, teach and confess Limited Atonement. The thought behind it is that if Jesus died for the sins of every person then to send the unbeliever to eternal hell is to punish them a second time. This would be unfair to our fair mindedness but God is free to operate under his own rules or none at all.

2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.ESV

However, we see in the above section that because of Jesus’ perfect life, death, burial and resurrection God is no longer counting trespasses against anyone. One will object and mention that people still go to hell. Those who go into everlasting punishment do not end up there because of sin but rather unbelief. John 3:18.

Each and everyone of us are by nature sinful, unclean and an enemy of God. In loving kindness Jesus came and bore the entire curse of the law for every person ever born. This gift is received by faith and is reject able by those who either do not see the need for saving or rather try and do it for themselves. St Paul addressed this type of unbelief in his letter to the church at Galatia. So horrible is this and terrifying he uses extremely harsh language later stating that those who seek to justify themselves have fallen away from grace and are severed from Christ:

Galatians 5:2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. ESV

When we trust solely in the finished work of Jesus we have nothing to fear. The fact that he paid for all sin we do not have to fear that he did not pay for us. Rather we can look with confidence that our sin was nailed to the cross and paid for entirely by Jesus who was later raised so we also shall be raised. We can hear with confidence the good news that Jesus died to redeem us. This is probably why John Calvin was so unsure when teaching on the sacraments. One cannot have firm trust in baptism and the Lord’s Supper when one is convinced Jesus did not die for everyone for how can you know these gifts are for you? Jesus died for each of us! We can trust the promises associated with baptism and the Lord’s Supper not doubting that it is for us! Is that radical good news or what?

In the Name of Jesus. Amen. †

Getting The L Out Of Here. Part 5

2009-08-02T15:44:00.004-07:00

Even though I spent many years with Calvinist beliefs it is unclear why Limited Atonement is needed in the mind of a Calvinist in order to have the Gospel. A dyed in the wool Calvinist as I was at one time will argue till the last breath that Jesus did not die for every person but rather only those who would believe. One of the verses that those who believe in Limited Atonement have attempted to hang their hats on is Matthew 25:13. The person will say “See Jesus does not even know the unbeliever!” Well lets paste that verse back into the context and see to whom that verse refers.

Matthew 25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.ESV

Notice that all 10 were invited to the wedding. Those who were foolish did not provide for the late arrival of the bridegroom not really believing he would come at any hour. The wise ones came prepared with extra oil for they believed he would come regardless of the hour. So the foolish were representing unbelievers who do not trust the promises of God to do what he says he will do. Placing that verse back into the context we see that it does not teach Limited Atonement at all. Parables are sayings of Jesus which admittedly are not clear at times. So we take clear passages to understand what is meant by the unclear.

We read in Ephesians 2 that we are dead in trespasses and sins. Dead not in the way that we are not breathing or moving about. Dead in this sense is being separated from God. Those with faith later on in chapter 2 were made alive in Christ so we are seated in the heavenly places with him. Those who are outside of the faith are not seated with Christ and have no part of him. So the fact that he states he does not know them is explained by the fact of not being in Jesus. Those of us in Jesus are known and loved as sons and daughters of our Father. So yes it refers to those outside of Christ but in no way says they are outside of Jesus because he did not die for them.

So we see once again that Limited Atonement must be cooked up outside of scripture and in this passage once again read down on top of it to make scripture teach it. We should never seek to peer into the eternal decrees of God any further then he has given us scripture. Reason is a wonderful and needful thing to get through this fallen world. But it is a horrible practice to use it to try to figure out how God has ordered things.

By reason of the faith we are given we receive the benefits Jesus earned for us on the cross when he suffered the forsakenness of our Father in heaven for the sin of the world. What a horrible thing that is and so unnecessary for their sins were paid for by Jesus objectively but did not receive it by faith to their subjective justification.

Thank you Holy Spirit for the faith you have given us. Grant true repentance and faith to those we care for and others we do not know who are still outside of Jesus. Amen. †

Grim Fairy Tales 6.

2009-07-26T08:23:00.002-07:00

Many Christians are under the misconception that one is under some obligation when one is a believer in Jesus. This is a Grim Fairy Tale for it is another way that the believer’s eyes are taken off Jesus and placed on his or herself. This is totally unnecessary for the scriptures are quite specific as to the contents of the Law and contents of the Gospel .

Leviticus 18:1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. ESV

So there you have it. If one was able to fulfill the law and all its requirements he or she would be saved. God nowhere in there says make a good go of it. Neither does he give any outs in it or a mulligan where we start a do over for better luck next time. Yes the promise is that ‘if a person does them he shall live by them’. Wow it would be grim outlook for one will never know if he or she did enough. Plainly speaking of course enough is never done.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ESV

The above section contains the promises of the Gospel in stark contrast with the law. In the Gospel Jesus did all the doing and thereby has made us alive, raised us up, and mysteries of all mysteries has seated us with him in heavenly places. None of this is done by the sinner. The done didness of the Gospel is so sweet to the sinner who is deeply troubled by his or her sin.

Good works do play a part in salvation but only in response to being a child of God. Jesus’ good deeds were prepared before hand to do for us in his active obedience. We receive that holiness as a gift and when doing our daily work which God has given us it is indeed holy in his sight. Some object to all this good news which is why the Grim Fairy Tale of mixing the two.

The concern is that some, after hearing this good news, may get the idea they can live anyway they feel like with no regard for Christ. I personally have never met and doubt the existence of a true believer in Jesus who has that opinion. No one who loves Jesus and believes in what he suffered on his or her behalf will want to live in sin. By the mere fact of having this faith good works will follow. Our Comforter is quite capable to ensure that we do these things. He is God after all isn’t he?

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Grim Fairy Tales 5.

2009-07-12T06:07:00.001-07:00

Well then back to the Grim Fairy Tales.

One can hear many sermons which are meant, I am sure, to be encouraging. In it will be either explicit or implicit statements that a real Christian will never be afraid. It is the thought of many that being afraid is a sin. While it is true that one sins while being afraid due to having an identity of a descendent of Adam being afraid is not in itself sin. But it is a Grim Fairy Tale to say that being afraid itself is a sin.

Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ESV

Here we have the account of Jesus praying to the Father to remove what he was about to endure from him. Jesus was so in agony and yes even afraid that he was sweating what appeared to be blood. Now would we say that Jesus was sinning being in that state of mind? Not at all. It was a reaction to being in a fallen world. In addition he was enduring that for others. There was no self centeredness in Jesus everything he was about was for others. In answer to his prayer an angel came and strengthened him however, for our good he went on to endure the beatings, ridicule, shame of the cross and being forsaken by his Father while bearing the sins of the world.

Psalm 56:1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me? ESV

Living in this fallen world each of us will experience times of being afraid. In times of economic turmoil where it appears that those in government and business is out to get us, and they are, financially the future can appear very dim. The enemy is always seeking our hurt and has many people who delight in attacking those who love Jesus. As I said previously we will sin during times of being afraid. Thoughts will be of ourselves. Perhaps self pity and questioning God. “What did I do to deserve this?” But then as the psalmist said we will trust in God. Placing trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus we will cease being so captivated by our being afraid.

