Duane Pirness | The Voice of Zion December 2019 -- Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Matthew 11:11–19 John the Baptist, the preparer of the way for Jesus, was in prison. He was imprisoned by Herod because he rebuked him for taking his brother’s wife. When he was in prison, he heard of the works of Christ (v. 2) and began to doubt that Jesus really was the Messiah. He wondered if they should still wait for the Messiah. John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, and Jesus replied by reminding John of the miracles that He had performed, concluding by saying that the poor have the gospel preached to them. Jesus reminded him of the work he had been sent to do, to preach the gospel of the forgiveness of sins to penitent sinners. He also assured him that whosoever is not offended in Him is blessed. The Kingdom of the Weak and Poor After Jesus sent these words of comfort and assurance to John in prison, He began to talk about John the Baptist to the multitudes gathered. Jesus said that John was that prophet of whom Malachi wrote in chapter 3, verse 1, saying that he was God’s messenger to prepare the way. Jesus testified of John that no one greater than him had been born, yet he emphasized that he who is least in the kingdom is greater than he. He explained that God’s kingdom consists of those who find themselves to be weak, poor and unworthy rather than those who are proud and mighty. God’s children depend on the merit work of Jesus for their salvation, not their own works. Jesus warned in verse 12 that throughout time, the kingdom of God has suffered violence and that the violent take the kingdom by force. Then, as now, the kingdom of God was attacked by those who consider themselves to be stronger and more powerful and to have more knowledge and understanding. They will not succeed, as God’s kingdom is for the weak, poor and lacking. These weak ones need the gospel of the forgiveness of sins continuously in their endeavor of faith. Prepare Hearts for the Coming of the Lord Jesus said that for those who receive John’s message, he is Elias who was to come. This also refers to Malachi’s prophesy, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (4:5). When the angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son, John, the angel also told him the same thing. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). Those who heeded John’s message of repentance, believed the gospel and began to follow Jesus were acceptable to God. The same is true today. Jesus warned His listeners by asking whom He could compare this generation to. He compares them to noisy children in the markets who pay no heed to anything but themselves and what interests them and pleases them. They ignore and belittle the message that comes from God’s kingdom. They also ridicule the bearer of the message, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus, however, taught, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Jesus approached and visited with the poor and unworthy, and this offended the self-righteous. We Have Peace Jesus said that wisdom is justified of her children. God’s children, who have no wisdom or understanding in themselves, depend entirely upon their Savior, who suffered and died on their behalf and took their sins upon Himself. We believe the gospel of the forgiveness of sins for our salvation. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Matthew Keranen | The Voice of Zion December 2019 -- In my living room, the Christmas tree spreads its familiar light. The tree lights are faint, like a distant inkling of those that already shine in that land of eternal joy. Their light brings to mind that light that shone from the manger. In my living room, a star-shaped lamp shines in the window. On that first Christmas night, the starlight was bright. The star of Christmas shone above the stable. Its light shone into the manger, lighting the baby’s face. But brighter still shone the light from the manger. Jesus brought light into the world’s darkness. In my mind, I hear Mary sing a lullaby. On the hay he sleeps, an innocent baby. What would I have brought him as a gift? I am too poor to bring anything but my heart. You will sprinkle grace on my pathway, I marvel. Do I hear the whisper of angel wings in the stable? Angels watch over the child of heaven with gentle love. They worship with joy. Mary picks up her baby, holds him to her chest. She has a tear in her eye. A faraway cross casts a shadow on mother and child. They will build him a cross, she thinks. Little one, are you too cold? This world is so cold. But that boy loves the world so warmly. He sleeps on, cuddled in his mother’s embrace. The Son of God sleeps. I, too, feel the warmth from the stable. My heart-frost melts. Did Mary know? I wonder. What did Mary know? Mary and Elizabeth are well-known mothers in the Bible. Bearing new life and becoming a mother is always special and precious. It was especially precious, even miraculous, on the part of these two mothers. Elizabeth was an elderly, childless woman. The angel Gabriel told her husband Zachariah in a vision that she would have a child, one who would make ready a people prepared for the Lord. When Elizabeth became pregnant, she avoided other people for five months, but she was thankful nonetheless. Some months later, the same angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would also bear a child, one who would be the Son of the Highest. Mary was chosen by God to fulfill this duty, and she obeyed God’s invitation. Mary pondered the repercussions of saying yes. She could lose Joseph, lose the respect of her family and community for carrying a child out of wedlock. Mary trusted God would take care of her. She likely knew and understood the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 7:14. In the first chapter of the Gospel According to Luke, we read how these two mothers met. The child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped. Elizabeth was joyful. She wondered aloud how she could be so fortunate that the mother of the Lord would come visit her. Both women were part of God’s salvation plan, a plan which was perhaps both thrilling and confusing. They likely had the need to be together, share experiences and discuss what was happening to them, what would happen to their foretold sons. Mary stayed with Elizabeth three months. Perhaps she was even present when John was born. The Bible tells that neighbors and cousins rejoiced when Elizabeth’s baby was born. Six months later, the time was fulfilled that the Son of the Highest should be born. Joseph and Mary were not with neighbors or cousins that night. They were alone, sleeping the night in a stable, far from home. Jesus was born. Mary pondered those words Elizabeth told her some months prior: “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). The circumstances of Jesus’ conception and birth were foretold in the Holy Writings that Mary was familiar with. The prophesies had come true, she knew. Angel Gabriel had told her many things concerning her son: “that holy thing which will be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). It is probable that Mary’s husband Joseph told her what the angel of the Lord said to him in a dream. The angel told Joseph not to hesitate in taking Mary as his wife, because the baby within her was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and that furthermore the baby Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Mary herself acknowledged in her magnificent song (Luke 1:46–55) how she would be remembered by all future generations. When Mary was in Bethlehem, caring for her newborn baby Jesus, the stable was not empty of other people for long. Soon shepherds appeared from the fields, bringing joyous news of a heavenly proclamation. They told her what they had seen and heard, how the heavenly beings had told of their Savior. They called him “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Yes, Mary knew. She was told all throughout her pregnancy and at the time of the holy birth. She believed the Word of God and its promises. The promises of salvation that God gives us are firm and everlasting. They carry us yet this Christmas and every day to come. On behalf of the LLC Publications staff, I wish you a blessed Christmas. May the light from the manger light your pathway all the way to heaven’s home!

Ron Honga | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- Olli Rantala, of Siilinjärvi, Finland, and I felt great joy after our Togo and Ghana mission trip in early October, 2019. Our dear heavenly Father had prepared hearts there to receive the precious water of life unto undying souls. We pray that the seed that is sown takes root and thrives till that day the ripened sheaves are harvested and taken to the granaries of heaven. The morning after we arrived in Lomé, Togo, we gathered at the church for a Sunday school lesson and services. My lesson from the journey of the children of Israel during the time of Moses was on quail and manna. Olli’s sermon was translated into English and Ewe. As we visited afterward with congregation members, we were told that two men who had come from Benin wished to speak to us. Seek First the Kingdom of God We met in the church with these brothers. A man named Phillipe had two questions for us: First, what is the foundation of your faith, and what temporal benefits may we have if we would join your faith? We attempted to explain that the only foundation we can have is the Lord Jesus, as Holy Scriptures explain. We also told Jesus’ words, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). It happened that Phillipe is a cousin to Nicholas Deh’s wife, whom he earlier met at a family gathering. He noticed that she was different from what he had remembered, and he asked her, “What has happened to you, Cecelia?” She was able to open her heart to him and relate of the treasure she had found, that she is now a believer in God’s kingdom and has her sins forgiven. Just One Question Before this mission trip the men had been notified of the services in Lomé. Phillipe came by motorcycle with his friend Edmond. He shared that he had been going from church to church seeking for peace but had not found it. Now sitting at services in Lomé he felt he was being drawn toward God and the congregation. We discussed with them the matters of living faith. Phillipe then had just one question: could he also receive his sins forgiven? His friend also wished to believe. These men were truly happy, and they said they would return to Benin – two and a half hours from Lomé – and speak to others of their newfound treasure. With great joy they mounted their motorcycle and waved goodbye to us. God’s Grace Reaches Those Who Wish to Believe Before we traveled to Ghana, Olli and I wanted to thank a young lady who had served us so well in the small restaurant in the hotel where we stayed. As we visited with her, Olli asked her if she knew why we were there. She had served us many mornings and evenings and had also been there when we were working on our trip reports. She acknowledged that we were on a mission trip. Olli explained that God’s kingdom is now here, and we have come to forgive people their sins. After further discussion she also wished to have her sins forgiven. One of the local brothers, Orlando, was also there and when Nicholas arrived to pick us up, the brothers spoke with her. Olli had a copy of the LLC confirmation booklet, which we left for her to read. The local brothers promised to be in contact with her. Olli and I often felt on this trip that we were sitting at the feet of Jesus learning of the matters of God’s kingdom. God’s grace truly reaches out to those who wish to believe. We can rejoice together of God’s miracles.

