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John Stewart | 2013 LLC Summer Services - Youth Presentation - July 6 -- “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Proverbs 3:11-12) There is an oft-quoted saying about the multitude of religions or faiths in the world that goes something like this: “All paths lead to the same destination”. The thought behind the quote is that it doesn’t matter what faith a person chooses in this life because all religions lead to heaven or to some common ending. The Bible, however, teaches quite differently. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6). He also taught: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33). From a Christian standpoint, I think many listeners would raise their hand if I asked how many here have had an experience where a friend or acquaintance asked this type of question: “What’s different about the way you believe compared to the way I believe?” It’s a basic question, but it doesn’t usually seem easy to answer because we tend to feel that our own understanding is lacking, we naturally want avoid controversy, and we don’t particularly want to offend other people. Yet the Bible itself, regardless of our shallow understanding, does characterize God’s kingdom as spiritually separate and different from all other faiths and groups on earth. For example, in Leviticus, one of the first five books in the Bible, God spoke to Moses this way: "… I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people… And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine” (Lev 20:24, 26). Jesus himself spoke of only one flock, saying: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). This overriding and recurring Biblical theme about God’s Children being separate from all other tribes and nations presents a powerful, long-standing image of the uniqueness and solitary nature of God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit’s presence teaching and guiding the believers in God’s kingdom makes manifest many differences between the Kingdom and the world. For this introduction, I will mention three basic, scriptural aspects or characteristics that separate God’s kingdom from other faiths: 1. Our comprehension of the nature of God’s kingdom on earth. What is the kingdom like? Where is it found? God’s kingdom on earth and its very nature as a spiritual kingdom can’t be comprehended through human intellect, nor can it be seen with temporal eyesight, but only through the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom 14:17). 2. The preaching of the gospel of the forgiveness of sins – our comprehension of how and by what power the preaching of the living gospel takes place. Apostle John described how the resurrected Jesus conferred on His disciples the power to forgive sins: “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, 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 20:21-23). Through the power of the Holy Spirit the believer preaches the life-giving gospel to others. 3. Our comprehension that God’s children have a special love and care for each other. Apostle John wrote about the relationship between believers: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:11, 16). Could there be a loftier description of the love between believers? John further explained: “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him” (1 John 3:18-19). In considering the love of Christ “one to another”, the full meaning of a familiar verse is revealed: “… 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” (1 John 1:7). Of all things that silhouette the difference between God’s kingdom and other faiths, Jesus taught, in the waning moments of His temporal life, that the love between believers is a key characteristic of His followers. This third item noted above – that God’s children have a special love one to another – is the focus of this introduction. By This Shall All Men Know As Christians, we endeavor to extend the love of Christ to all, even our enemies. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matt 5:44). When Christ teaches to love one another (even our enemies) He is not referring to the natural love that exists, for example, between family members and other loved ones. Jesus explained: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matt 5:46). We comprehend therefore, that Jesus is referring to a love and concern especially for the soul of all others. Furthermore, Jesus etched an especially beautiful picture to specifically describe the relationship of one believer to another. He told His own: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). This teaching of Jesus was included in His final words to His disciples before He suffered on the cross. Watchers on Zion’s Walls In our time and society, mankind focuses more than ever on individuality – on “doing your own thing”. To a certain extent the modern cultural mindset is basically that it’s nobody else’s business what you or I do in life, or how we conduct ourselves, or what things we become involved in. Large sectors or elements of society have even forgotten the importance, the obligation or even the rights of parents to teach long-standing, Biblically-based moral truths to our children. How much more neglected and overlooked is the Christian obligation to take care of one another in our experiences and phases of life? Furthermore, according to the Bible, it’s not only parents who have an obligation to care for children, but each child of God has an obligation through the love of Christ to care one for another. Consider the Old Testament teaching of God to the prophet Ezekiel: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek 3:17-19). The Voice of the Good Shepherd The voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is heard in the love and care extended from one believer to another. Love and care toward another believer through the Holy Spirit is tenderhearted and longsuffering. In a recent Paivamies editorial, the writer related of a friend who had been jogging during a trip in a foreign country. This friend had jogged several times past a field where a flock of sheep grazed and each time the runner had approached this certain pasture, the sheep would hear and see him coming and then quickly move further away and scatter. Then one time the jogger took his run past the same field later in the evening as it became dark, and he was puzzled that the sheep remained calm and held peacefully together. Only as he came very close to the sheep did he realized that nearby, not visible in the dark, but softly singing to the flock in a trusted, familiar voice sat a shepherd. The sheep were comforted and calm, whereas previously without the reassuring voice of the shepherd they had been frightened even in the daylight. The voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, likewise is comforting, patient, kind and reassuring. At the same time, however, the Good Shepherd is not neglectful to provide care to those he loves. As people we carry corruption. For example, perhaps we feel faulty in ourselves and weak in even approaching another believer to care for their undying soul. But through the Love of Christ, we’re constrained to care one for another, and in doing so, pray not only for words, but also for the love and patience of the Good Shepherd. In His great love Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, which would teach the believers in all things – even until the end of the world. He said …” the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). As part of its teaching, the Holy Spirit reveals to the believers those things that are dangerous to our faith life. There’s comfort in knowing and in believing that the Holy Spirit will guide even in our time. No wonder Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Comforter”! It is with great purpose that the Bible doesn’t offer salvation based on following a list of do’s and don’ts, but rather by faith alone. That is specifically why Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, which teaches in the congregation and guides on the way to heaven. To show the