Reflecting on the promise of forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our baptism we can venture forth in confidence. We can know we are protected and that our Comforter is in us to guide and direct. We can also reflect on the last time we received Jesus’ body and blood to know that he is there strengthening our faith and leading us to life everlasting. We can read in his word or call to mind that he is working all things together, somehow, for our good and will not allow our faith to leave us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Our God Who is Forsaken by Our God for You and Me

2009-07-05T11:07:00.001-07:00

I am taking a little break from Grim Fairy Tales.

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ESV
God forsaking God? How can this be? We are not told except that it happened while Jesus hung on the cross paying for the sins of the world. This is the required price to pay for sinfulness. Forsakenness by God for all eternity is the price to be paid by impenitent sinful humans. However, God taking all these sins to himself and having himself nailed to the cross with them took care of it.

From before time God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit had this great love for each other. This is how we can say God is love. He did not need but desired to have a creation in which there would be persons created in his image to love. In Adam all of us rebelled and told God what we thought of him and that we could carry on quite nicely thank you very much. You can see that in the lives of the unbeliever. No thought whatsoever of God in his or her daily round. He or she only has trust in what they can do. Sadly Christians are not immune to that rebellion as well. We are always wanting to be our own provider taking credit for the gifts God has so graciously given. That is the old temptation “you can be like God”.

Fallen humanity makes a revolting god. A god who is self seeking and self centered. All curved in on him or her self with no concern for others unless it serves his or her purpose. The true and living God is giving. God the Father gave us his Son Jesus to live for us, bear our punishment for us on the cross and give us justification by rising again. God the Son took on human flesh, gave himself for us suffering rejection by those he came to save and bearing our sins to the cross. God the Holy Spirit gives us the forgiveness Jesus paid for in preaching of the word, baptism and the Supper of our Lord. All this is for you.

Holy Trinity! What a debt we owe you! All we can do is respond in praise and thanksgiving! Amen! †

Grim Fairy Tales 4.

2009-07-01T08:56:00.002-07:00

Introspection. This is encouraged in many conservative congregations. Many will use a verse out of St Paul’s second epistle to show this is what we are to be about in our daily rounds. This is a Fairy Tale most grim.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ESV

Unfortunately many think that being in the faith means a constant upswing in personal righteousness and downswing of sin. Indeed after one comes to faith the outward acts that once held an attraction to the new believer are forsake. Out of love for Jesus and what he did on the cross one cannot help but see outward acts of lust, debate, crude talk, reading books and magazines which hold explicit sexual material, movies and TV shows which are degrading to the human person etc. will over time be less and less appealing. These are outward acts of an inward condition of being a sinner. When a person is adopted by God and is a new creature still remains a sinner. This status of sinner does not change although outward acts have changed and we are also 100% saint in the sight of God. One is constantly falling short of living a life that Jesus lived. Jesus was sinless and God in human flesh. It is totally impossible to never have an idle thought, say an unkind word or always do everything right. That is part of the grimness of this Fairy Tale. This falling short of God’s glory is known by God of course which is why he came in human flesh to tabernacle among us and do the doing for us. And after all that doing died on the cross to pay the penalty we justly deserve for being full blown children of Adam and the actual sins we do.

So if St Paul is not teaching Christians to worry about not being in the faith because of falling short of the glory of God to what is he referring? It is a call to repentance and faith in the finished work of Jesus. In the previous verse he refers to that work.

2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. ESV

We see here that he was not referring to individuals who are distraught about their failings. But rather he is referring to those who are proud of their sin. These are impenitent sinners who refuse to forsake the deeds of the flesh to whom he referred to earlier. In addition these have attacked St Paul for his efforts which is the normal fallen human reaction to one who is seeking to correct them and restore repentance and faith in Jesus. To continue on in impenitent sin flying it in God’s face is making a move toward forsaking Jesus’ finished work in favour of the deceitful pleasures of worldliness.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced. ESV

No we do not have to live lives of morbid introspection. Yes we sin. When sin is brought to our attention by the law of God preached into our ears or read in daily readings we lay claim on it. We confess this sin before God. And because he has forgiven our sins in the death of Jesus we can walk on in peace knowing we are reconciled to God and he holds nothing against us.

The other grimness lies in the fact as full blown sinners we are often blind to these sins and actually may be convinced we are pulling off living righteously under our own steam. In a conversation the other day with a couple of professing Christians I was told that they were no longer sinners. They are only concerned, of course, with blatant outward acts not the sins of the heart of course. People of this mindset need to be taken to the sermon on the mount to show Jesus unpacking the law and showing that even thoughts are sin. This can be carried so far in a person’s life they may be tempted to tell Jesus they can do it from now on. This is in addition taking one’s faith out for a real stabbing and is as equally alarming as a professing Christian living in open impenitent and public rebellion against God’s law.

Lord Jesus on every hand we are tempted to remove our eyes from you. I am yours my God. Save me! In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Grim Fairy Tales 3.

2009-06-28T19:06:00.003-07:00

Have you repented? This is often heard from Christians when confronted with another Christian concerned about his or her sin. What qualifies as repentance? The stock answer in many circles is “Are you sorry I mean really sorry for your sin?” ”Are you going to stop sinning in that way?” The answers to both those questions is more than likely not. How can this be? The first one forces one to introspection. This takes our eyes off Jesus and his one time atonement for our sin as the objective reason for justification in the first place. The second takes our eyes of Jesus who in his active obedience fulfilled all the laws requirements for us. Both these are received thru faith not in return for working up enough sorrow or promising to never do it again. This indeed is a grim fairy tale which can either lead to much grief or faith killing self righteousness.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. ESV

We see here that self generated grief produces death. The granting of repentance is from God as well as the salvation is of God alone. So what does this repentance look like?

Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ESV

So when Jesus finds the lost person he carries him rejoicing to his fold. That is true repenting seeing Jesus as God and Saviour not the idol of one‘s thoughts. One thing that is obvious is that the joy in heaven is always related to what God has done. Nothing is said about the lost sheep whether he was worried or sad about his condition. Actually he was dead in trespasses and sin The Good Shepherd gives him life making him part of the Kingdom of God through his gifts of word and Sacrament.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen. †

2009-06-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

Grim Fairy Tales 2.

2009-06-21T13:56:00.003-07:00

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. ESV

One day you will stand before God, and he
will do an audit of your life, a final exam,
before you enter eternity. The Bible says,
“Remember, each of us will stand personally
before the judgment seat of God. . . . Yes, each of
us will have to give a personal account to God.”35
Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so
he has given us the questions in advance. From
the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us
two crucial questions:
First, “What did you do with my Son,
Jesus Christ?” God won’t ask about your
religious background or your doctrinal views.
The only thing that will matter is, did you
accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn
to love and trust him? Jesus said, “I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.”36 God wants you to
get to know, love, and trust his Son, Jesus,
whom he sent to earth to show us what God is
like and to forgive and save us.
Second, “What did you do with your
life?” What did you do with all that God gave
you—all your gifts, talents, opportunities,
energy, relationships, and resources? Did you
spend them on yourself, or did you use them
to fulfill God’s purposes for your life?

