Category: Catechesis

Rev. George Borghardt

You’ve heard the expression, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” haven’t you? That couldn’t be more true! The world has no problem talking about “God” at Christmastime, but wants to find God somewhere else other than on earth, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying and sleeping in a manger. For us, the big deal about Christmas is that Jesus has come into the flesh. We most definitely should keep Christ in Christmas!

But no one ever says not to take the “mass” out of Christmas, do they? What does the “mass” mean? Did your Lutheran alarm go off when you first read the word “mass”? Did you think, “That’s Roman Catholic”? That’s not a bad thing to think for we have many disagreements with the doctrines of the Roman Mass. But we Lutherans do celebrate mass every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.The Divine Service in our hymnal flows from Luther’s Deustche Messe, his German Mass. When the “mass” is celebrated by Lutherans, this means simply that the Lord Jesus gives us what He won on the cross by grace alone at His Supper.

So we are gathered together by our Lord Jesus on December 25 to celebrate the Mass of Christ. What’s the connection between Jesus being born in the manger and the Lord giving us His Body and Blood in the Sacrament? Answer: everything!

Christmas is the church feast where we remember that the Babe of Bethlehem is born not to stay in the manger, but to go to Jerusalem. Mary’s Boy is born to die, born to be sacrificed for your sins and mine on the cross. He reconciles God and sinners by giving His life for the sin of the world.

But we can’t go back to the manger that first Christmas Day no matter how hard we try. Nor can we go back to the cross when grown-up Jesus died on Good Friday. Nor will we find Jesus there! So what does Jesus do? Christmas is the day when the Babe of Bethlehem comes to us not in the manger but in His Body and Blood at the Sacrament.

Jesus came that first Christmas not in heavenly splendor, but wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger.He was born so down-to-earth, so one of us, so ordinary. He came to earth not with thunder and lightning, but humble, meek, and lowly. Jesus is God with us, God one of us, God for us.

Jesus comes to you at Christmas not in heavenly splendor. He comes to you in ordinary, down-to-earth bread and wine. He comes not with thunder and lighting, but with the forgiveness of sins put into your mouth.

Dr. Luther said it this way, “If now I seek the forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the cross, for I will not find it given there… But I will find in the sacrament or Gospel the word which distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness which was won on the Cross” (AE 40, 214). We don’t go to the manger to find God on Christmas; we go to the Sacrament where God delivers Himself to us, into our mouths, in, with, and under the bread and wine.

But don’t we have the Lord’s Supper often and not just on Christmas? Yes! The good Lutheran question is, “What does that mean?” It means that every celebration of the Lord’s Supper is a Christmas celebration! Our Lord Jesus loves us that much that He gives us His Body and Blood not just on Christmas, but every Divine Service.

Don’t let anyone take Christ out of Christmas. And don’t let anyone take the Lord’s Supper out of Christmas either! Jesus desires to come to you in His Supper. This Christmas, He breaks into your world, not wrapped in swaddling clothes, but bearing His salvation in His Body and Blood given and shed for you for the remission of all your sins. Take Eat, His Body. Take Drink, His Blood. A blessed and merry Christ’s Mass to you!

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2004 issue of Higher Things Magazine.

Rev. Mark Buetow

Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together.
– Isaiah 45:8

Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. – Psalm 85:11

Luther’s Small Catechism teaches us to say this about Jesus: “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord.” The words above from Isaiah and Psalm 85 remind us that this joining of the Divine Nature of the Son of God to human flesh was always how God was going to come to us and save us. From above comes righteousness, the Holy Son of the Father. From the substance of the earth, dust, the flesh of Mary, is the human nature of Jesus. The divine and human natures in Christ are together one person we know as Jesus. Jesus is a man. Jesus is also God. This is one of the things that sets the Christian religion apart from other faiths. Many may believe that Jesus is a man, a good teacher, a prophet or whatever. But Christians believe, on the basis of God’s Word, that Jesus is true God. And we worship Him as true God.

The Son of God became man in Mary’s womb when the angel Gabriel spoke God’s Word to her. He told her that the Child she would bear would be the “Son of the Most High.” That means that baby will be God. Mary is the Mother of God! But the angel also said the Child would have the throne of His Father, David. That means the baby will be a true human being with a human family tree. And tying it all together? His name. Jesus. Joshua. “Yahweh (the LORD) saves.” God becomes a man to save sinners.