importance of taking care one of another – in particular where personal offense has occurred – Jesus left touching and clear instruction. He taught: “… if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matt 18:15-17). Even in situations where personal offense has occurred Jesus didn’t mandate a set timeframe. We comprehend that Jesus’ instruction is based on care, compassion and above all, love in the hope and prayer that the fallen can comprehend his/her condition and take care of the matter. From the standpoint of the caregiver it is good to remember Apostle Paul’s teaching where he explains that we don’t come with a rule/regulation, or with a heavy hand, but in low esteem. He wrote: “but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil 2:3). “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Rom 12:16). It is important to mention regarding matters of personal offense that we clearly see from Jesus’ teaching that a public forum such as a congregational meeting isn’t the first place to approach one who has caused offense, but it’s the last place. The overriding issue is that through the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ the caregiver offers to help and free one who has stumbled on the journey. On the other hand, when something is wrong in the faith life of an individual – when accumulated sin and love of the world have darkened the conscience – one begins to despise the loving instruction of the kingdom. With a hardened conscience and the love of the world the teaching of the Holy Spirit begins to appear as rules or, for example, as a list of man-made “do’s and don’ts”. Whom the Lord Loveth He Chasteneth In the book, The Treasure Hidden in the Field, Juhani Uljas wrote: “Faith is being in the righteousness of Christ and living in forgiveness every moment. We endeavor to preserve this treasure.”(i) Nonetheless, in everyday life we experience sin and so often feel it pressing on the conscience. The Bible teaches that, if left uncared for, sin can accumulate and ultimately cause one to lose faith. James wrote this way: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:13). For that reason Apostle Paul encouraged a young man named Timothy this way: “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1 Tim 1:18-19). Care and love through the Holy Spirit, like that shown by Paul toward Timothy, is an earmark of living Christianity. i Uljas, Juhani. The Treasure Hidden in a Field, p. 79. I think you’ve experienced, as I also have, that when we’ve received instruction, which often can be difficult to hear, we’ve had to pray that we would still be able to hearken to the loving voice of the Good Shepherd. The writer of Hebrews explained this way: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Heb 12: 11-13). The writer also said in the same connection: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Heb 12:5-7). As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten Apostle Paul, realizing that his young co-worker Timothy would experience many trials in life as a vineyard-worker gave important and prophetical instruction. He wrote to Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Tim 4:2-3). It’s quite clear what has taken place historically leading all the way up to our own time. We see the results of what occurs when, rather than living faith, man’s own reason governs – a countless multitude of heresies has resulted. In closing, it’s also worth considering what God revealed to Apostle John as part of the final book in the Bible, when John was held prisoner on the island of Patmos: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev 3:19-22). Discussion Questions: 1.In considering the everyday lives of young believers today, how does the following Bible verse relate to the discussion topic? “He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray” (Prov 5:23). 2.Can you think of examples in your life how the love of Christ has helped guide your footsteps? 3.What do you think God wanted to teach about the Kingdom and our responsibilities to other believers, when He spoke to Ezekiel about the importance of being a “watchman”? “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek 3:17-19). 4. What did Apostle Paul mean in his second letter to Timothy when he wrote: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Tim 4:2-3).

Keijo Nissila | 2014 LLC Phoenix Winter Services - Congregation & Youth Evening - February 21 -- The Bible's examination of the relationship between faith and reason (Heb. 11:1–3) Introduction How do faith and reason relate to one another? As Christians we often experience that reason positions itself against faith—and faith against reason. We very often experience the affects of reason quite negatively. We know however that in everyday life, at home, at school, in studies, and in work the use of reason is not only permitted but unavoidable. We need good sense or as it's called in Finland common sense or horse sense. How do faith and reason relate to one another? We will approach this problem from the perspective of the entity of faith. We ask: What is living Christian faith? How does faith function and operate? 1. Regarding the Entity of Faith The Letter to the Hebrews defines faith: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1) Two issues belong to the entity of faith: Faith hopes and faith sees. A Christian's hope is based on the promises given by God's Word. Faith points forward. Hope carries from this life to eternal life. We have strength to continue in the tribulations of the times when the hope of everlasting life lives in our faith. This hope possesses the gift of eternal life already here and now and carries us over tribulations in this life. A child's faith operates in hope. For example, when Christmas was still far ahead, small children lived in anticipation of Christmas. They believed that Christmas would come. They lived in hope. They lived the reality of Christmas beforehand. This hope gave their life light through the entire dark fall. A Christian lives in anticipation of eternal Christmas—in faith and hope. Faith is a hope that is aimed at the invisible world. Faith is convinced that the invisible world is real, for faith "sees the invisible," as Hebrews says (11:27). The eye of faith reaches beyond the time of this sad world and sees the joy of heaven. For this reason hope, which possesses eternal life as a most precious treasure already here and now, is kindled in the heart. This hope gives strength to move past the difficult issues of this life. According to Hebrews, we have hope "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus" (Heb. 6:19, 20). When we have been anchored in faith and hope in the promises of God's Word, we have already been attached to the shore of salvation. We will not drift off course with the currents of the time (Heb. 2:1). 2. Faith Helps Us to Understand "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11:3). Hebrews opens the relationship between faith and reason: "Through faith we understand." [With the help of faith we understand.] Reason is not the antithesis (or opposite) of faith. Reason [here] is an adjective that describes faith. Faith is the main word. One of faith's attributes is understanding. Faith helps to understand matters of the visible world. Faith understands that "things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Reason has use in the visible world, that is, in the matters of temporal life. 3. Reason in the Service of Faith Faith belongs to a Christian's relationship with God, reason to the relationship with neighbors. Faith is God's gift for the purpose of owning the message of salvation and serving of God. Reason is God's gift for the purpose of serving our neighbor and the management of our earthly vocation (tending to our earthly vocation). Paul urges: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1). The question here is of man's response, "sacrifice" and reaction to (reaction) God's sacrifice and act (action) of salvation. Work in everyday life is the vocation that God has given us to "dress and keep" the earth (Gen. 2:15). It is a part of our life's task here in this time. Our duty is to serve our neighbors, beginning at home, with mother and father's duties, children's duties at home and school, youth's duties to study and prepare for work life and establishment of their own families. Our life's mission is not self-fulfillment but rather fulfillment of God's will. God has created us in His own image for this purpose. Every person, in whom is God's image, is our neighbor,. Our life's duty, our work and career, is serving God in people whom He has created in His own image. In the original language of the Bible (Gk. logiké) Paul calls this "daily worship," a "reasonable service." This service of God is "reasonable" (logiké) in the sense that its grace gift is "reason" (lógos). A Christian person's reason does not exclude the gift of faith in everyday service of God. On the contrary, reason is God's great gift for the serving of neighbors and doing work as well as possible. Faith and reason can function in parallel and complement one another. Reason must be subordinate and obedient to faith, according to Hebrews: "Through faith we understand" (Heb. 11:3). 