The above quote is from “The Purpose Driven Life” pg 26 by Rick Warren. Many panned this writing as if he came up with something new. Many times sitting through sermons, in conservative and bible believing Churches, one will hear some sort of appeal to good works. It will be stated by using the above scripture that it is up to the Christian how much reward he or she will receive. If you spend lots of your off work time in Church work such as teaching and witnessing you will have more then your counterpart who merely earned a living and cared for family. That is indeed grim for that is the calling of a husband and father to care for family. Indeed it would be neglecting of the vocation of a head of household to leave off caring for his family in order to increase church work and build a career at the same time.

Indeed there will be greater rewards in heaven for some over others. However, we are not given the laundry list of activities which would earn them or the level of activity which would gain them. God has for us work to do by serving our neighbour. If we were to do this service only for the hope of greater reward that is using the neighbour as a means to an end and as our servant. To add to that grim outcome we are slapping the face of our Crucified and Risen Lord as if his good deeds for us need adding to. The reward we have in heaven is given to us by grace not out of payment for service.

In addition nothing we do ever measures up to God. We are constantly falling short. What a grim thing to constantly examine oneself to try to determine what is and what is not reward worthy. What God does admire and reward is his work in us. The fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace etc are all attitudes and motivation. We can never hope to measure those things in ourselves let alone in others. Suffice it to say that as children of our Father in heaven we do what is given us to do. Our response to anything which presents itself to us about which we should be proud should be repentance for the self centered pride.

Luke 14:7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” ESV

Grim Fairy Tales.

2009-06-14T07:44:00.003-07:00

2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ESV

This is a very familiar scripture to those who go toe to toe with others who would add the writings of men to the scriptures as doctrine to be accepted by all Christians. Indeed the scriptures are what God has given us to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus. And through those scriptures we competent and equipped for every good work. Most assuredly one can also benefit from the bible studies and commentaries of learned men on what they found while pouring through the scriptures. However, one must always hold what these men write and speak to the scriptures like the Christians at Berea did with what St Paul was preaching. Acts 17:11.

The word of God is indeed complete but it does leave some open questions. Since we are sinners, and never really content with what we are given from God, we are always tempted to answer these open questions. These answers differ depending on the viewpoint of the person and to which extreme he is attracted. One question which is not answered is why are some saved and others lost. In order to keep away from the extremes one must not predict or assume things that remain a mystery.

When one is attracted by the extreme in theology which teaches humans make the first move toward God have said that we will spend some time, in heaven, mourning people in hell. Or perhaps Jesus will hold us accountable due to the fact we did not “sell” them on the idea of being saved. This is a prediction and assumption which has no basis in scripture. The grimness of this fairy tale is the idea that heaven will be a place of punishment or sorrow over failures. Jesus paid for all sin on the cross. God also grants faith through preaching of the word and his gifts of the sacrament. In addition this removes the responsibility of the sinner to repent and moves it to a believer he or she knew in life. Revelation 21:1-4 shows us what eternity will be like. How it is that some of our friends and loved ones not being with us and not interrupt our bliss is a mystery. This is a promise based on the fact that while on earth Jesus completed all necessary mourning for us and we receive by faith this benefit.

The other extreme in theology which teaches that Our Lord chooses who will go to hell has its own grim fairy tales. One of those tales states that those in heaven will have a big party and enjoy seeing the misery and despair of those in hell. This first reason that makes it an absurd fairy due to not being located in scripture. Scripture teaches that those who are saved are predestined to be saved but does not teach that those lost are chosen to be lost. Romans 8:26-30 indeed we see that those saved are chosen but the claim that the lost are chosen to be lost is absent. The second reason is that scripture teaches God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked so it is certain we in his image completely at last will not either. Ezekiel 18:21-32, 33:10-11. Indeed we will not be in sadness but certainly not gloating over those who are suffering the punishment we justly deserve.

Both groups would affirm that scripture is the only revelation given by God. Both groups would claim that the Roman Catholic is in error by elevating the writings of men to the level of scripture. However, to attempt to fill in personal opinion and bias in sermons, commentaries and bible studies to be proclaimed as truth is a similar error. Our consciences are bound solely to the word which is Holy Spirit breathed not the fevered imaginings of our fellow Christians. These will only serve to enslave the Christian and threaten the faith of those trusting in Jesus. Indeed it is possible to serve as a messenger of satan when one is well meaning but not careful.

Thanks be to God for his sure word and promises. Amen. †

The Promised Holy Spirit and His Promised Gifts

2009-06-03T05:03:00.001-07:00

The person and work of the Holy Spirit. He indeed is a bearer of gifts. He is the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and Son and who spoke by the prophets. Some Christians are taught to expect the gift of speaking in tongues. Others perhaps expect the gift of being happy most of the time. Still others expect the gift of healing being given curing his or her ills. Most certainly God the Spirit is fully able to do those things and much more spectacular things most of which we cannot hope to imagine. One may at times feel happy. There have been reports of healing taking place which was extraordinary. Unbelievers feel happy at times and have out of the ordinary healings. However, as unbelievers he or she is not the temple of the Holy Spirit. Even though God is to be credited with all healing these events would not be considered gifts of the Spirit. And what if a baptized child of God feels anything but happy? What if the lifelong disciple of Jesus has a long illness that eventually ends that person’s life? Would we then doubt that person’s faith or whether God even loves them? That is the trap into which this thinking can and often does lead. We live in a fallen and dying world in which we have no promise in scripture that believers in Jesus will have it great here. On the contrary Jesus promises us suffering some of which looks like what everyone else is having.

Still others believe teach and confess the Holy Spirit as a holiness trainer. Or I have heard him described as a sort of steroid where with proper exercise one can fully expect to muscle up against sin and beat it every time. They think that because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit we can expect to become more and more holy as time goes on. Certainly as a person matures he or she will recognize the same old temptations approaching. This is because our adversary has no new tricks to pull on us so we can tell the old tricks. However, what if there are sins which we are so easily beset by. Perhaps temper whether displayed or hidden can at a moments notice cause an unrighteous thought or word escape. Does this mean this person is a cast off and God has removed himself from them? An unbeliever with proper motivation can modify behaviour however, this would have nothing to do with fruit of the Sprit and is mortal sin. This is another trap thinking about what God can do rather than doing what is promised.

These are a couple of misunderstandings that happen when a person contemplates what God is capable of doing. As Creator by mere speaking all things into existence would be able to do whatever he desires. However, we have what he has promised to do to count on rather then trying to determine the possibilities. In the above examples we see some possibilities of which God is fully capable which are not promises. Therefore we should consider a promises associated with the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ESV

Jesus has promised that when the Holy Spirit comes he will declare unto us that which Jesus has for us. This would be the forgiveness of sin. When we have this forgiveness preached into our ears that is the Holy Spirit working through the preacher pointing us to the cross and the promises associated with Jesus death and resurrection. When it is pointed out to us that the forgiveness of sin is also located in the Sacraments of Baptism and of the Lord’s Body and Blood this too is the Spirit’s work in locating that forgiveness where it is promised and delivering it to us. In these ways receiving the Holy Spirit’s promised gifts we are comforted by looking outside ourselves for forgiveness and its assurance instead of inside us or at our works. Neither view will do anything but either terrify the sinner or cause the sinner prideful assurance of a Pharisee. Neither focuses the persons view on Jesus nor brings glory to his name which is one of the purposes of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.*

*The third article of the Apostle’s creed. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism.