And that’s really what this is all about. What’s the big deal that God comes down? That He becomes a man? That He is born as a baby? Well, first of all, it means we can stop trying to figure out God as if He’s just some invisible, mysterious Being out there about which we don’t know anything. No more guessing what God is like or what He is up to. Now we know! He is about the business of saving sinners who have turned aside and made a mess of things. Of their lives, of other people’s lives. People who have turned away from God. Abandoned their neighbors. Failed in their callings. Ruined what was good. For them, what has God got in store? A manger. Diapers. A childhood. A baptism. A forty day fast followed by awful temptation. A secret arrest in the dark of night. A sham trial. A weak-willed Roman governor. A whip with razor blades. A crown of thorns. A cross and nails. Death. A tomb. And then an empty tomb. All of that is why God became a man.

As we get closer to Christmas, the church hears these words which came from the mouths and pens of prophets and psalm writers. These words invite us to behold the mystery of the incarnation, the “God-in-the-flesh” mystery which we could never make up or figure out. Rather, this mystery is revealed to us. The skies pour down righteousness. The earth brings forth salvation. The Son of God takes up a dwelling in Mary’s Womb and Mary gives to God of her own flesh so that when this Child is born, you have God and Man right there. God-with-us, Immanuel. In Jesus, heaven and earth have come together. Where man and God were as far apart as we could be because of sin, Jesus brings God and man back together in Himself. And by His death and resurrection brings us back to God the Father.

And then, baptized into Him, we in our dying dust, are washed with His righteousness in a new birth from above. And we see the beautiful parallels of Christmas. God became a Child so that we could become children of God. God is born as a baby so that we would be born anew from above. God takes on human flesh so that we would be joined to God through faith and Christ living in us. Christ came to have earthly life so that we would have eternal life. It’s all tied together in the Babe of Bethlehem.

Rev. Mark Buetow

John the Baptist (or, as some call him, John the Forerunner) was the preacher who came before and in anticipation of Jesus the Christ. To his old father and barren mother, John’s conception and birth was the event which signaled the beginning of the final fulfillment of God’s promise to save sinners. Not long after, Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb. When he grew up, John preached and baptized, telling people the time was near. Then Jesus showed up to the Jordan River and John pointed to Him and declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

In that single sentence is contained the entire Christian faith. Here’s how: First, you have a preacher, preaching that Good News. The Christian church exists because the Lord sends preachers to proclaim His salvation. Your pastor’s job is to do exactly that: preach salvation in Jesus Christ. Your pastor’s job is to point you to Jesus. To be sure, John, prepared people by the preaching of the Law. He told people to repent and to love their neighbor in the various ways their callings life directed them. He preached the fiery judgment of God against those who rejected the Lord. But then, when Jesus showed up, John declared the Good News that this One was the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world. That’s your pastor’s job too. Preach the Law which shows your sin but also preach the Gospel which gives you Jesus.

So the Christian faith has preachers. And what do they preach? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John pointed to Jesus. This is the center of the Christian faith, this man, who is really true God and true man. John is pointing to Jesus as the fulfillment of all the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. John points to Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth and has now appeared at the Jordan river. This man in particular, and no one else, is the One who is the Lamb of God.

And this short and to-the-point sermon tells us not just Who but What and How. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise because He comes to take away the sin of the world. Just as the Passover Lamb was slaughtered, so Jesus will be sacrificed and killed on the cross on Calvary. His death will pay the price of all sin. Not only that, Jesus defeats the curse of death, because He rose the third day on Easter. Jesus’ death for sinners and His resurrection from the dead are the center and substance of the Christian faith. The Lamb of God came for this one purpose: not to make the world a better place; not to improve our lives; not to make us better people. He came to take away the sin of the world. He came to save sinners.

John did not live to see Jesus’ death and resurrection. But, after Easter, Jesus sent His apostles and today still calls and ordains preachers to do what John did: proclaim to people that the Lamb of God has taken away their sin. Thus the Christian faith and church continue by the Lord’s grace and work. Preachers preach Jesus, the Jesus who is the sacrifice for the sins of the world. In the season of Advent, when the church is preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birth and watching for His final return in glory, preachers preach the Lamb of God. And like John the Baptist, such preaching gives us the truest comfort of all: peace with God because of Jesus. So, behold! Jesus! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The Lamb who has taken away your sin.

Rev. George Borghardt

The Lord is קֹדֶשׁ (qadosh). He is “holy.” He alone is qadosh. He alone is holy.

