Today
was The First Sunday after Sunday, the first real Green Sunday and the
beginning of the Endless Green Season.
On
Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come
from? The answer is from the
people who uttered them. But, how
did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev
Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson,
but overall mostly from Bryan. He
always has some great ones to share.
On to the On Point quotes –
“Aslan,” said Bree in a shaken voice, “I’m
afraid I must be rather a fool.”
“Happy is the Horse who knows that while he
is still young. Or the Human either.”
Jack
Lewis
The Horse and His Boy
If we are idle, the devil and a corrupt heart will soon find us
something to do.
Matthew Henry
17th and 18th century English pastor and author
Thus, there will always be an element of mystery in the relation of two
wills in the universe, Divine and human. Christian people undoubtedly revolt
against any view implying that the majority of the human race are everlastingly
lost and only a few saved. Nor will any refuge be found by those who know and
follow Scripture in the thought of purgatorial or purifying fires, which cannot
be found in the Bible. [But] no careful and honest reader of Scripture can
believe for an instant that all human beings will be saved, for, if the Bible
teaches anything distinctly, it clearly shows that there are those who, through
their own deliberate choice, remain outside the circle of the saved.
WH Griffith Thomas
19th and 20th century Anglican theologian and
author
(The Principles of Theology: An Introduction To The Thirty-Nine
Articles, p. 255)
Truth may be crushed to the earth but crushed or not, truth is still
truth.
Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States of America, statesman and war hero
US intelligence isn't focused on external events or the activities of
foreigners, it is focused on American citizens. They're much more concerned
about what people like you and me are writing on this blog than they are with
whatever the jihadists and Russians are doing. Given that the well-armed and
highly trained ISIS [the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham] fighters were probably
armed and trained by the US military, the fact that US intelligence had no idea
what they were doing can only indicate a complete lack of interest. After all,
there are millions of Christians and gun owners and military veterans who need
to be spied upon and federal intelligence resources are not unlimited. And it's
not like US intelligence saw the fall of the Soviet Union coming either.
Vox Day
20th and 21st century American Libertarian and
commentator
Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a
dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in
order to establish the dictatorship.
George Orwell
20th century English author.
On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach
their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a
downright moron.
HL Mencken
20th century American writer.
Propers
First Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect.
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O
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GOD, the strength of all those who
put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through
the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant
us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee,
both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today’s Epistle came
from the Fourth Chapter of St. John‘s First Epistle, beginning at the Seventh
Verse. John pointed out that if we
do not love our brethren here on earth we have seen and touched, how then can
we claim to have love for God, whom no man hath seen? “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and
every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love.”
God loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for our sins. That is true love. Not that we love Him, but that first He
loved us! So, if God first loved
us, ought we also not love each other? No one has seen God at any time. Yet, He loves us and we say we love Him. If we do love one another, then God is
in us, the Holy Ghost, and we are in Him.
Be bold, the world will end some time, for each of us it ends when we
leave here. Fear not, trust in God
and dread naught. God and His love
will keep fear and the damage it does at bay. Love each other and act on that love.
This reading covers the
same ground as Jesus’ Summary of the Law, the second portion, “That he who
loveth God love his brother also.”
God is love, not hate.
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B
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ELOVED, let us love one
another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and
knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten
Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for
our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No
man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and
his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,
because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that
the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess
that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have
known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so
are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out
fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth
his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we
from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Today’s
Gospel came from the Sixteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning
at the Nineteenth Verse. It is a
story Jesus told of Lazarus, not the Lazarus whom he raised from the dead, but
a fictional character. This Lazarus was poor and very ill, he was laid at the
gate of an extremely well fed rich man hoping he might be fed with the castoffs
from the rich man’s table. He was
so ill, he could not move when dogs came to lick his sores. He died and went to heaven where he was
well cared for and was whole. The
rich man died, and for his self centered behavior here on earth, went to hell
where he was tormented horribly.
He looked up and saw Lazarus.
He begged for just a touch of water, that he might be comforted. Abraham told the rich man that he would
receive no comfort as he had partaken of all the comfort he would get while on
earth when he thought only of himself.
He also told him there was a gulf between heaven and hell through which
no one could pass. Hearing that,
the rich man asked that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house that his brothers
might avoid his fate. Abraham
pointed out they had the words of Moses and the prophets, if they would not
hear them, they would not listen to one who rose from the dead.
