Blogroll Updated

This was way overdue. I have just updating my Blogroll, as well as updating the blogs in my Google Reader account. If you happen to notice any problems, leave me a comment here.

Additionally, since I just did this nobody is allowed to delete any blogs or change their blog's address :)

Thanks.

Law and Gospel in Hosea

The book of Hosea, especially the first three chapters, constitute one of the great Gospel Symbols of the Old Testament. In these first three chapters we have the story of Hosea's family. Apart from a brief introduction in verse 1, the story starts right in with God telling Hosea to do something that must have seemed unthinkable to him. He is told “When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom.” What was this prophet of God to think of that. If a pastor in nearly any church that calls itself Christian today would go to a brothel to find his wife, I'm fairly certain that he would not be in very good standing with his congregation.

Fortunately, the LORD gives him an explanation. He continues to say: “When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." It is certainly not that the LORD simply wants Hosea to take a whore as his wife, but He wants to use this marriage of a upright man to a disdainfully sinful woman as a message to the Israelites. Just as through the sacraments, we are given a visible and tangible manifestation of the Gospel, God provided his people a visible and tangible manifestation of the Law.

The marriage of Hosea and his wife of whoredom, Gomer, was to act a a mirror of the covenant relationship between the LORD and his chosen people. Just as Gomer was unfaithful to her Husband, so God's chosen people were unfaithful to Him. The Israelites at this time were constantly looking to other Gods, especially Baal. However, it is in the New Testament that we usually talk of the church as being the Bride of Christ.

This message can certainly be applied to the church today. Although the modern Christian church is certainly not turning to Baal, it is constantly putting things above Christ and his redeeming work. Those that teach a prosperity gospel put the love of possessions, Mammon, in place of God's grace. Those that advocate a 'Decision for Christ' put their own will and works above the saving will and works of God. Those that deny the work of the Holy Spirit and the Forgiveness of sins found in the Sacraments put their own reasoning and wisdom above the direct promises of God.

These “Christian” idolatries are no less real, no less sinful and no less deserving of temporal and eternal punishment than were the idolatries of of the ancient Israelites. It is easy to look back at the Israelites and be amazed at how sinful they were. However, we are every bit as sinful and evil as they were. Just because much of the modern Christian church's sin is couched in Christian terms, or perhaps not as public as that of the ancient Israelites, does not make it any less sinful. We have no right to look back at this story as simply historical. The marriage of Hosea and Gomer is as much an indictment of us today as it is of the Ancient Israelites.

Gomer eventually left Hosea, pursuing other lovers. As unbearable as this must have been for a man of God, one of the LORD's own prophets, it is infinitely more unbearable for God to put up with our sin and rebellion against him. The LORD understand more than anyone how Hosea must feel, but at the beginning of Chapter three He tells Hosea: “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel.” The LORD tells Hosea to Love his wife. This is remarkable, I don't know if I could do it, yet this is how the LORD loves us, in spite of all our sin and rebellion.

So, Hosea goes to find his wife and not only does he love her, but he must buy her back. He redeems her from her life of sin. Even though she was not the kind of woman he would really want as his wife. Even though she had never done much right by him. He loved her, and redeemed her to be his own. This obviously parallels God's love for us. Even though we are so sinful that we constantly are putting other things in front God, even though we always look for our help and strength in other people and things, God still loves us and He still redeemed us with the Blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Even though the church is full of sinners and is not worthy to be the Bride of Christ, He loved us and chose us to be His.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

Perhaps it is just the Lutheran heritage in me talking, but I absolutely love reading Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. If I ever cannot decide what Scripture to read, I usually start with Galatians and go from there. Whenever I am tempted to doubt my faith, or look towards another, I turn to Galatians. Whenever I feel weak I turn to Galatians. Whenever I first pick up a new or unfamiliar translation, I turn to Galatians.

There is an amazing amount of material in that small book of the Bible. In those six short chapters, Paul discusses the origins of the Gospel Message, the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, The relationship between Law and Gospel, the relationship between Faith and Works, the concept of being bound to sin, and the concept of true Christian Freedom, the Fruit of the Spirit, and even a brief discourse on Christian living.

The next time you need something to read, try turning to Galatians. It shouldn't take much more than half an hour to read through carefully and still think about what you are reading. I promise you it will be well worth the time.

Heaven Is My Home

For my Grandmother, who was called to her Savior's side, and her eternal home in Heaven this past Friday.

I'm But a Stranger Here

I'm but a stranger here; Heaven is my home.
Earth is a desert drear; Heaven is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand round me on every hand
Heaven is my fatherland; Heaven is my home

What through the tempest rage, Heaven is my home.
Short is my pilgrimage, Heaven is my home.
And time's wild, wintry blast soon shall be overpast
I shall reach home at last; Heaven is my home.

There at my Savior's side; Heaven is my home
I shall be glorified; Heaven is my home.
There are the good and blest, those I love most and best.
And there I too shall rest; Heaven is my home

Therefore I murmur not; Heaven is my home.
Whate'er my earthly lot, Heaven is my home.
And I shall surely stand there at my Lord's right hand.
Heaven is my fatherland; Heaven is my home.

-Thomas R. Taylor

"Vanity of Vanities"

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
[Ecc 1:2 ESV]

What better way is there to begin a book on Human life. The NIV renders it to be 'meaningless' instead of vanities, but this is not the complete thought. Although not used commonly any more, Vanity means more than simply self centered, although self-absorption is an inseparable part of vanity.. Vanity is a labor that produces no good results. A labor that serves no purpose, a labor that will be rendered useless in the end. And this is how Solomon, likely the wisest man who has ever lived, inspired by the Holy Spirit, describes our lives and our works. They are not only meaningless and worthless, but so much so that they are called THE vanity of vanities! It does not get any worse than this. Our lives are the bottom of the barrel.