Obscuring the Gospel with Good Deeds

2009-05-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

This man really believes he is pulling it off as far as keeping the law is concerned. The Pharisees were professional law keepers and actually from the outside it did look like they were more holy then everyone else. They were actually paid to do the law keeping in the relatively new religion of Judaism. This is a different religion then that of the forefathers such as Abraham who knew they were declared righteous apart from any law observance.

God was forgiving and counted the faith of those who have gone before us as righteousness. The older testament tells of the downright awful things the forefathers did. Abraham pretended to be brother to his wife out of fear of a pagan king who lusted after her. His faith as ours faltered at that point in not trusting the promises of God that he would be father of many nations. The Gospels show how Jesus’ closest associates were self centered and were always competing to be the Master’s favourites. In addition each of them took a powder at the arrest of Jesus although their intention was to stick by him. St Paul, in the book of Acts is shown to have an unforgiving heart towards Mark and separated himself from Barnabas having a sharp disagreement. Acts 15:36-41.

In the modern USA we don’t have professional law keepers as such. The modern equivalent is any religious person who looks at his or her deeds as making a real difference on how God beholds them. This religious person could be member of any religion with or without a personal deity. In Christianity, which is different then any other religion in the world, we still have our share of Pharisees. This is a total perversion of the faith delivered to us by Our Lord Jesus and his apostles and foretold by the prophets.

We have Christians who are true believers, captivated by pietism, who make up rules to obey in order to not necessarily be saved but it seems to get more on God’s good side. Most certainly we as lovers of Jesus want to live lives of pious behaviour but at the same time not steal any of the glory from Jesus by thinking we add anything to our salvation.

Also we have what are otherwise true believers in salvation by grace through faith who think that grace is some sort of Holy Spirit steroid in order to become better and better. Granted as time goes on and we mature we will recognize former captivating temptation and avoid the outward act. This is most certainly the case however, we can see those who are unbelievers over time have the ability to modify past behaviour. To rob Jesus of his glory in this way actually shows how sinful and fallen we really are so that our good deeds are actually sins for which Jesus suffered and died.

And still another group who will take one of the ten commands and “specialize” in one of them. This usually plays out in worship which gives rise to what is called worship wars or even the fact of showing up in the first place. These are personal preferences of what people find most meaningful and how that God also, of course, requires what is meaningful to them. Therefore he looks more kindly upon them then he would otherwise and they can praise God they are not like the congregation down the street. Granted we need be careful of what we say and do in response to the gifts of the forgiveness of sin which Jesus gives us. Not in order to somehow get more blessing but rather in saying back to God the words he gave us it actually drives home deep into our hearts and minds the blessedness of the true Gospel.

These are some of the ways that even true believers in Jesus will insult and obscure his Gospel which he accomplished by his perfect life, innocent sufferings and death. All well meaning efforts for sure but will produce, due to our sinful nature, a secure sinner. This sinner will never realize what is happening until the law is executed in all its ferocious requirements. Be holy as the Lord your God is holy and if you don’t you are damned!

Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Here we see the necessary approach to God when going to receive his gifts of the forgiveness of sins. There is always a people who know their true condition before a Holy God. It is realized by them that they are by nature sinful and unclean. That in spite of valiant efforts they sin against our Creator in thought word and deed by what we do and what we leave undone by thought, word and deed. Trusting in the finished work of Jesus apart from anything done by the sinner they can depart in peace knowing that their faith is counted to their account as righteousness. Nothing further is said or needs to be said of the terrified sinner in the parable. Jesus said he went home justified rather than the secure sinner.

It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ.*

Serving the Gospel was the calling of Martin Luther not making things up as he went along. The church in his day as in ours was busying itself obscuring the Gospel with works of charity. Sounds good doesn’t it? Works of love. However, one is not truly loving his or her neighbour if only serving him or her in order to get in good with the Creator. This is using our neighbour as a means to an end And treating our Creator as if he is one to buy off with trinkets and bits of our thought up goodness is not loving him and is truly revolting to him as Isaiah stated. Is. 64:6.

*The Heidelberg Disputation of Martin Luther #18.

The Sacraments

2009-05-23T12:19:00.002-07:00

"Master, Master, we are perishing!"

2009-05-20T11:27:00.002-07:00

“Does anyone know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

Those lines are from a song by Gordon Lightfoot called “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” That ship was an bulk freighter in the Great Lakes which sank November 10,1975. I remember seeing that freighter the summer before its ill fated journey. My father used to take us on trips to the lakes to look at the ships which were docked around the shores of the lakes. It was huge indeed. It was assumed to be unsinkable and under normal circumstances that would have been the case. However, living in a sinful creation which is subjected to futility normal circumstance are at times rare.

Luke 8:22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” ESV

The above event records how the disciples of Jesus got into a boat to cross to the other side of the inland body of water. This had been done before many times with Jesus and as well by themselves out plying the fishing trade. What could be better? A cruise with your rabbi? Calm waters and smooth sailing with Jesus asleep in the back of the boat on a cushion. Jesus as our co pilot as the bumper sticker from years ago used to proclaim.

But then life turns ugly.

The formerly calm waters begin to churn. Waves lap over the sides of the boat. One can imagine in them minds of the disciples the memories of pulling bloated carcasses of fishermen out of the water after such a storm. There is, after all, the real possibility that they could be next. But then Jesus fixed it all. He said "shhh" to the storm like one may say to a tantrum throwing child. That is all it takes for the Creator of the universe to stop the storm. He calmed the water and wind and it was smooth sailing from that point on. It must have been quite a storm for these men had years of experience and were probably not easily shaken. But Jesus saved them and was surprised at the fear they had and lack of faith.

In a routine exam the doctor comes in with a concerned look on his face stating they have found something. This something may be nothing but he wants to refer you to a surgeon to go in and have a look round. After surgery it is reported there is a malignancy which they were able to get all of it. A sigh of relief. Later during an exam another something is found. Another trip to the surgeon who wants to go in for another look round. This time the something had to be left in and a course of chemical treatment is suggested. After that torture it is stated that the something has continued to spread and they are sorry nothing more can be done.

Early on a Sunday morning your doorbell rings. You open it to find two uniformed men at the door. They are policemen who are very sorry to inform you that your child was involved in an automobile crash. They apologize as they ask you to go to such and such hospital for identification purposes.

You come home from work and see your spouse sitting in a chair with a very sad expression on her face holding a piece of paper. On that paper you discover that your son or daughter has decided to not wait for marriage to move in with his or her fiancée. This same child who just a short while before was wont to participate in youth group activities and had spoken some of looking into full time work in the church or Christian day school. This same child who was taught the Christian faith from the time of being a wee infant. This child in whom was spent much resources both financial and time to ensure he or she knew who God is and who he or she is in Jesus.