The Lord’s “holy ones” are His “saints.” They are qadosh because He is qadosh. They are not holy in and of themselves. They certainly aren’t made of better stuff than other people. They’re holy because He sets them apart. He separates them for Himself in the death of His Son. He makes them His own in the waters of Holy Baptism. He marks each one and says, “This one is mine.”

The saints receive His holiness by faith in Christ and Christ alone. Christ lived the life they should live—qadosh before God. Then, Christ suffered the death they deserve on the Cross.

His saints are washed, they are sanctified, consecrated, marked, and holied in the waters of Baptism. They are enlivened by the Lord’s Words. They are fed His Body and Blood in the Supper.

You don’t become a saint when you die. No, you are a saint right now. You are His qadosh one. You are forgiven. You are holy. You are His own. Your saint-ness, your qadosh-ness, has splashed on you by Jesus’ cross. Your holiness is received by faith alone.

All Saints’ Day is the day in the Church year when we remember the saints who have already fallen asleep in Christ. They aren’t really dead. They haven’t become angels. Nor do they only exist in the past tense, or cease to exist entirely.

No, they sleep. Their hearts may have stopped, and they may be physically dead, but they aren’t really dead in Christ. They died with Christ in Holy Baptism when they. He now lives and they live in Him. He is the resurrection. He is the life. On the Last Day, He will raise them from the their naps to be with Him forever.

That’s why the saints don’t need our prayers anymore! They are Jesus-died-and-rose-for-me-fine. For them, there is no more pain. There is no more sickness. There is no more persecution or hurt. There is no more sin, temptation, or devil to torment them. There is only rest—finally—from the work of serving others.

When, at last, the trumpet sounds, and the Lord returns, they will be raised to stand before Him robed in the qadosh-Calvary-earned white robe that they received in Holy Baptism. The Lord will raise them up and they will live forever in Him.

We’ll see them again soon, on the Last Day. As surely as the Jesus who made them qadosh has made us qadosh, we will see them again. We’ll know them, recognize them, as well as we are known by our Lord Jesus. We will live with them and reign with them in Jesus to all eternity.

But you don’t even have to wait for the Last Day to be near them. At the Lord’s Supper, His Supper, the Holy Communion, you will eat with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. Right there, that’s the saints! Those are the Lord’s holy ones. You sing, pray, and commune with them every week practicing or foretasting the marriage feast in His Kingdom which shall have no end.

A blessed All Saints’ Day to you, as you remember and thank God for His sleeping holy ones. They touched our lives, changed us, made us who we are.

The Lord is קֹדֶשׁ (qadosh). He is holy. He, alone, is qadosh. He alone is holy. His saints are qadosh. He has made them His holy ones. They are forgiven. They live forever in Him.

Rev. George Borghardt is Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in McHenry, IL and president of Higher Things.

Rev. Mark Buetow

When Lutherans say “Solus Christus (Christ alone)” or sometimes “Solo Christo (by Christ alone)” we mean exactly that. Jesus and nothing else. Nothing else added to our salvation. Nothing else added to our standing before God. Nothing else in our good works and daily lives. Just Christ. Only Christ. Christ alone.

To confess “Christ alone” is to say that it is Jesus only who saves us. We don’t mean, of course, that the Father didn’t send the Son or that the Spirit doesn’t “call, gather, enlighten, sanctify us” by His gifts in the church. When we say “Christ alone” we just mean all Jesus and none of US.

This is true of our salvation. We are born dead in our trespasses and sins. Christ alone can speak life into us, like He did to Lazarus. We could never be good enough to make up for our sins. Christ alone lives perfectly and keeps every commandment and law for us. We could never answer for our sins other than to be damned forever. But Christ all by Himself answered for our sins and the sins of the whole world by being saddled with the sin of the world, forsaken by the Father and damned alone on Calvary. So much so that He could cry out, “It is finished!” Jesus Christ alone did it. All by Himself. There’s nothing left to be done. Your sins are wiped out. And while many people were raised from the dead in the Bible, it was Christ alone who came to life without any help. He rose and left death behind. Only Jesus can do that!

Christ doing all this alone, without any help, because He is God and man, matters for our salvation. You see, when it comes to being square with God, we like to think that if we contribute even just a little bit, we’ll be OK. If we just have enough faith. Or try to balance our bad with some good. Or change our lives. Or give up our sins. Or do something, anything, however small and religiousy. If we just add SOMETHING, then that will count. “Christ alone” rescues us from that false and despair-inducing belief. It means we rest confidently in the fact that Jesus has done all the saving that we need done and ours is just to enjoy being the savee, as it were.

