Saved By Faith Alone In Christ Alone

Rom 1:16-17; Rom 3:21-26; Eph 2:8-9; Reformation Sunday 2022; we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone and not by anything that we could possibly do.

Don't Brag Proverbs 27

Love Never Fails

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

                            (1 Cor 13:4-8a NIV)

One of the most often requested scripture readings for wedding is from 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen. It is is very good advice for two people who are about to commit their whole earthly lives to one another. Love does not fail; however, due to our sinful natures we often fail to love. Marriages fall apart because we love ourselves or someone or something else more than the one we have committed to spend the rest of our lives with. Relationships whether it is in a marriage or with other family members or friends will fail because of a lack of love.

God has given us many gifts. Faith, hope, and love being among them. The greatest of these, says St. Paul, is love. (1 Cor 13:13) God has given us love in His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no greater love than a love that is willing to give their very lives for others, even as Jesus gave his life for us. We respond to His love by sharing that love with others.

The love from God does not fail. It can move mountains and crush molehills. His love inspires us to be patient and kind; not disrespecting others, nor being self-seeking, nor angered. Rather, that love inspires us to love God above all things and to love others even as he loves us.

As a friend of mine often says: "Share the love!"

God's Peace - Pr. J.

By Grace Through Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8-9 KJV)

I don't seem to be able to say it enough!  We are not saved because we consider ourselves good or that we've done so much good in the world because we aren't so good.  None of is declared righteous by our own merit. None of us are that good. We are saved only by the grace of God through faith in the one who lived and died and lives again for us. If we could be saved by our own righteous then Christ has died in vain!

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal 2:16, 20-21)

We ought to love one another. We ought to help and support others! In fact, we are commanded to do it. But, do not think that these good works will save you. Your salvation is purely a gift from God. It is not of your own doing.

Lord, God, open the ears, hearts and minds of all people that they might comprehend and receive your grace and your love through faith  in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Help My Unbelief!

And... that is a gift from God
Eph 2:8-9

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 

                                                                                  (Mark 9:20-24 KJV)

A father cries out:  "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  This father has begged Jesus to heal his son even as he asks Jesus to heal him of his lack of faith. He knows that he cannot come to faith except by the grace of God. Faith is a gift from God. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

We cannot come to faith; we cannot be saved by anything that we do. Our faith is not our own work. It is a gift from God. Our salvation is not by our own works. If we could save ourselves then Christ's death would have been in vain. Salvation is a gift from God. 

As Lutherans we affirm that faith is a gift from God in the third article of the Apostle's Creed and what it means to us as can be found in the Small Catechism in the Book of Concord:

"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."

Let us pray even as the father who brought his son to Jesus to have the evil spirit removed:  "I believe; help my unbelief!"

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saved By Christ Alone

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16 KJV)

We do not choose God. God chooses us. God calls us. God sends us. Above all, God saves us. If we say we have chosen God it is tantamount to saying that we have done something to save ourselves. The truth is we cannot do a thing to save ourselves or anyone else. Salvation is purely a gift from God.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

As I was knocking on doors (cold canvassing) and inviting the people of Copper Harbor, MI to come and worship with us I encountered a man who was very excited that I was trying to save the people of the community.  No, I was not! I reminded him that only Jesus saves. I was not there to save anyone. I was there to tell people about the one who has saved us from our sins by dying for us.  

And, then there was the priest in the mostly Catholic town of Lake Linden, MI. When I introduced myself and out of courtesy let him know that I and another would be knocking on every door in Lake Linden, he didn't have a problem with it. He was not worried about it. He just asked me: What do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah's Witness. Answer:  Someone who knocks on doors and doesn't know what to say. We both laughed. Sadly, that is the truth in many cases. Lutherans are not that great when it comes to evangelizing. The truth be told we cannot even profess the Good News in Christ Jesus except God calls us, empowers us, and sends us. The Spirit is willing; but, the flesh is sometimes cowardly and weak. Jennifer and I did knock on every door. Not everyone answered; but, every house was called upon. 

Lutherans and people of all denominations; all who have been saved by Christ ought to follow in the footsteps of Peter and Paul and all the disciples of Jesus' time as well as all who came after them in declaring: "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:10-12)

We declare it because of His great love for all people. We declare it because he loves us so much that he was willing to die that we might be saved.

