4TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Text: Romans 13: 8-11
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
Never has love been the subject of so much conversation as in our day. Love has now become the watchword of those who want to be Christians, as well as of those who do not want to be Christians.
Nowadays those who want to be Christians often say that the Christian Church must pass through three different eras named after the three chief apostles, Peter, Paul, and John, the Petrine, the Pauline, and the Johannine era. The first era, the Petrine, was t he age of power and might; this existed under the control of the Roman Church. T he second era, the Pauline, was the age of faith; this began with the Lutheran Reformation. Finally, the third era, the Johannine, is the age of love; this has just dawned in our days.
What do such Christians understand by love? By this they understand above all that in matters of faith one must, as they express it, be tolerant, that is, indulgent, willing to stretch a point, and forbearing, no longer being so particular about purity of doctrine, nor reprimanding so sharply any deviation from God's Word as was done in times past, and recognising those also as dear brethren in the faith who do not want to bow in some points to God ’ s Word just as long as they accept certain important articles of faith.
Is that really the description of true, Christian love? On the contrary does not Holy Scripture say; "Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth?" 1 Cor 13,6. Such Christians seem to be like that person who was generous and kind toward the poor but who took his gifts not from his pocket but from another ’ s by secretly stealing from others and then publicly giving it to the poor. For what else are such Christians doing but robbing God of his Word, his truth, and his honor and giving themselves the appearance of having more love than others? The evilness of their love is revealed by the attitude they show others who take them to task for their disregard of the truth.
What do they, who do not want to be Christians, make o f love which they praise so highly. They suppose not only that b y doing works of charity is love, but that when one really seeks only his one advantage and pleasure, seeking it, however, in such a way that others also profit by it, that even then one has fulfilled the very demands of lo ve. So people go to the theater, the concert, public banquets, a n d take part in similar public amusements and then think that they have done a work of love, when the proceeds of such personal amusements flow into the hands of the needy. Or secret societies are founded; a tax is imposed for the support of their members, only on the condition, however, that where necessary they receive at the right time the same or rather a greater amount than they contributed; they are proud to be members of such a noble organization, of such a beautiful fraternity of brotherly love. They look contemptuously upon pious Christians and think to themselves; You boast of your faith, but we of love.
Now are those works really works of love ? Poor, deceived people! Love has now so completely disappeared from man's heart, that the poor dare hope for the most necessary help only if with his help some advantage, some honor, some amusement can also be purchased ! Love has now so completely died out of man's heart, that he who fears misfortune can hope for assistance only if he enters into an agreement with someone else to lend him a hand if he falls into the same misfortune! And yet they boast that our age is an age of love!
Yes, and more: What do those very same people do who know how to speak
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so wonderfully of love toward one's neighbor and of universal brotherly love? Woe to him who offends them with only one word! Toward him they cherish a glowing, irreconcilable hatred. They can not rest until they have brilliantly avenged themselves on their supposed enemy. Yes, what do I say? I summon you who live amongst the world as witness: What else is the life of most of the children of this world but an eternal, mutual cheating and envying and hating? what else but a secret slandering and a selfish flattering or vengeful scolding?
Alas my friends, undoubtedly the very times of which the Lord once prophesied: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold," Mt 24,12 these times are the ones which have finally come in our day. Not in the days of love, but in the days of love lessness do we live.
Love, true love, is something entirely different than what is now usually sold under this glorious name. This is taught us in our today's Epistle lesson. Well, then, let us now seek to know the nature of true love.
Quote the text here: Romans 13, 8-11.
As you have heard the text just read deals with love; the apostle presents it as an obligation. Therefore may I present to you:
LOVE TOWARD ONE'S NEIGHBOR—AN OBLIGATION
Under the guidance of our text we ponder two points:
1. Love is Indeed an OBLIGATION, and a CONTINUAL Obligation, and
2. It is Also the WHOLE Obligation of Man.
Oh Lord God, you are eternal love. Therefore you surround not only all your creatures with perfect love, but you also created in us a heart which in imitation of yours was full of pure, blessed love to you and our brethren. Alas, we have fallen, and instead of ardent brotherly love there dwells now indifference, selfishness, envy; instead of intimate affection, hate and enmity dwell in our cold heart. Yes, we all must confess to you that by nature even we have such a degenerated, corrupt, loveless heart. Oh, let us come to know our heart aright, and through your Holy Spirit grant that we all may be filled with honest regret over our heart. And because you have sent your Eternal Son of Love into the world for the very purpose of rekindling through faith in him the extinguished fires of love in our hearts, grant that we all may come to faith in your dear Son, our Savior, and by faith have love, and in this love know and taste your blessedness. To that end bless the preaching of your Word also in this hour. Hear us ! Amen.
I.
"To everyone his due;" nowadays most make this principle their entire religion. And it is not enough that they do this; how do most explain this principle? It is supposed that if one has practised a certain uprightness toward everyone and fulfilled his duties as citizens, if his taxes are päid, the workers their stipulated wage and if one has repaid the services received from others, then one has given everyone his due and fulfilled his duty toward everyone. It is supposed that if one has gotten his possessions honestly and therefore can not be sued in court for a debt, he is then free from all obligations. Either it is supposed that love is an entirely free thing of one's own heart, or
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that on e does not have to love all man; they believe that one can select those to whom one wants to show love, yes, that some one can hate rather than love, and show evil instead of good. As men are free in other things, so he is ale© free to love these people and not to love those, as long as one does not offend and prejudice their lawful rights and possessions. Why, they think, 1 have given every what is his; what more can one want? Who is going to demand that I love him also?