Now, the real kicker is when preachers tell you, “Of course it’s all Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. But now that you are saved, Jesus expects this or that sort of behavior to show that you love Him and are still saved.” In other words, you get SAVED by Christ alone but you LIVE by Jesus’ grace and some good intentions and effort! The Lutheran cry of “Christ alone!” answers that sort of thinking too! In his epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul writes, “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3). He makes it clear that we don’t start with Jesus and keep going under our own steam!

When it comes to “Christian living” and “doing good works” and “living the sanctified life” and “bearing the fruits of faith,” Lutherans also cry out “Christ alone.” After all, the Word of God likewise ascribes all of our good works and sanctified (holy) living to Christ living in us. This is hammered home in such passages as “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

And that, really, is what “Christ alone” means. It means we boast in the Lord and not ourselves. That wicked Old Adam wants nothing else than to take credit for even the smallest improvements we seem to make. It’s not enough he hates God and wants to do his own thing. Our Old Adam knows how to play the game, get some religion and make it all about himself. So we cry out, “Christ alone!” We won’t go looking to catalog and measure our good works. We’ll let the Lord worry about living in us and through us, in bringing forth fruits of the Spirit in our lives and in working through us those good works which by which Christ loves and serves our neighbor through us.

It’s important to point out one other aspect of our confession of “Christ alone.” And that is that “Christ alone” does not mean “so now we don’t need to go to church or hear the Word or have the Lord’s Supper.” It is those very ways, by the water of the font, the Word heard in the Bible and preaching, and by the Sacrament of Jesus’ body and blood, that Christ alone comes to us. These gifts teach us what “Christ alone” means because each of these gifts is from and about and of Jesus Himself. That means with the Word and water and body and blood, Jesus rescues us from emotions or our good works scorecard or comparing ourselves to others or anything else that would cause us to trust in anything other than Him. And lest you object, “But going to church, that’s DOING something,” recall your Catechism which teaches us that receiving those gifts is really nothing other than the Spirit “calling, gathering, enlightening and sanctifying” us by giving us Christ alone.

The Lutheran confession of “Solus Christus, Christ alone!” is a cry that says in the matter of our salvation, it is Christ alone who accomplishes it. In the matter of our sanctification and Christian life, it’s Christ alone there who also accomplishes and does it. It is all Jesus and none of us. And that is to be a CHRIST-ian, that is, those who boast not in themselves but in Jesus and all that He is and has done and still does for us. Solus Christus! Christ alone!

Rev. Donavon Riley

Grace is God’s promised, free acceptance of sinners because of Christ. That is, as St. Paul writes in Rom. 5[:15]: “How much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace.” By the grace of God, St. Paul means, the reconciliation of sinners with God. By in grace he means, the gift of the Holy Spirit and beginning of eternal life. So, when we speak about grace alone [sola gratia] we mean, “We receive the forgiveness of sins by grace,” that is, “We receive forgiveness of sins freely, because of Christ.“

Grace is free. We contribute nothing to God’s mercy except our sin. Therefore, God’s promises do not depend on how well we manage grace in our daily lives. As St. Paul says in Rom. 9[:15]: Moses pleaded with God to learn how he had managed to receive God’s favor. He wanted to know so that he could find it again when he needed it: “Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people” (Exodus 33:13).

But God hid has face from Moses in the cleft of the rock and preached his name to Moses instead. I AM the LORD, he says, which means “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” God’s gracious acceptance of Moses is not an effect of Moses’ trust, it is who God is. It is his name. This is the precious cornerstone and sure foundation which the builders rejected (Ps. 118:22), by whom we’ve received his grace freely through the promise of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, the chief cornerstone and our sure foundation.

For Christ’s sake God judges that, although we have and remain in sin all our lives, we are not accused and damned because of them. We are under grace, accepted and pleasing to God because of Christ. We are not pleasing to God because of anything in us, our disobedience to his commands, our greatest accomplishments, or our worst failures.

If we fall back on how we feel, our experiences, or our accomplishments we will never know peace. Left to ourselves sin and death hound us day and night, and the power of sin which is the law rules us like a tyrant. In this experience we don’t feel like God is a faithful, loving, and kind heavenly Father. We experience him as a Judge. Then he seems too distant, too removed from our lives, a spectator who has put us on earth to test us, then judge us by how we have chosen to obey or disobey his holy law.