Raimo Österberg | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- Installment 11 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine. (Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) In all cultures, people have always sought God, for God has placed the longing for eternity in people’s hearts. The Christian Doctrine [of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland] states: God has created humans to live in His fellowship. Thus a human’s heart finds peace only in God (Christian Doctrine, item 1). In the world of our time, materialist ideas prevail, but material wellbeing is incapable of providing security to people. Even a person who is estranged from God needs something to believe in and worship. It can be a high standard of living, some ideology, one’s own body or something else. Such idols are as far removed from the living God as ancient idols made of stone, clay, wood or gold. Repentance and justification are matters of which one hears less and less spoken. In the latest [Finnish] translation of the Bible these words appear much less frequently than in the older translations. Repentance and justification, however, are core questions of Christian faith. Therefore, it is necessary to examine and study them on the basis of the Bible, Confessional writings and Luther’s writings. What kind of repentance is right according to the Bible? What kind of righteousness is acceptable before the almighty God? Can a modern human, who in his or her distress seeks God, find Him and be saved? Many people with a bothered conscience yearn for answers to these questions yet today. What Does Repentance Mean? The Finnish word parannus [repentance in English] can be understood in many ways. It can mean a physician’s intervention to heal the patient. The atmosphere at a workplace or revenue of a business can be improved. However, the Finnish word parannus is still most often understood as a concept associated with spiritual life. When Jesus began His public ministry, He said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Nonetheless, repentance according to the Bible is not a human’s work, but rather it is God’s work and His gift. True repentance occurs when God strips a person of his or her own possibilities and affects such that the person consents to accept the gospel that is offered to him or her. This is a grace gift, the grace of repentance. Jesus left His disciples the authority to forgive sins and promised, “He that heareth you heareth me” (Luke 10:16). Apostle Paul wrote, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). The Greek word for repentance means a change of mind, a change of direction in life and conversion. It is not a question of a person himself or herself correcting his or her life to be more according to God’s Word, avoiding sin and doing good works. Such an attempt only leads to self-righteousness. Instead, repentance means a complete reversal, going in the opposite direction and building on a whole new foundation. In fact, it means even more than that: new birth. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). According to the Augsburg Confession, repentance consists of two parts. The first of these is contrition, meaning terror afflicting the conscience through the knowledge of sin. One feels he or she has transgressed against God and feels that he or she has no possibility to gain peace in one’s heart on one’s own: “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4). The other part of repentance is faith, which is born of the gospel when a person hears the absolution: “Faith cometh by hearing” (Rom. 10:17). When one hears the absolution, one can trust that sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. This gives comfort to the troubled conscience, frees a person from fear and brings peace and joy into the heart. As a fruit of repentance, a life change follows: the person renounces sin. Penitence is necessary, but it in itself does not yet signify repentance. Penitence without faith is despair. Luther had experienced that in his life as well. Only when the gospel is believed is one freed from beneath one’s burden of sin and led to new life in fellowship with God and His congregation. Then the person can experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Luther described his own experience: “Under the authority of the Pope, I was a beaten-down monk and always in the greatest distress. Finally I was able to receive comfort from one brother by these very words, ‘He Himself [Christ] has offered hope. Our salvation is faith in God: why would we not trust in God, who asks and commands us to hope.’ With these words he made me alive again” (Table Talk, spring 1539). The gospel was conveyed to Lars Levi Laestadius by Milla Clemensdotter, whom Laestadius called “Mary of Lapland.” Repentance and Confession Due to the merit of Christ’s perfect atonement work, all people are born as God’s children despite the fact that they are partakers of original sin due to the fall into sin. Original sin affects such that no one can avoid sin. If the Holy Spirit is unable to care for a child’s faith in the fellowship of the congregation, sin eventually leads the child to unbelief and separation from God. God, however, can awaken such a one and through His Spirit and Word call him or her back into fellowship with Him (Christian Doctrine, item 70). According to Christian doctrine there are times in a person’s life when God is especially calling the person to Him. This is called a time of visitation (Christian Doctrine, item 68). God often calls a person in his or her youth, but He can speak to a person later as well, even into old age. Prophet Isaiah nonetheless admonishes, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near!” (Isa. 55:6). A believer knows that sin attaches. It takes the form of evil thoughts, words and deeds. Therefore the believer needs forgiveness. At times there are matters that especially weigh on the conscience. Then the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer exhorts him or her unto repentance, i.e. to mortify the deeds of the flesh in order to preserve the gift of faith in a pure conscience. This kind of repentance, in which the sin-fallen one confesses his or her transgressions to another believer and is able to hear the absolution, is called confession. It is the everyday endeavor of a Christian in fellowship with the congregation. Confession does not mean that a person should try to list all his or her sins in order to have them forgiven. Rather, confession is a grace privilege in which the most important thing is to hear the assurance of the forgiveness of sins from the confessor father. The Message of Repentance Narratives in the Bible In both the Old and New Testaments there are many examples of people who were able to experience the grace of repentance. These include a variety of different people who had grown up in different cultures and in different levels of society – from a high priest to a thief (Zech. 3:1–7; Luke 15:11–24; Luke 23:40–43; Acts 8,9). Bible narratives show that a Christian deceived by the enemy of souls can go astray to the “right” or “left” – into self-righteousness as easily as ungodliness. Repentance, meanwhile, is always God’s work. God calls and awakens a person’s conscience. He is a merciful and forgiving Father to one who acknowledges his or her sins and feels remorse over them. God has always used His servants – believing people – to help Him and deliver messages. During the Old Testament time they were often prophets who warned people of a sinful life and proclaimed the sermon of faith, the message of salvation, to remorseful listeners. When Jesus proclaimed absolution to the paralyzed man, the Pharisees said, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7). They did not understand that Jesus was the Son of God and that He had the power to forgive sins. When Jesus was rebuked for talking to sinners, He answered, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Jesus promised to give to His own the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:19). Before He ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples the duty of forgiving sins: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:22,23). Jesus’ followers are servants, whose duty is to dress the penitent sinner in the pure robe of righteousness (Luke 15:22). God gives as a gift His Holy Spirit to one who has received the grace of repentance. Then a triple joy is experienced: the person himself or herself rejoices, the angels in heaven rejoice and the congregation of God rejoices with the person (Luke 15:9,10). Paul described this God-given duty: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). He declared, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:8). A person cannot repent unless he or she hears the sermon of faith and unless God allows him or her the opportunity to receive it. Peter’s Pentecostal sermon culminated in his exhortation, “Repent!” (Acts 2:38). Paul preached at Areopagus, “God…commended all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). The Bible tells how the inhabitants of Nineveh repented when they were affected by Jonah’s sermon (Matt. 12:41). When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul realized that He had persecuted Christ in capturing Christ’s followers. Jesus Himself, however, did not justify Paul, for He had already left this duty to His disciples. Paul was freed from the shackles of unbelief and self-righteousness only after Ananias proclaimed the gospel to him (Acts 9:1–8). What Does Righteousness Mean? Righteousness is one of the most central concepts in the Bible, but also one of the most difficult. The complete meaning of the Old Testament Hebrew word cannot be expressed with any word in the Finnish language. The basic meaning of the root word is “right” or “to be right.” The particular meaning, which no synonym can replace, is “being right and innocent.” As a legal term, the word meant unconditional justice. For the accused, righteousness meant innocence. In many languages, the word righteousness is derived from that language’s word for right. However, the Finnish reader may not automatically understand that righteousness (vanhurskaus in Finnish) has anything to do with the word right (oikea in Finnish). The Finnish word vanhurskaus is a combination of the words vakaa (“steady”) and hurskaus (“piety”). So the Finnish word for righteousness is simultaneously steady (honest and trustworthy) and pious (wise and understanding). In the Old Testament time, justice was not understood to be a relative concept, but rather an absolute concept, one based on the world order ordained by God. That which is according to the mind of God is right. This is the core of the concept of righteousness. Righteousness is a basic attribute of God. He always judges correctly and is absolutely trustworthy. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright” (Ps. 11:7). Righteousness also means God’s salvation work in the life of an entire nation as well as in an individual person’s life. When He made a covenant with Abraham, God promised that Abraham’s descendants would have their own land. Because God is faithful and trustworthy in His covenant, He saved the people of Israel from Egypt and led them to the promised land of Canaan. But God’s righteousness also signifies His saving will toward all humankind. Already in paradise, God gave the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman who shall crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). A person cannot be righteous in himself or herself, but rather God can justify him or her – deem him or her righteous – because of Christ’s merit. This happens when one receives by faith the salvation prepared by Christ. Paul stated, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom. 5:18). Jesus described people who long for righteousness as blessed: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). The righteousness received as a gift from God is manifested as a mind to serve and as love toward other people. Jesus said, “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward” (Matt. 10:41). The reward of righteousness is everlasting life with God in heaven (Matt. 25:34). Four Forms of Righteousness Martin Luther explained the concept of righteousness in his commentary on Galatians. He distinguished earthly righteousness and heavenly righteousness from one another. He considered both of them necessary but emphasized that each of them must remain within its own borders. Luther identified four different forms of righteousness. These were societal righteousness, ceremonial righteousness that is based on traditions and teaching good manners, and the righteousness of the Ten Commandments, i.e. righteousness of the law. All three of these forms of righteousness require a person to be active and lead him or her to attempt to fulfill the demands of righteousness with his or her own actions. The person is subject to government, obeys the law, treats others respectfully, helps those in a weaker position and attempts in every way to live such that he or she would not transgress God’s commandments. The fourth form of righteousness according to Luther is revealed in the Bible, that righteousness that is acceptable before God. It is not active righteousness, but rather passive. Paul described it as follows, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). The righteousness of faith is the opposite of the righteousness of the law. Its basis is not human works but rather God’s grace, not the law but rather the promise of the fulfillment of the law. Christ fulfilled the law when He died as an innocent, atoning sacrifice for our sins and rose from the dead for our justification – in order to make us righteous. The righteousness prepared by Christ can only be received through faith. The psalmist marveled: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). Earthly, secular righteousness is needed for temporal life. If a person, nevertheless, attempts to reconcile with God by striving for such righteousness with his or her own works and achievements, that is self-righteousness, which God hates. How Does God Justify a Person? The core message of the Reformation was the doctrine of how God justifies humans. Luther defined this according to the Bible: by faith alone, by grace alone, for the sake of Christ alone. He based his understanding on Paul’s teachings: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Rom. 10:10), and “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 3:8). The Fourth Article of the Augsburg Confession teaches that we cannot gain righteousness before God with our own merits and works. Instead, we receive the forgiveness of sins and are justified – become righteous – by grace when we believe that Christ has suffered on our behalf and that because of Him our sins are forgiven, and as a gift we are given righteousness and eternal life. In the letter to the Romans, Paul described that God wishes to count this faith unto us as righteousness (Rom. 3–4). According to the Augsburg Confession, in the gospel God offers for Christ’s sake the forgiveness of sins and righteousness, which is received by faith. Faith is therefore something that God counts as righteousness. It is counted as ours only as a gift, and it could not be considered a gift to us if it were based on our works. By faith we are justified before God, reconciled with God and are born again. Faith holds fast to God’s grace promise and makes the heart alive. For the sake of Christ God’s wrath has abated and He is merciful to us. Free or Bound Will? According to the Bible, a person must turn, repent and return to union with God. Based on this, one could think that a person himself or herself has the possibility to make such a decision. Martin Luther disagreed with this. When he was in the monastery, he had tried to save himself by doing good works, but this led to despair. Luther experienced that the individual himself or herself has no strength to repent. The individual cannot connect with God through his or her own seeking. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, “I believe that I cannot of my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith” (Explanation of the Third Article of the Creed). Because of the fall into sin, each person inherits corrupt human will. Therefore, we can learn to know God only when He reveals Himself to us. Paul taught that through the law, a person gains knowledge of sin, but not the ability to fulfill the law (Rom. 3:20). Nonetheless God seeks people who have fallen under the power of sin. God wants people to find Him and attain rest for their souls. God’s deepest essence is love. In the 15th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells three parables of God who loves a sinful person: a shepherd leaves his flock to go search for the lost sheep, a woman looks for a coin she lost, and a father happily receives his son who wasted his inheritance. In finding God, a person is always the helpless and passive party, whereas God is the active, working party. God reveals Himself everywhere, but He justifies humans though His congregation. Jesus made His disciples fishers of people (Matt. 4:19) and described the kingdom of heaven as a net that gathers people from the sea of the world (Matt. 13:47). According to Luther, humans have free will, but their power to make decisions is bound. They are free to make choices and decisions in the matters that have been given to humans to decide. Meanwhile, humans cannot determine their own relationship with God. Humans cannot heal themselves because repentance is a change of mind in the heart in which a person receives faith as a gift. It cannot be had unless it is given. No one can believe by force (Bondage of the Will). The law accuses and condemns. It exposes sin and strips a person of his or her own possibilities. The person feels he or she should repent but is incapable of doing so. Nonetheless God wishes to give the person “slain” by the law a new life through His gospel, the preached Word. When a person receives God’s grace, he or she accepts that message by faith. The heart is comforted and filled with thankfulness, love and the hope of eternal life. Righteousness of Faith There have always been people who have attempted to obtain righteousness before God, or at least part of it, by their own efforts and endeavor. Because God’s law demands a flawless endeavor, love toward one’s neighbor and good works have become compulsory demands. Many think that when they try their best, God will certainly forgive those things in which they fail. Martin Luther made a great discovery when it opened to him what these words from the letter to the Romans mean: “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). A person is unable to fulfill the law of the Ten Commandments. But the person does not have to fulfill it because Jesus has done that on our behalf (Preface to Luther’s Latin Works). In Paul’s words, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). Even Abraham’s righteousness was not based on works, but on his faith: “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Paul explained righteousness of faith as follows: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…[thus God] declares his righteousness…he [is] just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus… therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:21–31). Significance of the Doctrine of Justification In Commentary on Galatians, Luther dealt extensively with the doctrine of justification. He showed that the congregation is born and preserved only on the basis of the correct doctrine of justification. If one rejects that, then one simultaneously rejects the entire doctrine of Christianity. There is no middle ground between righteousness through the law and gift righteousness through Christ. The difference between these two must be clearly understood and this difference needs to be emphasized to people again and again, because at the moment of death or other times the conscience is struggling, these two forms of righteousness often come close to one another. If righteousness could be attained through the law, Luther stated, Christ would have died in vain. A person who tries to become righteous by his or her merits, works or obeying the law is hypocritical. Such a person rejects and nullifies God’s grace and scorns Christ’s death, even if he or she makes claims to the opposite. According to Luther, the duty of the law is to expose sin, terrify a person and make him or her humble and thus prepare the person for justification. In this way the law drives a person to Christ, to rely on Him alone. There are two points in Christian righteousness: faith of the heart and justification by God. A person’s faith is always weak and imperfect, but for the sake of Christ God counts it as perfect righteousness. A Christian is simultaneously righteous and sinful, holy and defiled, God’s enemy and a child of God. Luther strongly criticized the Sophists of his time who tried to combine Christian faith and Greek philosophy: “Sophists force people to do good until they no longer feel sin at all.” Christians, on the other hand, needed to know that in this life it is impossible to live such that one would remain without blemish. It is important to know one’s own sinfulness, but one need not sink into despair over it. “Hurry to Christ, the Healer. He heals those distressed in heart and saves sinners. Do not listen to your rational mind’s criticism, because it will make you believe He hates sinners. Rather, kill reason and believe on Him. When you believe, you are righteous, because you give God the glory of being almighty, merciful and truthful” (Commentary on Galations 1535). A person who is afflicted and distressed by sin finds Christ in the midst of His own, in His congregation. When the disciples had gathered for the last time for the Passover meal, Jesus promised to send them a Defender (Comforter in KJV), the Spirit of truth. He continued, “I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). Jesus dwells through the Holy Spirit in the midst of His congregation. His work in the world continues in His congregation as the work of the Holy Spirit (Christian Doctrine, item 44). Jesus continues to have the grace gospel proclaimed so that people may receive the grace of repentance and the Holy Spirit and become partakers of that righteousness which is acceptable before the almighty God. Bibliography Christian Doctrine Briefly Presented. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 1948. Martin Luther Augsburg Confession. Bondage of the Will. Original work “De servo arbitrio” 1525. Commentary on Galatians. Original work “In epistolam S. Pauli ad Galatas commentarius ex praelectione D. Martini Lutheri collectus” 1535. Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin Works. Original work “Vorrede zum 1. Bande der Gesamtsausgaben seiner lateinischen Schriften” 1545. Table Talk. Original work “Tischreden. Weit Dietrichs Nachschriften. Frühjahr 1533.” Small Catechism. Kristinoppi lyhyesti esitettynä. Suomen evankelisluterilainen kirkko 1948. Aho, Teuvo. Löytäjän ilo. – Armon voimin. SRK:n vuosikirja 1995. Jussila, Heikki. Elämän ihme. SRK 1974. Kallunki, Hannu. Kadonneet tahdon etsiä, eksyneet tuoda takaisin, haavoitetut sitoa. – Palveleva rakkaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2008. Kinnunen Pekka et al. Raamatusta en luovu. Martti Luther ihmisenä ja uskonpuhdistajana. SRK 2017. Kiviranta, Jorma. Vapauteen Kristus vapautti meidät. SRK 2008. Paananen, Antti. Onko meillä vapaus valita. – Kristityn vapaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2014. Palola, Jukka. Vanhurskautta, oikeutta vai uskollisuutta. Helsingin yliopisto 2011. Reinikainen, Erkki. Näin on kirjoitettu. SRK 1986. Seppänen Markku. Jumalan hyvyys kutsuu parannukseen. – Suurin on rakkaus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2015. Särkiniemi Seppo. Sanan valkeus. – Rauhaan ja vapauteen. SRK:n vuosikirja 1997. Uljas, Juhani. Peltoon kätketty aarre. SRK 2000. Voittonen, Olavi. Parannus on mielenmuutos. – Jumalan huoneen ihanuus. SRK:n vuosikirja 2002.