So, when such do more than civil righteousness demands, if they feed one hungry parson, give water to one thirsty person, clothe one naked person, take one homeless person into their house, in short, if they do good to one person who has no legal claim upon them, then they think they have done something extra, an especially noble deed, and have shown a generosity which merits not only approbation, but praise, honor, and admiration, yes, if they still believe in a heaven, certainly heaven itself.
But what does the Word of our God have to say about this? What does the apostle say in our text? He says this: “ Owe no man any thing, but to LOVE one another; for HE that LOVETH another hath fulfilled the law." V. 8.
You see, the apostle entices no one to love his brother as though it were a matter of free choice, Λich depends upon the inclination of our heart; the apostle admonishes us to show love, not only as though it were merely a beautiful thing to Λich we should let ourselves be incited just because it is praiseworthy and lovely. Mo; he really commands love from us as something we owe. He also tells us why. Because God has commanded love in his law. Since God had created us in his image and given «8 a soul which can know him and join him in showing love, he can and must demand love from us also as something we owe.
So, my friends, this much is certain: It i s not a matter of choice with us whether we want to love and whom we want to love; and if we love all men from our heart and love by our deeds, we are doing nothing special; love just happens to be something we owe. Every person is our creditor and we are debtor to every person. Even if otherwise we owe no man a thing, we still owe him love. Therefore we boast in vain that we have given every one his due if we have not loved everyone. In vain do we boast of our generosity and magnanimity even if we love our enemy and show him love; for then we are merely doing what we are obligated to do.
Indeed this is true; It will not be easy to evoke love toward everyone, least of all our enemy, as something we owe him; no human law demands love; if we do not love him, no one can bring action against us in court; no court of justice exacts the obligation to love, none punishes him who does not discharge this debt; if we give everyone his due or return what Is his, we count ourselves debt free before every human judge.
But in God’s court this is a different matter. There the account book of love will be examined, and though all our other debts may have been paid, if we have not paid the debt of love, the terrible sentence will nevertheless fall upon us; "The wicked borroweth and payeth not again.” Ps 37,21.
According to God’ s Word love is not only a debt we owe, but it is a debt of a most special and amazing nature. And we see this when we add to the words of the apostle in our text those which immediately precede. There the apostle had written; “Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." V.7. Is that not noteworthy when the apostle immediately continues in our text: " Owe not man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law ” ? Yes, amazing! Whilst the apostle in the preceding said, we should owe no one a thing, he suddenly turns about and says; I want you to remain obligated for one thing -- love.
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You see my friends, according to God's Word love is not only an obligation, but also (no matter what we may do) a lasting, continual, unceasing obligation. Every other becomes smaller as we pay it off and finally it is completely paid. Not so the obligation of love which we have toward our neighbor. As holy a duty as it is to try to pay off every other obligation, so little should we try to become free of our obligation of love. Yes, we should pay this debt every day but never suppose that we have paid it in full. And if we have shown a person, yes if it were possible, every person the greatest love, we are to know that our debt of love has not become smaller but is still the same, is still just as great. There is no day, no hour, no second during which we would not be obligated to love; if we have already loved our brother ardently and energetically for half a century, the very same amount is still written in the account book of the law and our conscience for every new day and for every new hour. Yes, whereas every other debt is ours only until death, the debt of love we take with us into the grave,over into eternity, and up into heaven; for there faith is indeed turned into seeing and hope into having, but love -- remains; it remains as long as there is a kingdom of God, a kingdom of eternal love, hence into all eternity.
II.
According to our text, love is indeed an obligation, yes, a constant obligation, and also man's entire obligation. That is the second point which we will not devoutly ponder.
When the apostle says in our text, that we should owe no man anything save love, this at first glance seems strange. For does not every commandment lay a special obligation upon us? Hence, do we not in addition to the obligation of love still have to discharge ten other great obligations toward God and our neighbor? Yes, so it seems. The apostle has also thought of this objection; so he answers it when he continues in our text: " For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Vv. 9.10.
Herewith the apostle gives two reasons why strictly speaking love is man's entire and only obligation; first of all, because no commandment can be fulfilled without love; actually, love is what God really has in mind with all his commandments. Secondly, because if it is perfect, it by itself leaves no commandment of God unfulfilled; hence the real fulfilment of the Law or all commandments is done out of love.
And so it is. There is really only one commandment; all others are contained and summarized in this one, namely: Love God above all things,and: " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Actually, this love is the only thing which God demands of us by all his commandments. God did not give the Ten Commandments because man had exactly ten different obligations, but they are simply example of the commandment of love, unfoldings and developments of this commandment. The Ten Commandments are, as it were, the individual items of our obligation, while the commandment of love is the summary in which each one is again contained. The commandment of love is the tree, and each of the Ten Commandments are the separate branches of this tree. Love should be the fount and the works demanded in the Ten Commandments should be the streams which flow from this fount.
