Why Get Married?

Text: Ephesians 5:22-33

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

It seems that America is at a turning point or crossroads, if you will. We have known this for quite some time. The divide is seen everywhere. We see it at the election polls, we see it in culture, and we even see it with marriage.

More specifically, over the last 50-years in America, we have seen a reduction of marriages, to the point that marriage is now at an all-time low. With the decline of marriage, though, something interesting has also been simultaneously happening. As marriage decreases, cohabitation (that is living together apart from marriage) is increasing. Over the last 50-years, it appears that there is a direct correlation between marriage and cohabitation: marriage has decreased 65%, and cohabitation has increased approximately 60%.

To add another unique dynamic to the lower marriage rate and the increased cohabitation rate, people are getting married much later in life as well. In other words, for those that do marry, they are not getting married in their early 20s but are tying the knot later in life. 

Indeed, there is a significant change in how we view marriage.

But what has led to these changes? What is bringing about this apparent crossroad leading to alternative views and actions regarding marriage?

One of the many factors is that our culture is telling us that we have the supposed right to have pleasure and ease. But this cultural mantra does not jive with the reality that marriage is tough. Indeed, marriage is tough and hard, and as we know, people do not like things that are tough but want pleasure and ease at all costs. Thus, we see the divide, the tension.

Martin Luther once said of marriage,

The purpose of marriage is not to have pleasure and to be idle but to procreate and bring up children, to support a household. This, of course, is a huge burden full of great cares and toils. But you have been created by God to be a husband or a wife and that you may learn to bear these troubles.[1]

We also hear about how tough marriage is from our Epistle Reading. In our reading from Ephesians, we hear that in marriage, the husband is to sacrifice everything – to die – for the sake of his wife. And the wife is called to trust her husband, to submit in respect. Now, this is hardly the setup that someone seeking pleasure at all costs would aspire to – it doesn’t sound like fun. That is to say; if marriage is all about dying to self to serve a spouse, this is most certainly against the tune of our culture that sings self-love and the idea of ‘do whatever you want as long as you are happy.’

Tragically and bluntly stated, one of the main reasons why marriage is on such a decline is that marriage does not let life be about “You.”

Permit me to explain.

If there is no spouse, there are no children. And if there are no children, a person can selfishly indulge in whatever activities they want. All of the resources and efforts can be invested in self.[2] You see, marriage complicates self-pleasure and ease by calling a man to die for his wife and calling a woman to submit to her husband and calling both the husband and wife to empty their wallets, freedom, and energy towards their children.

But what about physical intimacy and emotionally connecting with a person of the opposite sex? Are these not important? Are these not enough of a reason to marry even if marriage is tough? 

Tragically, sex is cheap these days. In other words, marriage is no longer a prerequisite for sex in our culture, which allows a person to experience the benefits of marriage, like spending more time together, saving money, and spending romantic nights together, while still keeping the option open to split apart if pain and problems exceed pleasure and ease.

Unfortunately, the thinking goes like this. Don’t marry, just live together as if you are married because “if you don’t like your [boyfriend or girlfriend], you can just… leave. If [your boyfriend] turns into a huge jerk, just leave. Or maybe if you just aren’t feeling it . . . anymore [with your girlfriend]. . . . you can just break up! Sure, it [is hard] to move out all your junk and find a new place to live, but there are no complicated legalities like there are [with marriage].”[3]

And so, it seems that marriage has become like a curse in our culture – a ball and chain – something to be avoided. And if not a curse, it has become like a fairy-tale dream that only lasts for a while – if you are lucky.

But is this all true?

Dear friends, marriage is not a curse to be avoided or put off for a better time and a better day. It is not something that ends dreams, ruins lives, and constraints. It is certainly not a ball and chain, but instead, a gift that creates a husband and wife and creates a blessed family.

Dear husbands and wives, Baptized Saints, we must remember that Satan – the prince and power of the air – continually attacks marriage. Satan can never create, but only perverts God’s gifts. And the evil one does just this to marriage. He attempts to distort marriage as a curse and a burden so that people will stay away from it. He holds self-love over sacrificial-love as the ideal. He strips sex out of wedlock and then sets it loose to cheapen it. He entices us to place other priorities above marriage as if marriage is some old-fashioned thing. He tries to convince us that marriage is just too inconvenient, which means that we can put it off until someday in the future where we will have supposedly more time and resources. Indeed, the evil one – with the world and our flesh – give a false view of marriage, sex, and family. They give a view that is not real.