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T
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HERE
was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was
laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which
fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up
his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue;
for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in
thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but
now he is com-forted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us
and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence
to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then
he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my
father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest
they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham:
but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto
him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead.
Bishop
Ogles’ Sermon
Bishop
Jerry is on travel to Kenya with Executive Secretary Betty Hoffman and Rev Jack
Arnold to welcome the church their into the Anglican Orthodox Worldwide
Communion. He thoughtfully left a
sermon originally written for the First Sunday after Trinity 2012. It starts off with the collect, and
like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.
First
Sunday after Trinity 10 June 2012 Anno Domini
St Andrews Anglican Orthodox Church
Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
First Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect.
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O
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GOD, the strength of all those who
put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through
the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant
us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee,
both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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T
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HERE was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and
fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar
named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be
fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was
carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off,
and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool
my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things: but now he is com-forted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this,
between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass
from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send
him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto
them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him,
They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father
Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said
unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Before we look
more closely at this great parable of Jesus, we must understand that Christ
never uses a parable of things physical or spiritual whose principle is not
consistent with the truth. This story of the rich man and Lazarus may be
just as actual as it is figurative. God's principles never change and neither
does His truth.
The parable addresses the issues of the hereafter in stark illustration of
Paradise and Hell. There are those whose wealth dim their eyes to mercy
and compassion, and encrypt their hearts in greed and malice. There are, on the
other hand, those who would prefer to give whatever material possession they
have if it will render a greater good in improving the life of that one
standing nearby. Because their hearts are not centered on the material, their
souls are fixed on goodness and mercy. Christ does not mean to teach that there
is evil in riches, but in the way that we may covet such wealth. There is no
honor is being desperately poor, either, but the circumstances of life may
render any of us unable to provide for ourselves and impoverished by
misfortune. When poor men, such as Lazarus, are made to beg by the gates of the
wealthy, this condition is an illustration of the sin in the sin that lies
covered in the purple garments of the wealthy who refuse to share their excess
with those who are so deprived even of food to eat.
It should be noted
that God does not always provide material reward to His righteous in this
world. The tables are often turned so that the wealthy are the wicked, and the
poor, the righteous. It does not necessarily need to be so, but often is. Even
a very righteous man may be corrupted when he comes into great wealth. He may
forget the estate from which he has come, and dwell only on the improvement of
his finances.
We must not misapply
Scriptural counsel regarding money: it is not money itself that is evil, but the
love thereof. For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows (1 Tim 6:10) If God rewards you
will a million dollars in your account, the mere possession of so much money
does not make you a bad person. The manner in which you use the money for good
is a measure of your virtue.
The deference which
Christ shows to the poor man in giving him a Godly name, Lazarus, or Eleazar,
is notable. The name means, God is MY Help. We have churches in the AOC in
parts of the world in which every member depends upon God alone for the next
morsel of food they consume. This Holy name imputes a righteous character to
the poor man.
But what of the rich
man? He is given no name at all. Why do you suppose this is so? Because if our
names are not written in the Book of Life, then they are not written at all. In
fact, there are no names in Hell. Why would you need a name there?
19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple
and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day This man
was filled with himself and cared not a whit for those around him. He had much
more than he needed, yet was unwilling to share a morsel from his well-stocked
pantry to a poor man diseased and dying. The love of wealth petrifies the heart
and closes its gates of mercy. Christ only refers to this man as a "rich
man." He has no redeeming qualities that recommend him to God.
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus,
which was laid at his gate, full of sores You may wonder why
Lazarus is a beggar? Could it be a result of his complete helplessness due to
disease. He could not help himself – he had to be helped. Someone must help
those around us who are unable, due to tragic circumstances, to help
themselves. Before the advent of utopian and socialistic philosophy, the Church
and Community were the source of help – and still should be.
21 And
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table:
moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. He desired no great
thing – only to be fed the crumbs from the rich man's table. These the rich man
did not need, but it is doubtful that the rich man cared enough to give them to
Lazarus. Even though men of means showered no mercy on their own kind, at least
the dogs lived up to their reputation of loyalty. The dogs comforted Lazarus –
not with food which they had not – but with compassion and love. Are we better
than dogs?