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He does ηot therefore fulfil the Ten Commandments who does and leaves undone only the works which a r e mentioned, commanded, or forbidden in them; but only then does a parson fulfil the Commandments by these works if all his works flow from love. If according to the 4th Commandment you honor your parents, if according to the 5th Commandment you do not kill, if according to the 6th Commandment you do not commit adultery by your works, if according to the 7th Commandment you do not take anyone's possession by force or cunning, if according to the 8th Commandment you do not speak falsely against your neighbor, yes, if according to the 9th and 10th Commandments you do not once consciously covet your neighbor's possessions, you still have not fulfilled the letter of the whole Law, if that true, pure, ardent love to God and your neighbor does not live within your heart, and if all which according to the Ten Commandments you have done and abstained from doing does not flow from this fount of true love which is in you. He who does not have this love, though he may live ever so honorably, ever so correctly, ever so blamelessly, he still is before tod a transgressor of all his commandments, an idolater, a profaner of his name, a violator of his sabbath, a despiser of his parents, teachers, and government, a murderer and killer, a fornicator and adulterer, s thief and robber, a false witness, and his heart a habitation for ungodly impulses and desires. For the summary of all our obligations is love; all commandments are “ briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
And yet my friends, we dare not suppose that the apostle intends to say that it is enough if a person has love only in his heart; and though he constantly transgress the commandments with his works, he nevertheless has fulfilled the '' Law through his love I Oh, no; the apostle goes on to say; “ Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law." V.10. The apostle means to say: Hot only is no commandment fulfilled by works without love, but if love is as it should be, it leaves no commandment unfulfilled and does the works of all commandments.
And how can it be otherwise! He who loves God above all things, which of the commandments of the first Table could he transgress without injuring and denying his love to God? and be who loves his neighbor as himself, which of the commandments of the Second Table could he transgress without injuring and denying his love to his neighbor? No, “ love worketh no ill, to his neighbor," but only good; all evil comes from the lack of love to God and his neighbor.
If a person had perfect love in his heart, he needs no other commandment; without being.commanded he will do everything which can possibly be prescribed with commandments. Yes, in perfect love lies a yearning to do more good than can ever be enumerated in any catalogue of laws, and though this would contain a million. True love does not first ask; Whafe? I am to do.this also? I owe also this to God and my neighbor? But it considers itself in debt to God and his neighbor; it wishes merely to burst forth, overflow, open its heart, and be consumed in service to God and his neighbor. Its blessedness is not taking but giving, not being loved but loving, not being served but serving.
In conclusion my friends, I ask you: Is not love therefore man's obligation, his continual obligation, and his entire obligation?
Perhaps many will not know what they should say. They will not be able to contradict this but perhaps think in the depths of their heart: Well, it seems that way; but is not such a love merely a fantasy, an illusion? For where does this love dwell? and who can attain it? Therefore, how can God demand that of us?
I reply: It is indeed true, my friends, that we vainly seek such a love here upon earth; there was only one who had and exercised this love upon earth, Jesus Christ, who was God and man in one person, praised to all eternity.
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But do not think that for that reason God can not or actually does not demand such a perfect love of us. God gave us this perfect love at creation; that we no longer have it is the result of having fallen into sin, into selfishness. Though we may have lost the power to love perfectly, God’s command: "Thou shalt love God above all thing s, and thy neighbor as thyself," has not lost its power and validity. That we cannot pay our debt completely does not cancel It. This commandment still applies, still stands before us, still seizes us and threatens all transgressors with eternal woes.
You will say, what are we to do? Should we not despair? Is there no help and deliverance for us? Yes, my friends; there still is help for us. For though we have lost our love to God and our neighbor, God has not lost his love to us. "Herein is love," says John, "not that we loved God, but that he loves us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 Jn 4,10.
If we poor, loveless men want to be saved, this then is the way: We must above all honestly perceive with regret and pain, with deep humility and bowed heart the great, horrible lovelessness of our heart, and then as poor, wretched, lost, and condemned sinners go to Christ and beseech him to impute and give us his love. Then if we firmly and confidently build upon his love which loved us unto death, our lovelessness will not only be forgiven us for the sake of our Savior's love and Christ’s love will be imputed to us, but God’s love in Christ in whom we have found grace, will also work love in return in our hearts; then we will also begin to love God and our brethren from our heart and by our deeds. The sun of God's love, like the sun in spring, will then also arise within us, the iciness of our natural heart will melt, and the fire of an ardent love w ill be kindled within us. Of course, this newly kindled love will never become perfect in this life; it remains imperfect until death; but if through faith we remain in Christ's love, this imperfection within us will daily disappear, and finally when death frees us from the prison of the flesh, we will awaken there in the image of God with perfect love.
Come on, then, my dear hearers; let us go this way, the way of faith, love, and hope. Then all other Christian gifts will cease but these three will remain; but, oh let us never forget this! love is the greatest of them all! Amen
SEPTUAGESIMA 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 ()
The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God the heavenly Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
That those who live in Christendom have God's Word is a grace, whose greatness cannot be measured by any man, nor gained by thought, much less can it be completely described in words, nor can it be praised enough.
Those living in Christendom have in God's Word a brightly burning heavenly light. There is nothing which is necessary to know for the salvation of their souls concerning which they would not find clear information in God’s
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Word. In it they find a clear answer to all, important questions about God and man, about the past and the future, about time and eternity. Whilst the heathen world which does not have God's Word eternally asks; What is truth? and must forever be in doubt as to the answer and grope in darkness, Christiana on the other hand, have in God's Word the perfect solution to all their doubts.
Those living in Christendom also have in God's Word a treasure chamber in which lies the forgiveness of sins. God's Word not only announces that the sins of all men have been erased through Christ and not only indicates a way by which men can receive forgiveness, but it is at the same time God's hand which gives the precious treasure to men; the entire doctrine of the Gospel contained in God's Word is an absolution pronounced by God upon all men, which every one has the moment he believes.