When we are overwhelmed in this way then sins seem to pile on sins until we cannot even measure them. Death is no longer something we watch happen round us, it is in us. We feel we have become death itself. And where is God in all this? He is not watching this happen to us, he is the one doing it to us. For there “is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have practiced deceit.””The poison of asps is under their lips.” “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.””Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:9-20).

But where sin abounded grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20). This means that the more we feel our sins the more we understand and receive forgiveness of our sins as gift, because we see in ourselves nothing which causes us to say, “I deserve forgiveness.” “I’ve earned it, so give me what’s owed to me.”

God does not command us to hope in what we have accomplished by obedience to the Ten Commandments or any laws. Instead, “He has given us hope in grace” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). On this account we know God, or rather, we are known by God, and can approach his throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).

We are not worthy to approach God, sinners that we are, but now Christ Jesus promises us that even though we are unworthy all who call upon God are freely forgiven for his sake. For with the Lord there is mercy (Psalm 130:7). Grace has nothing to do with our worthiness and everything to do with Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Because of Christ we have nothing to fear from God. We can approach him as beloved children approach their dear Father, to accept the gift offered to us by faith.

This is very important for all Christians, that we hold tight to the little word, freely. God’s grace is a gift. He forgives sinners while they are yet sinners for Christ’s sake, “that no one may boast.” God’s grace is free. No strings attached. Without this certainty the Gospel cannot be received and enjoyed as Good News. Without faith that trusts that grace is God’s promised, free acceptance of sinners because of Christ certainty always dangles just out of reach. But with this faith comes a sure and certain hope that all God’s promises are “yes” in Christ. Now we can approach God confidently (Romans 8:34), because of our Christ, “who sits at the right hand of God that he may make intercession for us.”

No one is able to approach God apart from Christ Jesus. He is our Mercy Seat by his blood, our Mediator, our High Priest who brings our prayers to the Father. But how will we call on him whom we do not trust? (Romans 10:14) How will we worship God in Spirit and truth without a confident hope that trusts all God’s promises in Christ are true?

Only God’s free grace reconciles sinners to Him by the forgiveness won for us by Christ. Grace alone restores us to a right relation with God in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Grace alone stills a troubled, terrified conscience. Grace alone freely bestows forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation. Grace alone gives the Holy Spirit and saving faith. By grace alone we are pleasing to God on account of Christ.

Rev. Donavon Riley is Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Weber, MN.

Throughout the month of October, we will be taking a look at the solas of the Reformation on the HT website: faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone and Christ alone.

Jonathan Kohlmeier

“For we hold that man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” – Romans 3:28

We are justified before God by faith alone. Not by works or because we’re worthy of it. Not because we buy a piece of paper to get us out of time spent working ourselves into being worthy. In Christ, we are freely justified by faith.

Now, “by faith” doesn’t mean that we’re justified if we just believe hard enough. We aren’t justified because our faith has really grown and we are now have a mature faith. Your faith isn’t any different than mine and mine isn’t any different than yours, at least if we’re talking about the one true faith.

Why not? Because your faith isn’t your own at all! It’s Christ’s faith, given freely to you. Christ’s faith clings to the waters of your baptism. You are renewed in the one true faith as you hear the word and receive Christ’s body and blood under the bread and the wine.

Faith receives those gifts given in word and sacrament. That faith that has been given catches all those benefits given for you – the forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and eternal life.

Faith says “Amen!” “Yes, it is so!” “Gift received!” Pastor begins the service with, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You say “amen.” Faith has received the name of God that was placed on you in baptism. A little later pastor says, “I forgive you all your sins…” Faith says “amen!” that forgiveness is received. “The body of Christ given for you.” “The blood of Christ shed for you” “Amen! Amen! These are given for me and received by me.”

Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone

And rests in Him unceasing;
And by its fruits true faith is known,
With love and hope increasing.
For faith alone can justify;
Works server our neighbor and supply

the proof that faith is living.

Paul says in his letter to the Romans that we are justified by faith apart from works of the Law. That’s sola fide — faith alone. We aren’t justified by faith and works or only works. We are justified by faith alone. We are not justified by faith plus something else, but only by Christ’s faith given to us.

So, where do works come in? James says that faith without works is dead. Even stanza nine of Salvation unto Us has Come talks about works. They serve our neighbor and supply the proof that faith is living. The answer is that faith means “in Jesus,” so all of our works are good works in Christ. In Christ, all of our works show that our faith is alive and well.