The child of God at that point will possibly look back upon the disciples experience and how that Jesus saved them and wonder. "Jesus solved all those problems in scripture certainly he can solve this!" “Have we not dotted all the I s and crossed all the T s?” “ After all are not all our doctrinal ducks lined up in neat rows?” “Certainly, some of our well meaning friends say, God is trying to show you something in this.” “Master, Master we are perishing!”

We don’t have any promises in scripture that because we have faith in Jesus and try to live lives pleasing to him that these troubles will not befall us. Quite the contrary. He has not raised us above the movement downward and futility of this world of sin and misery. What we have are promises that he will see us through. Those disciples with the exception of one later went on to a martyrs death while proclaiming Jesus to those around them. This is special suffering which, like the child leaving home to live in sin with another, is special to those in Jesus. Storms, health deterioration, fatal accidents and family sorrows are common place events to all who live on earth.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ESV

We do have the certain promise that even when all seems lost Jesus will grant us faith so we may endure these times so that we do not fall back and in rebellious anger cast ourselves away from God into unbelief. The world, our sinful flesh and the devil are busy night and day to get us to deny our Lord but he has promised to maintain us. Jesus himself comes to us in the bread and wine of Holy Communion and forgives our sins and gives us new lives. The real danger is for us, in anger, forsake this gift and also the assurance we have in being baptized children of God. Yes our Lord stands there with crucified and resurrected arms to carry us through. We are baptized into his death. He has got us!

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

The Gifting of Gift Receiving

2009-05-10T13:33:00.003-07:00

“Do you have to go the church? No, you get to, you slacker.” That is the opening statement on the God Whisperers website of podcasts on the third commandment.* It is an interesting approach compared to much of Christianity regarding attendance at church services. It is treated as a duty we owe to God. A drudgery that most times we rather not fulfill. This is definitely the wrong approach but is understandable due to each of us believers having an old Adam who wants rules and regulations rather then what God offers.

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ESV

Reflect on what happens at a church which is committed to traditional centuries old liturgy.

The pastor invokes the Name of the Triune God. It is in this name we are baptized and receive two gifts. The forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us so transforming us into his temple. Gifting. Warrant in scripture: Acts 2:38-39

A time to reflect on the previous week and even on ones entrance into the church building on sin which we have done or the good which we have left undone. The pastor then announces the Gospel and in the stead and by the command forgives us all our sins. Again invoking the name of the Triune God in which we are baptized. More gifting. Scripture warrant: John 20:22-23

The sermon begins by invoking the Triune name of God, the name of Jesus or a prayer. In this sermon we hear how we really mess up. It may contain a recount of how the early disciples or forefathers messed up and how we are doing the same. Jesus’ perfect life is presented as the fulfillment of the requirement for us and how it is gifted to us. Then we are pointed to dead Jesus on the cross who paid for our sins. More gifting. Scripture warrant: Luke 24:45-47

The prayers and songs are also a response saying back to God the words with which he has gifted us. This in addition serves to instruct each of us in the gifts we are given in Jesus. Even more gifting. Scripture warrant: Colossians 3:16

The Eucharist is then celebrated. There according to the words of Jesus we are gifted with his body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. One may say “I already have the forgiveness of sin!” Yes but look how much you need it and continually. This gift shows us we cannot out sin grace. Further gifting. Scripture warrant: John 6:53-58, 1 Corinthians 10:16.

91] For the Word of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries, yea, the only one which we Christians know and have. For though we had the bones of all the saints or all holy and consecrated garments upon a heap, still that would help us nothing; for all that is a dead thing which can sanctify nobody. But God's Word is the treasure which sanctifies everything, and by which even all the saints themselves were sanctified. At whatever hour, then, God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated upon, there the person, day, and work are sanctified thereby, not because of the external work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. 92] Therefore I constantly say that all our life and work must be ordered according to God's Word, if it is to be God-pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment is in force and being fulfilled. **

**The Large Catechism of Martin Luther

Thanks be to you our God! †

*http://www.godwhisperers.com/The_God_Whisperers/Home/Home.html

Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

2009-05-06T08:01:00.003-07:00

Certain phrases appear from time to time in Christian conversation which sound good to the ear but really contradict what is our true relationship to our Creator. One such phrase dates back over 30 years in memory to an adult Bible Study guide we had in church. “Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice.” It was a teaching on Christian behaviour which made some very good points. However, from where did this phrase come? Was this merely a catchy title thought up by the publisher? No it comes from a verse in the Bible:

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams. ESV

Stop the press! Was not sacrifice ordered by God? Was this not how the older testament people of God remembered their sin? So how can one say that obedience is better than sacrifice? The answer lies in taking scotch tape and sticking the verse back into the context out of which it is taken. In this we see that God instructed King Saul and the army to utterly destroy the Amalekites including all their livestock. What the people did however, is to keep the choicest of sheep as spoils or war. When called on this the excuse was made that these were kept to sacrifice to the Lord.

Regrettably this verse grabbing and dragging kicking, screaming and bloody has been used to whack Christians over the head with in order to raise concern about his or her good deeds. It is taught to them that of course they are justified by grace through faith but just like an earthly father will appreciate a son or daughter more if he or she obeys in a greater fashion the same with our Heavenly Father. So if you want God to love you more then you better work harder, serve on more committees, teach more Sunday School classes etc. Poppycock! Our Heavenly Father is totally unlike our earthly, finite and sinful fathers. While it is true a Christian will want to do good deeds more and more as time goes on our Father beholds us in Jesus alone and therefore could not be pleased with us no matter how much we do.

Isaiah 60:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ESV

Our Father can only admire perfection. Half hearted or even 99% hearted efforts will not suffice. There is no way for a sinner to do a total selfless work it cannot be done. Don’t even try to cipher what percentage of motivation is out of fear of punishment or hope of reward and how much out of love for Jesus. God knew we could not do this selfless work. His law tells us we cannot meet its demands. He supplied himself to do the doing for us. And had himself nailed to the cross to pay for our self centeredness. It took the selfless obedience of Jesus to please God. God calls only what he does is good as in the creation account.

So in loving kindness he clothes us with the righteousness of Jesus and whatever we do in fulfilling our vocation, where he has located us, is pleasing to him. When we feed our children we please our Father in Heaven. When we arrive at work and do our work as unto him we please our Father in Heaven. What a wonderful peace is available when we with grateful hearts serve our family, friends and neighbours in the peace that we are free from worry whether it is good enough. We are free from the law of sin and condemnation. We can do whatever presents itself to be done. What Christ did for us sinners, for you, is good enough!

Praise to you O Christ! †

Name Above All Names.

2009-04-29T02:24:00.003-07:00

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. ESV

In this “command” our Heavenly Father gives us the gift of his name. Not to use to curse our fellow humans as all of us do either out loud or in our hearts but rather as a family name. In Holy Baptism the Name Father, Son and Holy Spirit is invoked following the institution of Jesus. This is most certainly adoption just like a human man and woman give an infant their name in that legal process.