Moreover, those living in Christendom have in God's Word an ever-flowing fount of comfort. Nothing can happen to them, be it the loss of goods and chattel, the loss of their honor or good name, the loss of their health, the loss of their freedom, the loss of their loved ones, the loss of their own life, they find in God's Word when misfortune strikes, be it ever so great and severe, a comfort which brings them complete ease of mind.· Yes, the very things which hurl those who do not have God's Word into despair appear to those who have it as something for which they can. praise and glorify God.
Moreover, those living in Christendom have in God's Word a sword with which they can defend them.; against all their foes and with which they can be victorious in every struggle. No matter now great the power and cunning may be with which the world and hell attack them, nothing can conquer, cast down, and hurl into hell those who have God's Word. When the world and hell think they have conquered those armed with God's Word and lift up their cry of triumph, then they themselves, lying in the dust, cry out, as once the Church of the Old Testament did: "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. 1 will bear the indignation of the Lord, because 1 have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness." Micah 7,8.9.
Finally, those living in Christendom have in God's Word the key to heaven. If death comes to them, if they must leave the world and enter eternity,, and if their conscience says to them: You can not be saved; your sins, your unworthiness, your entire reprehensible life closes heaven in your face, they have no reason to despair; they grasp God's Word which says to them: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim 1,15. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Rom 5,20b. The moment they cling to this Word in faith, even though amid sighing and wrestling, heaven opens to them and the angels come and carry their departing soul into the dwelling place of perfection and eternal peace.
Oh, what great grace God therefore has given all those whom he has. permitted to be born in the midst of Christendom! Oh, that all would recognize how much grace has been shown them because they have God's Word! They would all confess with David that God's Word is.better than thousands of gold and silver, and with Jeremiah that it is the comfort and joy of their heart.
My friends, those who live in Christendom enjoy not only the inexpressible grace of having God's Word; God has added yet another fount of grace to his Word, namely, the Holy Sacraments. As we have said, they are additions to God's Word, but what additions! Permit me to speak to you on how wonderful they are.
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Quote the text here: 1 Corinthians 9,25 to 10,5.
This entire epistle is clearly an urgent summons to be earnest and zealous Christians. in order to make this summons very urgent, the apostle shows in the first section that Christianity is to be compared to a race for a treasure and a duel for a crown. In the second part the apostle shows that the fathers of the Old Testament times partook of all such proofs of grace which prefigured the sacraments of the New Testament, yet scarcely a single one of these highly blessed people reached heaven. Since 1 have at another occasion presented Christianity as a race and a duel, using today's Epistle as the text, permit me today on the basis of the second portion speak to you on
THE GRACE WHICH THOSE ENJOY WHO PARTAKE OF THE HOLY SACRAMENTS
I will show you:
1. How Great This Grace Is, and
2. That in spite of Participating in Them One Can Still Remain Shut out of Heaven.
I.
The apostle begins the second portion of the admonition contained in our text in the words: " However, brethren. I would not that ye should be ignorant. how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ." Vv. 1-4.
In order to understand these words correctly there are some things you must know. After the flood when the human race had again spread into all the world, it had again sunk almost as deeply into corruption as before. The knowledge of the true God, and faith in the promised Redeemer was for the second time almost completely lost. What did God do? He chose Abraham in Chaldea, revealed himself to him, led him away from his relatives and his homeland into the land of Canaan, and promised that this land would not only be his and his descendants, but he also promised that he would become a great nation, and that the Redeemer would be born from his descendants. God promised the same thing to Abraham's son, Isaac, and to his grandson, Jacob or Israel. Jacob had twelve sons i through Joseph, whom his brothers sold as a slave, Israel with his whole family came to Egypt. Here the twelve families of his twelve sons gradually grew to be twelve great tribes and finally a great nation of more than 600,000 men. At first the Israelites couldn't wish for anything better in Egypt; because they Egyptians were thankful to Joseph, they thought well of all of Joseph's relatives; but when Joseph had died and was no longer remembered, and the Israelites visibly increased, the Egyptians became jealous, oppressed the people ever more severely, and finally forced them into complete slavery.
Since the Israelites not only knew the true God from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but were also promised by God that Canaan was to be their possession, they cried to God for help and freedom. And see, God showed mercy on his chosen people. He elected a man named Moses who should lead the nation from Egypt to the promised land, Canaan. At first Pharaoh was absolutely against permitting them to leave; but God gave Moses the power to bring upon Egypt all kinds
of fearful plagues, whereby Pharaoh was finally forced to let Israel go.
So finally this nation under the leadership of Moses marched out of Egypt to the promised land. The Lord himself was the people’s guide. In the form of a cloud, which gave shade by day and light by night, he preceded them and showed them the way. When after a short march the nation came to the Red Sea, behold! Pharaoh with an army suddenly appeared in the distance, pursuing them. The frightened people saw before them the sea and behind them the mighty foe. They supposed that now they were destined for inevitable destruction.
Moses, on the other hand, assured them of God’s help; and what happened? The cloud which formerly had led the way moved behind them and served as a protecting barrier between the Children of Israel and their foes. But even more happened: Moses then stretched out his hand over the sea, and loi the deep waters suddenly parted; a dry highway appeared and thus the people walked upon the bottom of the sea to the other shore, while on the right hand and on the left the water towered high in the air.
Pharaoh and his array followed the people upon this miraculous road through the sea; scarcely had the entire army descended to the dry sea-bottom, when lightning and thunder suddenly crashed from the cloud. The whole army fell into confusion and wanted to flee, but when Israel arrived at the opposite shore, upon Moses' nod the boiling waters closed over every man and horse of Pharaoh's army. Israel now had to travel through a desert. They needed food. Scarcely had the nation cried for bread, when behold! God caused bread to rain from heaven; it was manna; and when in the burning sun they needed water, lo! Moses had to strike a rock with his staff and a fresh clear stream of living water quickly gushed forth from dry rock.
