1ST SUNDAY IN LENT
Text: 2 Corinthians 6:1-16.
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ out Lord. Amen.
In this precious Savior, dearly beloved hearers.
" I have trodden the winepress alone,and of the people there was none with me;... I looked, and there was none to help." Is 63,3.5. This is the way the Messiah speaks in the 63rd chapter of Isaiah. Here he testified that he alone would crush the serpent's head, he alone would carry out the work of redemption, he alone would win salvation for imprisoned and lost mankind; in this work he would have none in heaven and on earth to help him, nor could anyone assist him.
If we study the story of the reconciling and redeeming suffering of our Savior, we see that prophecy literally fulfilled. When the Lord entered upon his great suffering, he was immediately forsaken by all creature. In Gethsemane while he, as it were, turned into a writhing worm in the dust, sweat bloody sweat, and wrestled with death, all his disciples, even Peter who had wanted to die with him, were asleep and not a one wanted to watch with him for only one hour. After this when he was betrayed into the hands of sinners, Judas, one of
his own disciples, had been the one to betray him. And another, Peter, in order not to have to share in the suffering which was beginning, denied him; all the other disciples fled. Then another prophecy, one from Zechariah, went into immediate fulfilment: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of h03ts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." Zech 13,7.
True, later on we find Johanna, Mary, and other pious women, but not to suffer and die with Christ, but only to lament and weep over him. Forsaken by God and men, he had to cry out: "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me;... I looked and there was none to help;" yes, at the end he even exclaimed: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
And my dear hearers, it could be no other way. God is righteous; he therefore had to punish sin, and he can crown only him with eternal life who has done his will his entire life and is perfectly righteous. Therefore the one who wanted to redeem us fallen men from the misery of our sins and bring back our lost salvation had to be a perfectly holy and pure person, in order to be able to suffer and die innocently in our place; he also had to be God himself, in order that he himself would not be under God's Law, fulfil it for us, conquer sin, death, and hell, and to be able to win a perfect righteousness, innocence, and blessedness for us.
Therefore no angel could execute this work, to say nothing then of sin-burdened man himself. Only Jesus Christ, God and man in one person, could do this. And as God could not have any helper in the work of creating the world out of nothing, so also at the second creation, the redemption of the world, the Son of God did and could not have any help from any creature. He trod the wine
press of God's wrath alone, and he alone could tread it.
Woe therefore to the man who wants to be saved and does not seek his salvation alone in Christ; who wants to merit something in God's eyes by himself, earn something by himself!
We therefore read in the hymn:
Christ says: "Come, all ye that labor,
And receive My grace and favor;
They who feel no want no ill
Need no physician's help nor skill.
"Useless were for thee My Passion,
If thy works thy weal could fashion.
This feast is not spread for thee.
If thine own Savior thou wilt be." (311,6.7.)
But my friends, as irrefutably true as it is that Christ alone has earned salvation, nevertheless it is just as true that, after we have received salvation by true faith, we must become God's helpers. The Apostle Paul testifies to this in our today's Epistle. Therefore let us today ponder this important, necessary, and refreshing truth with heartfelt devotion.
Quote the text here: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.
My friends, the first verse of the text just read is quoted in our pub1ic confessions as proof of the fact that when a person is converted he must then also co-operate; and that is absolutely correct. When at the beginning of our text the apostle writes: " We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," he not only called himself a
" worker together with God "; but he also sets himself up as an example to the Christians at Corinth whom they are to imitate and admonishes them that they also are to be God's assistants. With the assistance of the Holy Spirit permit me to present to you:
MAN'S CO-OPERATION AFTER HIS CONVERSION
I will show you:
1. That Before a Person is Converted He Cannot Co-operate with the Holy Ghost, and
2. That After His Conversion Man not Only Can Co-operate but, if He does not Want to Lose God's Grace Again. He Must Co-operate.
Faithful and merciful God, in order to save us sinners, you not only let your only begotten Son become a man and gave him up into suffering and death; but through your Holy Word you have also prescribed the way in which you intend to lead us to that salvation won for us. Oh then open our hearts and ears through the gracious entrance of your Holy Spirit now that we want to hear from your Holy Word what we are to do, so that we may receive eternal life. Take from us all our spiritual weakness and indifference, sleepiness and laziness; take from us all thoughts, worries, and desires of outside things; enlighten and sharpen our understanding; sanctify and strengthen our will; direct our entire soul upon the one thing needful, and make this hour an hour of awakening, so that its fruit will remain for eternal life. Hear us, oh God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, your dear Son, our only Savior. Amen! Amen !
I.
" We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," is the way Paul begins in our text. Thus the apostle admonishes Christians to become God's assistants; but at the same time he gives an indication what they could have done before their conversion. He calls their conversion the receiving of God's grace. Thus he testifies that the awakening, the enlightening, the rebirth, in short, the conversion which they had already experienced was a work of pure divine grace to which they could not have contributed the least little thing.
And that is true; before a person is converted, he cannot co-operate with the Holy Ghost.