Remember always that we are not saved by anything we do or say. We are saved by "Christ Alone!" 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Purchased By The Blood Of Christ

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV)

You've heard it said that money can't buy you love. It can't buy your salvation, either. I don't care how many times we go mindlessly to church and put our offerings in. Both worshipping and assisting the church with its mission are good things. But, they will not buy our salvation. Nothing that we do or give can save us.

We have been saved by faith alone in Christ alone. We are saved by the sacrifice of the one who offered himself for us. Our salvation has been purchased with the blood of the lamb who is Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God for the precious gifts of life and salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph 2:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saved By Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

For years Martin Luther struggled with feelings of guilt. He could not accept that there was nothing that he could do to receive God's love and God's forgiveness for his many sins. He truly worked hard to do enough to earn God's grace. He finally understood. By reading and translating scripture into his own language he finally  understood and accepted that fact that he could do nothing; that there were no good works by which he could earn his own salvation. That is the work that Christ did on the cross for all who would believe. 

Martin Luther finally came to understand that by grace we are saved through faith and that is purely a gift from God. There are no good works that we can do to be saved. Christ did it all for us! 

Thanks be to God for his mercy his great!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Gift From God

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

                                                                                           (Eph 2:8-9 KJV)

Those who say they are Christian of course try to do good to their neighbor. But, it is never by these good works that one can be saved. It does not matter how much good that we do we are saved by God's grace through faith in the one who lived and died and yet lives for us. Salvation is not something that we can earn in any way, shape, or form. It comes as a gift from God through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

It is this one, Jesus the Christ, who inspires us by the Holy Spirit to follow in his footsteps and to do good. So, when if and when you find yourselves sitting high and mighty up on your horse and claiming your alleged goodness for yourself; think again. You will never be so high and mighty as the Lord. 

Remember, the story of how the people of Babel fell. The people's plan was to build a tower to reach to the heavens. God saw and dispersed the people to various regions; confounding their languages so that they could not get together and plan such things again. Their plan they had considered to be a good thing. God did not think it so. Their good plan came to nothing.

We will never reach the heavenly kingdom on our own. We cannot. God came down from the heavens to reach us and to reach out to us so that we might live in his heavenly kingdom, in his presence, for all eternity. This is a gift from God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love and Charity

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (1 Cor 13:4-5 KJV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Cor 13:4-5 NIV)

In the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians some translations use the word charity for love and in others the word love is used instead of charity. The two words are intricately connected. Love promotes charity. Unfettered charity is most usually a result of love. We give because we love. We love because Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to give his life that we might live.

It is unfathomable to me that anyone would put their personal pleasures before the needs; the safety; the well-being of someone that they claim to love. But, it happens. It happens a lot! Children are neglected and abused because the parent has priorities for themselves than truly loving their children. Elderly parents are neglected because children have better things to do. 

I am not sure how we've come to this place where narcissism is so prevalent. Maybe, it has always been there; but, we just never noticed because we too were stuck in that place where we thought that we have to love ourselves before we can love others. When we think like that we can get stuck in a place where there is no love or charity for others because we never quite to the place where we love ourselves unconditionally. What happens instead is that we keep striving to make ourselves happy; but, we keep failing because happiness and joy actually comes from being in relationships with God and with others which we have neglected in the pursuit of making ourselves happy.

St. Paul wrote to the Philippians: "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Phil 2:1-4)

Jesus gave us the commandment to love others as he loves us. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35)

May God grant us all a spirit of love and charity that we might live in joy and in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Faith Alone In Christ Alone

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
                                                                                  (John 6:28-29 KJV)
The people who followed Jesus across the sea wanted to know what works they must do. Jesus response was to believe in him; to believe in the one that God had sent.

There is no work that we can do to save ourselves. We are not saved by the works of our own hands. We are saved by faith in the work of Christ on the cross for us. Because of our faith we are motivated and empowered by the Spirit of Christ to do good works. But, these good works do not save us. They are the fruit of our salvation. Salvation is a gift from God and not of our own doing.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast." 

                                                                                            (Eph 2:8-9)

Thanks be to God for the gift of life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Moses' Sin; Our Sin

And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.