Great, yes, inexpressibly great was the grace which God once showed the people of Israel, the people of the Old. Covenant. It was not enough that tod spoke with them, gave them his Word, called them his people, and promised them his grace and help; he added visible signs to his gracious promises. He not only promised to lead the nation himself to Canaan, but he also sealed this promise by the pillars of cloud and fire and by miraculously opening the sea. He not only promised to care for the people, but he also confirmed this promise by raining bread from heaven and bringing water from dry rooks.
Yet why does the Apostle Paul say in our text that the Israelites were " baptized" in the cloud and in the sea, and ate the same " spiritual meat " and drank the same " spiritual drink "? He means to indicate that those signs of the cloud and the sea prefigured the N ew Testament baptism and the manna and the water from the rock the Lord"s Supper.
From this we see the great grace which those enjoy who partake of the Holy Sacraments. As God once not only gave his people his Word but also added visible signs to it to confirm and seal it, so he not only gave Christians his gracious Word in the Gospel, but in the Sacraments also added visible signs as seals of the Gospel. As once the pillars of cloud and fire were positive signs that God was graciously present to everyone to whom they gave light by night and shade by day, so Holy Baptism is a sign to all who receive it that God has graciously entered in with them. As once all those who went safely through the Red Sea, had a sign that God recognized them as the children of his covenant of grace, and wanted to bring them into the land he promised them, whereas Pharaoh with his entire army perished, so today Holy Baptism is a sign to all who receive it, that their sins are swallowed up by the sea of Christ’s blood, that God wants to receive them as his children, admit them into his covenant of grace, and most certainly bring them at last into the heavenly Canaan promised to them in the Gospel.
As once the Israelites spiritual partook of Christ, when they ate the manna from heaven and drank of the water from the rock, that is, when they were
thereby strengthened in faith in him, the promised Redeemer, so also in his New Testament supper Christ gives himself spirituali to eat and to drink to all who in faith partake of it. Yes, in the New Testament times when figures have ended, the grace is even greater. In the signs of the Old Testament there was grace through the promise connected with them, yet no heavenly treasures but only the foreshadowing of them; on the other hand, heavenly treasures are connected with the signs of the New Testament. Whoever is baptized has at the same time the Holy Ghost richly poured out upon him; if he believes, he is born again through the water and renewed to eternal life. If anyone is given to eat of the consecrated bread in the Lord's Supper and given to drink of the consecrated blood, he will at the same time be given to eat of Christ's true body and given to drink of his true blood.
Yes, we can be astonished that God once appeared to his people in the cloud and divided the sea in order to lead them through it dry-shod and destroy his foes in it; yet every day we see inexpressibly greater things take place in Christendom whenever baptism is administered. Not only is God himself present in this water but all the sins of the baptized are drowned in it, and, if he has received this baptism in faith, he becomes a new, pardoned, holy, and pure person.
We can be truly astonished that God gave his people bread from heaven and water out of a rock; but every day we see inexpressibly greater things take place in Christendom whenever the Lord’s Supper is distributed. There the communicants eat the true Bread from heaven and drink the true Water of eternal life from the rock of salvation. There a heavenly table is set on earth; the amazed holy angels stand around this table of grace and praise God for the immeasurable grace by which he honors sinners on earth.
II.
This is enough to point out to you the great grace which those enjoy, who partake of the Holy Sacraments; let me show in the second place, that one can nevertheless be excluded from salvation.
After the apostle in our text reminded the Corinthians of the great grace which came to the fathers of the Old Covenant, he adds: " But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness." V.5.
When God led the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand after great wonders and signs which he did in Egypt through Hoses and whereby he had forced Pharaoh to let them go, when God himself led this nation in the pillar of cloud; when God miraculously made a pathway through the sea itself and in it sacrificed Pharaoh with his entire army; when God not only miraculously fed the nation with bread and water, but continually during the entire journey revealed his presence through thousands of miracles, some of which were pleasing, some frightening, it seemed as if God has passed by all other people, as if it were God's counsel to overwhelm only this nation with his grace, and as if this nation would most certainly have to reach the promised land, what happened, however? Of all the 600,000 men who had left Egypt and had seen, heard, and experienced all the countless miracles and revelations of God during the 40 year wandering, the Lord permitted no more than two, Joshua and Caleb, to enter the promised land. All the others died miserably in the wilderness, and even Moses could see Canaan only from a distance, because he had struck the rock with a doubting heart; he had to die on Mt. Nebo outside the borders of the promised land.
As the signs of grace which the Israelites received from God were prototypes of the sacraments which Christendom has, so is also God's wrath upon that highly favored nation a picture of God's wrath from which even those, who partake of the sacraments of the New Testament, are not secure.
If you do not belong to those who scorn Holy Baptism, but if you believe and know that when you were baptised you were sprinkled with the water of grace and that God in his grace came to dwell in you when you were baptized, happy are you! But bear in mind that when you again drove God from your hearts by your sins, you have a vain comfort in the fact that when you were baptized God entered your heart.
If you believe and know that in your baptism all your sins were drowned, as Pharaoh and his army were in the Red Sea, happy are you! Bear in mind, however, that if you let sin rule you again after your baptism, if you again sin knowingly, wilfully, and gladly, you comfort yourself in vain with the fact that your sins were hurled into the depths of the sea in your baptism.