Prior to this adoption we are only the children of Adam. The only inheritance we have of our natural parents is hell. This damnation remains our lot until God in his mercy moves our lineage to his own through faith. We can know for certain that this is ours because of the sacrament. Unfortunately many Christians miss this assurance because of misinformation given them either by malicious religious teachers or those who know no better. Without this knowledge one is forever looking for inward feelings or outward works to know whether he or she is truly God’s child. What a pity.

Galatians 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. ESV

To the Galatians, a church beset by false doctrine of works righteousness, St Paul did not point to the law as knowing whether a person was saved or not but rather his or her baptism into Christ. An outward, material and referable gift whereby one can know he or she is redeemed. No more measuring oneself against moral commands or level of good works to see evidence of ones identity.

This is also useful in defending us from our adversary the devil. Part of the game plan of the devil is to accuse a person and distract him from serving his neighbour by casting doubt and turning the attention inward. So good is he at plying that trade she may despair of even going to worship for fear others “know” these things which are in her life and will judge her harshly.

70] On the other hand, they should be constantly urged and incited to honor God's name, and to have it always upon their lips in everything that may happen to them or come to their notice. For that is the true honor of His name, to look to it and implore it for all consolation, so that (as we have heard above) first the heart by faith gives God the honor due Him, and afterwards the lips by confession.

71] This is also a blessed and useful habit and very effectual against the devil, who is ever about us, and lies in wait to bring us into sin and shame, calamity and trouble, but who is very loath to hear God's name, and cannot remain long where it is uttered and called upon from the heart. And, indeed, many a terrible and shocking calamity would befall us if, by our calling upon His name, God did not preserve us.

72] I have myself tried it, and learned by experience that often sudden great calamity was immediately averted and removed during such invocation. To vex the devil, I say, we should always have this holy name in our mouth, so that he may not be able to injure us as he wishes.

In the above sections from the Large Catechism of Martin Luther he has shown how having the blessed name of God on our lips is very useful way to defeat the devil’s ways. In my life I have learned to invoke the Name of the trinity daily and several times a day while making the sign of the Holy Cross. This works and is in no way superstitious as some would suppose and teach. This is not to be done to be seen of men but rather to be seen of the host of darkness round about us seeking to undo us in our daily activities.

Thanks be to God. Amen. †

Returning the Favour

2009-04-26T03:28:00.002-07:00

It has been said that in the beginning God created man since then man has the desire to return the favour. This takes many forms but the most common is to project ones desires and emotions, multiply them, attempt to perfect them and say “now that is the way God wants to be God and how he feels about things.”

Exodus 20:4 You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. ESV

Any gods created by man is the devil. That god will want to be served, cared for and fed continually. It will never be satisfied nor will it be able to forgive. In the first “command” we are given the gift of God himself by saying those who are brought out of sin will have no other gods before him. The second part of this command we are told that because we were brought out of the house of bondage we will set aside our idolatries and no longer serve them.

In the modern mind it is inconceivable that one would have idols. I know that few people whom I know have statues in their houses of deities and light candles, make food offering or pray to them. However, it is easy to place the desire to fill this home with the latest toys and furniture as a matter of pride and give more attention to that then to our Saviour. This would make the house our false God. This can become a slave master if one is so consumed by the acquisition of these items one has an increasing load of debt which causes one to have to work harder and harder just to service it.

10] So, too, whoever trusts and boasts that he possesses great skill, prudence, power, favor, friendship, and honor has also a god, but not this true and only God. This appears again when you notice how presumptuous, secure, and proud people are because of such possessions, and how despondent when they no longer exist or are withdrawn. Therefore I repeat that the chief explanation of this point is that to have a god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts.

This is from Martin Luther’s Large Catechism on the first commandment. Here he shows how that for a while trust in self or what one can obtain is a fleeting good. In today’s economy many are receiving this wake up call to how much trust in self and one’s employment have become a god to us.

Our Real God actually bows to us. What? Yes he comes to us to, on a daily basis, take away our sin. In dying on the cross Jesus became our servant king. That is unheard of in the religions of the world today where the god, if it has a personal god, demands to be served. The god of great wealth and possession demands serving as well and the want is never ending and is insatiable.

Jesus also comes to serve us in the Divine Service in the form of bread and wine. He promised that he would truly be present in this way for his people for the forgiveness of sin and to strengthen the wearied and worried heart burdened by petty idolatries. Too many Christians do not believe this wonderful truth and still await his coming to them in another way. To deny his presence in the holy meal is to attempt to have Jesus in one’s own way rather then in the way he has promised himself. What a blessing which is missed indeed by not believing his clear promise.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for [5] you. Do this in remembrance of me.” [6] 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ESV

Thanks be to God. †

Erman has his hat handed to him

2009-04-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Bart Ehrman

colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

NASA Name Contest

You Have Just Won a Million Bucks!

2009-03-30T12:37:00.003-07:00

You can earn 10,000 or more per week in the comfort of your own home by being on the internet 2 hours a day! Take these pills and you too can lose 80 lbs in 1 month without lifting a finger! Send us a gift and we will send you a blessed prayer cloth which will make you financially secure! So on and so on it goes. Believe us and by the way send us your money!

When it comes to promises given in a fallen world is healthy and desirable one should keep a tight hold on the credit card and checkbook. It may sound cliché but “if it sounds to good to be true it probably is” is the best response to much of what is touted as truth. Belief in things in no way changes your status. Unless we are speaking about the promises associated with the perfect life, innocent sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus.

John 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ESV

Belief in Jesus does indeed change your status. Instead of being a condemned sinner suffering eternal death the believer inherits life eternal. Pr Tom Baker, Law and Gospel Broadcast, states that is one of the areas which differentiates Christianity from every other religion. In all other religions that have a personal god it all depends upon the person to get right and make up for wrongdoing. In Christianity we have God in the person of Jesus fulfilling what we could not do and paying for the wrong we have done.

2 Corinthians 5:16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ESV

In this we see that the problem is our problem not God’s problem. In our inner brat we want to think we have an angry God to pacify with our corrected behaviour and sacrifices. We need to be reconciled to God not the other way round. This is such a radical departure from what many in Christendom, lamentably, hear in a given Sunday sermon. Away with this pointing men back at themselves for hope. Demand your pastor to proclaim you are a dead sinner and need Jesus or be lost for eternity. If your pastor reminds you of that constantly be sure to thank him for others will be asking him to move on to so called bigger and better things. Our hope comes from outside us which is where the only true peace and hope lies. The finished work of Jesus for sinners.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Friends From Out of Town.

2009-03-18T13:35:00.002-07:00

Luke 9:30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ESV

A few Sundays ago during the sermon on the Transfiguration of Jesus I found it interesting the subject that was discussed between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. We are not told what exactly the words used but it was about Jesus’ upcoming sacrifice for our sins. This, I suppose, is a natural subject since both Moses and Elijah looked forward to their Saviour and ours and what he would accomplish for us.

That is the golden thread from beginning to end in scripture. The entire reason for the second person of the Triune God incarnating was to give his life as a ransom. Years ago all churches except the very liberal or ones who should not be called churches had this as weekly fare. One could not leave worship without knowing how desperate his or her condition is without Jesus’ atoning sacrifice.