Sad to say, on this point there are many different errors even among so-called Christians. Some suppose that by nature man is good; he becomes corrupt and wicked through poor training and evil example. Others suppose that when man is bom he is not good but like an unmarked board upon which there is neither evil nor good; that by nature man has a free will to choose the good and reject the evil, and this even in spiritual things, even in matters which concern his soul and salvation; that by nature he has the power to decide to go the correct way just as well as the wrong; that man could want to do the good; that if he would firmly resolve to do it, he could carry out the good work.
On the other hand, others suppose that man could not finish the work of his conversion, but he could at least begin it; if he does that, then the Holy Spirit will help him along. Others think that man could and must at least prepare himself for grace; if he does that, then God will extend him a helping hand. Finally, still others suppose that man can indeed do nothing to begin
his conversion, but when God has made the start, then the power of his will which lies dormant awakens and then he can carry on by himself and finish the work begun by God.
But all these suppositions concerning the free will of an unconverted man in spiritual matters are nothing but gross, harmful errors; they merely serve to make him proud and secure; they confirm his self-confidence and self- righteousness, by which he is flattered and God's grace is robbed of its honor.
It is indeed true that even after the fall man by nature has a free will in matters of this life and in works of civil righteousness. It is indeed true that even an unconverted person has a free will to build or not to build a house, to cultivate or not to cultivate a field, to learn and carry on or not to learn and carry on a trade or skill; yes, to read and hear or not to read and hear God's Word, to curse or not to curse, to become drunk or not to become drunk; to commit or not to commit adultery and fornication; to steal or not to steal; although even in these last named things a person can fall so deeply into the habits and snares of Satan that he is led from sin to sin like a sacrificial animal without being able to offer resistance.
But in spiritual things, in those works which please God, in the true fulfilment of the Law, in the knowledge and acceptance of the Gospel, in faith in Christ, in fear, love, and trust in God above all things, in short, in that which belongs to our salvation, which concerns true repentance and heartfelt conversion, man has no free will; he is not only weak but completely without power. In an unconverted person there is not even a spark of true goodness.
Hear yourself what Holy Writ teaches us on this point. Genesis says: "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." Gen 8,21. The same thing in Ps 53: "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one Ps 53,2.3. Again we read: "Without me ye can do nothing." Jn 15,5. And: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jn 3,6.
St. Paul writes: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor 2,14. And: "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor 12,3. And again: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." 2 Cor 3,5. We read: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil 2,13. Yes, in order that no one tries to find in man in his unconverted, natural state any power to do good, Paul writes: "Even when we were DEAD in sins, hath (he) quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)" Eph 2,5.
There you see, my friends, according to God's Word every person is by nature, that is, before his conversion, spiritually dead. Just as a corpse can not see, hear, receive, or do any of the usual things, yes, can not rouse and move himself, so a natural unconverted person can not rightly know and understand anything spiritual, nor anything which concerns the salvation of his soul, can not think properly of these things, resolve to do something, want to do it, and then does it. Yes, if natural man is correctly taught the way from God's Word, he would refuse to give his consent; rather, as long as he is not enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he considers everything folly and enthusiasm; and if he is exhorted to be converted and do truly good works, as long as the Holy Ghost does not work in him, he can do nothing but resist. In spiritual things man is therefore not only like a stick or a stone which neither wants to not can it act,
but he is worse than a stick or stone, because he can oppose the operation of grace working in him.
Therefore just as fallen Adam had not returned to God, had God not first come to him in grace, sought him out, and led him back, so God must by his grace first come to all others with his Word and Spirit, otherwise not one person in the whole world would turn to God. Moreover, as man had nothing to do with the fact that he was created and begotten and born into the world, so also all fallen men could not do a thing so that they are created anew, have their stony heart changed, and are born again. As little as a corpse can assist in being made alive, so little can an unconverted, spiritually dead person assist in being made spiritually alive. Man can not convert himself or assist the least little bit in his conversion; only by permitting God's operation and allowing it to happen is he awakened, enlightened, brought to faith, and converted. Yes, even before man permits God's operation, God must first remove the resistance found in him before his conversion and free his will, which by nature is bound and enslaved.
And now, will many a one think: Is that not a dangerous doctrine? When men hear that they can not even assist in their conversion, but that God must do everything, will they not say: Well, if God must do everything, then I will wait, put my hands peacefully in my lap until God converts me!? I reply: It is true that there are people who use this doctrine in that way. But my friends, that is not the use of this doctrine but a shameful and harmful misuse. Far from being one which could make us secure and hinder our repentance, the teaching that God alone can convert us is really the most powerful awakener to repentance possible.
Tell me: When we hear from God's Word that we are dead in sin and can do nothing but resist, does that not bid us to despair completely of ourselves, be afraid of ourselves, cast ourselves down before God as wretched, lost, rejected, and condemned creatures, rely completely upon God, and cry to him for mercy and help?
