new creation

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, NRSV)

We are new creations in Christ!

The old sinner has been recreated into a saint able to stand in the presence of God!

He became what we were to make us what He is, and in Him we are new creations.

So live in the new you in Christ and not your old self.

Live the life Christ has given to you!

nothing we can do…

saved-by-grace-through-faith-buttonYou were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (Ephesians 2:1-10, NRSV)

This is the verse Martin Luther used to talk about our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not because of works so that no one can boast.

And as Lutherans that is where we stop and we do nothing because there is nothing I can do to earn my salvation.

So we do nothing…

But this verse does not end there. And this verse is not an excuse for us to use to sit on our butts and not do the work God has called us to do.

You see we are very good at quoting Ephesians 2:8-9, but we forget about verse 10, “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Yes we are saved by grace through faith, but just because there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven does not mean we do not do works, because God created us to do His good works, which He prepared for us before we were created.

So go and do, because that is why God saved you!

sinner!

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. (Galatians 2:15-21, NRSV)

I love the way this passage starts, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners…”

We are fine the way we are and not like you thankfully!

Ha if only that were true!

You see we are all short of the glory of God as we are. We will not be able to stand by our own merits.

We will not be able to stand by our birth, our nation, our works, or anything!

We are justified by Christ and only by Christ.

the law merely helps us know what our sin is and helps us to know what is keeping us from being with God.

So do not think too highly of yourself, your works, or your birthright, but wholly and fully lean on the grace you receive from Christ.

can you do enough?

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. (Romans 3:19-28, NRSV)

No one will be justified by deeds prescribed by the law.

You can not earn grace.

There is nothing you can do to get into heaven, or merit the grace that God freely gives you.

It is not of your own works, it is because of the faithfulness of Christ to follow through on the plan that God laid out.

It doesn’t make sense and isn’t logical, but that is what it is.

You can not earn it. It is completely up to God.

So trust in the promises and have faith in giving your life up to Him.

live by faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17, NRSV)

We live by faith, for the cross is the power of salvation for those who believe.

For we can not be ashamed of the power that has brought us up out of the pit. The power that has given us life, and brought us to the place of an abundant life.

You see living by faith is more than wearing a cross, or proclaiming God is the main focus of your life. You must live in a way that proclaims your faith in Jesus with every move you make.

When you live by faith, you don;t need to tell people that Jesus is your savior and the light of your world, they will just know.

a faith of your own

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NRSV)

If you continue in my word…

That means that at one time we were walking in the way of Jesus. And when we continue to walk in the words of Jesus, then we show ourselves to be His disciples and we know the truth and the truth makes us free.

Free from pain and suffering? No. Free to be dutiful servant of all!

When we look out for ourselves that is when we find our lack of faith disturbing. You see Jesus came to give us grace so that we might see those around us in the light that He sees them. As children created alike to be loved by Jesus and His Father.

We are slaves when we do not realize that Jesus came to set all of us free and that God loves all of His creation. Not just those who follow, but everyone, and those of us who are walking in His truth realize that my faith is not sufficient and I don’t want a faith of my own, but I want His faith.

I want to walk in His truth and live off of His faith.

 

redeem me

redeemedBut I call upon God,
and the LORD will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he will hear my voice.
He will redeem me unharmed
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
(Psalm 55:16-18, NRSV)

I will call upon God who will always hear me.

He will always listen to my call Morning, Noon, or Night!

He will keep me unharmed even with the world raging battle against me!

I am safe in the hands of my Lord!

foremost sinner

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17, NRSV)

How many of us agree with Paul’s line here, that Christ came into the world to save sinner, or which I am the foremost!

Not that Paul is the foremost sinner, but I am.

Right we all think that we are the worst sinner that ever walked the face of the earth. And we read Paul’s words here and say, “Yes I am the worst!”

But here is what we miss, or over look, that even if we think we are the worst sinner, Christ died for us, and we received mercy so that, in us the worst sinner, Christ would be made known to the world through us. We would be an example to the patience and love of Christ.

So even if you are the worst, you are a beacon of hope to the world!

glorified

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11, NRSV)

Why do you serve?

Do you do things so others will see you and give you credit?

Do you do things so others will see you and call you a good person?

When ever we do something we should do it as God is working in and through us and serve others, not for glory but so that God gets the glory.

At each baptism we do, there is the line as the candle is given to the parent/God-parent of the child, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father in heaven!”

Let you light shine, but so that God gets the glory!

Let Him be glorified!

freed to serve

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14, NRSV)

Martin Luther wrote in On Christian Liberty “A Christian is perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all.”

You see we are free in Christ.

Yet this freedom is not something we should exploit. We are free to do as we see, but because of this freedom and the love that set us free, we are moved to serve all.

So that the law of loving your neighbor as yourself might be fulfilled!