22 And
it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried How
casually does the LORD make reference to that grave which awaits every beloved
reader of this devotion. It shall come to pass that each of us shall die. Then
what?
You will observe a
great difference in the disposition of Lazarus after death, and that of the
rich man after death. Christ says of the beggar (he) was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom
Truly the destination of all righteous souls. Abraham is father, not only to
the Hebrews, but all who believe in the Promised Seed – Jesus Christ! What a
royal sendoff did Lazarus receive. Though a poor, sick beggar, he was honored
with the dignity of being carried by the angels to Abraham's Bosom. Angels are
important heavenly dignitaries, but not so dignified as to ignore any soul that
dies in Christ.
How does the honor
paid Lazarus differ from the disposition of the Rich Man's body? The rich man also died, and was buried. He was placed, not in the Bosom of Abraham, but
in the depth of the earth – his eternal home, or ultimately, Hell. Instead of
the angels carrying him to Abraham's Bosom, the rich man lies in the cursed
soil of the world. Quite well do the final words of a poem by Sir Walter Scott
summarize the matter:
"For him
no minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless
his wealth as wish can claim
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The
wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And,
doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept,
unhonored , and unsung."
But Scott's words do not fully reveal the extent of the tragedy of such
a lifestyle – the fires of Hell await such a one the very moment his eyes are
blinded by death.
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and
seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Christ
does not leave the reality of hell open for question, but states the fact outright.
There are fires in Hel, and torments as well. There are no medical stations
there to relieve the pain for, in Hell, the character of its citizens rule – NO
MERCY! The rich man can see Lazaraus "afar off" in the bosom of
Abraham. Heaven is a far off place from Hell. But the wicked can see the
delight of those in Heaven.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my
tongue; for I am tormented in this flame
The pride of wealth no longer dominates the rich man's thinking. He
takes no longer pride in his fine raiment for that was burned away the moment
he was cast into Hell. The rich man begs for that which he had none of in life
– MERCY! Lazarus is now rich, and the rich man a beggar. He begs for mercy to
be delivered by the very finger of him to whom he granted no mercy. Hell is a
hot dry place. The drought never ends there. It is interesting to note that
there is no evidence that Lazarus is aware of the rich man's condition in Hell.
Such knowledge might dampen his joy in Heaven for he obviously was a man of
compassion as opposed to the rich man. Hell is a place of torment. God sends no
one to Hell – we send ourselves.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now
he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
We sometimes find men in conditions and circumstances from which we
cannot extricate them, but we still should have what kindness we can have and
show respectful regard. Observe with what sympathy Abraham addresses the rich
man in Hell: He calls him "son!" It is possible that this man could
have been a true son of Abraham as was Lazarus had he followed in that faith of
Abraham in Christ. But he was more likely a son by hereditary descent and not
spiritual. The temporary luxuries of riches born out of greed will avail
nothing in Heaven. The pleasure is so temporary, and eternity so very long –
endless in fact.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
We must recognize that the distance is so great between Heaven and Hell
that none can pass to and from. No one has descended to Hell and returned to
tell of it, and the same is true of Heaven regardless the cheap little books of
commercial fodder marketed today. If you believe that you can visit Hell, you
probably will do so for longer than you wish.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou
wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five
brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of
torment.
Even the wicked in Hell are aware of the lost condition of their loved
ones. Does this give cause for pause? Those in Hell would do anything to save
their loved ones (for the damned also love their own) from coming to such a
place of hot torment.
29 Abraham saith unto
him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Have we, too, heard the voice of Moses from the beginning in Genesis?
Have we heard and heeded the writings of the prophets and the Gsopel and
Espitles that tell of Christ? If so, it is enough! We need no astounding signs
to prove our faith else it is not faith.
An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but
the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three
nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth. (Matt 12:39-40) Is the death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior enough for you, or do you seek cleverly
designed signs of men?
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto
them from the dead, they will repent. Really?
Christ rose from the dead and the obstinate, faithless Jewish rulers still
hated Him. Faith is based in hope and love, not sure evidence.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
If our faith is not founded on God's Word, no other considerations are
important. We believe because God's Love is reflected to our hearts in the hope
and reality revealed by Scripture. If our hearts are made of lead, the iron
Magnet will not attract it. There must be a kinship (even if distant) in the
heart that responds to the Call of God.