Dean Simonson | The Voice of Zion January 2020 -- O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. – Psalm 71:17,18 In this psalm, the writer reflects on the trials of the journey. He expresses his hope in the power of the Lord. He praises and thanks God for His goodness and protection. With these thoughts and reflections he has written the words of our selected text, “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth.” This statement is true for a childhood believer. The teaching of God’s Word begins in the home. As little children, we learn the ABCs of faith. These same teachings are reinforced in Sunday school and at services. As we advance in years, we remember those teachings and how they have been the foundation for our life of faith. This is a special memory that one has of growing up in a believing home. We remember how parents and other older believers talked of the way and the journey and instructed us about putting sin away. A believing family lives what they believe. The teachings of faith are current day to day and moment to moment. The most important lesson was that Jesus died for our sins and we are thus able to believe our sins forgiven in His name and blood. “And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.” The teachings from childhood develop into a life of service to God. The fear of God and the desire to reach heaven lead one to travel in faith, putting sin away as it attaches. We wish to share our own personal joy of believing. This joy can be passed to our children and friends. When we are given teaching duties, what better way to teach than to confess that which we believe? We can serve with joy, knowing that God has saved us through His Son. “Now when I am old and greyheaded, O God forsake me not.” How is it for one who grows old and greyheaded? The desire to reach heaven remains strong, but the battle to remain in faith does not diminish with age. The enemy works diligently to draw weary travelers away from God’s kingdom. The way to heaven can become more difficult. Trials grow heavy. As the psalmist pleads, “O God, forsake me not.” Be assured that God hears your prayers! Even in old age, God does not forget His own. He has allowed for congregational activities to flourish – services, camps, time for visiting and discussions. He has given us precious escorts in our lives, including some in the same stage of life who share similar life experiences, joys and trials of the journey. Elders may be tempted to ask, “What use do I have in this life anymore?” and “Why does God keep me here?” It is good to remember that our lives are always in the hand of God. He has a purpose for each and every life that He has blessed into this world. For some, that purpose is fulfilled at a far younger age. For others, the years stretch on, even to a point of feebleness and infirmity. One may begin to question what value he or she has in this world anymore. “Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Our text reminds us of God’s purpose for the elderly. It is the duty of elders to teach the younger generation of God’s goodness and mercy. They can recall from their own life experiences how God has guided the way and how His blessing has been shown. The elders in God’s kingdom are a valuable sounding board for those with questions or those who are troubled and need to speak of the way and the journey. Because of their experience in life and faith, elders can serve as a voice of calm and peace in the discussions of the congregation – a voice that is often needed to temper the excitement, impulsiveness and even impatience of a younger member. The elders are an example to the young of how God’s protection remains over us throughout our lives. The hope of heaven is with us as long as we travel under the gospel of Christ. Dear elderly readers, be encouraged by the promises of God that He has not forgotten you. “But the very hairs of your head are numbered” (Matt. 10:30). When the last day comes, a believer personally hears Jesus’ call, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).

Pekka Tervo | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- Installment 12 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine. (Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) Faith is not a human work but rather a gift from God. At its core, it is trust in God’s Word and a source of strength for one’s whole life. Without faith it is impossible to be acceptable to God. As owners of faith we feel in our hearts righteousness, peace and joy, but also weakness of faith, temptations and oppression (Christian Doctrine, item 84). We are sinful but at the same time we are righteous. The Bible describes the fruits of faith that through the Holy Spirit are visible in a Christian’s life. When we read or hear these descriptions, we feel like we lack these fruits and we long for the comfort of the gospel. Faith needs care. Only by faith of the heart will we one day reach heaven. Fruits of Faith Jesus compared Himself to a vine, the branches of which are cared for by His Father. He urged His followers to remain as living branches in the vine because otherwise a branch cannot bear fruit. A tree is known by its fruits: a good tree brings forth good fruit (John 15:1–8). Living faith is followed by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22,23). Hope is also a fruit of faith. Love, joy and peace are the first fruits that are visible in the life of a person that has received the gift of faith (Acts 16:33,34). Love Love is the greatest fruit of the Spirit. The 13th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians is called a song in praise of love. According to this passage, even great gifts are nothing without love. Love remains even when all the other gifts cease to be. True love is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from faith, a fruit that comes from God. The lack of love is a sign that a person is not righteous (1 John 4:7,8). God’s love came to earth in Jesus Christ, so that no one would perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Savior taught that love born of faith is that by which His disciples are known here on earth (John 13:34,35). Jesus Himself gave an example of ministering in love by washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:4,5). As partakers of righteousness of faith we feel love for our heavenly Father, who has taken us as His children, and for our friends in faith, who are owners of the same gift. This wondrous bond connects us to each other. We believe the same way, we experience brotherly, mutual love and we wish to support each other on the way to heaven. We are neither strangers nor foreigners, but rather one big family of God’s children (Eph. 2:19). Jesus taught us to love all people, even our enemies (Matt. 5:38–48). Being affected by heavenly love, we wish all people could partake of God’s grace and the gift of righteousness. Therefore, through our behavior, speech and our entire lives we wish to convey to them the call to God’s kingdom. As humans prone to sin, we are all of equal value before God. We are saved only by faith, by grace and for the sake of Christ. Joy The gospel is a message of joy to us all the days and moments of our life. We have especially experienced it in the hearing of God’s Word and when forgiveness is preached to us. Joy has filled the heart. Already in paradise God proclaimed to the sin-fallen human pair the message of joy regarding the seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:14,15). Prophet Isaiah prophesied of a time when God would give great joy and jubilation (Isa. 9:1,2). On the first Christmas, God’s promises were fulfilled. The Savior preached the gospel of the kingdom, called people to repentance and forgave the sins of those who were remorseful. He urged His followers to rejoice above all because their own names are written in heaven (Luke 10:17–20). When we are inspired by the love of God, we rejoice over our loved ones, friends and other believers – our brothers and sisters. Paul called the fellow congregation members his joy and his crown and encouraged them, “Rejoice in the Lord always…Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:1,4,6). God’s congregation rejoices over every lost sheep that is found, and the angels of heaven join in that joy (Luke 15:5–7,15). Sin and trials can take away the joy of believing. However, we should still rejoice even when we have to suffer for faith’s sake (Matt. 16:24). They who sow with tears can joyfully reap; once in heaven we shall rejoice and exult unceasingly (1 Pet. 4:12,13). Peace Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John 14:27). Living faith brings into the heart that peace of God which surpasses understanding. No one can achieve such peace through his or her own efforts, because true peace is based on having been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1). In opening prayers at services we often pray that that peace would protect our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:7). We wish to be peacemakers and express that with our speech and our lives, for the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace (James 3:18). Despite having peace in our hearts, we are personally and collectively as God’s people always battling. We have three enemies: the devil, the world and our own corrupt nature. We wish to fight against these with the power of God and God-given war weapons. On the other hand, we have always been taught in Christianity that we would not purposely seek to create conflict or cause unrest. Jesus instructed His followers to maintain mutual peace (John 13:35). Paul instructs us to do what we can to live peaceably with all others (Rom. 12:18). Our personal battle ends only when our life ends in faith. Once in heaven we will not even remember that we have ever been at war. Hope Hope of heaven is our life’s steadfast and sure anchor. We are not drifting with the wind, for hope encourages us to look forward to where Jesus has gone. Hope is something that we cannot see, and therefore we must be patient (Heb. 6:11,12). Living hope is based on the fact that God will once awaken us from the dead, as He has raised His dear Son (1 Cor. 6:14). Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope on grace offered through Christ (1 Pet. 1:13). The foundation of God’s Word stands fast. When one who has fallen into unbelief believes sins forgiven in the gospel of the kingdom, his or her heart is filled with peace and the living hope of heaven (1 Pet. 1:3,4). A person who has hope in Christ wants to battle against sin and travel with God’s children. That hope is fulfilled once in heaven’s glory where we will see the fount of love face to face (Heb. 6:19). Trust According to the Bible, faith is a firm trust in that which is hoped for (Heb. 11:1). As owners of faith, we carry in our hearts the testimony of the Holy Spirit that we are God’s children, our sins are forgiven and we will reach heaven one day. We have received all of this as a gift through faith, by the grace of God and for the sake of our Savior’s atonement work – through no merit of our own. Trusting in and knowing God’s grace personally brings us joy and happiness. We feel gratitude toward God. We wish all people could become owners of this same gift, but it is impossible for one who relies on his or her own works to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25). God speaks to people in many ways but especially through His Word written by believing people as inspired by the Holy Spirit (Christian Doctrine, items 5 and 6). The Bible is the highest authority of faith and life and its promises are trustworthy and sure: “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee” (Isa. 54:10). Faith is born and refreshed in the hearing of God’s Word. The heavenly Father knows all and like children we can trust that the Holy Spirit opens the written biblical Word according to the listeners’ needs. Although we experience God’s peace and the joy of believing, our lives are mainly a daily endeavor that in addition to reasons for joy includes temptations, trials and sorrow. Amidst those things, we need to trust in God’s guidance, assistance and strength. The apostle encourages us that we may in prayer, supplication and thanksgiving leave all our needs to God (Phil. 4:6). We have to ask: Lord, increase our faith! Maintaining mutual trust among believers is especially important in the work of God’s kingdom. This strengthens mutual love and wards off the attacks of the enemy of souls. Caring for Faith God guides the phases of nations and an individual person’s life, but caring for one’s faith life is each individual’s personal matter. God works in us and gives us the will and the strength to do so (Phil. 2:13). The teacher of a believing person is not the law, but rather God’s wholesome grace, which instructs us to abandon ungodliness and to live in this world in accordance with God’s will (Titus 2:11,12). Christian doctrine instructs us to diligently read and hear God’s Word, partake of the communion, pray and maintain fellowship with believing friends (Christian Doctrine, item 77). We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). The voice of the Good Shepherd is heard there where the Holy Spirit opens the message of the Bible, i.e. in His congregation. The fellowship of the congregation means that we would “not despise preaching and His Word, but deem it holy, and willingly hear and learn it” (Small Catechism, explanation of the Third Commandment). The services of God’s children are important to us for there we hear God’s voice and the gospel of forgiveness frees our conscience of unnecessary burdens. Among the believers we also find our closest escorts, with whom we can share life’s worries and joys. We also hear the voice of God in our conscience. It demands that we do that which we know is right and forbids us from doing that which we know is wrong (Christian Doctrine, item 16). The conscience must nonetheless be bound to God’s Word and the instructions of the Holy Spirit based on God’s Word which are heard in God’s congregation. Otherwise the voice of the conscience will not guide us to do right. Faith is preserved in a good and unharmed conscience, but a neglected conscience