Larry Devich
Monday, March 19, 2007
God is still good!
God is good! As I mentioned before my daughter has been living in a pretty messed up situation in Montana. My granddaughter has been staying with me for the last three and a half weeks while Lora attempted to get her life together. Today she called me to announce that she will be taking my advice and moving down here to stay with me for a while.
While I dearly love my daughter and granddaughter this will need to be a very temporary situation. I do need and love my privacy. :-)
So, anyone who reads this, keep us all in your prayers. I do think that God is moving in Lora's life right now, calling her back to faith in Christ, pray that she has ears to hear and listens. ¶ 3/19/2007 02:29:00 PM 0 Comments
While I dearly love my daughter and granddaughter this will need to be a very temporary situation. I do need and love my privacy. :-)
So, anyone who reads this, keep us all in your prayers. I do think that God is moving in Lora's life right now, calling her back to faith in Christ, pray that she has ears to hear and listens. ¶ 3/19/2007 02:29:00 PM 0 Comments
Monday of Lent Week 4 - Two Foci, Again, for Certain Hope
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8,9)
So far, we've raced through history, beginning at the Garden of Eden on Ash
Wednesday, ending up in heaven for eternity last Friday. The purpose has been
to rejoice that, throughout the ages, the Lord has constantly been present with
His people for their good, though He has had to hide His glory in ordinary
things—again for the good of His people.
We've also rejoiced that the Lord continues His doctrine and practice today:
He is just as present with His people in His Word and Sacraments today, until
the end. As we begin this fourth full week of Lent, we do so with an important
question: so what? Or, if you like: what does this mean?
A while back in devotions 5 and 6, we took a look at the tabernacle and its
two great centerpieces—the altar and the Most Holy Place, which meant the
twin emphases of the tabernacle were sacrifice and God's presence. We also
saw how that design pointed to Jesus.
Now, here's the thing: these are still the two foci of Christianity today. You
have the hope of eternal life because of sacrifice and presence—Christ's
sacrifice and presence. Regarding sacrifice, you have the certainty of salvation
because Jesus has done all the work to give it to you: you are saved by grace,
God's gift, not your works. Regarding presence, you have the certainty that
Jesus gives this salvation to you perfectly, because He comes to you to do so.
You hear Him say, “I baptize you” in Holy Baptism and “I forgive you” in Holy
Absolution; and you hear Him say, “Take and eat, this is My body...take and
drink, this is My blood...given for you for the forgiveness of sins” in Holy
Communion.
Sacrifice and presence—these are the core of your hope. Jesus has
sacrificed Himself for you, and now visits you with forgiveness and life.
Sadly, so much of Christendom has lost one focus or the other; and the
greatest service that Lutherans can provide to the rest of the Church is to
proclaim both unceasingly.
For example, let's take the general division of Christianity into Roman
Catholic and Protestant. Roman Catholicism still teaches that Jesus is present in
His Word and Sacraments; however, it teaches that you must earn your salvation
by your good works. But if that is so, how could you ever be sure that you had
done enough good works? How could you be sure that your good works were
good enough?
The answer, of course, is that you could never be sure: this is what terrified
Martin Luther before he found the Gospel. The Lord warns us against such
notions that our works earn His love, for three reasons. First, it's not true.
Second, it robs Jesus of glory, because it says that He needs our works to help
Him save us. Finally, though, is a consideration often overlooked: our Lord
wants us to be certain of His grace. If our works played a part, we could never
be sure we'd done enough. ¶ 3/19/2007 02:23:00 PM 0 Comments
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8,9)
So far, we've raced through history, beginning at the Garden of Eden on Ash
Wednesday, ending up in heaven for eternity last Friday. The purpose has been
to rejoice that, throughout the ages, the Lord has constantly been present with
His people for their good, though He has had to hide His glory in ordinary
things—again for the good of His people.
We've also rejoiced that the Lord continues His doctrine and practice today:
He is just as present with His people in His Word and Sacraments today, until
the end. As we begin this fourth full week of Lent, we do so with an important
question: so what? Or, if you like: what does this mean?
A while back in devotions 5 and 6, we took a look at the tabernacle and its
two great centerpieces—the altar and the Most Holy Place, which meant the
twin emphases of the tabernacle were sacrifice and God's presence. We also
saw how that design pointed to Jesus.
Now, here's the thing: these are still the two foci of Christianity today. You
have the hope of eternal life because of sacrifice and presence—Christ's
sacrifice and presence. Regarding sacrifice, you have the certainty of salvation
because Jesus has done all the work to give it to you: you are saved by grace,
God's gift, not your works. Regarding presence, you have the certainty that
Jesus gives this salvation to you perfectly, because He comes to you to do so.
You hear Him say, “I baptize you” in Holy Baptism and “I forgive you” in Holy
Absolution; and you hear Him say, “Take and eat, this is My body...take and
drink, this is My blood...given for you for the forgiveness of sins” in Holy
Communion.
Sacrifice and presence—these are the core of your hope. Jesus has
sacrificed Himself for you, and now visits you with forgiveness and life.
Sadly, so much of Christendom has lost one focus or the other; and the
greatest service that Lutherans can provide to the rest of the Church is to
proclaim both unceasingly.
For example, let's take the general division of Christianity into Roman
Catholic and Protestant. Roman Catholicism still teaches that Jesus is present in
His Word and Sacraments; however, it teaches that you must earn your salvation
by your good works. But if that is so, how could you ever be sure that you had
done enough good works? How could you be sure that your good works were
good enough?
The answer, of course, is that you could never be sure: this is what terrified
Martin Luther before he found the Gospel. The Lord warns us against such
notions that our works earn His love, for three reasons. First, it's not true.
Second, it robs Jesus of glory, because it says that He needs our works to help
Him save us. Finally, though, is a consideration often overlooked: our Lord
wants us to be certain of His grace. If our works played a part, we could never
be sure we'd done enough. ¶ 3/19/2007 02:23:00 PM 0 Comments