This all seems rather boring and passé to the modern mind. Minds condition by our culture to think that all we have to do is to muscle up against any difficulty and we can solve it. In the last election that was the recurring theme is how we can fix our country with enough effort. Certainly in the daily grind heroic efforts can result in progress. This is not only commendable but is indeed desirable. This however, will not work when it comes to our desperate condition in the sight of a holy God.

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ESV

This is another summation of the laws requirements in a short sentence. Do you on your own effort want to fix your relationship with God? Very simple and easy to remember phrase covers it. All you have to do is never sin from the moment of conception forward till your death. What? Not so easy is it? No indeed it is not only not easy but it is impossible. So many will look at the Sermon on the Mount, out of which this phrase is taken, as marching orders to get right or remain right with God. Indeed much wisdom on how to carry on is found there. But this phrase does us in as far as God is concerned. This was Jesus’ other reason for coming was to fulfill in human flesh the requirements of the law. This active obedience accomplished for us the entire filling in all our law keeping requirements. There is no need to look at progress or lack thereof to know that we have forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. Jesus did the whole job of being right witht the law for us!

Thanks be to God. Amen

Ear Candy? Or is it a Grave Concern?

2009-03-14T12:08:00.003-07:00

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Therefore, to avoid this vice we should note that no one is allowed publicly to judge and reprove his neighbor, although he may see him sin, unless he have a command to judge and to reprove. For there is a great difference between these two things, judging sin and knowing sin. You may indeed know it, but you are not to judge it. I can indeed see and hear that my neighbor sins, but I have no command to report it to others. Now, if I rush in, judging and passing sentence, I fall into a sin which is greater than his. But if you know it, do nothing else than turn your ears into a grave and cover it, until you are appointed to be judge and to punish by virtue of your office.
The Large Catechism of Martin Luther

In this section Dr Luther is speaking about the command against bearing false witness. This command is usually minimalized to excuse tale bearing. A person knows a sin of another and cannot wait to tell everyone who will lend an ear all about it. “How can X say he is a Christian and do something like that?”

For what purpose are those things brought to light? Is it to correct and erring brother? I fear due to our inner brat it is to show ourselves as superior to others. In this command we are given the gift of mutual peace and respect. When a person is bearing a tale and going on an on about it to others it causes one to think “what does this person say about me behind my back?” So that violation just keeps spreading and spreading so that the wars increase.

In his small catechism Luther says:

We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.

Here again we see our daily need for repentance and faith in the dead Jesus. For we in no way can fulfill that laws demands. It is great advice for mutual peace as stated above but it always accuses as well as informs. However, out of love for our loving Father we do strive to fight against tale bearing.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

You Have Got to Be Kidding!

2009-02-07T04:28:00.006-07:00

You have got to be kidding! That is the response a Christian friend had when the subject of loving God’s law came up. Yes I can understand that statement. When we read these demands the law makes of us we are necessarily concerned where we fall short. The third use of the law is for a guide for everyday living and in this way each of the commands, summarized in the 10 commandments, is a gifting to us by our Father. However, the accusation still remains.

Psalm 119:

97 Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,

for it is ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,

for your testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the aged,

for I keep your precepts.

101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,

in order to keep your word.

102 I do not turn aside from your rules,

for you have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through your precepts I get understanding;

therefore I hate every false way. ESV

Our custom over the past years is to start the day foraging through the word of God. Yesterday morning the above section was the reading. Verse 98 states that God’s commandment makes on wiser than the enemies. These enemies abound in the life of a Christian. If it is not the accusation of Satan to weigh us down and keep our eyes off the cross of Christ and onto our failures it is some bauble presented to us to make our life perfect. When we see what Jesus commands us “come to me and I will give you rest” we can say to Satan “What of it? I have also did this, that and the other.” Knowing that Jesus commands us “do not fret on the morrow” we can laugh at the advertisement and its empty promise.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. ESV

St. James is not giving us an empty promise of Wall Street but sage advice on carrying on in the empty and dying world. How wonderful to be gifted with the thoughts of God instead of blindly trying to find our own way and fulfillment! How reassuring the knowledge that Jesus bore our sin and we take, eat his body and drink his body and blood for forgiveness of sin rather than spend energy justifying ourselves! How glorious to be credited with Christ’s righteousness who kept it for us so when we falter we can rest in him rather than try to hide our failure!

Glory to you O Christ! †

Daily Dying and Rising.

2009-01-17T02:22:00.001-07:00

In a conversation the other day I was asked by a brother in Jesus if I remembered my baptism that morning. I assured him I had and pointed out it was the promise associated with baptism rather than the mere receiving of baptism which is remembered. I did not get the chance to ask what brought about that question but he has been given different Lutheran resources which to listen and we have several mutual friends with which we speak on these things.

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ESV

Each and every morning rising from sleep we find ourselves in various states of relationship to God. Some mornings we have an attitude of thankfulness for the gift of a new day. Other times the realization we have to once again go to a place of employment which is becoming more and more of a challenge to meet the competing quotas and expectations. Still other times it is various degrees of those attitudes.

In addition during sleep we have been sinning. In our dreams and subconscious thoughts we have been falling short of the glory of God. This is the sad fact of still having our flesh active in our life in Jesus. Some would say; “How can God expect us to control our subconscious thoughts and feelings?” Needless to say we are by nature his enemies and are in just dessert of his punishment now and in eternity. To debate that point is fruitless and will not change the decree that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

In the Romans 6 passage is a reminder that we received the forgiveness of sin in baptism. Also in there is a promise of death to the sinful nature which is an enemy of God. In addition is the promise of walking in Jesus’ resurrection. We no longer need wallow in our daily sins. The peace of having all our sins where Jesus was. Nailed to the cross and left in the grave. We are dead to them and they no longer hold sway and by no means need we continue to live in them.

Let us believe this good news and live in the peace that it offers.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen †

Saved! By Outstreached Arms.

2009-01-09T05:12:00.003-07:00

In way too many circles of Christianity is a concerted effort to either hide the cross of Jesus or to change its purpose. In the more liberal side which includes the so called emergent church we have it as an example of how we are to sacrifice for others. In the so called conservative side we are presented with ever increasing how to be holy advice which is made possible by the death of the Christ. While it is true we are to serve our neighbour in various ways. And as God’s children we do resist sin both these viewpoints miss entirely what our Lord was doing nailed to the cross.

I fear it is more intentional than by accident. The radical nature of the Gospel if preached to its full sweetness will get one labeled as anti law. On the contrary we , because of the Holy Spirit, love God’s law. However, due to the sin nature, we want also to take some credit or comfort from those acts of service and resisting of sin. This in itself keeps us from being able to love the Lord our God completely and our neighbour as ourselves is equally impossible.