and living a sinful life cause faith to become shipwrecked (1 Tim. 1:5,19). Caring for faith also includes the grace privilege of confession. We can tell of those sins, deeds and neglect that weigh on us to a trustworthy brother or sister, who preaches our sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Peace returns to the conscience. We are believers both before and after confession, but we wish to lay aside that which besets us so we would not tire on the journey (Heb. 12:1). It is also good to offload those burdens that make our journey slow even when it is not a question of sin. It is important to keep a connection with the congregation where God cares for His children with grace and truth (Heb. 10:24,25). To support the endeavor in faith, God has given His own spiritual weapons with which we can deflect the enemy’s attacks. The most important protective equipment is the shield of faith which protects us from the enemy’s fiery, wounding arrows (Eph. 6:10–17). Spiritual weaponry is intended for protection; only the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is a weapon of battle. It is necessary to read and know the Bible, for there we find weapons against the enemy of souls, the world and our own temptations. Jesus also deflected the devil’s temptations with God’s Word (Matt. 4:1–11). One cannot, however, gain faith by reading. The sacraments – baptism and communion – strengthen faith but do not give birth to faith. According to Christian Doctrine, the sacraments are sacred acts of the congregation, which Jesus Himself has established. He Himself is present in them and distributes His grace to us by visible elements (item 56). God has given us the sacraments as reminders of His promises. When faith clings to God’s promise, the sacrament supports and strengthens faith. The sacraments are necessary for us to support us in our endeavor. In baptism, God takes a child into a covenant of good conscience (1 Pet. 3:21). Jesus teaches, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). A person is saved by faith, and by the faith of a child even an unbaptized baby is heaven-acceptable. However, contempt for the sacrament and leaving a baby unbaptized is against the Word of God. After baptism the important duty of the parents and loved ones – the baptismal instruction – begins, in order to preserve the child in the care of the Savior and His congregation. We wish to go to the Lord’s Holy Supper with believing hearts, encouraging one another with the gospel. Communion has been given to us to strengthen our faith. It is meant to be partaken of often (1 Cor. 11:26). According to the Small Catechism, proper partaking of communion requires a believing heart. In prayer we can tell God our matters, ask for His blessing for ourselves and others and also thank Him. The Savior comfortingly stated that the heavenly Father knows all our needs even before we have asked for them (Matt. 6:8). The Bible encourages us to be diligent and persevere in praying and to pray even for our enemies (Matt. 5:44). In prayers of intercession we remember our loved ones and when we embark on a difficult task we ask for our friends to pray for us. God hears all our prayers, but He answers them in His own way and in His own time (Christian Doctrine, item 81). He does not justify anyone in prayer. Obedience of Faith Faith of the heart causes one to be obedient to the Word of God, the voice of one’s conscience and God’s congregation. Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope on grace merited by Christ “as obedient children” (1 Pet. 1:14). There is no true faith without obedience. Obedience of faith is obedience to the truth, for Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). The Savior prayed to the Father that His own would be preserved in the truth (John 17:17). God expects obedience of a person (Phil. 2:5–8). Abraham was obedient to God’s call and trusted in His promise. He was righteous, meaning acceptable to God, through faith, but by his works his faith was made complete. His works showed that he was righteous (Heb. 11:8; James 2:21–24). As a result of the fall into sin, human will is turned toward evil and a person attempts to trust his or her own reason and understanding. Disobedience is a sin against God. It hardens the conscience and separates a person from God and His congregation. A sobering example of this is King Saul, who acted against God’s will and refused to admit his deed, but rather defended it and tried to pass blame on others. He was rejected by God (1 Sam. 15). Faith joins a person as a member to God’s congregation. The congregation has great significance in helping the person remain righteous. According to Paul, God’s congregation is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). This means that the congregation must always hold forth the truths of God’s Word and base its instruction on them. Our rational minds battle against the will of God, but faith enables the understanding that in the instruction and advice of the congregation is heard the voice of God and Holy Spirit, a voice which it pays to obey. When a person obeys God, God’s blessings follow. Bibliography Christian Doctrine Briefly Presented. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 1948. Luther, Martin. Small Catechism.

Laura and Eldon Pirness | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- At our wedding sixteen years ago, we started a guest book. In preparing to write this article, we looked through it. Smiles came to our faces as we remembered the fellowship and visits we have had with so many loved ones and friends. As we read each entry, it was almost as if each person materialized around us making up a “cloud of witnesses.” We felt again that fellowship with all those who have visited us. What a gift and a treasure! One in Fellowship and Christ What is fellowship? One dictionary definition says it is a group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim, or a company of equals or friends. And what does unity mean? Definitions say it is “the quality or state of not being multiple” and “continuity without deviation or change as in purpose or action.” These definitions also apply to us, God’s children. Our shared activities support us in our journey toward our final goal of heaven. The teachings of God’s kingdom are based on “the old paths” (Jer. 6:16), on the unchanging truths and teachings of Jesus Christ. We gather to listen to God’s Word to gain strength on our earthly journey. We meet to teach and to learn, to build and maintain our spaces for gathering and for worship, to care for one another. All of these activities bring us together in a physical sense. But in working, listening, singing, celebrating, grieving, visiting and worshiping, we get to know one another from the heart. God’s spirit in us answers one to another. We are a level-headed flock where one is not above another, and we have fellowship with Jesus Christ. “And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). How can we have this close fellowship with each other and even with Jesus Christ? How can we have unity? Forgive One Another In the same chapter of 1 John, it says: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (verse 7). We need to put sin away with the gospel so that our burdens are lifted and our journey made lighter. Believing this saving gospel is the cement that holds us together. Jesus gave an example of this forgiveness when He forgave the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee (Luke 7:37–50). She was a great sinner in human eyes, but she loved much, having been forgiven much. When we also forgive one another, we feel that same love. The bond between us strengthens and we feel united and as one in Christ. God’s Word Instructs Scripture includes warnings about the danger of fellowship between those who walk in the light and those in darkness. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). A believer is not on the same path as one who does not own living faith. If we were to have regular fellowship or associate often with such a one, it could happen that their way of thinking might start to look logical or right. If we begin to see matters of salvation in the same way as they do, it should be a warning to us to seek out the fellowship of the believers before we become shipwrecked in our faith. These days it is possible to look for and find information on any topic. How easy it could be to follow our own reasoning in matters relating to faith and salvation! We need the guidance of God’s Word and the encouragement of our escorts in faith to help us stay on the narrow way. In Ecclesiastes, it says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (4:9,10). We cannot forgive our own sins. May we keep our consciences clean and our hearts humble, so we don’t lose sight of the light coming from God’s kingdom! Escorts in Faith, a Treasure Through Christ’s merit work we have the gift of the gospel, the healing power that can repair broken love and our own faults and sins. We need unity and we can enjoy unity and fellowship together as we journey and wait for the day when we can shed this mortal body and meet our loved ones and our Lord and Savior in heaven. Small Gestures Mean a Lot Leah Roiko | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- Can a single person who lives away from other believers also experience unity and fellowship with God’s kingdom and other believers? What helps this person to feel the love and unity of God’s children? In considering these questions, I recalled a time when I was living and working away from a congregation of believers. It was almost time for the store to close when a believing mother with her children came in to buy groceries. I was working the evening shift, ready to go home after a busy day. We happened to see each other and though we weren’t previously acquainted, she took time to stop and visit with me. The mother said that she also knew how important visits from other believers were when she was living far away. Our brief conversation reminded me of the love that believers have for each other. Even small gestures can mean a lot to a fellow traveler. It’s good to encourage those that are making travels through remote areas to visit local believers as they are able. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). Remembered in Prayer Marijo Roiko | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- A snowy weekend in Grand Forks, North Dakota is not an unusual event, though it can be disappointing when I had hoped to make the four-hour drive to visit family and friends in Minnesota and attend services. Instead, I’m at home in my apartment with a cup of coffee listening to services online, watching the wind blow snow in huge drifts across my patio, grateful I’m safe and warm. The minister’s voice speaks familiar words of prayer, adding, “We also remember those who cannot be with us this morning due to health concerns or their temporal calling.” I have also sat in church, hearing similar words of prayer and thought of my own friends and family members who were unable to make it to services. It feels good to be remembered. Even though I live alone in a far-off place, I know I’m not forgotten. Brief visits with other believers passing through town and calls or text messages asking when I will be in Minnesota again remind me of the love that God’s children have for each other. The moment of our parting brings sorrow to our hearts; to earthly duties calling each one of us departs. We cannot be together though we desire to be; beyond the grave, however, each other we will see (SHZ 215:1,3). A Good Place to Be Josh Fuller | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- The beautiful part about God’s kingdom for me is that here a sinful one can be cared for. I have been able to experience this over and over again. I fall and God cares for me through my escorts. Just think, nowhere else in this world can this happen but here in the kingdom of God. We are so fortunate to have escorts in faith who can preach the forgiveness of sins to us. Through believing this gospel, we have peace with God and remain in the unity of the congregation. It is my desire to stay in the center of the flock and go to where the believers gather. For many, attending services means that we have a desire to hear the Word of God. Some also go for the fellowship, or someone may even be searching for the kingdom of God. Notice and Welcome Others At services or at congregational events, we may often see a new face, someone who might not be so familiar to us. Perhaps he or she is a believer from another congregation, or maybe one who is searching for God’s kingdom. It could be one who has recently received the grace to have their sins forgiven. In such times it can be easy for us to just go our own way, in our own routine that is comfortable to us. But could this cause us to miss an opportunity to welcome someone in what may be an uncomfortable place for them, or to help someone in a time of need? Have you recently noticed or reached out to a visitor in your congregation? At these times you might notice: are they connecting with others or do they appear lost in the crowd of people and don’t know where to turn? A simple welcome and greeting of God’s Peace can instantly make another feel at home in a new place. Noticing and welcoming a lonely one can also help to draw him or her closer to the center of the flock. There are times when I have felt lost and doubts have come. It’s easy to wonder: am I still believing, do I belong here? I have felt comforted when others have reached out to me. God knows what each of us needs to continue on this narrow way. We are so fortunate to have escorts in faith who help us get to heaven. Discussion Points 1. How can helping someone in practical matters bring fellowship and lead to being an escort in faith? 2. Can gossip turn small matters into large matters and bring disunity among believing friends? How can this happen and how can we help remedy the situation? 3. Think about a particularly difficult time in your life, or of helping someone through one. Share how you experienced fellowship and unity during that time. 4. Share the joys of unity and fellowship you have experienced in God’s kingdom.

