Here at St. Peter this weekend, we had the opportunity to bid farewell and Godspeed to a faithful pastor of this congregation for over 18 years, Pastor Rob Kasper. In his final sermon to us, Pastor Kasper urged us to understand our identity as the people of God and to live in the proper "therefore."
"Therefore" is a significant word in the Scriptures, setting us up to understand a present reality made possible by a truth that is already established and accomplished. Because we are simultaneously saints and sinners, we live in a couple "therefores" at the same time:
We live in the "therefore" of death. That is the message of God's just law. Sinners do not go unpunished. Perhaps in this life there is a measure that people get away with, but that will not be the reality forever. Paul says clearly in Romans 6, "The wages of sin is death." We are sinners - therefore, we have a justly given death sentence for our rebellion against the Creator of all life. But the grave is not the only place where this condition of ours makes itself known. Sin doesn't always kill us all at once - sometimes it takes its time, because in taking its time, it has a better chance to infect and destroy the relationships we have with those around us.
However, we live in a better, more glorious "therefore" because we are God's saints, His chosen holy ones because of Jesus: we live in the "therefore" of life. This was the "therefore" that Pastor Kasper had us dwell in and consider this weekend. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This "therefore" is an admonition to confident trust in the Lord and to diligent service in His name, but it is true for us only because we have a Lord who has proven Himself forever faithful and trustworthy by means of His resurrection from the dead (the context of 1 Corinthians 15).
As you read and consider the "therefores" of Scripture, remember the promises of God for you made sure in Christ - He is the Truth who ushers you into a better "therefore."
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
What flows forth?
During my recent time in Proverbs 15, I was struck by the language Solomon uses for describing the conversations of the wicked and foolish. "The mouth of the fool gushes folly" (v. 2). "The mouth of the fool feeds on folly" (v. 14)."The mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (v. 28). In contrast, the righteous are described as being measured and temperate in their use of words.
Are you ever tempted to "gush" forth your opinion before thinking through what you are going to say? Do you ever "feed on" the folly of other people's opinions without thinking critically and asking the question, "How does that argument hold up against God's revelation in the Word?"
I am thankful that God has blessed me, generally, with the sense to measure my words before I speak. Frankly, I am convinced that no one would benefit from my "gushing forth" my stream of consciousness. With so many avenues for communication today, many feel they have license to share every inmost thought they have with the world. Some thoughts are worthy - many are not. Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Though God is sanctifying me by His Spirit, the old man still manages to stir up the crud in my rebellious heart. With that stirring comes the temptation to speak unworthy words - hurtful, cynical words. "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers..." (15:28).
Good communication is a gift from God. May He bless us with a godly "filter," so that our communication will be a blessing to our neighbor.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Proverbs and Natural Law
Happy Monday again!
I continue my journey through Proverbs this week. As I have breached into the Proverbs "proper," starting with chapter 10, I have become familiar again with Solomon's pattern, at least a great deal of the time. "The righteous (conduct themselves in this way), but the evil (conduct themselves in a way that leads to their own destruction)." Obviously, I am generalizing. But with this pattern comes a question: Are these divine promises, or are they more like general principles that hold mostly true?
I would tend to lean toward the latter definition rather than the former. We can all likely cite examples where a child of God experiences disaster and an evil person seems to be prospering. In the resurrection, this will no longer be. But even now, even though there are exceptions from time to time, we can see the truthfulness of Solomon's words. I believe this is the case because we live in God's creation, and even though it is broken by the curse of sin, it still testifies to God's natural (built-in) law. Dr. Joel Biermann at Concordia Seminary provides a very helpful discussion of natural law in Session 2 of the Lutheran Hour Ministries video study "Who Am I? What Am I Doing Here?" As Dr. Biermann points out in the video, God doesn't have to cast lightning bolts from the heavens to smite evil-doers - they're often already built into the creation itself. Follow the design of the Creator as He intended, and life tends to work out better. Go against His design, and you will experience the pain that naturally comes with living out of sync with His will for creation. Consider, as an example, human sexuality. Within the marriage relationship, its exercise is a powerful force to draw husband and wife together as each seeks to selflessly love the other. Outside of those boundaries, it produces all kinds of consequences - shallow relationships, loss of personal dignity, stress, broken homes, disease, and even death.
The Proverbs aren't divine mandates in the same way as the 10 Commandments. And they aren't a roadmap to salvation in that they don't explicitly proclaim Christ's work for us. But they are invaluable as they remind the people of God (and all people) that we are God's creatures living in His creation, where His will ought to be done. As recipients of Christ's saving work and His life-giving Spirit, we are empowered to live as the creatures God always intended us to be - fearing, loving, and trusting Him above all things.
I continue my journey through Proverbs this week. As I have breached into the Proverbs "proper," starting with chapter 10, I have become familiar again with Solomon's pattern, at least a great deal of the time. "The righteous (conduct themselves in this way), but the evil (conduct themselves in a way that leads to their own destruction)." Obviously, I am generalizing. But with this pattern comes a question: Are these divine promises, or are they more like general principles that hold mostly true?
I would tend to lean toward the latter definition rather than the former. We can all likely cite examples where a child of God experiences disaster and an evil person seems to be prospering. In the resurrection, this will no longer be. But even now, even though there are exceptions from time to time, we can see the truthfulness of Solomon's words. I believe this is the case because we live in God's creation, and even though it is broken by the curse of sin, it still testifies to God's natural (built-in) law. Dr. Joel Biermann at Concordia Seminary provides a very helpful discussion of natural law in Session 2 of the Lutheran Hour Ministries video study "Who Am I? What Am I Doing Here?" As Dr. Biermann points out in the video, God doesn't have to cast lightning bolts from the heavens to smite evil-doers - they're often already built into the creation itself. Follow the design of the Creator as He intended, and life tends to work out better. Go against His design, and you will experience the pain that naturally comes with living out of sync with His will for creation. Consider, as an example, human sexuality. Within the marriage relationship, its exercise is a powerful force to draw husband and wife together as each seeks to selflessly love the other. Outside of those boundaries, it produces all kinds of consequences - shallow relationships, loss of personal dignity, stress, broken homes, disease, and even death.
The Proverbs aren't divine mandates in the same way as the 10 Commandments. And they aren't a roadmap to salvation in that they don't explicitly proclaim Christ's work for us. But they are invaluable as they remind the people of God (and all people) that we are God's creatures living in His creation, where His will ought to be done. As recipients of Christ's saving work and His life-giving Spirit, we are empowered to live as the creatures God always intended us to be - fearing, loving, and trusting Him above all things.
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