So, what is real? What is marriage?

According to an old professor named Norman Nagel speaking about Biblical marriage, a bride and groom do not make a marriage, but instead, a bride and groom step into marriage and take their places. The reason why this is so, marriage is God’s gift. It is the perfect setup and the perfect gift that men and women are to receive. And within the marriage union ordained by God, the husband and wife learn to accept each other as the Lord teaches them to walk in the unforced rhythms of ‘love.’

So, what does this mean? It means that when young people in the church aspire to the institution of marriage, we should be clapping and dancing for joy. Their desire to be married is them wanting to receive God’s good gift! Yes, to desire to be married is good. To aspire to marriage is good.

But what if the couple is young and poor? Do we tell them to wait and avoid marriage? Well, no. Just as we work to be faithful stewards to support the local church in God’s gifts of the Word and Sacraments and as we work to be faithful stewards to support pregnancy centers with God’s gift of life, we certainly can be and should be stewards to support younger Christians in God’s gift of marriage. Frankly stated, we should be ready to open our wallets and show our children that we believe in marriage. This reality should be so real that we are willing to be there to financially support them if the going gets tough in their future marriage someday, rather than painting marriage as some sort of expensive burden that they cannot afford and should not aspire to at a young age.  

At this point, we can hear the voice of some saying,

“But what about having fun at a young age and taking everything in that life supposedly has to give? Do younger people really want to enter a marriage when they are so young?

To this the church responds: sure, there will be dying to self in marriage. That is the whole point. That is why it is tough. Dying to self hurts the sinful nature. But tough does not mean bad. Marriage is tough on the sinful nature, even though it is a good gift for you.  You see, as the husband and wife die to each other through trust and sacrifice – through the shed blood of Jesus for them - something grander emerges. At the end of each day being enveloped in the gift of marriage and the forgiveness of sins, the husband and wife will lay everything out before the Lord, nothing kept back, nothing held outside His forgiveness and His love. Yes, they will lay it all out before the Lord together as one flesh – as husband and wife – knowing that the Lord holds all of them, the good, the bad, the ups and the downs.[4]

Marriage is indeed a gift that brings a man and woman together. And we see that in our Epistle Reading from Ephesians. That is to say; Ephesians 5 is not about the husband lording leadership, power, and authority over his wife, but rather, it is about the husband sacrificing everything – dying to self – for the sake of his wife, just as Jesus did for the Church.

Furthermore, Ephesians 5 is not about the wife becoming a doormat to the husband, something he tramples to get his way. But instead, a wife is called to trust her husband, knowing that he is to be a husband to her as Jesus is a husband to the Church. The wife is to trust that everything the husband does is ultimately for her good because the husband is called to give his wife everything he has and all that is needed, even laying down his very own life to save hers. The husband is to set aside his comfort to defend and protect his bride no matter the personal cost. To submit to a husband who is called to defend her with his very life truly means the wife gets to rest in the protection of his loving arms.

This is marriage! This is marriage as a gift. This is marriage where sacrifice and trust happen out of a reverence of Christ. This is marriage, marriage that a husband and wife step into and take their place. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

---

[1] Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 5: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 26-30. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 5, p. 363). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

[2] Susan Cox, “11 Reasons to NOT Get Married,” Feminist Current, http://www.feministcurrent.com/2016/02/12/11-reasons-not-to-get-married/(accessed February 10, 2017).

[3] Cox, “11 Reasons to NOT Get Married.”

[4] Paraphrase from Norman Nagel.

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Carpet Color, Turkey Sandwiches, And Church Unity

Text: Ephesians 4:1-6

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

There is a concept called “The Friendship Factor.”  The friendship factor says that some 70-80% of people who join a church, join primarily for the reason and motive of friendships.  In other words, the power of friendship tends to be a primary reason for people to join and stay in a congregation.