Yes, you may even say: But if we can do nothing, we can not even do that! It is true that we can not do this by our own power. But every time God's Word is preached to us, every time we read God's Word, or are merely reminded of it, God comes to us with his grace, knocks at our door, and demands not only such despair of ourselves but also works this within us. That then is, as the apostle says in our text: " Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." V.2b. Therefore he also cries to the Philippians: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." 2,12. And what does he adduce as the reason for doing that? lie adds: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Hence, just because God alone can convert us, fear and trembling should be in us that God's Word is not hindered in us by our own fault. The fact that we do not have the least bit of power to work or assist in our own conversion calls to us for the sake of our salvation not to resist him wilfully and stubbornly every time God works in us and wants to convert us. And the fact that we do not have any power to work our conversion also warns us not to postpone our conversion a single hour; it demands that we answer God immediately when he greets us, open to him right away when he knocks, arise promptly from the sleep of sin when he awakens us.
If we could convert ourselves when we wanted to, then we could possibly say: Not today, but tomorrow; not this year, but the next; not now in my youth and as long as I am healthy,but when I become old and sick. But just because we can do nothing toward' oui conversion, because God alone must do every
thing, we should think the moment God begins to work in us: Now, now is the time; for behold! it could happen that if today God wants to convert us and we do not want that today but next year, the next year God may not want to but rather in our unconverted state suddenly and unexpectedly drag us out of this life before his stern judgment; then we will have waited too long and we must be lost forever. Here we also can say: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Gal 6,7. For no one can use his helplessness and weakness as an excuse. If we are unable to come to him, then he does not wish to draw us to himself; if we can not accept God in our heart, then God does not wish to open our heart as he did Lydia's; if we are unable to see what belongs to our peace, then he does not wish to enlighten us; if we are unable to receive a wholesome fright of hell, he does not wish to work this fright within us.
For he who still remains in his sins and impenitence, has hardened himself; let him then bemoan his lot when he is on the way to hell.
II.
My friends, if by God's grace a person is converted, comes to faith and so to grace and forgiveness of sins, then the time comes when he will also no longer permit the operation of the Holy Spirit but will and must assist him. And this is the second point upon which I want to add a few words.
While most unconverted people think that they can bring about their conversion themselves without the Holy Ghost, so on the other hand, not a few think that when they are converted then need not even then work along with him.
Yes, it is true: As God must make the start of our salvation in our conversion, so he must also produce its continuance and end. Paul says that God must work the willing and the completion within us. Peter says that God regenerates us, that he alone is the one through whose power we are preserved to salvation. It is therefore true that even after his conversion no person can by
his own powers preserve himself in the faith.
But far be it that this should exclude man’s assistance after his conversion; it rather includes it.
Conversion is simply the freeing of the will; before conversion it was bound to sin and torn away from God. Therefore, by conversion one has been placed into the situation where he is solemnly obliged not to serve sin but God; he has become God’s freed man; for "if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed," says the Lord himself. Jn 8,36. Through conversion man receives spiritual light, a new divine life, new divine desires and impulses, and new divine powers in his heart. All this is a treasure, a pound, capital with which the converted Christian is to make the most of his opportunities and from which he is to bring God liberal interest. If only by God's grace the unconverted person is not to resist wilfully so that he can be converted, the converted person, on the other hand, is to assist with all the divine powers given him so that he will not lose his conversion again.
It is indeed true: Even the converted person can work along only as long "as God rules, guides, and leads him with his Holy Spirit;" the moment God withdraws his hand and takes his Holy Spirit from him, even the converted person falls back again into his old spiritual death. God however forsakes no one who has not first forsaken him. The Spirit of God is never idly present where he dwells, but continually impels God’s converted children to follow after
sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord. A Christian who does not ceaselessly wrestle against sins which always assail and cling to him, will not earnestly contend for those virtues which please God and are burdensome to his flesh and blood, will not faithfully watch over his heart and life, will not always acquire new power and grace through the diligent use of the means of grace and through daily ardent prayer, such a person will soon cease being a Christian. The word of the Lord is fulfilled in him: "He that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath." Mk 4,25. The oil in his lamp of faith, the living power of God, is gradually used up; the flame finally is completely extinguished, and lo! when the Bridegroom comes, he can not go to meet him.
It is true: most are lost because they want to become better by them selves even before they experience the operation of the Holy Spirit; for that reason they never show real improvement; but how many, are also lost because they do not want to work with the Holy Spirit after by God's grace they had been converted! They suppose that after they had fought the difficult battle of repentance they, as it were, had entered the harbor of rest. They permitted the thought that grace does everything, this thought which should fill them with the delight and zeal to live a pious life, to rock them into the sleep of security; they do not watch; they do not wrestle; they do not pray; they do not work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, and lot they are lost.
Oh my friends, let us then listen to the word of the apostle in our text: " He then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." What more terrible thing can there be than to have received grace after having known wrath, and then, after having squandered God's grace to reap wrath again! What more terrible thing can there be than afte r being full of the hope of salvation and heaven suddenly to plunge into hell and damnation.
From this graciously preserve us, oh God, for Jesus' sake. Amen.