You believe and know that your baptism was a washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, who was richly poured out upon you; happy are you! Bear in mind, however, that if you no longer walk as a new person in a new life, with a new heart, in the power of the Holy Spirit; if you do not battle against sin; if you do not bring forth the fruits of the Spirit; if you do not pursue sanctification, you comfort yourself in vain with the thought that in your baptism you became a child of God and an heir of eternal life. You have broken your baptismal vow, lost your baptismal grace, torn your baptismal garment. You are a lost son who must again return to his father in true repentance and conversion; otherwise, you will never see the heavenly Canaan.
Moreover, happy are you if you are not one of those who scorn the Lord's Supper, considering it merely a meaningless ceremony and therefore seldom or never partake of it; happy are you if you diligently partake of it in the firm faith that you are given to eat of the heavenly food of the true body of Jesus Christ and given to drink of the heavenly drink of his true blood. Yet bear in mind! If you unite yourself with the Son of God in this sacrament but then tear yourself away from him by your friendship with the world and your unchristian life, you comfort yourself in vain with this most holy means of grace; yes, because you partake of it unworthily, it not only is worth nothing to you, but you also partake of it to your damnation; you become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord; what was intended to be for your life becomes your death; what was given for a blessing becomes a curse; what was meant for your salvation turns out to be your damnation. You will not be freed of your sins but only heap them up; it would have been better for you, if you had never partaken of it.
Oh, let us all see ourselves reflected in the frightening example of Israelites. As great as was the grace which they enjoyed above millions of others, so frightful was also the wrath which met them when they did not faithfully use the evidence of his grace, which they experienced, to grow in faith and love. Their damnation was the more terrible than even that of Pharaoh's. So also will the damnation of all Christians, who had God's Word and unadulterated sacraments and misused them to feel secure, refuse to turn to God from their hearts, or seek eternal life in good works, will be greater than the damnation of the heathen who knew nothing of God and his means of grace.
But you who gladly want to be faithful to your God and therefore walk in fear and trembling do not be frightened; you are the very ones whom God wants to and will bring into the heavenly Canaan; God will crown faithfulness even if it is imperfect. Joshua and Caleb were not perfect, but they did not let sin reign in them; daily they returned to God whose grace they had experienced and known.
Therefore use the means of grace faithfully and in daily repentance seek daily cleansing from your stains; though hundreds of thousands might fall in the wilderness of this world, you will deliver your soul and finally enter the land of promise. May Jesus Christ, the uncreated, eternal Angel of the New Covenant help us all. Amen.
SEXAGESIMA 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9 ()
The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God the heavenly Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
Boastfulness is certainly a most detestable vice. For that reason God has also strictly forbidden it very often in his Word. In Jeremiah we read: "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exerciseth lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer 9,23.24. Again, Solomon says: "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger,and not thine own lips." Prov 27,2. Finally David says: "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish (German: boastful) shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all workers of iniquity." Ps 5,4.5.
How disgusted even a natural man usually is, who otherwise has no aversion to sin, when he must hear another always ready to speak of himself, of his superiority, of his great deeds, of his great skill and wisdom, of his great riches, or even of his great piety. Everyone becomes suspicious of such boastfulness and self-praise; for, they think, either he does that' because he is not praised by others, since he deserves no praise, or it shows that in spite of all his superiority he still lacks the crown of all superiority, humility. He who is humble does not make much ado or speak much of himself, lives quietly, honors everyone, but seeks no honor for himself; as a rule he also receives much more sympathy if he suffers injury than he who wants to make a big show of himself.
Who would sympathize with proud Nebuchadnezzar when he was deeply humiliated shortly after he had cried out: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" Dan 4,30. Who does not feel happy to hear that that boastful Goliath, who challenged any Israelite to a duel and despised little David, was stretched out on the sand by David, not with a sword, spear, and shield, but with a stone from his sling. In whose heart does not that publican stand a thousand times higher, even though he was a man who had fallen deeply, when he humbly said: "God be merciful to me a sinner," than that Pharisee, full of the conceit of his holiness and piety, who said: "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican!"? Lk 18,11
Of a truth, boastfulness is a vice which is severely reprimanded not only in God’s Word but which makes one seem ridiculous in the eyes of the world, as well as arousing one's suspicions.
From all this it is easy to conclude that true Christianity certainly can not be compatible with boastfulness, yes, that a true Christian certainly must be a very special foe of this vice. For how does one become a Christian? By the working of the Holy spirit one begins to feel his sinful corruption and to perceive that he is a sinner who has come short of the glory of God and is righteous before God by grace through faith in Christ without any merit. Therefore after Paul had explained the doctrine of the way to salvation he says: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith." Rom 3:27.
So it is, my friends, that true Christians always have such a humble way of speaking, that they are silent of their good works and gladly confess that they are nothing but poor sinners upon whom God has shown mercy. If even Christ says: "If I honor myself, my honor is nothing; it is my Father that honoreth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God," Jn 8,54 what is a poor man, and if he be the best Christian, to say of himself? Should he boast of his wisdom? He is the one who perceives his blindness! Should he boast of his virtues, his good works, his good heart, his piety and uprightness? He is the one who perceives his sinfulness! Should he boast of his power, his skill, his wealth, and the like? He is the one who perceives his insignificance! He thinks of the word of the apostle who says: "What hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" 1 Cor 4,7. So, whoever lets people notice that he is still pleased with himself and that in one way or another he seeks his glory and honor, he certainly is not a true Christian.
And yet, my friends, there are times when even a Christian is compelled to bear witness of himself; there are situations in which a Christian is forced to boast, so to speak, of himself. An example of that we find in our today's Epistle. Let us now spend a little time pondering this important subject.