Becca Edwards | The Voice of Zion February 2020 -- “Can we do it again next week?” the ninth-grader enthusiastically replied when I asked him how his teaching session went. Since kids often learn best when engaged in interactive activities, what better way to get a hands-on experience than to have our ninth-grade students teach kindergartners and first graders! At the same time, this could teach our teenage students valuable lessons: be role models to the younger ones, have opportunity to learn and study God’s Word from a teacher’s perspective, and ultimately prepare them to become active members of the congregation. “Can we do it again next week?” the ninth-grader enthusiastically replied when I asked him how his teaching session went. Since kids often learn best when engaged in interactive activities, what better way to get a hands-on experience than to have our ninth-grade students teach kindergartners and first graders! At the same time, this could teach our teenage students valuable lessons: be role models to the younger ones, have opportunity to learn and study God’s Word from a teacher’s perspective, and ultimately prepare them to become active members of the congregation. In November, students in the Rockford, Minn. congregation took on a Sunday school teacher’s role and taught a lesson to the kindergarten and first grade classes. The kindergarten lesson focused on prayer with the story of Jonah and the whale, while the first-grade lesson was based on thankfulness and the story of Noah. It was a beautiful scene to see ninth-graders animatedly use the gifts and talents they received from our Heavenly Father to plan, create and teach their lessons led by the same Spirit that unites us all. Those that taught said the smaller students were observant and wanted to listen and participate. Student Teachers Tell How Their Lessons Went: Kate L.: I taught a kindergarten class. It was fun and different than a normal Sunday school class. These little kindergartners are just learning these stories and are interested in them. I would like to do it again sometime. Abby O.: I taught kindergarten and really enjoyed it. I learned that small kids are attentive and excited to learn. Claire H.: I taught kindergarten. It was cool to reverse my role for a day and teach instead of learning. I could see the story from a young child’s point of view. Erica F.: I taught first grade. I enjoyed being able to talk to the students and see what they think of the story. I looked at the story differently and didn’t just listen and forget. Sydney M.: Teaching first graders was fun, I would love to do it again. I learned that they’re very smart and fun to talk to. Damon A.: First graders are good listeners. One student asked, “How many of each kind of animal went on Noah’s ark?” A follow-up question was: “Were they boys or girls?” Elle K.: I taught first graders about thankfulness. It was really fun to teach them, I learned that they’re really smart and funny. It was a learning experience for me too. With cheerful hearts and minds, may we all learn from our Sunday school students to serve God’s kingdom by using the gifts He has given us and be willing workers in His congregation. A child often teaches us, how we should be believing. A small one playing has the care of angel hosts unsleeping (SHZ 558:1).

Pauli Kivioja | The Voice of Zion March 2020 -- Installment 13 of 20, translated from the book Christ Is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever: Writings on the Basics of Faith and Doctrine. (Ed. Ari-Pekka Palola, SRK, 2018) The Word and the Sacraments According to Lutheran understanding, the Word and sacraments are instruments of grace and God's special revelation. The instruments of grace are in this order, Word and sacraments, because it is God's Word that makes the water, the bread and the wine into sacraments. God wants to interact with humans through the Word and sacraments. This means the same as saying that God reveals Himself in Christ. Christ comes to us and into us in the Word and sacraments - His instruments of grace. The Bible reveals that in the time of both the Old and New Testaments God has given His Word and confirmed it with visible signs. God promised Noah that He would no longer destroy humanity by flood, and as a sign of this promise He gave the rainbow. The Lord counted Abraham as righteous and gave him circumcision as a sign of the righteousness of faith. The sacrifices of the patriarchs were also, in Luther’s opinion, such visible signs. Thus the main elements of the patriarchs’ worship were, according to Luther, largely the same as today: preaching the name of the Lord (the sermon), calling for help in the name of the Lord (prayer) and the sacrifice (sacrament). The Lutheran church has two sacraments, baptism and communion. They have been instituted by Christ Himself. Luther adhered to Church Father Augustine’s definition according to which the sacrament consists of the Word and the elements with which the word combines. God’s Word is efficacious in both the audible and visible word. Sermon of the Word As important as the Bible was to Luther, he mentioned the proclaimed word as the true church’s most important attribute: “The gospel is a cry of God’s grace that echoes throughout the world.” The Holy Spirit sanctifies the congregation with the Word. The Word is preached, believed and confessed and believers live according to the Word. In the Word, Christ himself comes into a believer’s heart and unites the believer unto himself. He makes a happy exchange with the sinner: He gives the sinner His own righteousness and takes his or her sins on Himself. As Luther noted, “Only in the holy Word of God, the Gospel of Christ can the soul live, be justified and have Christian freedom…let us therefore hold it for certain that the soul can do without everything except the Word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided for” (On the Freedom of a Christian). According to Luther, God’s Word and God’s people are inextricably linked: “God’s Word cannot be present without God’s people, and God’s people cannot be without God’s Word. Who would preach or listen to preaching if no people of God were there? And what could or would God’s people believe if God’s Word were not there? This is the thing that does all miracles, sets everything to rights, upholds everything and accomplishes everything” (On the Councils and Churches). Jesus Himself preached of the approaching of God’s kingdom, repentance and the gospel. He also sent His disciples to preach repentance and the remission of sins (Luke 24:47). God’s Word and the sermon of the Word are both the law and the gospel. Both of them must be preached because there are two kinds of listeners (The Law and the Gospel). God’s Word must be distributed correctly: there must be a differentiation between the law and the gospel. The true distributor of the actual Word is the Holy Spirit. A minister does not always even know his listeners let alone see into their hearts. But when the Holy Spirit distributes the Word, each person gets precisely that portion that belongs to him or her. Unbelievers receive the threat of the law, in which case they either repent or harden themselves even more. Believers as well as those souls, who the law awakens, who are remorseful and long for grace, receive in the Word the comfort of the gospel unto their salvation. In the hearing of the Word, the differentiation between the law and gospel actually happens in people’s hearts. The Holy Spirit works through the sermon and impresses the Word into one’s heart. He is the One who gives birth to faith by and through the Word. Baptism Baptism is based on Jesus’ Mission Command and Jesus’ own baptism in the River Jordan (Matt. 3:13–17; 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16). In the mission Jesus gave, the proclamation of the gospel and baptism were closely tied together. The practice was that they who believed were usually baptized immediately after conversion. Baptism joins with the promise of salvation, which requires faith: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). The sacrament of baptism is received by faith. Faith saves without baptism, if the sacrament is not available. Meanwhile despising baptism is contrary to God’s Word. The Gift of Baptism In the sacrament of baptism, God calls everyone by name to be His own. The significance of baptism is not dependent on us, for faith and baptism are God’s work in us. In baptism we are received into the fellowship of Christ and the Christian teachings of His congregation. We also become members of the Christian church. The apostles in their letters emphasized the significance of baptism in addition to faith. Paul noted, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26,27). Peter, in turn, explained, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptizing unto Death and Resurrection Baptism signifies death and resurrections: immersion in water signifies death and lifting one from the water signifies life. God joins us in unity with Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, not only into his prophetical teaching office, but also into the high priesthood to sacrifice himself as an innocent sin offering. He was baptized into death, which we deserved (Col. 2:12). The foundation for our baptism is the baptismal commandment given by Christ (Matt. 28:18–20). For Christians, baptism signifies the daily death of the old person and daily resurrection of the new person. Its significance is not only momentary. We have been baptized once, but we fulfill our baptism every day in our endeavor, in undressing the old person and in preserving a good conscience. This means that God has made a covenant of good conscience with us (1 Pet. 3:21). The foundation of the baptismal covenant is Christ’s resurrection. Paul explained, “So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3,4). Infant Baptism Nowadays most baptisms are infant baptisms. The New Testament does not specifically mention infant baptisms, but it does mention that the apostles baptized whole families. As Adam’s heir, even a small child carries original sin and thus is not without sin in and of himself or herself. However, the new Adam’s – Christ’s – redemption work applies to all humankind, even children who are examples of a Christian. Jesus Himself said that children believe in Him (Matt. 18:6). A child’s faith is not conscious in the same way as an adult’s faith is, but the child does have faith and trust in God. For example, in his Commentary on Genesis, Luther clearly states that he believes that God in His goodness saves infants who die unbaptized. He recalled David’s child, who died before he was circumcised. David said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23). Already during the time of the early church, it was taught that the significance of baptism does not depend on the one performing it. Baptism need not and must not be renewed. On God’s part the covenant of baptism is in effect once a person is baptized. Repentance means a return to the covenant of baptism. One who repents need not be baptized again if he or she has already been baptized. The Augsburg Confession instructs: “For those who have fallen after Baptism, there is remission of sins whenever they are converted and…the Church ought to impart absolution to those thus returning to repentance” (Augsburg Confession, Article XII). Communion Communion is not just any meal in remembrance of Jesus and His disciples, but rather it is the meal in remembrance of His death. In Luther’s opinion, in the Bible the topic of communion is discussed clearly only in the gospel narratives (Matt. 2:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:19–22) and in the first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11:20–34). The Words of Institution Open the Significance of Communion According to Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul, Jesus gave the entire sacrament, the bread and wine, to all His disciples: “Take, eat,” and “Drink ye all of it.” Communion is thus intended in both forms for all believers. Christ died on behalf of all and shed His blood for all. The Communion words of institution became the most important source of Lutheran communion theology. The words differ slightly in different places in the Bible. In Luther’s Small Catechism they are as follows: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake it and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take eat; this is My Body, which is given for you; this do, in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to His disciples saying, Drink ye all of it; This cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: This do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The Lutheran concept of communion is characterized by the understanding that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine. After the words of institution are read, the bread and wine are still bread and wine; however, they are not solely bread and wine but also Christ’s body and blood. This real presence can be simply believed based on the words of Christ without any philosophical pondering on the essence and characteristics of the bread and wine. According to Luther, the words of Christ are as powerful as the words of creation. The Small Catechism defines the Sacrament of the Altar. It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. In the Reformed Church, communion is merely a meal of remembrance. They do not acknowledge the true presence of Christ in the bread and wine, but rather only Christ’s spiritual presence in the whole communion event. Luther opposed Ulrich Zwingli and stood by the words, “This bread is my body.” Thereby the bread does not merely signify the body of Christ but it truly is the body of Christ. Communion is a mystery (cf. the Greek word mysterion), and it remains as such to carnal mind. But it is intended to strengthen weak faith. For Christians it is nourishment on the journey, and it has great significance in soul care in different situations in life. Christ’s real presence in the communion elements could be described as Christ Himself laying his pierced hands upon us. The Meal of the New Covenant What does the new covenant that Jesus mentioned mean? The letters to the Romans, Galatians and Hebrews also speak of a new covenant, a new testament. In his writings, Luther equated the testament to a promise. It is a promise that includes the death of the promise-giver. The testament of Christ is described in all of God’s promises since the beginning of the world. All the previous promises are included in the new promise, which has been fulfilled in Christ. God has made a testament, so He had to die. He could not do that without becoming a human, i.e. without His incarnation. The word testament encompasses both the incarnation and death of God. In the words of institution for communion, there is the same new covenant promise. The body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine are the sign and remembrance of this promise. Because God’s promise can only be received in faith, communion is also received properly and worthily only in faith. In the Catholic Church, communion is understood as a sacrifice a person gives to God. Christ, however, is not sacrificed again in communion, but rather He has already sacrificed himself once and for all. A person cannot make agreements with or work with God in any way besides believing in Him. Partaking in communion does not give birth to faith. One can, though, partake in communion improperly. This is what happens when one partakes in communion without faith in Christ. The Power of the Keys The concept of power of the keys actually means the authority to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven. This is a duty of service because Christ did not appoint powers, rulers or governments in the church, but rather duties of service. The power of the keys is based on the words of Jesus to Peter and all the disciples: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19). “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18). “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23). Luther discussed in detail the use of the keys of loosing and binding in his book A Treatise upon the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, also called more succinctly The Keys. I will examine the subject on the basis of that book. Luther defined the keys: “They are an office, a power or command given by God through Christ to all of Christendom for the retaining and remitting of the sins of men…[The keys’] true significance consists only in binding and loosing from sin. It means to ban and to absolve from the same, to excommunicate and to release from excommunication. For thus Christ speaks of it, and he gives the keys for that purpose” (The Keys). The keys are “a public mark and holy possession, whereby the Holy Ghost imparts holiness anew to fallen sinners. And those who will not be converted nor made holy again are to be cast out of this holy people; that is they are to be bound and excluded by means of the keys” (On the Councils and Churches). The Power of the Keys and the Sermon of God’s Word According to Luther, the power of the keys is both public and private. It exists especially for those who have fallen into sin. Luther conceptually separated the power of the keys from the general sermon, the general gospel. It is not, however separate from or superior to the message of the gospel, but rather it is a special way of using the gospel. According to the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, “The power of the keys administers and presents the Gospel through absolution, which is the true voice of the gospel” (Article XII). In absolution, the message of grace and forgiveness is directed at the person individually. Luther explained, “The office of preaching is to proclaim the opening of the gates of heaven to all. But the keys of St. Peter only apply to some, namely to sinners… We want only the common teaching-key. For those who sin we want to have and keep the true keys that bind or loose…For he who does not sin (but who does not?), or insofar as he does not sin, has the common gospel. But he who does sin also has the keys beside the gospel” (The Keys). The duty of the key of binding isto show the sinner his or her sins by exhorting him or her to fear God and compelling him or her to penitence. Meanwhile, the key of loosing encourages one to receive grace and mercy; it comforts and promises eternal life and salvation through the forgiveness of sins. Luther used the Latin name executores for the keys: they are the institutors and executors of the gospel. The keys do not command or exhort to do any works, rather they either remit sins or retain them. Use of the loosening key brings a penitent sinner into the fellowship of God’s grace: “Rely on the words of Christ and be assured that God has no other way to forgive sins than through the spoken Word, as he has commanded us. If you do not look for forgiveness through the Word, you will gape toward heaven in vain for grace, or (as they say), for a sense of inner forgiveness” (The Keys). The Keys and the Congregation The power of the keys is one sign of the Christian congregation. Luther explained: “Now wherever you see the sins of some persons forgiven and of others retained, publicly or privately, know that God’s people is there. For if God’s people is not there, the keys are not there; and if the keys are not there, God’s people is not there” (On the Councils and Churches). So Luther joined the keys to God’s congregation in addition to the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. God functions through His congregation; He remits and retains sins. The use of the keys has great significance in soul care. Christ did not give His keys to His congregation to harm it or burden it, but rather in order to benefit and aid the congregation. Luther stated, “A Christian is often so weak and timid that he or she is not comforted only by the general gospel but needs private absolution.” Using the key of binding seems harsh, but it also protects the congregation. Luther explained: “There are among Christians some uncouth and rude people with arrogant hearts who would grant to pious persons no rest or peace unless the key which binds is present with its rod...Therefore, the strong key which binds is for the pious Christians a great consolation, protection, defense, and fortress against evil people. Also, it serves as a wholesome medicine and has a beneficial effect on evil persons, although it is terrifying and annoying to the flesh. For this reason we should value dearly from the depth of our heart these two keys as indescribably precious treasures and jewels for our souls” (The Keys). Binding a sinner into his or her sin seems unloving, but its ultimate purpose is to liberate the sinner so that he or she could be free from sin. That is why the keys are called the keys of the kingdom of heaven and not the keys of perdition. Because it is a question of reaching heaven, the keys must contain within them Christ’s blood, death and resurrection, by which He has opened heaven for us. The office of the keys is a high, divine office that grants souls righteousness through the forgiveness of sins. Use of the Keys Instructions for the correct use of the keys is given in a Bible portion called the Church Law of Christ (Matt. 18:15–18). This Christ-given order must be followed. Luther explained, “How then shall we proceed to use the keys rightly so that what is done is valid in God’s eyes? In Matt. 18[:15–17], you have a definite text in which Christ himself describes the office of the keys. You cannot go wrong if you follow his instructions. But if you do not, and instead take a novel and peculiar path of your own, you can be sure that you will err and that you are not in possession of the true keys” (The Keys). Especially in the case of binding it is important to proceed according to the Christ-given order: “In the biblical passage you hear that we must deal with certain public sins, committed by persons who are known, and with cases where one brother sees another commit sin. Furthermore such sins are supposed to have been punished first in a brotherly manner, and finally established as such by the whole congregation” (The Keys). Luther strongly criticized the practice whereby the Pope could ban or excommunicate a person with a papal bull (public decree). The congregation must not be bypassed: “I call it a devil’s and not God’s ban, contrary to Christ’s command, when people are cursed with the ban sacrilegiously, before they have been convicted in the presence of the assembled congregation… I am saying all this for the sake of the congregation. In dealing with one of its members who is under the ban it should be sure of the reason it thinks him to be deserving of excommunication as the words of Christ in our text direct. Otherwise the congregation might be deceived in imposing a ban which is false, thereby dealing with a neighbor unjustly” (The Keys). Luther further illustrated this matter with Paul’s example. Although Paul was an apostle, he did not want to take it upon himself to ban from the congregation a man who lived with his stepmother contrary to God’s Word. Rather, Paul left the matter for the congregation to take care of (The Keys; 1 Cor. 5:1,4). No