Getting The L Out of Here.13

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!

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.

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

“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.

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?

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.

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 †