Do you have that kinship?
Sermon – Reverend Hap Arnold - Time and
Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and
Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. How little we need other guidance, if
we but listen to what God tells us.
Consider these words from the
Collect:
… the strength
of all those who put their trust in thee; … through the weakness of our mortal
nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace,
that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed…
This is a little longer Collect
than usual, but in it we acknowledge that God is the source of our strength, as
we are weak and cannot do any true good without His Help; thus we ask His help
or grace to do His Will in both in our thoughts and actions.
And, what is the first action we are to take? To love one another. Saint John pointed out if we do not
love our fellow creatures here on earth whom we have seen and touched, how then
can we claim to have love for God, whom not one of us have seen? We then cannot love God if we cannot
love our fellow humans, no matter how far they have strayed from His path, we
are still to love them and offer them help and help others. Jesus came to
serve, as the ultimate Servant, so must we be also.
“Beloved, let
us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of
God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
God loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for our
sins. That is true love. Not that we love Him, but that first He
loved us! So, if God first loved
us, ought we also not love each other? No one has seen God at any time. Yet, He loves us and we say we love Him. If we do love one another, then God is
in us, the Holy Ghost, and we are in Him.
Be bold, the world will end some time, for each of us it ends when we
leave here. Fear not, trust in God
and dread naught. God and His love
will keep fear and the damage it does at bay. Love each other and act on that love.
To love one another and act
on that love. To consider the ways
we might help others and then actually
help them. It is not a question of
giving, but helping. The rich man
could have helped Lazarus, but it never entered his head. The rich man, like
many of us sadly, only thought of himself. Jesus illustrates perfectly in this
parable what happens when we only think of ourselves and do not help others or
think of others even. The rich man could have thought of poor Lazarus and given
him a place to stay and food to eat and paid for it, like the Good Samaritan.
Instead, he just let him die, figuring that that was the end of him. It turns
out that he was wrong and soon the tables would be reversed. Lazarus was a rather disgusting feature
of his world and when he died, the rich man was pleased not to have to pass by
him. Yet, it never entered into
his head to help.
How is that possible?
Simple, his eye was not on the donut, but on the
hole. The rich man cared about all
the things that don’t count and never considered those that do. Which is as
said earlier, is a problem at that all of us face at one time or another due to
our very nature of being sinful beings.
Indeed, between heaven and hell there is a great gulf
fixed. But, you must understand,
the gulf is not of God’s making but ours.
It is us who keeps us from the heaven He offers freely, yet at a great
price.
Put your trust in God and dread naught. Love those around you and act on that love. It does not matter if they are the same
religion as you, but you still must love and act towards them all the
same. That does not mean baring
your throat to the Koran following Muslims; but it does mean treating them with
kindness and charity until you must act to defend you and your way of life from
them. They deserve pity, for as
they follow Allah, that is the Devil, as Christ said “They know not what they
do.” Think how you can help, not how you can “enjoy” life. Helping does not mean simply giving
money to those who don’t have it, no strings attached, although it might at
times. It never means supporting
those who do not feel like supporting themselves. For dependency breeds slothfulness and contempt. Dependency destroys the soul. What is does mean is facilitating a way
for those who do not have to earn what they need; to bring them the means of
acquiring those things which they need.
Those things are spiritual as well as physical. A hand up; not a hand out. You will find out the more you help,
the more you enjoy real life. Whether
it is helping somebody at the office, around the neighborhood or a friend, I get
immense pleasure in the result of helping that person, more than if I had just
concentrated on myself.
This is hard to do. We want to concentrate on what makes us feel good about
ourselves right here and right now.
We have to be coerced into staying on the narrow path upward and
inward. But that is where our home
is.
Heaven is at the end of an
uphill trail. The easy downhill
trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Rev
Ken Howes
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Chicago,
Illinois
The Reverend Ken Howe is a
Lutheran minister who is a member of the AOC Forum and a fine man. His denomination, the Lutherans, gets
its name from Martin Luther one of the early reformers whose efforts were
dedicated to the return of the Church to its true foundation, Scripture, and to
return to His place of primacy the Church’s one true leader, Jesus Christ our
Lord. Generally speaking Lutherans
and Anglicans have much in common.