Now, there is no doubt about it that friendships unite people together into a church.  However, is this what truly unites the church?  Is the true unity of the church based on friendships and family?  Or is there something more – something more profound that unites the church than simple blood relationships and common interests?  Is there something more that makes us truly belong – truly unified? 

In today’s Epistle’s reading from Ephesians, the Apostle Paul speaks to the church of Ephesus and shares that the true unity within the church is produced by the Holy Spirit. In other words, we all have been called to one hope, to one Lord, to one faith, to one baptism, and to one God and Father, who is over all and through all and in all.  That is to say; this unity is not created by us or our actions, but instead, we have been called into this unity by the Holy Spirit.  The many parts are made one.  The many are grafted into a oneness.  To state it simply: we have been called to one baptism, not many baptisms held together by friendliness.  We have been called to the same confession of the faith, not a bunch of different spiritual opinions held together by tolerance.  We have been called to one hope, not many different individualized goals held together by wishful thinking. 

You see, the downfall of having unity solely based on friendships, common experiences, and similar opinions, is that this does not go far enough. This obviously has some severe problems, as well.  Permit me the opportunity to explain: if people are gathered together in unity by friendships, then their unity is only as good as the relationships are.  Indeed, if our unity is based on our friendships and common personal experiences and our own spiritual opinions, what happens when our friendships, experiences, and opinions reach a point of contention and disagreement?  Unfortunately, when unity is based on friendships, experiences, and opinions alone, the church’s unity is fragile at best.  For example, if there are conflicts over non-essential things in the church, such as what color the new carpet should be or whether we should serve ham sandwiches rather than turkey sandwiches at the next potluck, then the church’s unity is very susceptible to being destroyed by carpet and turkey sandwiches. 

There is also another problem with unity being based solely on relationships and personalities, and that is the fact that friendships come and go.  For example, if our friends seize to be entertaining, enjoyable, and encouraging, we may choose to cut ties with them and find new friends. And if we can’t find new friends in the church, well… we break unity with the church and seek out more entertaining and more enjoyable friends elsewhere. Sadly, our relationships are not as strong as we would hope, for and they are often quite temporary and superficial.  And if a church’s unity is based upon these fragile relationships and personalities, will… the church’s unity has been built upon shifting sands.    

And let’s not forget how this impacts the evangelism of the church.  If unity in the church is based on friendships and relationships, newer individuals may find it difficult to connect to the already existing relationships in the church.  For example, what if a new person coming to our church does not have family connections, what if they do not work at Bobcat, or do not farm? How will they connect?  What if they do not have common interests with you and me?  How will they belong?  What if a person has a difficult time making friends or is an introvert?  How will they find unity here?  Does a lack of family ties, a lack of common interests, or a person being an introvert prevent them and us from having true unity?

My friends, the church’s unity neither exists nor is based on friendships and personal interests alone.  Instead, real unity in the church is given and produced by the Holy Spirit.  Indeed, there is a better way to understand unity! 

You see, what binds us together as a church body here and now is the unity of the Spirit.  In other words, even though all of us have different backgrounds, different vocations, different last names, different ages, and different ethnicities, we are all called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism.  That is to say, the doctrine of the Christian faith and Christ Jesus are not fragmented and divided up equally amongst all of us.  We do not have multiple saviors, and we certainly do not have many conflicting doctrines of the Christian faith!  We do not have different individualistic baptisms, and we do not have individualistic confessions. By no means! 

As Christians, each of our personal and unique stories are grafted into a grand and divine story; God’s story of redemption in Jesus for all of humanity.  God’s story does not become a part of our story, rather we are gathered together to become a part of the story of Christianity that extends across this world, and that has extended throughout the ages.  We have been crucified into Christ; we die in our baptisms and emerge alive together in Jesus.  Therefore, in our baptisms, we are united to the story of Christianity that extends to people on every single continent of every single ethnic background.  As members of the church, we join together in Christ, as common sinners with a common Savior, and with a common Christian confession. 

To put it another way, our unity in the church does not come through a bloodline but comes through a faith line; faith in the promised shed blood for us.  Our unity is in one Lord, one confession, and one baptism. 