We confess in the Athanasian Creed that when Christ comes again all people will rise with their bodies and give an account according to their deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal live and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire. You have nothing to worry about when you confess that. You are in Christ. Christ’s faith has been given to you in your baptism. Your works are good works because they are Christ’s works. Good works accompany Christ’s faith and that faith has been given to you.

Faith alone means that we just receive things that are given. God gives forgiveness of sins, he gives us rescue from death and the devil, he gives us eternal life, His Name, and the body and blood of Christ under the bread and wine. God gives, we receive. We don’t ask, take, decide, choose, live, do or accomplish anything. God gives and we receive in faith. By his death on the cross Christ paid for our sins. God counts this faith for us as righteousness in His sight. Faith alone means it’s Christ’s gifts alone. That means the promise is on the Lord’s end and it cannot be broken.

Rev. Mark Buetow

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)

In Pakistan over this past weekend, suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a big Christian church in Peshawar, Pakistan killing 80 people. Also over the weekend, Muslim terrorists attacked an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. One report says the terrorists told Muslims they could leave safely while the rest would be killed. In Egypt, Christians are targeted for harassment and even murder. What are we to make of such horror stories from the comforts of our living rooms and safe churches where we worship each week without much thought or worry about being blown to bits when we walk outside afterwards?

Jesus says to His disciples, “yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.” (John 16:2-4) The fact is, Jesus warns His disciples that their lot in life will be suffering and persecution and even death for His sake.

Let’s be clear. Not every attack against Christians is motivated by religion. Many in other countries attack Christians because they associate them with “the West,” particularly the United States. And so-called Christians have many times engaged in bitter fighting and attacks on other religions which is clearly not what Jesus commanded. The church exists to be where the Gospel is preached, not a political or earthly kingdom. The church is where the forgiveness of sins for Jesus’ sake is proclaimed, not a resistance movement against evil governments in the world.

But most of the attacks made against Christians are, in fact, because the victims are Christians. So let’s be clear on something else. The Christian church is not hated and persecuted despite the Gospel but rather because of it. That is, the enemies of Christ attack His people not because they don’t know what the Gospel is but because they do! They don’t attack and persecute because they are ignorant of what the church teaches but because it teaches that we have no favor with God apart from Jesus, because we confess that there is no salvation outside of Christ, and because that salvation is not dependent upon our own good works or zeal for God.

The Christian confession is that all people are born enemies of God, hating Him and loving themselves more than others, and that only through the blood of Christ are we rescued from that sin and made children of God. The religious notions of the Old Adam contradict that, supposing we can be good enough if we try. The world’s religions say we have it within ourselves to live good lives and to love and serve God. What the Word of God teaches is quite different. We have no capacity to fear, love, or trust in God. We must be converted by the preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the Name of Jesus. By this preaching the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies us and keeps us in the true faith. It is a horrible thing that the Old Adam will never admit, that we cannot save ourselves but that we must be saved. It is such a terrible idea to the Old Adam that he will attack it wherever he can. And where religions are built upon the idea that people can love God and save themselves, they will inevitably persecute and attack Christians because they believe otherwise.

The simple fact is that if you are a Christian in a nice, comfortable place where you generally don’t have to worry about going to or coming from church, you are in the minority in the world. Still, even in the “civilized West,” we face the constant persecution of those who think the Christian faith is a joke. But whether it is the vicious ridicule of words or the hail of bullets, Christians are hated in this world and that is nothing more or less than Jesus said it would be.

The hope of our brothers and sisters who suffer such things and our own hope is nothing other than Jesus’ victory over all these things. Since He died for the world on Calvary and rose again on Easter, there is simply nothing in this world that can forever harm His people. They can be mocked, attacked, tortured, even killed. Yet they already have victory over those enemies by their baptism into Christ. The fact is they have already died in the waters of holy baptism and therefore even those enemies who take their lives can do nothing more than hasten a Christian’s departure to be with the Lord.

Jesus knew the wrath of His enemies. St. Paul, who himself had been the foremost persecutor and murderer of Christians, knew the suffering that came with bearing the name of Christ. Countless martyrs have also fallen asleep in suffering for having that name of Jesus upon them. And countless disciples of Jesus around the world even today have their lives cut short by the hatred of the enemies of Christ. And yet the Christian church endures. After all these years of persecution and hatred, nations have risen and fallen, religions have come and gone, and yet Christ’s church remains. The Holy Spirit still calls sinners to repentance and faith; He still turns even the hearts of Christ’s enemies to believe and trust in Jesus. And He still promises through Jesus’ own Word that their suffering is nothing in comparison to the glory that is to come. It is that same Spirit that through Christ’s Word and gifts, strengthens His people to endure all things and look with joy and hope to the blessed eternal rest when all our enemies are defeated and there is only everlasting peace.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, that they may be kept firm in the faith, even unto death, knowing that they will receive from Jesus the crown of life.