Rev Ken discussed the topic of
this sermon with Bishop Jerry before he left for Kenya and Bishop Jerry asked
that Rev Ken send the sermon in to place in the Sunday Report.
St. Paul, writing to the Romans,
wanted to make sure that the Romans knew what Christianity was about. Even now,
you hear people saying that Christianity is about a set of rules—follow these
rules, you go to heaven and you're saved; don't follow them, you go to hell and
you're lost. Well-meaning parents and Sunday-school teachers fall into that
trap constantly, as they try to teach their children to be good little girls
and boys.
There is a truth that underlies
that teaching. God has given us a Law. That Law is most familiar as it appears
in the Ten Commandments. Every one of those commandments was given by God. It
is nothing more than what we are supposed to do, to follow these commandments,
every one of them. Failure to do so is sin, and we are warned that the wages of
sin are death and hell. Every bit of that is true.
What makes that scarier is that
every one of us has violated at least one of those commandments. We examine
ourselves in the light of those commandments, and we see again and again that
we have broken them. Indeed, anyone who claims that he has not broken them is
guilty of the greatest sin of all, pride. But St. Paul tells us that such pride
is misplaced. “For there is no difference; all have sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God.” So, without some intervention, we are all lost, because we
are all sinners.
That is the bad news. We are none
of us good little girls and boys going to heaven by how good we have been.
But there is good news, and St.
Paul gives us that good news. That is that we are righteous before God by His
grace, thanks to the redemption Jesus made for us. Now, what's redemption? We
use that word in the Church a great deal, but not everyone really understands what
it is.
In the old Roman law, if someone
owed a debt and couldn't pay it, the person to whom he owed money could have an
officer come, arrest the debtor, and put him in prison, even have him tortured,
to find out if there was more property the debtor had that could be sold or
taken to pay off the debt. The idea was that if the debtor was hiding property,
he could be made to disclose where he had it, and if he wasn't, his family and
friends would want to pay the debt for him.
Now, if they paid the debt for
him in full, there was a rule that the creditor had to release the debtor. The
one who paid off the debt, the Romans said, had bought him back, and this was
called “redemptio” – buying back. We still have a trace of that now. If you owe
a debt and don't pay it, your creditor can't throw you into prison any more,
but he can take your house or your car to sell it and apply the proceeds of the
sale to the debt. But if someone pays off the debt, you or someone else, before
the house or car has been sold, then the creditor has to release the property
he's taken. You have redeemed your house or your car. You've bought it back.
That's what Jesus did. We owed
God our obedience and our praise. But we disobeyed His Law and we refused to
give Him honor as we ought. We cannot make that good again, because any good
thing we could do would just be to do what we were supposed to do anyhow. All
we'd be doing would be not falling further behind—and we can't even do that.
The penalty for our failure would be death and hell. Who will pay that debt for
us, that we cannot pay ourselves? The answer is that Jesus has done it. What's
more, He did it completely out of His goodness and grace, not in return for
anything we did.
How did He pay the debt for us?
St. Paul tells us here that it was through a propitiation in His blood. But
what's a propitiation? When you propitiate someone, you are doing something
that makes him favorably disposed to you. We know when Jesus gave His blood. He
gave it in His suffering and in His death on the Cross. He did it as a payment
of our debt, a redemption of us from the consequences of our sin.
His Law had to be obeyed. God is
a just God, and He will not simply excuse wickedness. So Jesus obeyed the Law
for us. His righteousness, and His justice are upheld both in that the Law has
been obeyed and that its penalties have been paid. But He had not broken the
Law, not in the slightest bit, not ever. That payment was not for anything He
had done. It was payment for what we had and have done.
It was payment in full!
Redemption doesn't happen on a part payment. If there were something left that
we still had to pay, we would not be redeemed—and as I just said, we can't do
it ourselves, not in full, not in part. Only Jesus could do it. If he had left
something undone, we would still be lost, because we still could not catch up
the rest of what we owed. That payment was for all our sin, for what we have
done that we should not have done, for all that we have not done that we should
have done.
So who gets the benefit of this?