Now, we must pause to take note that we are not saying that friendships and family are unimportant.  We are not saying that individuality should be erased.  No, instead, we are hearing that we are not alone.  We are hearing that we are united together in a family of faith which is more significant, deeper, and eternal.  Yes, we have been united in our baptisms with our forefathers that went before us, forefathers such as Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Rahab, and the Apostles.  Unity in Christ provides a much more significant foundation for the church and connects us to what is called the universal church – the church that extends around the world and extends from generation to generation. 

Dear Baptized Saints, the Holy Spirit is the one that produces this unity for you.  It is not forced upon you, but rather, you are called into it.  Yes, the Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, and sanctified you in the one true faith – uniting you to every single blood-bought Christian in this sanctuary. This kind of unity is so much more profound and eternal than mere friendships.  This unity of the Spirit is a greater foundation for the church and grants the church the ability to weather the storms of personal struggles and inter-personal conflicts. 

What this means is that since we Christians are all members together of one body; and since we have been baptized into the same baptism for the same forgiveness of sins; and since we have the same treasure of the Word and Sacraments; we then should regard each other as neither better nor worse but as brothers and sisters.  We are co-heirs of the kingdom of God, together – forever. 

The Holy Spirit is the only one that can cause the unity of the church. We do not produce unity nor can we destroy true unity by our actions.  And that is why we have been called by the Apostle Paul to treasure the gift of this unity.  That is the reason why we are called to abide in the unity that the Holy Spirit has already created with us!  Indeed, your Christian faith possesses a uniting power.  It binds our human hearts together.  It binds our confessions together.  It is a union that endures beyond death and even beyond the end of the earth, because it is a unity that is created in us by the Spirit, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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Be Careful Of The Way Of Fools

Text: Ephesians 5:15-21

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

It is easy to do.  It is easy to get complacent and lazy, supposing there is nothing to fear. 

What am I talking about?  I am talking about this Christian faith.  As Christians, we can hear the Gospel and be comforted by it but then we can become lazy.  In other words, we can forget that we still live in this world and we can forget that the devil still desires to kill, steal, and destroy our faith. 

Typically this forgetfulness is not intentional, though.  We hear the Gospel, which delivers assurance, hope, and comfort but then we go on our way and drift along, becoming complacent and doing whatever seems to be ‘natural’ for us.  Easily, we can quickly forget reality, believing that there is no danger for us as Christians – that this Christian life is some sort of life of ease, with the exception of some scary terrorist plots that we might watch on the nightly news from time to time. 

With this stated, this flighty and complacent way of living is unwise.  It is actually foolish to simply drift along in our Christian lives thinking that there is nothing to fear and nothing to be aware of.  The reason why?  It simply is not true.  It is not reality.  It is the way of foolishness. 

Consider a moment the parable from Matthew’s Gospel, the seventh chapter.  Jesus tells us about two houses.  One house is built upon the sand and the other house is built upon the rocks.  Then in the parable, both houses experience rain and harsh winds.  As is expected, the house on the rocks remains; however, the house on the sand blows down experiencing a great fall. 

This parable shows us that when we hear Jesus’ Word and become flippant with Christianity, by either downplaying the realities of sin, the devil, and the world or by denying the need for the Lord’s Word and constant grace, well… we are like a fool that builds a house upon the sand.  When we are spirituality apart from God’s Word and deny the realities of life, we are like a house with no foundation on some beach, a house that is unprepared and unable to withstand the approaching storm, a storm that will completely destroy us. 

Tragically, when churches go on their jolly ol’ way ignoring the reality that this world and all that is in it, oppose the Kingdom of God and when churches go on their jolly ol’ way forgetting God’s Word and following their own thoughts, well… babblers seem to come into the pulpits not only silencing God’s Word but also preaching their own fantasies, resulting in the church collapsing.  In other words, churches become like the house on the sand when they think that the Christian life is all about beautiful sunsets and calm cool breezes on the beach.  They become like the house on the sand when they do not listen to God’s solid Word and when they follow the unstable thoughts of mankind or when they follow every changing opinion of culture that is around them. 