Of course when reading through the entire book of Ecclesiastes it is made quite obvious that this summary of human life applies only to the life separated from God. As true as this was in the Old Testament times, it is true for us today. It is still true today that the pursuits of wealth, pleasure, and even wisdom, when separated from faith in God, are nothing more than vanities.

In fact, anything we do, when we separate God from it, is nothing more than a vanity. This can even apply to those things that we consider to be God pleasing. When going to church becomes nothing more than a routine, or something we do to look good to others, it is a vanity. When good works are self-motivated instead of Spirit motivated, they are shallow vanities. When preaching no longer consists of the crushing law and the uplifting Gospel, it is merely a vanity. When we take credit for our conversion in anyway, it is nothing more than vanity. When we try to take the Holy Spirit out of Holy Baptism, we make it nothing more than a vanity. When we try to take Christ's Body and Blood out of the Lord's Supper, it turns into a mere remembrance meal, and nothing more than a vanity.

Every single thing that we do can become a vanity, however when we have become new creatures in Christ Jesus, these things are no longer vanities. When we are lead by the Spirit, we will produce God pleasing good works. When we are baptized, it is not a public declaration of our works, our vanities. Baptism is recognized for what it truly is, the Spirit working faith and forgiveness in us. In the Holy Supper, we do not just remember what our savior did for us, we receive it through the very Body and Blood that paid for our sins. When a pastor preaches law and Gospel, he is not simply giving us pointers for how to have an easier, happier life. He is proclaiming the very word of God through which his Spirit works.

It is terribly sad to realize that we are such dreadfully sinful creatures that we can take even God's most precious gifts to us and turn them into the very Vanity of Vanities condemned by God through Solomon. It is awful to realize the emptiness that will be a result of these vanities. It is also wonderful to see how well God takes care of us when our sin does not reduce his gifts to vanities. There are so many wonderful gifts God has given us, each one can give more blessings than we comprehend.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

We are to guard our minds against false teaching. First and foremost we need to watch out for doctrinal errors that can divert us from the true Gospel. Scripture encourages us to contend for, “The faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3 NKJ) That means the message has been around for awhile. In fact, I tell my people “If it’s new, it’s not true” – because the biblical faith we believe is the one that was handed down from “the saints.”

I was very surprised to find the Rick Warren wrote the above paragraph. The whole article can be found here. It is not great, but it is surprisingly good for Rick "Deeds not Creeds" Warren.

When Were You Saved?

“When were you saved?” I have been asked this question entirely too many times in my life. It has nearly always been from non-Lutherans of course; people I have met in school or at work. In most cases, they are looking for an answer of when I accepted Christ into my heart, or perhaps a story about answering an alter call. In any case, every time I have been asked this question, the person asking is looking for something I did. As anyone who has ever read this blog would know, this is certainly not the kind of answer they received. There is certainly no scriptural evidence for any of the types of conversion experiences they are expecting me to say. However, I have never been 100% sure how to respond to this question.

There are three answers I have at least contemplated at various stages throughout my life. The first of these answers is: “A little less than 2000 years ago when Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead.” There is really no need to explain this answer. It was on that very first Good Friday that Jesus conquered the unholy trinity of sin, death, and Satan. It was on this day that my sins were paid for. It was on this day that God himself declared “It is Finished” (John 19:30).

The previous answer is a relatively safe one, with Christians anyway (of course non-Christians would likely not ask the question in the first place). Although it is seldom (in fact it has never been as of yet) the answer that the person asking was looking for, it has never drawn serious criticism either. Most just leave it at that. The other two answers I have given have not been so well received.

The second answer I have considered for this question is “In Eternity.” Obviously, this answer is not so well received. My thoughts in this answer are based on verses such as those found in the first chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians as well as his first letter to Timothy:

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" [Eph 1:4-5 NIV]

"But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." [2Ti 1:8-9 NIV]"

Even before the beginning of time itself, I was chosen by God as one of his elect. Even in eternity, the saving Grace of Jesus Christ was mine.

The final answer given is “At my Baptism, the Holy Spirit created saving faith in my heart.” Again, this is not a popular answer. There is certainly Biblical evidence that the Holy Spirit is received through Baptism, and in that same Baptism he works saving Faith in us:

"Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." [Act 2:38 NIV]

"He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" [Tit 3:5b NIV]


Obviously, all three of these answers have some credibility, and in reality they cannot be take apart from each other. In Romans 6:23, St. Paul speaks of our salvation as a gift from God. If we think of it in this way it makes perfect sense that the three things, Election, Christ's atoning death and resurrection, and our baptism cannot be separated; in fact they are all part of the same thing, giving a gift.

If are buying a gift for someone, the very first thing we do is determine what the gift will be and who will receive it. This is exactly what God did in his eternal election. He chose the gift of salvation, and he chose us to be “adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:5). He decided in eternity to give me this gift.

After determining the gifts' nature and recipients, the next thing we do is go and purchase the gift. Just as this is our next step, it was God's also. We purchase our gifts with money, God purchased our gift of salvation “not with Gold or Silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” Jesus death on the cross was the purchase of our gift.
Finally, after we have decided on a gift and recipient, and after we have purchased the gift, we give it. As discussed before, this is exactly what God does for us in our baptism. In Baptism, as well as in the Lord's Supper, this salvation is made mine. It is in the sacraments, as well as the Word of God, that this wonderful gift of freedom from sin, death, and Satan in personalized and given to me.

Although all of these parts are necessary, I suppose that the most correct response to the question of “When were you saved?” is that each and everyone of us was saved in our baptism. The Gift may have been chosen and payed for, but in the sacrament, it is given to me.

SOLI DEO GLORIA