We know that heaven isn’t earned, right? We know that our works count for nothing as far as our salvation is concerned, don’t we? So we say. Nevertheless, our way of thinking and our very lives themselves often reveal otherwise. This morning we take an honest look at our works and where they really rank in our lives.
“Works Won’t Work” (Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 sermon), was preached at Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS) on Sunday, March 8, 2020.
The key to deeper friendships isn’t getting better at loving our friends, but rather loving the One who gave them to us. To know and be loved by him – and to love him best in return – enables us to love others rightly. When this happens, deep, rich, meaningful friendships with others will follow.
1 Samuel 20:12-17 was the text for this sermon, preached at Shepherd of the Hills / The Way LC (WELS) on Sunday, May 19, 2019.
There is nothing greater than forgiveness.
In and through Jesus Christ, forgiveness is free, it is full, and it is forever. One cannot tire of the practice of reflecting on forgiveness and rejoicing in it every morning and every night. To know and be mindful of forgiveness is to find contentment, freedom, peace, and security in this life that otherwise escape us when we look for them anywhere else.
The question is, do you view this precious and powerful gift of forgiveness in Jesus more like a shield or a security blanket? When we come across a difficult call to action in the Bible that challenges us in our faith (like this or this!), do we quickly crawl under our security blanket of forgiveness, diminishing Jesus’ guidance for our lives because we haven’t/couldn’t/won’t ever be able to do the hard things to which Jesus calls us? Or, is forgiveness a shield that allows us to forge ahead boldly, straining and striving, testing and trying our faith through those challenging calls to action, confident that forgiveness will shield me from my own failures?
Forgiveness is something special. It is something that ought to lead us to exercise our faith instead of excuse it. Why? Because forgiveness frees us from the fear of failure.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Forgiveness doesn’t lead to questioning, but to confidence. I don’t have to ever question my status before God when I fail in trying to carry out the tough stuff, because I am confident of my status before God no matter what. That is the difference forgiveness makes.
To know forgiveness is to begin to grasp what Jesus had in mind when he said “I have come that they may have life…”; to live in that forgiveness is to experience what Jesus meant by adding “… and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Want to have life in Jesus to the full? Then see forgiveness less as a security blanket under which to hide and more as a shield behind which to forge ahead in faith.
Does faith really “move mountains” or is it “blind”? To describe faith as mountain-moving obviously implies it is able to do things on a magnificently grand scale! To describe faith as blind, on the other hand, well that doesn’t quite paint it in as favorable a light. It implies that it isn’t really founded on anything – some people run with it, and some don’t, but there isn’t really much on which to base it.
Except that there is.
A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the
Galatians 2:16 (NIV)law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
Did you catch it? I hope so, because the phrase was repeated three times in just one verse: “faith in Jesus/Christ.” Christian faith isn’t blind at all! It is “in Jesus.” That means it is based on something – someOne – real! This a real person, whose real words and real actions can really be studied and scrutinized. Now you may reject his real words and his real actions, but you can’t claim that a faith in Jesus is “blind,” because that conclusion itself is blind at best, and deliberately deceptive at worst.
As for me, I believe his words and actions wholeheartedly, and am blessed to have the fullest life right here and now – and into eternity – because of them. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some mountains to go move.