Quote the text here: 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9.
We hear in this Epistle how St. Paul boasts of many things. He therefore teaches by his example that in certain circumstances even a Christian can, yes, must boast. Therefore let the subject of our today's meditation be:
CHRISTIAN BOASTING
We ponder:
1. In Which Situations One Can, Yes, Must Boast, and
2. The Nature of Those Who Wish to do That.
Great, omnipotent God, the proud have never pleased you but at all times the prayers of the wretched and humble have; you resist the proud but give grace to the humble. You say in your holy Word: "Talk no more so exceeding proudly," for you put down the mighty from their seats and exalt them of low degree; everything which men consider great is an abomination in your eyes. And yet, Lord, it is also your will that we do not deny your gifts. Oh therefore show us now how we are to be humble and yet dare also boast a bit to the praise of your great name and to the glory of your wonderful grace, yes, that we can and should joyfully boast of what great things you have done to our souls. And some
day bring us to that place where our mouths will be forever full of laughter and our tongues of praise for the sake of your honor. Amen.
I.
Not seldom do we hear the axiom expressed, that every person must have a certain amount of noble pride. This however is a contradiction. There can be noble pride as little as there can be noble sin, for pride is sin. Thus there also seems to be a contradiction when one speaks of Christian boasting. But that is not so. Boasting and pride have no relation to each other. Pride is man's reprehensible disposition; this can never be noble, not even good; it remains sinful under all circumstances.
That is not the case with boasting; this is a deed which can be good or evil, depending upon the attitude from which it flows and the motives one has. For example, the one who boasts because of thirst for honor or because he does not want to endure disgrace which always is connected with the confession of and imitating the Crucified, his boasting is sin, yes, an abomination to God; he is not a Christian, for the Lord clearly says: "How can ye believe which receive honor one of another?" Jn 5,44. St. Paul writes: "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise." 1 Cor 3,18.
When boasting is not sinful but a Christian work we see in the example of Paul in our text. What moved him to boast so much to his Corinthians? We learn the following things from the entire letter.
Paul had founded an important congregation in the heathen city of Corinth through his preaching; to his great joy he had engendered true faith and a godly life; after a year and a half stay there he went axray with the most beautiful hopes for the success and growth of the congregation. But not long thereafter he heard with sorrow that the wolf had forced his way into the flock and threatened to destroy it.
False teachers had sneaked into the congregation at Corinth; they had tried to confuse them and lead them from the true faith by being busy in every possible way belittling, casting suspicion upon, and estranging the hearts of those whom Paul had converted. The false teachers had acted as if they were the true apostles, but Paul a false apostle who misled them. With a great show they had boasted that they must first bring the Corinthians upon the true way and give them the true Spirit; on the other hand, Paul who had preached only of faith in Christ was a man spiritually dead, fleshly, unconverted. Saddest of all had been that the inexperienced Corinthians had for the greater part been deceived by the ridiculous boasting of these false apostles; they even let themselves be ruled by them, and be deceived in material things in which these belly servers were mainly interested. The apostle therefore says in the beginning of our Epistle: " For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face." Vv.19.20.
One can well imagine how it must have hurt Paul, when he heard of their tragic situation. That he had been debased in the eyes of the Corinthians and covered with abuse and disgrace did not worry him; that he could bear easily; as a servant of God he was accustomed to that; he thought: If the world spit in the face of God's Son, his servant can expect no better from it; yes, he considered this disgrace his honor.
But that his beloved Corinthians had been misled to repudiate him, so that they might also fall from his doctrine, from the true faith, from Jesus
Christ, that pierced his heart. Paul saw: If in false humility he would now be silent about the defamations of the false apostles, a large number of the Corinthian Christians would go astray not only in regard to him, but also in regard to Christ and his Gospel. Though he usually spoke humbly of himself, under these circumstances he must use another kind of language. His own honor was not at stake but the salvation of many immortal souls, God's honor whose servant he was, and the truth of the Word which he had preached. This then compelled him to open the eyes of the Corinthians and show them that he could boast of things of which those false apostles had no experience. He then began to contrast the empty boasts of the false apostles with what he himself could in truth boast of.
Here you see, my friends, in which situations boasting is a Christian and God-pleasing thing; if the honor of God's name and the salvation of our neighbor demand it; yes, then boasting is not only permissible but even commanded, not only a right but even a holy duty. Many indeed say: It is all the same to me what men think and say about me, whether they consider me an upright Christian or a hypocrite, a belly server or a servant of Christ, guilty of innocent; they think that a Christian dare not ask about such things just as long as God knows the purity of his heart. They therefore consider it proper to be silent in the face of all slanders of the foe and not to vindicate and defend themselves; much less that a Christian has something whereof to boast before his adversaries. The best would be to let them run on until they become tired and commend everything to God.
Though abandoning all self-defence and disregarding all the attacks of the foe seems to be best, a Christian can be as little indifferent to the opinions of people about him as was the Apostle Paul. Of course, a Christian must be unconcerned about whether the world honors or despises him insofar as his person is concerned; for Paul writes in another passage: "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Gal 1,10. But it is something else when, by evil rumors which are spread about a Christian, the honor of God's name and the salvation of his neighbor is endangered. If, for example, the failing of an upright and zealous Christian is spread through gossip, the world immediately believes it and draws the seemingly proper conclusion, that his faith can not be the true one; yes, since such a zealous Christian is exposed as a secret criminal, then surely all Christianity is only hypocrisy. Then the unbelievers harden themselves the more against the truth, and the weak in faith go astray. If in such cases the reviled does nothing in order to rid himself of the suspicion brought upon him, he would become guilty of all the blasphemies of the name and Word of God arising therefrom and of all the offence of the weak.