                                  (Deuteronomy 34:4-5 KJV)

If the Lord prevented Moses from entering the promised land because of his sin; what about us? Moses was about as faithful as any man could possibly be. He gave up his place as royalty in Egypt. He faced off with Pharaoh under God's direction and power. He was as God's instrument to deliver God's people from slavery. If Moses was not good enough to enter the promised land what would make us think that we are? 

After all; Moses was chosen by God. God spoke directly to him. Moses saw His glory. Was he not favored? He was. He was God's chosen. But, Moses after all of the challenges he had faced for the children of God began to get a little bit of an ego and probably even began to feel sorry for himself having to be the one that everyone went to with every complaint. 

Well, the complaint that instigated Moses' sin was that they had no water. They were in the desert and they were thirsty. So according to God's direction Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation around the rock. Moses then spoke to the people: "...Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:10-12)

Moses had struck the rock as he was told to do. The Israelites had water to drink. So where is the sin? The sin was Moses' ego. Moses in doing God's will attributed the work of delivering the water to the people to himself and Aaron. He said, "must we?" And, he did it begrudgingly failing to give God the glory. 

Moses was not the only one not allowed to enter the promised land. Every man, except for two that had been delivered from Egypt, would die before they got to the promised land. God would have delivered them to the promised land almost immediately after leaving Egypt. But, when they were instructed to enter Canaan and the advance exploratory party returned with news of the strength of the Canaanites the people became afraid and did not trust the Lord enough to enter it. Of the people only Joshua and Caleb trusted the Lord enough to deliver the promised land to them. The Israelites had witnessed many miracles by God already. Yet, they did not trust Him. The sentence for this lack of trust by the Israelites was that they would wander in the desert for forty years. Anyone twenty years of age and up at the time would not enter the promised land themselves. Their children would. Joshua and Caleb would. But, they would not.

For these sins, many were not allowed entrance into the promised land. If Moses and the people of Israel who were so favored by God that they were delivered by God's own hand from slavery were not allowed entry into this promised land; what chance have we to enter His Kingdom? Are we so much better than they? Are our sins so much less?

But, thanks be to God we do have a deliverer! 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

                                                                                          (John 3:14-17)  

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

                                                                                       (Eph 2:5-9 KJV) 

Cherish the gift of God. Put aside your ego and trust in His promises. Remember, that it is He who has created you. It is He who sustains you. It is He who has delivered you from the bondage and power of sin. It is He who has welcomed you into His Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

All glory belongs to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Boast Only Of The Lord

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9 NRSV)

Because we have done nothing to earn our own salvation; let us quit with the boasting. There is no reason for any of us to boast. Christ has done it all for us. Christ is our all in everything. 

One of the most common things that will set off my cringe reaction is seeing someone within the visible church doing something for no reason other than to boast about how wonderful they are. They do this. They do that. They have to be the center of things. They will not lend a hand to the ministry unless they can be at the front and center in order to receive the most attention; the most applause. 

Oh, yes, that applause for something someone has just done or said or sang would be a cringe factor; one of my serious pet peeves. I really don't have a problem if Sunday School children do special music or a program and receive applause. But, I do have a big problem with applauding adults, those who ought to be a little more mature in their faith, by now. I do take issue with people who are feigning to worship God when they are merely looking to be worshipped for their gifts, themselves. I take issue with those who serve within the church so that they may boast of themselves. 

Consider this: have you ever heard anyone applaud after the scripture lessons were read? Have you ever heard anyone applaud after absolution is pronounced or the Good News is read? I certainly have never heard anyone applaud what God has done for us; only what people do within the worship setting. Is not what God has done for us worthy of our applause; given that we would consider applauding the talent of one whom he has created?

I know that we are Lutherans and we don't normally say things like Amen or Hallelujah or Praise the Lord spontaneously during worship. But, praising the Lord spontaneously when we are reminded what God has done for us is appropriate; whether that reminder of what he has done is in a reading, a prayer, a sermon, or a hymn. Praising people for using the gifts that God has given them really sets off, not just my cringe factor, but; the cringe (that just felt so yucky) factor in others, as well. Praising God during a worship setting is most appropriate; praising God's creation at worship is not. We worship the giver not the gifts.