St. Paul tells us that, too. God is just, and he declares those who believe in
Jesus to be just, to be righteous, to be saved. Does that mean everyone who
knows that Jesus lived and died, even that Jesus rose again, is now just,
righteous and saved? No. The devil knows that, too. How about that He is the
Son of God? No. The devil knows that, too. It is the confidence that not only
is He the Son of God, not only did He do everything He did, but that He did it
for you, and that He has paid the whole debt, everything you owed.
So you are saved, because you
believe. But you cannot claim that you did it—any of it—yourself. He did it for
you, and any show of how good you are is completely misplaced. If, when you
were a kid, your mother did your homework for you, and it was marked an “A” by
the teacher, can you be proud of what a good student you are? Of course not.
You know who did the homework.
But God is fine with it that He
has done the homework. You're getting the A. Just don't forget who earned that
A for you. It wasn't you, and you have nothing to brag about. It is through our
faith in Him, and by His grace, and not by anything we have done, that we are
saved.
You remember all the stories
about Pharisees who made such a big deal about how good they were. Well, there
was a time when there were a great many in the Church who thought that they, by
being so good, had earned their way to heaven, and some in the Church were
giving the impression that it worked that way. If you read their greatest
teachers—a good deal of this sermon is drawn from the writing of one of the
great Catholic teachers[1]—you
can see that it doesn't; but the average priest hadn't read those teachers.
Martin Luther, and others
following him, were insistent that the Church must be clear about this, that we
do not earn our salvation, that we are sinners entirely dependent on God's
grace, saved only thanks to Jesus' redemption of us. The Church at the time was
very corrupt. It was making a big business of what can only be called selling
grace: “Give us this, do that for us, and we, as the stewards of God's grace,
will see to it that you are saved.” So it put great pressure on the Emperor to
suppress the Reformation that Luther was leading. The Emperor, in 1529, issued
an order that everywhere in Germany and the rest of his empire, only the
Catholic Church was permitted. But several princes and the mayors of several
cities protested against that order. It's from that protest that we get the
word “Protestant”.
So the Emperor ordered that the
Lutherans present to him a statement of what they were teaching, at an assembly
to be held the next year in the city of Augsburg. The princes went back to
Luther and asked him to give them a statement of the Reformation teachings. He
gave this assignment to his main associate, Philip Melanchthon, who put
together 28 articles setting forth what Lutherans teach. Some of those articles
were taken from things Luther had written before; some were Melanchthon's own
writing. On June 25, 1530, Philip Melanchthon, together with the Chancellor of
Saxony, presented those 28 articles of faith to the Emperor.
Those articles are called the
Augsburg Confession. They are THE statement of what it means to be Lutheran.
When you say you're a Lutheran, you're really saying you believe what's in the
Augsburg Confession. The text for this sermon today is the source of the
central article of the Augsburg Confession:
Article IV: Of Justification.
1] Also they teach
that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or
works, but are freely justified for 2] Christ's sake, through faith, when they
believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for
Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. 3] This
faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.
Yes, that's the heart of what it
is to be a Lutheran; really, it's at the heart of what it is to be a Christian.
But there's one more important thing in this text that has to be mentioned, and
it's particularly important for us Lutherans because members of other churches
constantly accuse us of teaching that it doesn't matter what you do so long as
you believe. Catholics, at least those who don't actually know our teachings,
accuse us of that; even other Protestants often accuse us of that.
Well, it isn't true. It's as St.
Paul says, finishing this chapter of his letter. “Then do we repeal the Law?
No. We are standing by the Law.” Just because we are no longer condemned for
our failure to keep the Law does not mean that we can disregard God's will.
That will is expressed in the Law. The Law acts as a curb to stop evil conduct.
It acts as a mirror, to show you how far short of godliness you are. It is a
guide, to show us how we ought to live our lives, what conduct pleases or
displeases God
If your faith is in God, if your
confidence in Him, you will want your life to be pleasing to Him. You will want
that what you pray every day comes true—that His kingdom come, His will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. You will be in that kingdom, where He is
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and reigns forever and ever. Amen. And the
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Rev Bryan Dabney
of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to
have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you
want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the
truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I
commend it to your careful reading.