Dear friends, the reality is that the Christian life is not a life on the fine white sands of a beach with beautiful sunsets and calm cool breezes, but rather, it is more like a life in the midst of hurricanes and mighty storms that blow against us.  And as you already know, a house that is built upon sand – the wavering opinions and ideologies of mankind – will not withstand the wind and rain, but will collapse upon itself.  Therefore, it makes sense now why the Apostle Paul is warning us in our Epistle reading from Ephesians.  

Paul is warning us to be careful; he is warning us about becoming complacent.  He is warning us as a church about the dangers of believing that we can build our Christian faith upon unstable opinions and ideologies of mankind and not the Word of God.  He is warning us that in this world there is no such thing as peaceful sunsets and calm breezes – spiritually speaking.  Even though building a house upon the sand may sound attractive and may appeal to our natural way of thinking, the Apostle Paul calls this foolishness.  

Dear friends, the reality is not that there is nothing to fear in this world and that we can eat, drink, and be merry, without any cares in this life.  No!  This way of thinking will not stand, it will collapse.  Only the fool says, we shall not worry; my God is all about love and would never send people to hell!  Only the fool says, eat, drink, and be merry; my God has nothing against me, for he just wants me to be happy.  Only the fool says, don’t sweat the small stuff; my God doesn’t judge anyone.  Only the fool says, do what feels right and live life to your fullest passion; my God embraces all forms of sexuality. Only the fool says, sin does not exist; it is just the church’s way to prevent people from having fun.  Only the fool says, the devil; blah, just a bunch of superstition, nothing more.

Dear friends, this is the way of fools!  Only fools go around without any cares as if no dangers were before them.  Only fools forsake the Word of God in exchange for their own thoughts.

But you, dear Baptized Saints, are not called to foolishness but to wisdom.  You are called to be wise, for we live in evil times, among evil people.  And since this is the case, we are faced with temptations not only to sin but also to ignore God’s Word.  We are tempted to take things for granted and to assume that we have nothing on earth to fear. 

Now, it is true that this Christian life and the life of the church are a life of receiving grace and mercy and comfort from the Lord; however, it is wrong to disregard and dismiss the fact that the devil is always prowling around hoping to corrupt anything and everything – including us Christians.  In other words, it is wrong to think that you will have the good life of ease and comfort where you do not need the help of the Lord.  Baptized Saints, you and I will always need the Lord, for we will always have the devil in the world attacking us in every good.  The devil and his cohorts set up every thinkable con in order to undo our Christian faith. Truly, the devil and his fallen demons set out hostilities and difficulties for the church, so that the church might have to fight against all sorts of wrongdoings and hindrances in this world. 

But unlike the house built upon the sand that easily falls down when pressed by the wind and rain, this is not true for Christ’s Church – it is not true of you as blood-bought-baptized-saints.  Indeed, it is not true for you and it is not true for Zion Lutheran Church, for we are not called to approach the evil times in which we live by automatically accepting everything.  We are not to simply drink the Kool-Aide of culture without being careful.  But rather, we are to deal with our lives in the light of God’s Word, knowing that it is God’s Word that guides our thinking, shapes our emotions, and leads us. 

As God’s chosen and beloved, we shall not live by our emotions, we shall not live by the ideologies of culture, we shall not live by what is politically correct, we shall not live by what will make us fit in, but rather, we shall live carefully, as we are captivated by God’s Word.  And when we don’t live by God’s Word, it is our prayer this morning that the Holy Spirit through the Word would bring us to repentance and forgiveness, and return us to the Lord’s sustaining Word again.   

Dear friends, to be careful in our Christian lives and to live in wisdom is not for us to gather up a bunch of intellectual knowledge.  It is not to accumulate a bunch of college degrees or credentials.  It is not for us to do brain exercises or to start talking with sophisticated lofty voices.  No, it is none of this, but rather, to be wise is to always have God’s Word in sight.  To be wise is to always be occupied by God’s Word – His Law and His Promises.  To be wise is to let God’s Word of Law and God’s Word of Gospel permeate our minds, to invade us, to convict us, and to comfort us.  To be wise is to be dependent not on our own understandings, but in all things to depend on the eternal truths of God.    