4. The Conflict of Reason and Faith In Paradise Adam and Eve encountered a conflict between faith and reason: God had forbidden them to eat of but one tree! Everything went well until the devil came in the form of a clever serpent and called God's Word into question: "Yea, hath God said…?" God's Adversary appealed to reason and showed that there was no sense in the prohibition. It was a great secret of faith, a mystery (mystérion < myoo "close eyes, lock, seal"), which men initially honored because they believed God's Word. But God's Adversary enticed them to open this mystery of faith. He appeared in the form of a serpent or the form of reason. At first, Eve with her answer corrected the false information of God's enemy and staved off the doubts of her own reason. But the serpent continued the discussion when it had gotten to talk with man, whom God had created for His own conversation companion. The series of falls began from precisely this, that man consented to converse with God's Adversary. Man began to listen to the voice of reason and abandon the discussion with God, which was based on faith. The devil gained man for his conversation companion with rational reasons. He put himself in God's place, interpreted God's Word and promised: "In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing [all, both] good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). The devil produced a conflict between faith and reason. He subtly enticed woman to defuse this tension with the fruit of the forbidden tree, which "would give understanding" (Gen. 3:6). Reason overcame faith. Sensory pleasure sped up the fall for: "the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes" (Gen. 3:6). Reason and sensory pleasure won. They stepped ahead of obedient faith. 5. Faith Overcomes Reason 5.1 Abraham's example Abraham is the most important in Hebrew's description of examples of faith. In Ur of the Chaldees, on the banks of the Euphrates, Abraham heard God's Word: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee" (Gen. 12:1). Abraham was over 70 years old when he departed. Was it very reasonable? Abraham nonetheless left with his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, tens of servants, and hundreds of animals. Hebrews explains Abraham's departure: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11:8). Abraham's faith was the conviction "of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). As God had promised, Abraham and Sarah received a son even though they were already very old. But then an incomprehensible trial occurred. God commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. How was this possible? How could the same God who had given them a son, require them to sacrifice the son? How could God act in such a contrary fashion? And so contrary to reason? How did Abraham proceed? Hebrews relates: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac." Hebrews explains: By faith Abraham reckoned "that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure" (Heb. 11:19). Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son when he placed Isaac upon the firewood and drew the knife. It was absolutely inhuman and unreasonable. But Abraham trusted in God. Blindly. In his blindness however he saw with the eyes of faith. In faith Abraham reckoned (logisámenos) on the basis of God's promise that he was to receive Isaac again in the resurrection of the dead. Faith helped Abraham to understand, to surpass human understanding (Heb. 11:3). 5.2 Moses' Example As a child Moses grew up in the palaces of Egypt. He became the adopted son of the king's daughter. He was schooled "in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). Moses had the opportunity to inherit a king's power. Egypt was a super power at the time. Moses had a possibility of becoming the world's mightiest ruler. What an opportunity! How did Moses use this opportunity? Because Moses believed in God when he came of age he refused to present himself as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season (Heb. 11:25). Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt because he fixed his gaze upon the coming reward (Heb. 11:23–26). Faith is seeing that which is not seen (Heb. 11:1). 5.3 The Virgin Mary's Example The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. The angel's words perplexed Mary. Mary contemplated and thought, considered and pondered what the angel's salutation might mean (Luke. 1:29). The verb "ponder," which pictures Mary's reaction (dialogidsomai) comes from the Greek word logia, which means "logic/understanding/deliberation." Mary believed and tried to understand the angel's proclamation or the meaning of God's Word with the help of faith. Mary did not understand with reason, but with the help of faith she understood. Mary did not place the angel's proclamation in question on account of rational reasons. Mary's understanding opened when she in faith pondered the angel's message and asked and sought its meaning and explanation. On Christmas night the shepherd's came from the fields of Bethlehem to the manger. They related everything that the angels had told them about this child. "And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Mary also believed the message of the despised shepherds because therein was God's revelation and God's Word. In Paradise, Eve and Adam listened to the devil and the voice of reason and fell into doubts and then fell into mortal sin. In Nazareth, the Virgin Mary heard the angel's message, believed, was content with her lot, and consented to her calling: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38.) Mary believed. She did not wish to know everything or rise to God's level. She was content with the lot of the Lord's handmaid. Mary, a young virgin and the mother of Jesus, left us a model of believing person. In Mary's faith there are three main parts: 1. She received and believed the message of God's Word, 2. She kept the Word in her heart, 3. She constantly pondered/examined in her heart all that she had heard and seen, and she understood with the help of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the new Adam (1 Cor. 15:47). Our Lord's mother, the Virgin Mary, is like a new Eve. Whereas the Fall happened through Eve's unbelief, through Mary's faith the atonement for our sins began. Conclusion Faith is such a great gift that it is many times more than that which we can understand. We cannot with reason comprehend perfect bliss in eternal life. Nonetheless we can possess this treasure already here and now—by faith, due to the merits of Christ. Abraham did not need to sacrifice his own son on Mount Moriah. But God had to sacrifice His own only Son. He place His own Son upon the wooden cross on Golgotha, or the same Mount Moriah. We can never understand this with our reason. But we can believe. We can believe that we have in the sacrifice of God's only Son, in Jesus' name and blood, the forgiveness of our sins, everlasting life, and salvation.