First Sunday after Trinity
As Christians, we understand that God expects us to be obedient to his
will and that such will entail our possessing a worldview which upholds his
standards. Nevertheless, for the unregenerate, such is not the case as their
lives are predicated on a secular, or profane morality that is based entirely
on human wisdom and understanding. We might refer to those who hold such views
as “secular moralists”, or simply, “moralists”. Gail Riplinger once observed
that, “... the words moral and immoral... are an affront to God. They imply
that man himself can determine what is right and wrong. Eve became the first
moralist, as she chose to decide what is good and what is evil. Rebels, like
Eve and Lucifer seek ‘the good[2].’
Moralists always claim to adhere to ‘what is right’... because the heathen
perennially chose their mores over the laws of God.” (New Age Bible Versions,
p. 153) Profane morality is a most deceitful and dangerous enemy not simply
because it is a construct of human wisdom, but on account of its sinister,
supernatural nature.
In our lesson from Genesis, we read where Eve was beguiled by the
serpent to disobey the commandment of God by eating of the forbidden fruit. In
so doing, Eve chose to act against the expressed will of the Creator. As the
scriptures so state, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one
wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband
with her: and he did eat (3:6).
Consider her first motivation: ... the woman saw that the tree was good
for food. The appeal to our human sense of smell and taste is often the first
invitation to bring us to partake of a meal. I love the smell of good food
cooking, and when someone is grilling nearby it will stimulate my desire for
the same. There is nothing unbiblical about that because God gave us a sense of
smell to go along with our appetite for tasty foods. Still, sinful behaviors
can be masked behind a favorable sense. With the prohibition of God set aside,
Eve then relied solely upon her senses to affirm her actions and that spelled
trouble for both herself and her husband, as well as for us.
Eve’s second motivation was, ...that it was pleasant to the eyes. How
things look to us is a sense that is also not in and of itself evil. Even so,
evil things may have a pleasant appearance that will conceal their true nature.
If we are relying upon our own senses, and not upon godly discernment, we will
be tricked by the devil every time. The old saying of “all that glitters is not
gold” is apropos. The moralist will see only those things that are visible or
apparent, and will look no further. Evil is often invisible, or hidden, much as
a fowler’s trap. The bird sees only the bait, but not the snare which, when
activated, catches the hapless creature who usually ends up in a cooking pot.
Eve’s third motivation rested on the smooth and persuasive message of
the serpent: Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good
and evil (v.4b). Ergo, because it was a ...tree to be desired to make one wise
she then completed the work of sin for as the Bible says, ...she took the fruit
thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her: and he did eat.
The apostle James admonished: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away
of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (St. James 1:14-15).
How often have we succumbed to the wishes of others who were themselves
mired in sinful activities, and who desired us to join them in their rebellion
against the revealed will of God? The devil styles everything he wants us to do
in ways which have the outward appearance of being rational, self-gratifying,
worldly, in vogue, or titillating. Would you really do an evil deed if he told
you the truth about what would happen to you: that God’s judgment would come
upon you; that you might even suffer ill effects in your body; in your
relationships with others; etc.?
That’s where the moralist comes in to do his master’s bidding. As St.
Paul noted in his second epistle to the Corinthians, Satan was an angel of
light, and he still possesses the power to assume that form again as well as to
transform his disciples into faux Christians for his malignant purposes (11:13-15). Our Lord Jesus Christ said, Beware of false
prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits... (St. Matthew 7:15-16a). And, For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (St. Matthew 24:24-26).
The moralist may offer a set of ethical values which might bear some
resemblance to God’s laws, but are, in fact, merely vehicles to cloud the issue
at hand rather than affirm God’s immutable standards for living. Consider the
words of the playwright George Bernard Shaw in his Maxims For
Revolutionaries, “Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you,
their tastes may not be the same. The golden rule is that there are no golden
rules.”
Another subset of secular morality is paganism which offers a, “Do what
thou wilt, but harm no one[3]”
approach for human conduct. How nice. But if you are doing what you want apart
from God’s word, then evil is present and will endeavour to use your actions to
the detriment of not only yourself, but anyone else who might be in the way.
The drunk driver may kill himself in attempting to drive home, but he also
possesses the capacity to injure or kill others on his route. The serial
adulterer may believe that his or her conduct is not hurtful— no blood, no
mayhem, “no autopsy, no foul,” but what he or she does not realize is that
their behavior is filled with the potential for harm to others, as well as
themselves. Thus the “do what thou wilt” most of the time rules out, “but harm
no one.”