This is what it looks like to be in the house built upon the rock.  Only when the church is built upon Christ Jesus and His Word, is it build upon a rock.  Only when the church is built upon Christ’s Word is the church able to be that mighty fortress in the midst of the rain and winds of the world. 

You and I do not have the strength and ability to fight against the devil and the world; however, God’s Word severs the darkness.  God’s Word breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod.  Even if the devil and his hordes fill the land, we shall not tremble this day, for we stand unmoved by God’s Word.  The world and the devil cannot overcome God’s Word; the gates of Hades will not prevail against Christ’s Church; therefore, walk as God’s Child, living deliberately in His blessings, His forgiveness, His love, His protection, and His wisdom.

In the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

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Fragrant Sacrifices And Offerings Through Death And Resurrection

Text:  Ephesians 5:1-9 and Romans 12:1-2

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Epistle lesson from today says that you and I are to be imitators of God.  It states that we are to walk in love and to walk as children of the light.  Furthermore, Paul in his letter to Romans states that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, for this is our spiritual worship.  In other words, as Christians we are to be fragrant ‘sacrifices and offerings’ in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

There is a problem with all of this though, for “we understand that none of our labor is acceptable to God.  We understand that none of our carnal, fleshly work is acceptable in the Lord’s sight.  All our works are as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6) although some men may be very pleased and impressed with our achievements.  None of our carnal works rise to the Lord Jesus as fragrant offerings or are acceptable to our Father in heaven as pleasing sacrifices.  Our God sees all our work as filthy rages, not one worthy of meriting any attention from Him.”[1]  Our works are too polluted, too muddy, and too muted.   

The reason why this is the way that it is, is due to the reality of our fallen condition.  Otherwise stated, we have this terrible stain of sin upon us that corrupts our thoughts, words, and deeds.  We are knocked off center.  We are twisted from the fall into sin.  This impacts all aspects of our life, which means that all of our works, no matter how pure and noble, are blemished.  These good works are more often than not, done with selfish reason or impure motives.  They are not done out of the context of truly fearing, trusting, and loving God.  They are not done out of the context of purely loving our neighbor, but are done to serve the unholy trinity of ‘me, myself, and I.’ 

So because of this terrible stain of sin, does this mean that none of the sacrifices and offerings of mankind reach the Lord as acceptable and well-pleasing to Him?  For example, were not all the Old Testament sacrifices a sweet-smelling and well-pleasing to the Lord?  Yes, the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings were, but not for the reasons we might think.  You see, the sacrifices of the Old Testament were pleasing to God not because of the intrinsic value of the sacrifice or because of the worth of the work done in the sacrifices.  Rather, they were well-pleasing because these ‘sacrifices and offerings’ were foreshadowed and encircled the one true sacrifice to come, Jesus Christ’s  death, burial, and resurrection.  Otherwise stated, none of our works derived by our own doings or out of our own name reach God as sweet-smelling sacrifices and offerings.  This was the case in the Old Testament times and is the case today.[2]

Simply put, it is this way because the “’world of God’ and the ‘world of man’ have been separated (Gen. 3:22)”[3] due to sin.  A great chasm was created due to sin.  Thus, there is no possible way to properly devote and present something to the Lord from the world of man.  Our sacrifices and offerings cannot cross the great divide.  Even if our works and doings could cross into the world of God, there is no passport for our sacrifices into the realm of God, for they are tainted and stained.  Works, sacrifices, and offerings that are tarnished by sin will not and cannot be admitted before the Lord as fragrant offerings.

“The only way to devote and give something to God has been to remove it from man’s world: to kill it and/or, in some cases, to burn it.”[4]  This means that for us to present ourselves before the Lord and to walk in the light and to be children of the light and to offer up sacrifices to the Lord, we must be put to death.  There must be an end to us and our ways. 

But how on earth are we to be put to death?

Blessed Saints, you are put to death in your baptisms.  Through baptism you are joined to Christ and the fruits of His death.  Yes, your baptism joins you to Christ, putting your old Adam to death and bringing about a new man. Surely, your sin puts you in the grave, but your baptism joins you to Jesus’ grave, a grave of death, resurrection, and new life. 

