Author: Higher Things

Next week, Barack Obama will be inaugurated into his second term as President of the United States. Whether you voted for him or not, Pastor Borghardt reminds us that all election results are a gift from our Lord. This article is one of many in the Winter 2012 Topical Issue of Higher Things Magazine entitled “Church and State.” To read more articles from this issue, check out its webpage here.

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

I voted for Mitt Romney. I didn’t like all of his policies, but the more I listened to him, the more I thought that he was the right man for the job. I even donated to his presidential campaign—something that I had never done before.

I pored over every article I could find. I yelled at my TV during the debates like they were sporting events. I obsessed over the news shows. I started DVRing them. I know, really? Yeah, I was that guy.

As we got closer to Election Day, I couldn’t sleep. I wanted so much for Mitt Romney to win. I prayed for him. Prayed for our country. I prayed for everything but the Lord’s will to be done.

We elect our leaders in America. It’s one of the things that makes our country great. We decide. We choose. We select every part of our government—from the city councilman to the president of the whole United States of America.

And so, I voted early. I would have voted often, if that were possible. I didn’t because that would have been wrong. Then, election night was finally upon us and I was glued to the TV as the returns came in. And I was just stunned. My guy, my prayers, lost.

Our Lord gives us our leaders. He appoints them. He’s the One who puts them in their places as His servants. Sometimes He gives us what we want and what we would choose for ourselves. Other times, He evaluates us justly and places authorities over us to carry out His judgment.

The entire government, every leader—from the sheriff in our community to our congressman and our president—He gives to us as a gift. And because it’s a gift, that means that He’s going to work it all out for maximum Gospel-ness for us and those around us.

Our guy wins and it’s a gift. Our guy doesn’t and it’s a gift, too. How can it not be? The Father sent His Son to be crucified by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, for our sins and the sins of all creation.

This is not some concession speech by someone who is trying to comfort himself in defeat, nor am I writing these things begrudgingly like a young child forced to eat his Brussels sprouts.

No, this is the rock-certain confession that God is good to us in all things. Good in victory. Good in defeat. Good when our guy wins. Good when he loses. Christ took the defeat of the Cross and used it to save us. He must work this out for our good and the good of our country.

We are given to receive these things from our Father as a gift. Pray for our country, our leaders, and for President Obama. Be good citizens and pay your taxes. For no leader is our leader, no president is our president, no senator our senator apart from the Father’s putting them there. Our guy loses in His love and mercy. Our guy wins in that same goodness. That’s the good news! The Father who didn’t spare His own Son in doing good for us certainly will work out all things for our good. He is working all of this out for the good of His people. You’ll see. I will, too.

Rev. George F. Borghardt is the senior pastor at Zion Ev. Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois, and serves as the Deputy and Conference Executives of Higher Things.

Rev. Mark Buetow

Sure, we’re a week into 2013. By now, most people are probably already failing at keeping their New Year’s resolutions. The problem with such resolutions, is that they try to accomplish something with the Law. Sure, it may not be in the Ten Commandments that you should exercise more or give up sugary drinks, but the same idea applies. If you try to change your life by telling yourself you have to change your life, chances are you won’t last long on the improvement circuit. This is because the Old Adam, our sinful flesh, loves to ignore what it’s told to do. He loves to be contrary and do the opposite of what he is told to do. The same thing is even more true when it comes to God’s law. The Old Adam doesn’t deal well with that. Love God? Love neighbor? No way!

So for this new year, I’m going to give you a different plan. One that doesn’t involve you doing anything but does involve putting that Old Adam to death. That plan is your baptism. Remember what the Catechism says about it. “What does such baptizing with water indicate? it indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

But watch out! You’ll be tempted to think that this is some kind of instruction for you. You know, figure out a way to overcome your sin and live for Jesus or something like that. But that’s not it at all! These words are not a description of you doing something but of what Christ does for you in and through your baptism into Him. This is Jesus’ work in you!

How does it happen? Repentance is only something that the Holy Spirit can work in you. He does this by the Word. So, where the Word is, there the Holy Spirit is working repentance in you. From the absolution you are given every Divine Service, from the preaching of Christ crucified and risen for you, from the very body and blood of Jesus by which He forgives you and lives in you, the Spirit is at work putting that nasty Old Adam to death and raising up that New Man in you.

Try this. When you get up in the morning, make the sign of the holy cross and say, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” With those words of Jesus, the Old Adam gets his morning dunking, drowning him so that he will leave you alone. Of course he will come dragging himself back like the zombie he is to try to grab your throat and lead you into all kinds of mischief and sin. He might even get you to fall into sin. So, when you go to bed every night, make the sign of the holy cross and say, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That dunks that Old Adam once again. And, since you’ve got Jesus living in you through His Word and body and blood, whatever wrong you do each day is wiped out and forgiven. Whatever else you do is holy and precious in the Father’s sight since it is His Son Jesus living in you and doing it through you.

So, no worries this new year. The Old Adam will indeed be up to his same old tricks as always. And the answer to him is the same: Jesus crucified and risen for you, drowning the Old Adam and giving you new life, forgiving your sins every day and filling you with joy at the hope of the life to come. All that He does shall rescue you from the slavery of being bound by the Law, rescue you from trying to change or improve yourself or fix your own sin. No, Jesus has done that. His Spirit is working in you so that you will be free of that burden and live trusting only in Jesus to accomplish and do all these things. So there’s your plan for 2013: same as 2012. No longer you living but Christ living in you. And that means even when the new year is just the same old year again, you’re still new every day in Jesus.