individual can bind a Christian who is in the fellowship of the congregation, because said individual may err. Use of the key of binding must proceed according to the Church Law of Christ. The keys are closely connected to God’s Word, so they must be used only in accordance with God’s Word. “Truly where the Word of God is not found the keys do not remain either. The keys want to be where God’s Word and the church are, or else they are no keys” (The Keys). The prerequisite for binding is that actual sins, sins contrary to God’s Word, have been committed: “The real Keys [the Keys of Christ and His Church] do not concern themselves either with imaginary sins and virtues as do the last two keys [the pope’s keys]” (The Keys). The effectiveness of the keys is not determined by the sinner’s penitence. Human remorse is always imperfect. The forgiveness of sins is always pure grace of God based on Christ and His work. “You should, indeed, repent. But to make repentance the basis of the forgiveness of your sins and of corroborating the work of the keys, is to abandon faith and deny Christ. By means of the key, he will forgive your sins, not for your own sake but for his own name’s sake, out of pure grace” (The Keys). General Priesthood and Special Office Luther rejected the notion that ordination into priesthood was a sacrament. He lamented that this understanding had caused an irreconcilable conflict to separate ordained ministers and lay ministers from one another. According to Luther, all Christians are priests in like manner and the office is given to some only with the consent of others. He referred to Peter’s words stating that all Christians are partakers of the royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). “Therefore we are all priests, as many of us as are Christians. But the priests, as we call them, are ministers chosen from among us, who do all that they do in our name. And the priesthood is nothing but a ministry, as we learn from 1 Corinthians 4:1, ‘Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God’” (On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church). Luther considered preaching the priest’s most important duty. They are called pastors (shepherds) because they are to shepherd or teach the congregants. The office of the priest is to preach, to serve with the Word. As such, it is a valuable task. The priesthood is serving with the word of the gospel, not with the word of the law. Luther meant by this that the gospel is the main message which the priest must preach; the law is subject to the gospel. According to Lutheran confessional writings, the office of teaching the gospel and distributing the sacraments is given to the congregation. Each Christian has an equal right to the Word and sacraments, but it is not right for anyone to use this power publicly except as called by the congregation. The entire congregation is thus the spiritual priesthood and it as an entity bears responsibility for spreading the gospel. This is also the basis for installing a servant of the Word. The preacher is chosen, called and sent by the congregation. Two Meanings of the General Priesthood The concept of general priesthood appears in Luther’s writings in two different meanings. It first appeared in his criticism of the Catholic doctrine that a mass is a sacrifice and of the Catholic understanding of the priesthood. Luther considered the Catholic notion, according to which the priest’s most important duty was to daily sacrifice Christ as an atonement sacrifice on behalf of the living and dead, an abomination and a mockery of Christ’s already completed sacrifice (The Misuse of the Mass). The Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament was abolished when Christ fulfilled His atonement work. Christ is the High Priest of the New Testament. According to the New Testament, all Christians are part of Christ’s priesthood. There is no longer a special sacrificial priesthood. Every Christian as a partaker in the royal priesthood has a duty to thank, pray and preach of Christ, who has saved him or her. At the same time, Luther made it clear that there must be order in the congregation. Men who are capable of the task must be called to serve with the Word and sacraments. The congregation cannot live without God’s Word. If it does not have actual preachers and priests, it can call and install such individuals that are able to serve with the Word of God (Letter to the Bohemian Brethren). In its other meaning, the concept of general priesthood appears in the understanding that a Christian is a priest in all that he or she does because he or she is by faith a partaker in Christ’s priesthood. The general priesthood is practiced in everyday life, each one in his or her own calling. The Christian considers his or her daily work as a duty given by God, a calling, in which faith praises God and helps one’s neighbor with good works. A calling is a priestly function in which one brings an offering of thanksgiving to God and an offering of love to one’s neighbor and all this is done voluntarily in faith. All of this service is laborious, but one mustn’t shirk the cross of one’s calling, for the cross is that which makes the calling a true priestly sacrificial worship. Luther’s view of everyday life has a bright, bold and cheerful tone. In this view, a free person lives his or her everyday life and performs priestly duties in his or her calling, free from the guilt of sin and a bad conscience as well as all attempts to attain salvation through his or her own works. In Christ he or she has received by grace as a gift all that he or she needs to gain eternal life. Bibliography Luther, Martin Augsburg Confession. Commentary on Genesis. Original work ”In primum librum Mose enarrationes” 1535–. Concerning the Ministry. Original work ”De instituendis ministris Ecclesiae” 1523. Defense of the Augsburg Confession. The Law and the Gospel. Martin Luther’s First Antinomian Disputation. Original work "Die erste Disputation gegen die Antinomer” 1537. The Misuse of the Mass. Original work ”Vom Missbrauch der Messe” 1521. On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Original work ”De captivitate Babylonica ecclesiae praeludium” 1520. On the Councils and Churches. Original work ”Von den Konziliis und Kirchen” 1539. On the Freedom of a Christian. Original work ”Von Freiheit eines Christenmenschen” 1520. Preface to the New Testament. Original work ” Das newe Testament Deutzsch. Vorrede” 1522. Small Catechism. A Treatise upon the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Original work ”Von den Schlüsseln” 1530. Prenter Regin. Uskonpuhdistaja Martti Luther. Kirjaneliö 1982. Wisløff Carl Fr. Tätä Luther opetti. Suomen Raamattuopisto 1985.

The Voice of Zion March 2020 -- The way doth lead to perfect bliss, but a way of pain it is – refrain from SHZ 77. We are living the time of Lent. Lent is a time of preparing for Good Friday and Easter, just as Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas. Before Easter comes, we live the holy week, when we observe Christ’s suffering and the path He trod as He bore His cross to Golgotha. Easter begins on the morning of Easter Sunday, when we celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Our Christian faith is based on Jesus’ redemptive work and resurrection. Easter, the celebration of that resurrection, is Christianity’s oldest and most important holy day. As regards the religious holidays we observe in modern-day life, it appears Christmas has outpaced Easter as a holiday in society and perhaps even in our midst. Why is this so? Christmas is a festival of light and joy during the darkest time of the year. We gladly celebrate the innocent Infant, the fact that He was born so He could save us. We recall the dramatic birth in a barn, the celestial news-bringers, the shepherds, the star, the Magi. We sing, we light candles, we host a host of festivities, we exchange gifts, all to symbolize the arrival of light into this dark world, the greatest gift from God. Meanwhile, Christ’s suffering, His bloody brow, the stripes beaten into His back, the nails pounded through His extremities and His lonely death in agony on the cross are moments that are hard to celebrate and emulate with festive symbols. Furthermore, we know we must acknowledge on a personal level that it was I who caused that pain and suffering. Jesus died because I cannot live without sin. Perhaps this is one thing that has diminished for many people the importance of the greatest Christian holy day: they do not wish to be reminded of sin and its consequences. It may be easy to embrace angel-song, starlight and a newborn baby. But pain, blood and death are not so easy to embrace. We can comprehend a human birth, but a foretold death and especially rising from the dead are things that surpass our human comprehension. Fortunately, we do not need to choose between these two periods of time in our church calendar. There could be no Easter without Christmas, and without Easter, Christmas would have no meaning: we would have no reason to celebrate the birth of Him who was born to save us if that salvation didn’t happen. Without birth and life, there is no death. And without Christ’s death, there would be no resurrection, no eternal life. Easter and Christmas are inseparably intertwined. Both are parts of God’s salvation plan. Easter is the center of our church calendar, a holiday from which we count days and weeks forward and backward. It encompasses the deepest, most profound message of Christianity: Christ’s resurrection from the dead. God raised Christ from the dead to complete the redemption of all the world. In doing so, He made us righteous, heaven-acceptable. He opened the way to eternal life. Apostle Paul summarized the significance of Easter when he wrote that our preaching and our faith would be in vain had Christ not risen from the dead (1 Cor. 15:14). It is therefore fitting and proper that in these days and weeks leading up to Easter, we pause and quietly reflect on what Christ has done for us: had He not died and risen from the dead, we would have no hope of heaven. May we remember this and observe this in our individual lives and when we gather with others. Bible texts, other Christian writings and beautiful songs and hymns of the season can all help bring us closer in our hearts and minds to the events leading to Easter. In reflection and prayer, we can travel with Christ, step by step, as He lived the final excruciating days of His life. We can feel an inkling of the bitter feeling of being completely alone and rejected by God that Christ needed to suffer in order to atone our sin. And we can remember the glory of Christ’s victory over death! Easter, like Christmas, is a celebration of joy and light. Christ went to heaven in glory and left us with His testament: the Holy Spirit and the living gospel, which sustains us as we await His second coming, and which gives us hope of eternal life thereafter. Each of us can believe that the heavenly gifts Christ earned for me are mine when I believe that they are true for me personally. No matter the depth of our sorrow over our sins, we yet fall, again and again. Easter offers the weary, sin-fallen one a place of rest and comfort. We can lift our gaze from our own sinfulness unto the righteousness that God prepared. Like doubting Thomas, we too this Easter can rest in the company of our Savior, who comes to us in His Spirit and in His Word. We can feel refreshed and strengthened in faith and acknowledge: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Your soul has received from His loving gaze the warmth and the splendor of heaven’s rays and the Sabbath’s eternal peace (SHZ 99:3).