Lord Jesus Christ, before whom all in heaven and earth shall bow, grant courage that Your children may confess Your saving name in the face of any opposition from a world hostile to the Gospel. Help them to remember Your faithful people who sacrificed much and even faced death rather than dishonor You when called upon to deny the faith. By Your Spirit, strengthen them to be faithful and to confess You boldly, knowing that You will confess Your own before the Father in heaven, with whom You and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.

by Rev. William M. Cwirla

Civil society is ordered. Order is what makes civilization civil. The opposite is anarchy. Without government and the “sword,” there would be lawlessness, chaos, and anarchy. Imagine what it would be like if all the police officers in a city were to announce on Sunday evening that they were not coming to work on Monday morning. Or, simply notice what happens when the traffic lights fail at an intersection. Chaos ensues.

Order is God’s gift and blessing. The Word is a creatively ordering Word that sets things in place, including our civil life together. Civil life begins with our parents, who are also our first rulers, but it doesn’t end there. When we step out of our homes onto the streets of our communities, there are still rulers over us and rules to curb us and keep us in line. God knows we are sinners even as Christians and, left to our own devices, we would destroy ourselves and each other. So God places us into a civil order.

Scripture calls the governing authority “God’s minister” or “servant” (Romans 13:1-4). All governing authority is God’s authority, regardless of the form that government takes. It matters not whether the governing authority is a king or an elected president. Jesus reminded the Roman governor Pontius Pilate that he would have no authority had it not been given him from above (John 19:11). Pilate’s authority to sentence Jesus to death was an authority that came from God!

Civil authority is the authority of the “sword” to use the rule of law to reward the good and punish the wicked. This, of course, presumes that those who govern know the difference between goodness and wickedness, right and wrong. That’s why Luther says that those who know the Ten Commandments well are in a good position to govern. If you’re going to wield a sword, you need to know how to swing it accurately and correctly.

Does this mean that the ruler should be a Christian? Not necessarily. The gift of civil authority belongs to God’s gifts of creation and applies to everyone in the same way. The laws of society are not based on the Bible but on work of the law hardwired into our hearts and the conscience that monitors our thoughts, words, and actions (Romans 2:13-14). Our civil laws are based on reason, conscience, and our innate sense of what is right and wrong. We don’t need the Bible to tell us to stop at a red light and to drive in the correct lane. Common sense alone will tell us that.

What do rulers owe their people? Temporal justice. Punish those who do wrong; reward those who do good. Maintain temporal peace and order. Defend life, liberty, and property. Protect those who are defenseless and most vulnerable, including the poor, the frail, children, and the unborn. Keep us from infringing on one another’s liberties and from hurting each other, much like a referee in a football or basketball game. The old Adam, our sinful nature, is a natural-born anarchist who wants his own way at the expense of others. God’s gift of government is to curb and leash him so he doesn’t get out of control.

And what do we owe our rulers? Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21). The apostle Paul listed taxes, revenue, respect, and honor. These are the things that are due “Caesar.” While we may not think of taxes and revenue as “holy work,” governing costs money and those who govern deserve to be paid for their labors in the same way as pastors earn their living from the Gospel. Even Jesus paid the temple tax with a coin taken from a fish’s mouth. But the kingdom of heaven belongs to Christ who seeks faith and not coins.

We owe our rulers respect and honor. They are “God’s ministers.” To dishonor the ruler is to dishonor God Himself. “Respect is earned,” some say, but that’s not correct. We owe respect and honor to our rulers, not because they’ve earned it but because of their office. Even if they act disreputably or we don’t like them or didn’t vote for them, that doesn’t mean we are free to dishonor or disrespect them. They are still “God’s ministers.”

We owe the government our obedience. “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Does this mean we blindly obey the government? No! When the government tells us to do something that is clearly against God’s Word or our conscience, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). When we disobey the governing authority, we must also be prepared to accept the temporal consequences for our disobedience. The apostles were beaten and jailed because they disobeyed orders not to preach the name of Jesus.