Keith Waaraniemi | 2014 LLC Summer Services - Congregation Evening --

Sam Roiko | 2014 LLC Summer Services - Youth Presentation --

Ken Wuollet | 2015 LLC Winter Services --

Jim Frantti | 2015 LLC Summer Services - Ministers and Board Members Meeting --

Randy Haapala | 2015 LLC Summer Services - Youth Presentation --

Walt Lampi | 2016 LLC Summer Services - Ministers and Board Members Meeting -- Overview Can we ever thank God enough for giving us His kingdom, His Word, and causing the Holy Spirit to work among us? God has revealed Himself to us through His Word as a Triune God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet many things about Him remain hidden, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). And we humbly acknowledge that “now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). He has, however, revealed to us the means by which He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies living souls in His kingdom. It is by the office and work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit calls those on the outside of God’s kingdom through the Word of God. We do not know when, where, nor who will be called to be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). We simply preach the Word. Within the kingdom His work is that of sanctification, which means to make holy. The Spirit teaches us, and we learn and relearn to live by faith in accordance with God’s Word. By this we become holy and heaven acceptable. It is a continuous work because we are faulty and in a daily pitched battle against false doctrine and the enemy of souls, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). In the heat of the battle the Spirit reminds us of the truth of God’s Word. Our adversary continually undermines the work of sanctification by appealing to our reason and pressuring us to conform to the norms and standards of this world (Romans 12:2). Students of the Word In the matters of faith we are lifelong learners but often slow to learn and remember our lessons. To refresh our understanding of the office and work of the Holy Spirit, we will use the Scriptures and the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed to answer such basic questions as: What does it mean to believe in the Holy Spirit, and what is the work of sanctification? What does it mean to believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life? We can also ask, How can one discern between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error? I Believe in the Holy Spirit To believe in the Holy Spirit means simply, “I believe that the Holy Spirit makes me holy, as his name implies” (LC 155). None of us have seen Him, but we believe in Him and that He works in us and in the congregation through the effectual preaching and teaching of God’s Word. As an invisible Spirit we know Him only by His voice and work, which is to edify (build up) the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). There is no other way to explain the unity, love, and doctrinal purity that the children of God have than to attribute it to the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit we would be lost and not able to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Luther captured this thought by writing, “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 by His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith” (SC, The Third Article of the Creed). The Holy Spirit is not something apart from God, but a Spirit and God Himself (WLS 2043). “He shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13). He is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), and when we hear His voice, we also hear the voice of the Father and Son. The Work of the Holy Spirit Is Sanctification Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Sanctification is the result of the truth and light of God’s Word and not any effort of ourselves; it is an ongoing work in us because we still carry a corrupted nature. One is not holy because he is sinless, but as a pardoned sinner he desires to serve God with his life as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). His life is one with Christ, as Paul wrote, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The Father sees us through His Son as free of sin. This work is accomplished only in God’s kingdom. In this life it is done by the means of preaching, teaching, and caring for the soul, and then finally through the resurrection of the body and life eternal (LC 155). The Holy Spirit uses imperfect but pardoned sinners as partners in the work, as “God has set some in the church” (1 Corinthians 12:28) to labor as ministers, teachers, deacons, board members, and in various other ways as helpers for the benefit and soul care of individual believers. Probably the most concise and clearest picture we have of the Holy Spirit and His work is found in the Gospel of John, although there are many other references to Him in the Scripture. Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you “ (John 14:26). The Comforter, our home teacher, quietly speaks to our consciences to remind us of what has been previously taught by Jesus through His Word in His kingdom. “We can only be reminded of such that we have heard or learned and maybe forgotten. This is not due to our short memory, but because we continuously face the opposite doctrine. The Holy Spirit is present to make sure that the teachings of Jesus would not be forgotten, but would be remembered and would help us stay on the road that leads us to the Father’s home” (JU). I Believe in the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints Believing that God’s kingdom is a unique assembly of pardoned sinners or communion of saints is the key to salvation and to doctrinal purity. Luther wrote, “The Church is termed ‘one holy Christian Church’ because it represents one plain, pure Gospel doctrine, and an outward confession thereof, always, and everywhere, regardless of dissimilarity of physical life, or outward ordinances, customs and ceremonies” (SET, Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity). We can paraphrase that the doctrine of God’s kingdom and living faith doesn’t change to conform to the various cultures, living circumstances, economic conditions, or norms of the countries or societies in which the children of God live. Only with eyes of faith can one see the kingdom for what it is, namely, “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). As the pillar and ground of truth, it cannot err because the Spirit of truth is leading and guiding it. If one does not see it as such, he or she will not be able to believe what is preached and taught in it nor be able to accept the decisions it makes or positions that it takes. Eventually one will not be content to remain in its fellowship. The Prophet Zechariah was awakened from sleep and questioned: “What seest thou?” He answered, “I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold” (Zechariah 4:2). He saw the kingdom of God in all her beauty even though her citizens are faulty and frail. Focusing on the faults and mistakes of individuals, especially those called as workers, will cause one to doubt that we live in the house of God, the pillar and ground of truth. It is dangerous to become critical of God’s kingdom, and prolonged opposition is a grave sin which may cause one to forever lose sight of the “the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26). Only by faith are we able to confess, “I believe that there is upon earth a small holy flock, a holy assembly of pure saints under one head, Christ. They are called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, one mind and one understanding. They possess many gifts, but are one in love and without sect or division. Of this assembly I am also part, and a sharer and owner in its blessings through the Holy Spirit“ (LC 159). There is only one kingdom of God, not many. It is undivided without sect or division. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4–6). SHZ 208: 5,6 5. The Holy Spirit calls and gathers / and by the spoken gospel gives new birth. / This Spirit never teaches errors, / it makes His church the ground of truth on earth, / creates a new creation by the Word / in hearts He makes to trust what they have heard. 6. These trusting hearts make up His kingdom / wherein the only living hope is found; / the Spirit holds this flock in union, / and here the hearts of men are loosed and bound. / And when the Lord shall resurrect the dead / He'll bring His flock unto himself! Amen. I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins Where would any of us be without the forgiveness of sins? Certainly not in God’s kingdom. Neither would we have the hope of eternal life. Every child of God has personally experienced the power of the gospel to remove the burden of sin and guilt or doubt and to experience the joy that follows. He or she can readily testify, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” It is the power by which we make our daily journey as believers, and it is available wherever two or three are gathered together (Matthew 18:20). Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). Luther once wrote, “There is no greater service that we can do for our fellow man than to preach the gospel to him.” Jesus authorized his disciples to go and preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins throughout the world (Luke 24:47). That is still our mission two thousand years later, and there are still those who are troubled over their sins and are searching for a gracious God. The Spirit leads them to God’s kingdom, and they joyously receive the forgiveness of sins. Jesus promised to give the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19) to His disciples and after His resurrection did so by saying, “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). He gave two keys for two specific purposes, both based on love for the undying soul. “The Holy Spirit, then, has the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. With one of the keys, the penitent are released from their sins, and with the other key, the impenitent and disobedient are bound in their evil condition so that they would understand and repent. With all this also, the Holy Spirit reveals the love of God” (BF).In God’s kingdom we are “quick to forgive and slow to bind” (Raattamaa). Hearing the Voice of the Spirit in the Spoken Word “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Spirit is in the spoken word and gives life to it. It won’t return to God void (Isaiah 55:11). Preaching is an office of the Holy Spirit and the means by which God makes known His will to us. The Spirit comes as a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) that speaks to our conscience. It is the voice of the Good Shepherd. The flock of God’s children knows His voice and will flee from the voice of a strange shepherd (John 10:4–5). The Good Shepherd leads His sheep, and they follow in His footsteps. “When the Holy Spirit governs over the congregation, there will be no conflict between the Bible and the congregation” (JU) nor between the written Word and the Spirit. The Spirit creates unity of faith and doctrine in the congregation, not different understandings. The Scripture is not “of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20), that is, not left to each individual’s interpretation. Hearing the Voice of the Spirit in the Congregation We also need to listen for and hear the voice of the Spirit when the congregation faces difficult issues or questions. The Spirit then works to enlighten and preserve souls. The exhortation, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches” (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29 and 3:6, 13, 22), is always needed in congregation life and must be taken personally. We are also wise to avoid “foolish and unlearned questions” which cause strife (2 Timothy 2:23), as our opinions cannot enlighten matters better than the Word and Spirit can. We can unwittingly assist the enemy of souls by communicating hearsay or rumor. Faith teaches that the Spirit speaks in the congregation, but we can be slow to recognize His voice. We can relate to Jacob who suddenly awoke from his sleep, realized where he was, and exclaimed “This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17). The exhortation to “hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches” was given as a conclusion to the Spirit’s testimony of the faith, life, and ministry of seven individual servants of the Word (angel of the church). Yet it was not made only to the individual servant but also to his home congregation and “to the churches,” that is, to all in God’s kingdom. Five of them had fallen deeply and were urged to repent. They could not of themselves understand how or where they had fallen, and therefore the Holy Spirit revealed it to the congregation. They had become spiritually “dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). Perhaps it was due to unforgiven sin, weariness, carelessness, or carnal mindedness. Only by hearing the voice of the Spirit, which is the voice of the Good Shepherd, and being obedient to it can the work of the Holy Spirit continue in one’s own life, and only then can one remain heaven acceptable. Sin and the threefold enemy work to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit in our consciences. We need to arm ourselves with “the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesian 6:17) in order to protect ourselves from the false sermons and lies of the enemy of soul. SHZ 547: 7. May the armor of the Spirit / be upon us ev'ry day, / for the enemy attacks us / and surrounds us on this way. 8. Shield of faith, sword of the Spirit- / may they ever brightly gleam! / Let us wear salvation's helmet, / girt with truth and shod with peace. 9. Let us bravely battle onward / in the path our King has trod, / for our hero goes before us / with His vestures dipped in blood. I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body and in Life Everlasting If Christ did not arise from the dead, our faith is in vain and our sins are not forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:17). If there is nothing beyond the grave and “in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). The anchor of our soul is the hope of eternal life that we have (Hebrews 6:19), and it is the reason why we are able to continue in faith and endure the adversities of life. The Greeks mocked Paul for preaching about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32), for it is incomprehensible to the human mind. In this life we are comforted by the knowledge that we will arise with a resurrected new body free from sin and corruption. Many places in the Bible testify of everlasting life, but it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we believe it to be true. Jesus promised, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). We are incapable of comprehending what that place is like and what it means to live forever without the sin, corruption, and the sorrows that weigh us down, but we know that the “gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error How can we discern between the Spirit of truth and that of the spirit of error? Apostle John wrote, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6). In other words, the Spirit of God unites one with God, His Word, and to the congregation. Apostle Paul described the Holy Spirit by His fruits (Galatians 5:22–24) of which love, joy, and peace are mentioned. Luther adds that the Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the true faith” (SC, The Third Article of the Creed). On the other hand, the spirit of error scatters the flock and produces the works of the flesh which include “variance” when subgroups form within the congregation, and “sedition” when the sense of fellowship and togetherness with the congregation is lost, and then finally “heresy,” which is a choosing to go one’s own way (Galatians 5:20). Paul warned, “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1Corinthians 11:19). The spirit of error works through false prophets, and John instructs, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15–16). False prophets are known by their fruits. A speaker brother was once asked how one could avoid falling into heresy, and he offered the Scriptural advice, “keep faith and a good conscience (1Timothy 1:19), study the Bible (John 5:39), and pray unceasingly (1 Thessalonians 5:17).” If this advice were adhered to, the enemy would not gain a foothold in the congregation from which to do his work and there would be no heresies and no one would lose faith. We also need to live in childlike obedience to the gospel and endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Congregation Life Is the Setting in which the Holy Spirit Works The workplace of the Holy Spirit is the congregation. How fortunate we are to experience a time of visitation of the Spirit in our land and generation! In order to benefit from this work, we must be a partaker of congregation life. The work of the Holy Spirit takes place in so many forms through the means of preaching and teaching! By them He calls, gathers, and enlightens. The preaching of God’s Word is the oldest work form and most important one. Sunday School, Bible Class, Day Circle, camp work, diaconal work, publication work, and other areas of work help us and the coming generation keep faith and a good conscience. At the gatherings of God’s children we often find that God has prepared a grace table for us in the presence of our enemies to strengthen and nourish us for the battle ahead (Psalm 23:5). Let us not become weary of gathering together as a congregation nor be tempted to belittle the work of the Spirit by our absence. Let us continue to bring our children and grandchildren to be blessed by Jesus, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). The enemy vigorously tries to keep us away from congregation activities and at the very moment we need them most. He offers many excuses. The exhortation to the severely tried, doubting, and weary Hebrew believers was “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). I Believe in the Holy Spirit Together we confess, “I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.” References Holy Bible SC, Luther’s Small Catechism, AALC/LLC. LC, Luther’s Large Catechism, Augsburg Publishing House, 1967. BF, By Faith – The Holy Spirit, AALC/LLC, 1982/2007. WLS, What Luther Says, Concordia Publishing House, 1991. JU, “The Holy Ghost as our comforter, teacher and leader,” Juhani Uljas, 2007 SRK Speakers and Elders Meeting SET, Sermons, Epistles, Trinity Volume 9, - Luther’s Epistle Sermons, Trinity Sunday to Advent, Lenker, J.N., The Luther Press, 1909