Worship is not about being entertained. It is about worshipping God; about giving thanks and praise and glory and honor to the one who is above all things; the one who has saved us from ourselves. Those who would entertain you with the gifts that God has given them cannot save you. You are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. All applause; all glory and honor, belongs to God, not to humankind. Applause for a particular word or act may be appropriate in a secular setting or even at a Christian concert; but, I definitely question whether it is appropriate to applaud anyone other than God in a worship setting.

Stop the boasting... It only reveals our false god. Sadly, we are usually the false god that we reveal. Praise belongs only to the Lord, for in him is our salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Shine Like A Star

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.  (Philippians 2:14-16 NIV)

Most people (maybe all) end up grumbling about something or arguing with someone at one time or another. But, as children of God we are to make every attempt to stay away from these things. They will drag us down and into situations that are detrimental to our spiritual and physical health. 

When we find ourselves being pulled into these warped and crooked lifestyles we ought to do all that we can to turn away from them and to the way that Jesus would have us go. Turn to the Word for wisdom and strength. We are to immerse ourselves in the word of God found in the Holy Scriptures so that we might have guidance and peace. We will shine like stars among the darkness brought into this world by grumbling and  arguing as we hold firmly to the word of life.

May God keep us in the Word so that we might be recognized as His children on the day of Jesus the Christ. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Tell That Devil To Leave; For You Have Been Saved By God's Grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8-9 NIV)

Often we cling to sins that we may have committed years ago. That's not to say we keep repeating them. But, sometimes, no matter how hard we try to forget them, we do not. The devil seems to enjoy showing up when we least expect it to remind us of our past acts against God and against humanity. And... we continue to live in our guilt.

There is nothing we can do to undo those sins of our past. We cannot "fix" them by the works of our hands. Hopefully, we will strive to keep from repeating them. But, no matter how hard we might try; our sins cannot be cancelled out by anything good we might think we do. Just about when we think we might be balancing the scales the devil will rear his ugly head and remind us of yet another sin that we need to atone for. It's a never ending cycle. Do not fall for the devil's tricks. You have been saved by God's grace alone through faith alone.

It is time to quit living in the past; carrying the sins of your past. Your sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus (and so have your neighbors so quit dwelling on theirs). There is only one way that you can be saved from your past or your present sins. By the grace of God you are saved through faith. Salvation is not something that you earn. Salvation is a gift from God. Have faith that this gift is for you. Receive it! Live in this truth and tell the devil to depart in the name of Jesus Christ for your sins are forgiven.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Love Does Not Fail

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:4-8a NIV)

One of the most often requested readings for weddings is found in 1 Corinthians 13. It is good advice for two people who are about to commit their whole earthly lives to one another. Love does not fail. However, due to our sinful natures we often fail to love. Marriages fall apart because we love ourselves or someone or something else more than the one we have committed to spend the rest of our lives with. Marriages are not the only relationships that fail due to a lack of love. Relationships with family, friends, community also fail and bring much sorrow because of a lack of love.

The greatest gifts, says St. Paul, is love. God has given us love in His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no greater love than a love that is willing die for others, as Jesus died for us. We respond to His love by sharing that love with others. The love from God does not fail. It can move mountains and crush molehills. The love of God inspires us to inspire others with His love.

Live life! Share His love!

God's Peace - Pr. J

By Grace You Have Been Saved

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9 NIV

Years ago, when I worked at a youth correctional facility, I would hear very negative comments from people in the community about the youth. I usually could do nothing more than shake my head. You see, I knew them all and I also knew that one main difference between them and the youth was that they had never been caught or charged for their criminal behavior as the youth had.

We are all sinners in need of God's gift of salvation. Not one of us is saved because we are so good. We are saved by God's grace, through faith. It is a gift from God. Thanks be to God, for His mercy is great!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is not self-serving; rather, it is about serving others. In other words love is not all about me. That word "love" gets thrown around a lot. There are many kinds of love. We love our friends in one way. We love our spouses in another way. We even love our enemies and pray for them. Whomever it is that we love, we ought to understand that genuine love calls for a commitment. Genuine love will make sacrifices for those whom we claim to love even as God sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross because of His great love for us.

Love is not just a word. Love is action. It calls us to put the welfare of others before us. It calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus for the sake of others that God who loves us so deeply might be glorified.

Love the Lord your God. Love others in the Spirit of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J