This baptism matters for it is the means by which you are daily joined to Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection; a death, burial, and resurrection which are a wonderful fragrant offering and a gracious sacrifice on your behalf.  Yes, Jesus is “the perfect fragrant sacrifice and offering, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world in whose book the names of all who live and die and rise by faith in Christ Jesus have been written (Revelation 13:8).  And not only are [your] names written in the book of the Lamb and in the heart of the Father, but [your] works of faith, good works prepared beforehand in which [you] walk, rise to the throne of our Father as fragrant sacrifices and offerings.”[5] 

Baptized Saints, you walk in the light and are imitators of God because the Holy One has invaded this world—invaded you—and drowned you in the waters of baptism, bringing forth a new creation.  Yes, you are purified in baptism and live in repentance, daily being forgiven and standing before God as a living, holy, well-pleasing sacrifice to Him.[6]  The re-creating sanctifying Spirit of God has come to you making you alive.  Daily holiness invades you by the Word and Sacraments, with the power of God—power that affects your posture and attitudes.  Daily you are cleansed being returned to the waters of your baptism.  Daily your works and doings are cleansed as well for Christ sake.  Thus, be confident that God accepts Jesus Christ as an acceptable offering in your stead. 

Because of Jesus this means that as “water-baptized, blood-covered, Holy Spirit-filled, consecrated, and anointed”[7] saints, your lives and jobs and vocations and works and doings and thoughts and words are fragrant sacrifices and offerings to the Lord. 

Even though you continually see yourself as a sinner, and even thought the old Adam clings to you until the day you die, and even though in the eyes of the law and the world you are considered a sinner, do not forget the reality that you are at the same time completely a saint in the eyes of God on account of Christ.  The good news of the Gospel is that you are completely and totally righteous in the eyes of the Lord. 

Because Jesus is an acceptable sacrifice and offering—for you, every act proceeding from faith, every work that has been prepared in advance for you to walk in, and every word spoken in faith is made holy because of Jesus and rises up to the Father as a sweet-smelling savor and sacrificial offering. 

So dear Baptized Saints, walk in love, be imitators of God, present yourselves as living sacrifices, and serve your neighbor, for you have died and been buried and resurrected in Jesus through baptism.  This is not of your own doing, but it is the Holy Spirit through the Gospel working to create in you a life of worship.  Rest in the one who is for you, knowing that through the Word and Sacraments He has declared you righteous for Christ’s sake and made all your movement and life in Him a fragrant offering in the nostrils of our loving God and Father.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Fragrant Offerings and Sacrifices: 2014 LWML Sunday Sermon. https://www.lwml.org/events/lwml-Sunday (11 October 2014).

[2] Martin Luther. Third Sunday in Lent Sermon by Dr. Martin Luther.

[3] Jonathan F. Grothe, The Justification of the Ungodly: An Interpretation of Romans Second Edition (Published in Canada: 2012), 515.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Fragrant Offerings and Sacrifices: 2014 LWML Sunday Sermon. 

[6] Jonathan F. Grothe, The Justification of the Ungodly: An Interpretation of Romans Second Edition, 517.

[7] Fragrant Offerings and Sacrifices: 2014 LWML Sunday Sermon. 

Christ's Cross Breaks And Destroys Sin's Shame And Guilt - For You

Text: Ephesians 1:7-8 & Revelations 1:1-6

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Several hundred years ago archers would shoot at targets.  When they missed the target, the judge standing next to the target would yell out the word, “SIN.”  Indeed, sin is the result of missing the target for an archer. 

But how does the Bible use this word ‘sin?’  Like in the case of the archer, sin is every thought, desire, word, and deed that misses God’s Law.  Sin was brought into the world by the devil in tempting Adam and Eve, who of their own free will yielded to temptation, they intentionally missed the target.  Thus, from our parents, Adam and Eve, we have learned to know that sin is our ‘turning inward’ on self; it is turning to our own desires, our own wisdom, and our own preferences.  It is ‘us’ wanting to become our own gods, desiring to be like God and thus not only totally missing the mark but attempting to eliminate the mark altogether. 