John Stewart | 2017 LLC Phoenix Winter Services - Congregation & Youth Evening - February 25 -- The theme for this introduction, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, from Psalm 51, perhaps in some ways takes on special significance, because in 2017 we commemorate a monumental event that occurred five centuries ago: Martin Luther "published" the Ninety-five Theses and, according to tradition, posted these on the door of the Wittenberg Church. It is an event widely recognized as marking the commencement of what we call the Reformation. Although we can gaze back to that time 500 years ago and be thankful that God allowed that work to take place, it was nonetheless, a time of great turmoil and difficult spiritual warfare. Among the key issues at the forefront of battle was the question of man's basic nature. Is man basically good or evil? Is man a creature of complete free will or is he bound in some way to fate? These, as well as numerous other questions, dotted the landscape of that era, and I think in many ways laid the pathway for the future progression of God's kingdom, the continued proclamation of the living gospel and the visitations that would come to many nations and tongues all the way up to the present. Some 2500 years before the Reformation, the author of Psalm 51, King David, had in a profound way personally experienced man's true nature – and found that nature to be utterly corrupt, even to the point of experiencing spiritual death. Fortunately, at the preaching of Nathan, David by God's grace was also able to experience the life-giving sweetness of repentance and forgiveness, which is the work of God through the Holy Spirit enabling one to believe and to hold in the heart the promise of eternal life! In reference to Psalm 51, Luther wrote: "Where is there a man who could speak about repentance and the forgiveness of sins the way the Holy Spirit speaks in this Psalm?"(1). 1 Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 12, Psalm 51 (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 304. 2 Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 12, Psalm 51 (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 303. Shapen in Iniquity As clearly as perhaps any place in Scripture, Psalm 51 speaks about sin and human sinfulness, for example, when we take a look at the full 5th verse where David declares: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps 51:5). The declaration is a powerful statement about the depth of inherited sin – specifically, the inherited sinfulness that resulted from man's Fall in the Garden of Eden. In some ways the recognition of this concept or the idea of complete sinfulness – a sinfulness that remains and works in mankind even after he has become a partaker of God’s grace – can be a harsh reality. The sinfulness to which this Psalm refers is not simply committed sins, or actual sins (Luther calls them "elicited acts"), but rather the complete sinfulness that is inherited in man's basic nature. Human reason itself (or our carnal portion) does not want to accept this truth, but as Luther explained, unless a person is taught by the Holy Spirit, one cannot really understand the nature of repentance, sin, or grace. In other words, as Luther points out, such an understanding of complete sinfulness is revealed and given from heaven.(2) In Psalm 14, the writer describes the depth and completeness of sin rooted in man's basic nature: "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Ps. 14:2-3). Each of us, born of man and woman possess the same extent of complete sinfulness that David described. Jesus, on the other hand, was born without inherited sin: He was conceived by the Holy Ghost. In this Jesus' nature was like Adam's had been prior to the Fall. Therefore Jesus is called the second Adam (3), and unlike the first Adam, Jesus overcame temptation and did not fall into sin, having become a perfect and pleasing sacrifice for our sin. Unspeakable joy it is that, even though inherited sin dwells in all born of the seed of man and woman, by faith Christ is our righteousness! 3 Ref: Romans Chapter 5. 4 Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 10, Psalm 51 (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 239. 5 Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 10, Psalm 51 (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 239. 6 Olavi Voittonen, The Voice of Zion, Introduction: Sin and Its Consequences, p.2, (LLC, Loretto, MN: March 2009). Original Sin and Actual Sin Holy Scripture bears out that, on the basis of inherited sin, man is completely corrupt. Even blessed Mary, the mother of Christ, recognized her lowliness. In her humility she expressed: "For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" (Luke 1:48).(4) Apostle Paul, who was a diligent worker, especially called into the work of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles wrote to Timothy this way concerning himself: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15).(5) Paul also wrote of himself: "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Rom 7:17-18). Compared to inherited sin, actual sin seems to be somewhat easier for us to readily recognize because we so frequently commit actual sins. We describe actual sins as a falling away of the heart from God, or transgressing God's will. However, it is specifically because of the original sin remaining in us, that we all inevitably commit actual sins6: sins against others, sins that are our own personal faults and failings – all of which really are sins against God. David confessed, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified" (Ps 51:4). Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans concerning Adam and inherited sin: "... by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom 5:12). However, in the same passage Paul also described grace that comes only by living faith: "... if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many" (Rom 5:17). Consequences Of Sin Included in God's instructions to Adam and Eve in the Garden was the command: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen 2:16-17). So as a consequence of sin, death came. Adam and Eve, of course, faced temporal death which we as humans subsequently face. In addition to temporal death we also recognize two other kinds of death – which, frankly are also related to sin: spiritual and eternal death. Spiritual death is the separation of a person from God, while eternal death results when one passes away from this earth in unbelief. The Bible assures us that, after the Fall into sin in the Garden, God promised to send His Son to give His life on our behalf (Gen. 3:15). Jesus, during His ministry, described that promise to Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The Old Covenant believers had journeyed with that hope. New Covenant travelers likewise journey believing the same promise, just as Apostle Paul proclaimed one time in a synagogue at Antioch: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:38-39). The gospel, of which the essence is the forgiveness of sins, is the freeing word preached through the power of the Holy Ghost that, when believed, promises eternal life through faith. Juhani Uljas describes living faith this way: "Faith is being in the righteousness of Christ and living in forgiveness every moment."(7) We're saved only by faith, which is the grace gift of God. But as a result of our inherited sinfulness we stumble. Sin presses on the conscience and the journey becomes slow. In the 32nd Psalm David wrote: "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long" (Ps 32:3). The child of God so often experiences the need to hear the reassuring gospel. Apostle Paul wrote that the gospel is: "... the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes" (Rom 1:16). 7 Juhani Uljas, The Treasure Hidden in a Field, p. 79, (LLC, Loretto, MN: 2003). 8 Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 10, Psalm 51 (St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1955), 239 God's Grace Even though Psalm 51 speaks so plainly about sin and our human sinfulness, God through the writer doesn't leave us with only bitter chastisement over our innate sinfulness and corruption. The Psalmist concludes with uplifting comfort: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities" (Ps 51:7-9). The Psalm helps teach us that one cannot properly understand grace if one does not properly understand sin. Luther wrote: "... the one who is most attractive in the eyes of God is not the one who seems most humble to himself, but the one who sees himself as the most filthy and depraved."(8) The weakest, the poorest. David was able to express his own great joy over God's marvelous grace, and then reveal in a remarkably prophetic way, how the living Word has been and still is preached to the poor: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee" (Ps. 51:12-13). We yet experience joy in the proclamation of the gospel – the same joy that David experienced. We travel as a believer journeying simultaneously as righteous and as a sinner, therefore we live of God's grace and endeavor on the way holding faith and a good conscience.

