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᛭ INI ᛭

(5. Oops!: Obedience is not the most needed thing in the life of a Christian.)

What’s most needed in the life of a Christian? Would you say it’s obedience? “Do this;” do that. I mean that’s certainly one answer, that Christians ought to get their act together. Christians, true Christians, those with true faith in Christ, ought to behave as such! Christ does give a mandate, a command, tonight: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Christians, like Christ is, must be neighbor to all. (Lk 10) “Love your neighbor as your love yourself.” (Lev 19)

You must obey also Christ’s command (“love one another”), for “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” As Paul says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal 5) After all, “if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5) “For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1-Jn 4)

“Faith without works is dead,” (James 1) of course, but, again, what’s most needed in a Christians life? Is that obedience? No.

(4. Ugh!: What about the forgiveness of sins?)

What’s most needed in the life of a Christian? What about the forgiveness of sins? “Shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Is forgiveness what Christians, true Christians, need most?

We wonder about that sometimes, don’t we? In fact, some Christians struggle with it, especially when it comes to the Means of Grace and the Sacraments. What’s the benefit of Baptism? “The forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 2) What’s Absolution all about? Forgiveness of sins. (Jn 20) What about the Sacrament of the Altar? “For the forgiveness of sins.” (Verba Domini) What the Sermon for? “That repentance and the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in [Christ’s] name.” (Lk 24) This is where the flesh gets in the way of forgiveness.

The flesh gets in the way of forgiveness, not only because it wants to keep on sinning! The flesh gets in the way of forgiveness by creating doubt about the forgiveness. The flesh does this in two ways. The first is by letting unbelief ferment in your heart, to doubt the forgiveness of sins is actually for you. I mean, think about all that you’ve done! Look at what you still do! You want to do better, but then you don’t, or your better certainly isn’t anywhere close to being enough, let alone good enough. “The flesh wars against the Spirit.” (Gal 5)

Can you really claim that you’re forgiven? How much longer will the Lord put up with you? How long before, to use the language Laodicea in Revelation 3: “I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot… Because you are lukewarm I will spit you out of My mouth.” Backsliding Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, Saul by the Philistines, Judas as well. In fact, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, from our Old Testament were later wiped out from their sinfully arrogant behavior…

That’s one way that the flesh gets in the way of forgiveness. The other way would be to say, “Do I really need it all that much?” Self-righteousness. The flesh cries out: Why does the Lord give so much forgiveness? Isn’t there something else? (As if there’s only one benefit?) Do I really need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, have my sins absolved, listen to the preaching of forgiveness, AND the Sacrament of the Altar which delivers the forgiveness of sins? It’s all a bit too much! I can skip some of it, right?”

See how unbelief wrecks forgiveness!

(3. Aha!: THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES!)

What’s most needed in the life of a Christian? It is not for the Christian to decide or choose. It is for the Lord to decide. It’s not for the patient to prescribe the medication to treat the illness. That is for doctors to do. So also it is the Lord Christ, as the Greatest of all Physicians, who prescribes the course of treatment in the Hospice Care we call the Holy Christian Church. He also sends forth His Physician’s Assistance, His holy Apostle’s and His pastors, to deliver the proper course of treatment the forgiveness of sins. Because

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES!

Hear PA Paul: “I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1-Cor 15) Yes, for Christ was “delivered for our transgressions and raised for our justification.” (Rom 4) Indeed, “He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we would die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed,” forgiven, as PA Peter says.

But that’s not all! Because THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES, PA Paul gives a prescription, not just medical diagnosis: “I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’”

In fact, the Supper is “the medicine that gives eternal life. It is the antidote to not die but to live in <u>IHS</u> Christ forever.” (Ignatius-Ephesians 2) It is that medicine, not in addition to the forgiveness of sins, but because of the forgiveness of sins! As the Catechism teaches, “These words ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” (SC-VI) After all: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1-Cor 10)

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES, which means, there is every reason to “hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is plenteous redemption.” (Ps 130) He does not so quickly cast off. “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” (Ps 103) In fact, “the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Rom 2)

(2. The forgiveness of sins strengthens faith and creates fruit.)

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES, for with abundant forgiveness means there is abundant living in forgiveness and not in sin and unbelief and doubt. Christ’s cross and the forgiveness of sins create strong faith, and faith produces fruit. The fruit of good works, works covered in forgiveness, done in faithful obedience to God. “I’m the vine, you are the branches,” Christ says later in the upper room, for “whoever remains in Me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit.” (Jn 15) And “whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in Him.” (Jn 6)

(1. The forgiveness of sins keeps us unto the feast that never ends.)

Finally, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES, for it is the FORGIVENESS OF SINS alone, and FAITH in that FORGIVENESS OF SINS alone, that will keep us in body and soul unto life everlasting, unto the feast that never ends. For feasting with the LORD forever on His holy mountain is what it’s all about. As our Old Testament makes clear: “They saw God, and they ate and drank.” As Christ also promises: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will resurrect Him on the Last Day.” (Jn 6) Yours by faith: “Whoever believes in Me has everlasting life.” (Jn 6) Indeed it is faith which properly “discerns the Lord’s body” that it is there, and for you for the forgiveness of sins. After all, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED MOST IN THEIR LIVES, even you.

᛭ INI ᛭