Just be sure it’s God you are obeying, rather than man and not your sinful old Adam, if you choose to disobey the government. And since nothing we do is ever without sin, even our conscientious objections are always made with repentance.

Finally, we owe our rulers and leaders our prayers. “I exhort, therefore, that, first of all supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

When I served on jury duty, the judge asked me if I, as a Christian minister, could serve in good conscience on a jury. I told him that we considered the court system of our country a gift and instrument of God, and that our congregation prayed weekly for judges and other officials. He replied, “Thank you. We need it.” And they do need our prayers, much more than they need our snarkiness and criticism. It’s our priestly duty and privilege to pray for all in authority. If we don’t pray for our leaders, who will?

Gracious Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of civil order. Bless all who make, administer, enforce, and judge our laws that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness until we rise to attain our citizenship in your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and serves as on the board of directors for Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

Rev. Evan Goeglein

Joey felt terrible. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he did it anyway. He couldn’t sleep and he didn’t feel like eating. Joey knew his high school guidance counselor was a Christian, so he thought he would talk to her. He confessed his sin, hoping to find some relief from the torment in his conscience. His guidance counselor was taken aback that Joey was bothered by this, as it was something most kids his age do and never feel bad about it. The counselor concluded Joey must suffer from low self-esteem or perhaps some kind of inferiority complex. Therefore, in an effort to assure him of God’s love she said, “Joey, you are a great kid. God loves you for you and no matter what you do, nothing can change that fact.” Joey liked hearing this, but it didn’t change the fact that he knew he had done something wrong.

Stories like Joey’s are all too common. Maybe it’s like your story. You hear your conscience tell you not to do something, but you do it anyway. A terrified conscience is unmistakable. It comes with a vengeance when we realize our standing before God after we’ve done something we know to be wrong. The reason this bothers us so much is because we realize what we deserve before God and what our sins mean for us. This bothers us tremendously and there is only one solution.

Many Christian books, preachers and well-meaning counselors attempt to answer the problem by overcoming your sense of guilt with the magnitude of God’s love. They emphasize that you are very precious to God and that He loves you unconditionally. Certainly, God does love you unconditionally and there is no doubt that you are precious to Him. But just knowing that God loves you isn’t the solution to your sin. It’s why God loves you and why you are precious to Him that is the answer to your sin: God loves you because you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus in His death and resurrection.

It is important to understand this distinction. It was not because you are precious to Him that Jesus died for you—it is that Jesus died for you, therefore you are precious to Him. In and of yourself you are not worth dying for, but Jesus died for you to forgive your sins and to declare you righteous. Having been made righteous by His blood, you are indeed His beloved child. You are worth dying for.

Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV). It is not because we could make ourselves worth saving that Jesus died. It is because God is love that He died for us sinners.

Let’s look at it another way. Imagine a husband learns his wife has been kidnapped, so in order to secure her freedom, he offers himself in her place. That in itself is a loving act, but that would be what the husband should do—it would be expected of him. He does it because his wife is dear to him and she’s his wife. But imagine if the one who kidnapped his wife had been arrested and thrown in prison and then the husband were to give his life in place of the kidnapper. This is the kind of sacrifice God made for us. We are born enemies of God and yet, God’s love is such that He became flesh to die the death we deserved.

Martin Luther understood all too well what wrestling with a terrified conscience was like. As a monk he would go to his confessor so many times, he was admonished for it. Luther rediscovered the sweetness of the Gospel in Romans, that God’s grace through faith in Christ alone is what saves. In his commentary on Galatians, specifically chapter 2, is a section regarding Paul’s writing on salvation by faith and not works, Luther states emphatically, “For a true and steadfast faith must lay hold upon nothing but Christ alone, and in the terrors of conscience it hath nothing else to lean upon but this diamond Christ Jesus.”

This offers great comfort to a terrified conscience. It’s not about puffing up your ego so you don’t feel bad, it’s about there being a real answer when we know we have sinned against a holy God. It’s the answer God provides for us—a substitute for the punishment for sin in the person of Jesus. He didn’t wait to see if you would be precious to Him. Instead, He died for you, declared you righteous, so that now you are precious to Him. This diamond, Christ Jesus, is what gives you comfort because in Him you know your sin is truly, completely, and forever forgiven by God.

Rev. Evan Goeglein is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Rogue River, Oregon. He co-hosts the weekly internet radio show Table Talk Radio and can be reached at pastor@faithrogueriver.org.