Kimmo Puolitaival | 2019 LLC Summer Services - Ministers and Board Members Meeting – July 5 -- Righteousness and Faith Our Creed states that God has a holy congregation on this earth. The Holy Spirit, through the gospel, has called and preserved us in its unity and fellowship. In his Lecture on Galatians, Luther explains that the congregation is preserved only through the correct doctrine of justification. If it is abandoned, then the entire Christian doctrine is abandoned along with it. If we do not keep the doctrine of justification undefiled, we are not able to battle against anything that is deceiving. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 26, p. 29; The Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article III. The Righteousness of Faith before God.) According to Luther’s teaching, the basis for sin-fallen man’s justification is God’s righteous being. God is the beginning of everything. Righteousness is God’s basic characteristic. He is always absolutely righteous, trustworthy, eternal, almighty, omniscient, good and loving. In His loving righteousness, God prepared righteousness in Jesus Christ for humankind whom He created. Paul speaks of this righteousness in the first chapter of Romans, naming it God’s righteousness, which is made known through the gospel. This righteousness, whereby God justifies us, is complete and holy. It is solely the righteousness that Christ gained for us. Humans contribute nothing in this righteousness. God alone is active in this, man is passive. Since its source is completely apart from man, it is a gift, it is grace. God grants faith as this grace- gift to all people born on this earth, faith which takes refuge in and owns righteousness in Jesus Christ. Our teaching concerning justification through faith, also the faith of children, is based on this (Matt. 18:6). In the Formula of Concord, Article III, The Righteousness of Faith before God, there is mention of two contentious issues that had arisen among theologians of the time regarding the significance of Christ’s divinity and humanity in justification. The text states that “one party has held that Christ is our righteousness only according to his Godhead. When he dwells in us by faith, over against this indwelling Godhead, the sins of all men are esteemed like a drop of water over against the immense ocean. Others, however, held that Christ is our righteousness before God only according to the human nature.” The text continues, “In opposition to these two errors just recounted, we believe, teach, and confess unanimously that Christ is our righteousness neither according to the divine nature alone nor according to the human nature alone. On the contrary, the entire Christ according to both natures is our righteousness solely in his obedience which as God and man he rendered to his heavenly Father into death itself. Thereby he won for us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, as it is written, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). I interpret this to signify that the dismantling of undivided obedience of the person of Christ leads firstly to a doctrine in which falling away can’t occur, a doctrine of freedom of the flesh, a trait of the kind that appeared in Pollarism (P. Nevala, Unto This day the Lord has Helped, pp. 42-48) Secondly it leads to a doctrine of works, in which the personhood of Christ constitutes an example to be achieved (cf. Catholic Church doctrine – The human contribution in justification/The Council of Trent, Decree On Justification). Why are righteousness and faith required? Righteousness means being acceptable to God. According to Luther, justification is formed from two factors: 1) faith of the heart, and 2) the fact that God counts righteous (WA 40, 1, 34, 11). Paul teaches that, “a man is justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1; 3:28; 10:10). Faith is; therefore, imperative in human salvation: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is” (Heb. 11:6). Righteousness and the Law The law has a specific important task in justification. The law demands righteousness, truthfulness, love toward God and neighbor. It reveals what God demands, but in itself it does not have power to justify. Luther says “trying to be justified by the Law is like counting money out of an empty purse, eating and drinking from an empty dish and cup …laying a burden upon someone who is already oppressed to the point of collapse…”( Luther’s works, vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4.) The picture of humankind revealed by the Law alone is actually deadly, lethal. It makes a person completely empty, meritless and without possibility before God. A person who is under the Law is an heir to the complete legacy of the Fall: death, perdition, and God’s wrath. His heart is governed by the entire reality of the Fall. “Therefore everyone who falls away from the promise to the Law, from faith to works, is doing nothing but imposing an unbearable yoke upon himself in his weak and beggarly condition…until he finally despairs, unless Christ comes and sets him free.”(Luther’s works, vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4.) In summary we can say, as it is taught in our Christianity: the function of the Law is to drive an unbelieving person to Christ. This means that when God, through His Spirit calls an unbeliever to repentance, “He comes to see his true condition. He sees that he has broken God’s commands. He begins to grasp that he not only has individual sins, but that the direction of his entire life is wrong. But in addition to distress over sin, in him awakens a drawing to the Savior and a hope that in spite of all the Savior will not reject him” (CD 70). Luther writes, “between these two kinds of righteousness, the active righteousness of the Law and the passive righteousness of Christ, there is no middle ground. Therefore he who has strayed away from this Christian righteousness will necessarily relapse into the active righteousness; that is, when he has lost Christ, he must fall into a trust in his own works” (Luther’s works, vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4). At times a certain criticism concerning our sermons emerges containing the thought that warning of the dangers of sin or rebuke is the law. It is entirely clear that the preaching of the gospel and the viewpoint of faith is in the core of Christianity’s sermons, but God’s Word in its entirety also includes, along with words of comfort and teaching, words of correction, rebuke and teaching (2 Tim. 3:16). Words of rebuke spoken in the spirit of the gospel are to Christians thus not the Law but the gospel. Righteousness and Sin The image of God in humans was corrupted in the Fall. Man took pleasure in evil and lost the desire and power to do good (CD 1948, 22). Sin is always rebellion against God. It is like a wedge which wants to separate us from God. In its essence, sin is the heart rejecting God, it is transgressing God’s will and his holy law (Ps 51:6, Jer. 3:25, Rom. 7: 7, 8). Unless sin is atoned for, it results in the punishment prescribed for sin, death (Rom. 6:23). God prepared this atonement in Christ. Paul concluded on the basis of observations of his own behavior and the testimony of the Bible that all people