Exodus 6:6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. ESV

As in the Exodus when God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt he is releasing those who trust in him from the burden of the law. “In the day you sin you die.” This dying is separation from our creator. It is the loss of communion and sweet relationship with Our Father in heaven. With his arms outstretched on the cross Jesus endured separation from God for us. This is something that had never happened before and we cannot fathom what that separation was like.
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ESV

Jesus suffered great acts of judgment by taking the sin of the world upon himself to the cross and by this has delivered us from slavery to sin and the burden of the law. These gifts of deliverance are delivered to us through preaching of the Gospel after execution of the law upon us. In addition this is delivered to us in a tangible way through the waters of baptism and the bread and wine of the Holy Supper of our Lord. However, like Israel of old we still tend to look for ways back into some type of slavery. Let us die evermore to this desire to credit ourselves with any part of our great communion with our Creator and let what Jesus finished be enough for you and me.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen †

Rejoicing God! Rejoicing Angels!

2008-12-27T09:58:00.002-07:00

It is interesting what brings rejoicing to God and his angels. When we sin, which is all the time, admit to it and confess it to God to receive forgiveness is a cause of great joy in heaven. This is one of the ways that he shows his mighty power because of the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus he forgives us all our sin and looks upon us as dear holy children.

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” ESV

This is a beautiful picture isn’t it. We are such treasure to Jesus that he came searching frantically for us. So much desiring to restore us in communion with him that he removed all the justly deserved penalty for our sin. And gives us the robe of his righteousness as additional gifting so we need not worry how our efforts at being holy fall short. In return we confess our sin of good deeds which is further rejoicing.

What a wonderful gift that we do not have to sit in wallow in our sin. We do not have to justify our actions by blaming others are our parents did in the garden of Eden. Rather we can go forth in joy to serve our neighbour in peace knowing that performing the tasks of our various callings is pleasing to our Father in heaven for the sake of Jesus our Lord. No more need to play one ups with other believers for we all have the righteousness of Jesus as our gift. Rather give all thanks and glory to God for the wonderful gifts he gives us.

Let us believe this good news and live in the peace that it offers.

In the name of Jesus. †

A Promise to the Devil Kept

2008-12-25T09:11:00.003-07:00

One knows that he or she can trust another who keeps promises. God is the ultimate promise keeper. After the fall of man into sin God promises, to of all persons the devil, the coming of Jesus.

Genesis 3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this,cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field;on your belly you shall go,and dust you shall eatall the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head,and you shall bruise his heel.” ESV

It is fascinating that God would warn the devil ahead of time what would happen. This gave the devil plenty of time to fight against it and try to stop it. This shows that God’s thoughts are indeed different than ours. The last thing you do is to inform your enemy of how you intend to defeat him. In the older testament we have the record of how our adversary tries to destroy the Christ. Starting with Cain killing his brother Abel. All throughout the law, the writings and the prophets we see how antichrists were raised up to try to stomp out the lineage which would bring forth the Christ. In each circumstance God was faithful in preserving a remnant faithful to him down to our Lord’s Nativity.

We are by nature in the kingdom of the devil. For by our nature we are constantly sinning. It is who we are.

Mark 3:22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. ESV

During the life of Jesus the devil had his antichrists to resist him. In this passage we see Jesus entering into the devil’s kingdom to plunder it. We are the goods he came to plunder and to save us from the one who wishes to see us perish eternally. We can be eternally thankful that God keeps his promises even when made to the devil.

In the name of Jesus. †

Ours Right Now!

2008-12-21T05:32:00.005-07:00

How long do we have to labour under a load of sin? How much effort does it take to shed our guilt before God? Massive!

1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

ESV

On the cross Jesus groaned under the weight of all our sin. Some sadly do not believe this way. It seems too good to be true. Surely there is some catch. We must have something to work on. Something left undone perhaps? No! God can only accept perfect obedience which is why we receive obedience to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ESV

For a sinner to claim what he or she does measures up to Jesus is the height of arrogance. One can hope it is a misunderstanding in his or her mind rather than a firm belief of the heart. It is truly a horrible act of unbelief to trust in one's own work as having some merit. Much better is to trust totally in the receiving through faith of the righteousness of Jesus. This declaration of God is as real as the earth we see around us. The very same God who spoke all this into existence is doing the same to us. Taking what is Jesus’ righteousness and gifting it to us. What a wonderfully radical truth indeed.

We can rejoice when Jesus comes to us in the bread and wine of his Supper as the delivery of the forgiveness of sin. And daily return to our baptism as clothing us with Christ. Trusting in the promises associated with these gifts in spite of what little sense it makes to us.

Let us live in the peace this offers.

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Good mourning to you! And me!

2008-12-13T04:22:00.002-07:00

Matthew 5:4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. ESV

Mourning. What do you mourn about? Have you lost a loved one? Lost a career due to the cycles of the economy? Has a friend or loved one turned on you? These are all things common to the human experience each and every day. But those things do not happen to each of us every day. Thankfully.

However, a Christian should be mourning each and everyday. Why is that? Because we sin in thought word and deed by what we do and leave undone. Each and every one of these sins nailed our Beautiful Saviour Jesus to the cross. Each of these falling short of God’s glory is proof we deserve nothing but God’s wrath both in our life and for eternity.

This mourning needs to take place so that the comfort can come. When we are deeply saddened by our sinful state and inability to free ourselves from these sins each and everyday we can return to the knowledge of our baptism. In this we receive the promise of the forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are truly washed clean by the sacrifice of Jesus and have this physical means where to look when we have nowhere to look in us for this comfort.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ESV

Each of us can see ourselves in that list. Certainly we have not acted out on each of those sins but have in our heart. And this is proof that we do not by nature inherit the kingdom of God. But look at the comfort we have in present tense that we were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of ht Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Totally and complete forgiveness of sin in the water that testifies on earth.

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. ESV

Let us believe this good news and live in the peace and comfort it offers.

In the name of Jesus. Amen †

Blessed Bankruptcy!

2008-12-08T12:45:00.003-07:00

From time to time one will hear from a professed believer in Jesus what a wonderful job he or she does in combating sin in his or her life. Granted we are given the ability to see some temptation before we fall to it. This is a wonderful gift in we receive by having the Holy Spirit indwelling us. This fruit is goodness, the desire to be good and rejoicing in goodness and truth. As long as the recounting of this is in rejoicing only one thinks it would be an encouragement to others. However, some of the hearers of this perhaps are struggling with nagging sin and cannot, no matter how hard they try, free themselves. This is the way sin of the heart is. The law against covetousness will kill every time. In addition the law against murder and adultery when it comes to the thought life are pervasive indeed.

Matthew 5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ESV

No matter how the Christian’s life seems to be going it is always necessary to know that we are all bankrupt when approaching God. Even the joy we have in the goodness he grants to us can become pride and arrogance. This perhaps is not the intended outcome to appear to be putting others down but that can be the result.

The radical nature of the Gospel is that we are such beggars we needed a Jesus who lived the life of goodness which was not self centered. A Jesus who bore all our sins on the cross to pay for the deserved eternal separation from our God that our goodness deserves. And a Jesus who resurrected for our justification so we know that God will not hold our good deeds against us. Rather that we rejoice quietly in those victories that God gives us then to parade them before others so not to cause that person to stumble in faith. Keeping our eyes upon our Holy Lord Jesus will always remind us we are all beggars.

Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. ESV

Thanks be to God. †