As Christians, we have to exercise proper discernment in all that we do
or say. The Bible teaches us that the carnal nature of every human being
suffers under the curse of original sin. That is what Eve and her husband brought
upon us, and the punishment for sin— any sin— is death. Her desire to be wise
and to be as a god led her away from godly obedience to become an instrument of
corruption on behalf of Satan himself. That last point is often ridiculed in
the profane media, as well as in the apostate Christianity, because as their
slate of bible authorities explain, “The devil is nowhere mentioned in
Genesis.” These so-called bible experts are loathe to admit that in two places
within the Book of Revelation (Revelation 12:9; and 20:2),
we are informed that the serpent of Genesis is Satan himself. God has cut away
his disguise, but you have to regard his word as truth before it will be
acceptable to you.
It should come as no surprise that moralists are in denial about the existence
of a personal evil. For if they ever admit that such a being does exist— one
who possesses powers beyond our comprehension, and who controls legion upon
legion of evil accomplices that are ever ready to deceive and harm us— then
that would undermine their self-serving morality.
If you accept God’s word written, then you know that there are God’s
standards for living, as well as those which the devil and his minions have
concocted. And by extension, you understand that there are only two folds in
this world: God’s fold, and the Devil’s. You cannot abide in both (I Corinthians 10:20- 22). You must make a choice between them, and
that choice will have eternal consequences.
Moralists have chosen those principles and doctrines that fit their
particular lifestyle choices. Many of them have rejected the Christian message
because it conflicts with their errant ways and views. As we read in our lesson
from Genesis, Satan wants our senses to be pleasured by our sin. He wants the
poison to taste sweet. He wants our death to God to be preferable to a life
dedicated to him. He wants our choices to trump God’s choices. And he would
have us all become like Eve— moralists in our own right. And what did Eve and
Adam extend to each of us? A curse.
So can we undo what our first parents have done unto us? Plainly
stated, we have not the capacity within ourselves to remedy our situation. The
moralist says you must do this, or that, or the other to live rightly. Sadly,
there are Christians who harbor a works-based salvation, and they too have a
list of things one must do to obtain God’s favor. The Bible says that, Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners (I St. Timothy 1:15). 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 (St. John 3:16). Jesus saith... I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (St. John 14:6). The Philippian jailer asked of the apostles
Paul and Silas, ...Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:30, 31). The apostles did not say, “You can save
yourself by your own merits,” or “You can please God by this work or that and
he will give you that saving grace.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
We who are born-again of the Holy Ghost have accepted what God has done
for us through the atoning work of our Saviour. We have accepted his free gift
to us and we follow his commandments. In order to know God, one must read his
word and prayerfully petition him daily. God wants us to know him and he wants
us to be saved from his coming wrath. When you come to know God as your
heavenly Father, you will learn that he has your best interests at heart. You
will also realize that he loved you so much that he sent his only begotten Son
to die in your place, to take your punishment for every sin you have committed
as well as that original sin with which we were all born. He has done it all so
that all you have to do is, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved.
If you have not already done so, I urge you to begin your relationship
with God today. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and trespasses in the name
of his only begotten Son. And ask him to fill you with his most holy Spirit as
well as to daily assist you in living by his standards as expressed in
Scripture. You can rest assured that he will hear you, and if you are sincere,
he will accept you into the beloved as one of his saints. Do not wait. Come to
him today.
Let us pray,
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A
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lmighty God, keep us from all false doctrine, heresy
and schism, as well as from all pagan moralizing and deception in religion; for
this we ask in the name of thy only begotten Son, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
[1]
Anselm of
Canterbury. He had to be the most
Protestant Catholic who ever lived in some important ways: he affirmed monergism, predestination,
and the substitutionary atonement.
(His Marian theology is another matter.)
[2]
For those of us who
look to scripture for guidance, consider good
is often rendered fair or fairness. You will note the word fairness
is not in the Bible, the word fair
is; however its use is as meaning beautiful, as in a fair young maiden or fair
weather. There is a reason for
this, consider it.
[3]
They don’t seem to
notice that their behavior harms themselves, thus violating the harm no one precept!
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