Not only are there dramatic eternal and spiritual consequences to sin, but there are also intense consequences of sin in the here and now.  In Psalm chapter 32 we receive an accurate picture of sin; sin that was un-confessed.  King David communicates to us that sin creates excessive grief; it can weigh down upon a person with deteriorating effects, as if bones decay.  Sin can figuratively wear out a skeletal structure.  Because of the guilt of sin, there can be tightness of throat; one becomes like a plant without moisture, being constantly exposed to the heat of sin’s guilt and shame.  Indeed, sin produces guilt, shame, and it drives us to fear, the feeling of being overwhelmed.

As a result of sin, we humans go to great lengths to handle and manage the guilt and shame of sin.  We deny sin (i.e., I didn’t do anything wrong); we legalize sin (i.e., well I haven’t done anything as bad as so and so); we shift blame for sin (i.e., the devil made me do it); we suppress the guilt of sin through substance abuse (i.e., we drink until we become numb); and we attempt to overcome the guilt of sin through our works righteousness (i.e., we coat our sin with spiritual cosmetics, good works).  All of these are merely band aids that ignore the much greater internal problem of the conscience, a conscience that has been damaged and condemned by sin.  Truly, these tactics are all intended to suppress the weight and avoid the effects of sin.  Left to self, this management of sin can consume a person’s whole life as they seek peace, absolution, and reconciliation to their sin and guilt. 

As we contemplate sin, does the Old Rugged Cross of Christ have anything to say to this issue of sin?  Yes, the Old Rugged Cross does speak to this issue of sin.  In Ephesians chapter 1 it says that we have redemption; Christ has purchased us out of slavery; through the blood of Christ we have the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace.  Indeed, we are granted forgiveness, due to Christ’s cross.  Yes, forgiveness that is applied to us because of Christ. 

There is a hint of scandal with this incredible forgiveness though.  Now, let us consider the scandal.  Upon hearing this you may find yourself saying, “That is too easy; it doesn’t cost the sinner anything.  Should not the sinner have to earn this forgiveness or put just a little forth as a good faith down payment?  I mean, this forgiveness is a little too cheap!  This grace is a little too cheap if it is simply that easy and that free.”  My friends, you are correct that this forgiveness doesn’t cost you and me anything, but it cost the Father everything.  Yes, let us consider how much this forgiveness cost our Lord!  For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.  Indeed, this is expensive forgiveness purchased at the cost of the blood of the Lamb.  God the Father unleashed His vengeance upon Christ and then gives up His ‘right’ to unleash vengeance upon us for our sins.  This. Is. Forgiveness.  It is expensive forgiveness for us. 

Consider the following declarations for a moment. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will remember your sins no more.”  Psalm 103:12 proclaims, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”  Psalm 32:5 says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity; I said ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sins.”  1 John 1:9 states, “When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Yes, forgiveness is the removal of vengeance, it is the yielding of judgment, and it is the letting go of a wrong.  How is this possible?  Because your sin has already been judged upon Christ, the Father does not and cannot hold the debt of sin against you; your sin is forgotten.

What this means is that you are freed from the burden, guilt, and stronghold of sin upon you.  The word freed, carries with it the meaning of: to loose, to break; to destroy; to dissolve.  It can also communicate the idea of ‘washing.’  Simply put, the wage or result of sin as expressed by the Apostle Paul in the epistle of Romans is death.  However, through this Old Rugged Cross we are forgiven and freed from the verdict and stronghold of sin.  Through the Old Rugged Cross the eternal consequence of sin is destroyed and dissolved; sin does not dictate our eternal destiny.  In the cross of Christ, we are washed, the stain is lifted; sin no longer has damning authority over you and me. 

Baptized Saints, in Christ, you are forgiven; in Christ your sins have been cast into the ocean depth; in Christ your sins are distanced from you; in Christ you are totally and wholly forgiven. 

So, when the devil, the world, and your conscience throw your sins in your face declaring that you deserve death and hell, thus bringing forth shame and guilt, tell them this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it?  For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf.  His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, where He is there I shall also be!  He bled and died for me to grant me forgiveness.  Sin, your damning eternal power has been destroyed for the nailed scarred hands of Jesus are the proof of that.”[1] 

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Note: A paraphrase and adaptation of a Martin Luther quote.