are, by their nature, under the power of sin (Rom. 3:9). Quoting from the Psalms, he stated that God sees from heaven that there is no one on earth who does good, no not one. (Rom. 3:10–12). According to this, sin is like a distinct power which tears us away from God. “Sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire” (Gen. 4:7). “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Rom. 7:17). “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Rom 7:11). Sin is not only the reality of a person living in unbelief, but also that of a believing person. The Confessional Books state: “This hereditary sin is so deep a corruption of nature that reason cannot understand it. It must be believed because of the revelation in the Scriptures (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5: 2, 1, Exod. 33:20, Gen. 3:6.)” (The Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article I.) “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:12) Paul testified of himself, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7 15–18). This nature always strives to come forth in our thoughts, words, and deeds. This causes us to do deeds of sin. These deeds cause harm and sorrow. This sinfulness is so great that no person has any possibility to make it to heaven and during his or her lifetime to obtain unity with God and become His child, if their sins are not all forgiven through grace. The magnitude of God’s grace is difficult for a person to understand. The debt of ten thousand talents has been forgiven. As owners of God’s grace, we —regardless of our sinfulness—are also righteous. We are at the same time completely sinful and completely righteous. Righteousness, Obedience, and the Endeavor A person who has received the grace of repentance and lives as a child of God is by faith a partaker of righteousness, free from the Law, under grace. In this faith Christ dwells in a Christian through His Spirit and causes the Christian to want to remain righteous and want to live in obedience to God’s Word. The Holy Spirit guides the child of God to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). “Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Rom 6:17). Obedience is a fruit of faith. If there is no faith in the heart, outward or forced obedience does not help. Obedience of faith is a question of obedience to God’s Word, the Word which the Holy Spirit reveals in the midst of the congregation. This obedience generated as a fruit of faith, as well as the love produced as a fruit of the Spirit, bring us again and again to the instruction of God’s Word, to the center of the congregation. It affects a desire to own the gospel of the forgiveness of sins for the power of faith. The endeavor is also a fruit of faith and the Holy Spirit. Sin which dwells in us always tries to separate us from God. At the same time, Christ’s Spirit dwelling in us prays unceasingly to Christ for help to battle against sin, to help us cling by faith to God’s Word and to own it. Paul compares the endeavor of faith to an athletic competition, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1.Cor. 9:25). The endeavor’s destination is heaven. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). There is reason to repeat that the endeavor is not a work, or a merit, but rather the desire flowing from faith to remain on the way to heaven and the desire to get to heaven. Simply put, we can say the endeavor is this: when we feel our sinfulness and weakness that we want to trust in the gospel. Righteousness and Love Jesus says that mutual love is a characteristic of His followers (John 13:35). Paul mentions love as the first of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). God given love is that love which “seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1Cor. 13). “When God in His grace forgives our sins, it gives birth to love, thankfulness, and the obedience of faith in our hearts. These cause us to serve God and our neighbors” (CD 1948, 85). Questions about the basics of faith—regardless of the time, place, and culture— are always the same: sin, the gospel, faith, righteousness, the congregation, the Word and the sacraments. Whereas love seeks that which builds up and strengthens us in faith at this time. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2). Love guides us to take responsibility for each other. The Letter to the Hebrews instructs: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24). The fundamental desire of love is that no one would give up their faith. The love affected by God causes the desire to give up that which entices a weak brother into sin and unbelief. Love guides us to the teachings of God’s Word and causes a desire to carry our travel friends with the gospel, encouraging and blessing them. Christ’s church law, in which Jesus teaches how a brother or sister in faith who has fallen into sin is cared for in God’s congregation, can also be called the instruction of love (Matt. 18). Love is shown in Jesus’ exhortation in that the matter is initially handled between two. If further care is needed, several believers should be present, several gifts considering how it would be good to proceed. If even this does not help, Jesus instructs to tell the matter to the congregation. Thus, in matters between Christians and matters within the congregation, Christ ultimately gives the keys of binding only to the congregation. Instruction that is according to Christ’s church law is not in fashion nowadays. The individual’s unlimited freedom to choose for oneself is idealized in the world. According to this way of thinking, no outsider can say to another what is right and what is wrong. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that Christ’s church law is Jesus’ teaching and as such it is unchanging (Juhani Alaranta, Yearbook 2008). Life in Christ, Righteousness of Faith The counterforce to sin and the effects of original sin is God’s promise to humankind of the righteousness of faith. Luther has stated that Christ has brought grace in exchange for sin, life in exchange for death, and the forgiveness of sins in exchange for the curse of the law. Paul writes of this to the Galatians, “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:19, 20). This opens to us a view of the righteousness of faith. “Our righteousness before God consists in this, that God forgives us our sins purely by his grace, without any preceding, present, or subsequent work, merit, or worthiness, and reckons to us the righteousness of Christ’s obedience” (The Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article III. The Righteousness of Faith before God). An individual, who in him- or herself is corrupted and sinful, and consequently deserving of the Law’s curse, can travel as a partaker of the forgiveness of sins. Through the faith that God gives as a gift, a person can personally own the merit of Christ. Because of Christ’s perfect obedience, a person can own all of God’s grace promises, so that he or she could and would have strength to endeavor as a child of God on this earth as a partaker in the inheritance of eternal life. This viewpoint encapsulates the unrelinquishable legacy of the Reformation: God justifies man alone by grace, alone by faith, alone through the merit of Christ.