You see, that is the reason why a Christian must be earnestly concerned about a good reputation and a good name among those who are within and outside the Church. Of course, situations arise when a Christian either can not defend himself and had only God as the witness of his innocence, or where even the world perceives the falsehood of the rumor which has spread; then it is time to be silent; but if it is within the Christian's power to unmask the slanderer armed with a "good story", then he should do it and for the sake of God and his neighbor reveal and rescue his innocence.
Not only does our text furnish an example of this; the Old and New Testaments are full of such example. Acts 16 tells us how Paul and Silas had been flogged wrongly and thrown into prison like common thieves, and then on the next day they wanted to release them secretly; what did Paul do? For the sake of the honor of the Gospel he insisted that he be escorted out of the city not secretly but with a guard of honor. Job is another example. When great misfortune struck this pious servant of the Lord, his friends came and sought to make him confess that his misfortune was a punishment for his secret sins; but what did Job do? Perceiving that false humility would be leaving the way of piety which he had
followed in the past, he defended himself with great earnestness, appealed to his upright life, yes, declared to the whole world with confident heart: "God forbid that I should justify you.... My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live." Job 27,5a.6b.
II.
We have seen in which situations one can, yes, one should boast; let us hear in the second place, the nature of those who wish to do that.
No duty seems to be more easily fulfilled than this one. But it only seems so. I must rather say: This obligation is one of the most difficult of all which falls to a Christian's lot. Only a few people are capable of discharging it. We see in Paul what one must do. What kind of a mind do we find in him?
First, deep humility. He declares not only in our text that he acts foolishly, that he would be a fool, if he would boast of his own glory, since he would have nothing whereof to boast because all is grace; how does he write elsewhere? "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. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." 1 Tim 1,15.16. Again he writes: "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1 Cor 15,8-10. I could cite a great number of expressions from this apostle which show what deep humility lived in his heart; let these two suffice.
Nevertheless we dare not suppose that this humility came because the apostle was conscious of a half-hearted and sluggish Christianity. His Christianity was adorned with the most wonderful virtues and works. For of what things could he boast as far as the false teachers were concerned? He enumerates a l ong list of dangers and persecutions which he had courageously overcome upon his apostolic journeys, of sufferings which he endured for Christ’s sake, of insults which he bore for the Gospel’s sake, and of labors and worries and troubles which he took upon himself for the sake of the souls entrusted to him; and finally he discloses to the Corinthians that fourteen years before God honored him by a rapture into the third heaven, namely, beyond the clouds and stars into the heaven of the saints, into God's paradise while still in his body, but also so that he would not exalt himself because of the great revelation given him, God permitted a messenger of Satan to buffet him.
Now here, my friends, we have an example which shows us what kind of people they must be who want to join Paul in vindicating themselves over against those who are their revilers and adversaries and in a certain sense do some boasting. It is not necessary to attain just as high a degree of holiness nor have done and suffered as much for Christ's sake as Paul; for perhaps no person on earth will equal him; but this much is certain: Only a true, humble, zealous, and self-denying Christian is capable of joyfully censuring the lies of those who scold him.
Only he who considers himself unworthy of praise can praise himself before his foes without sinning; only he who gives all honor alone to God, does
not seek his own honor but flees from honor amongst men, and above all fears the respect of the world and hates and suppresses all proud thoughts which arise in him, only he can praise himself without sinning, if God's honor demands it; only he who lives no longer to himself and constantly seeks the welfare of his neighbor and not his own, only he out of pure love to souls and out of concern that they might not be offended and misled can without sin appeal to his upright life and his good works; finally, only he who lives honorably and blamelessly not only before the world, but also conscious of pure purposes, holy zeal, and a completely pure, honest mind and heart, only he can step before his enemies and without committing sin rescue his good name from their slanderers.
You see from this: the teaching that in certain situations the Christian not only has the right and the freedom, but also the duty to appeal to his life and his works and with their help vindicate himself before men, this doctrine contains an urgent summons to examine oneself, whether he can also do this; for he who can not do that is not yet a true Christian but a blemish on Christendom, an offence and a stone of stumbling in the kingdom of God.
So my friends, examine yourselves. Have you, my dear hearers, by God's grace become a different person? has your naturally proud heart become humble through the living knowledge of your sinfulness and do you no longer seek your own honor, deem yourself rather unworthy of all praise? are you afraid of all respect and all distinction before men? if, when your foes slander you and God 1 s honor and the salvation of souls demand it, can you praise yourself without sinning ?
When the world reproaches Christians as being hypocrites who outwardly appear to be pious but inwardly are full of rascality, can you boldly lift up your head and say: I am not a hypocrite; I am dead serious about my piety, my worship of God, and my association with true Christians? If the world says that Christians boast of faith in order to be able to live peacefully on in sin and not have to do good works, that Christians turn the merit of Christ into a cushion for their sins, can you then step before these foes and say: Examine my life; in spite of my trust in Christ, am I not diligent in good works and a pious life? If the world reproaches Christians saying that they wear their Christianity for a show for impure purposes, can you go up to them and say: Do not I patiently endure disgrace, persecution, and distress for the sake of my faith?
If enthusiasts reproach you with not being truly converted, with having only a dead orthodoxy, with being a fleshly person without the Holy Ghost, can you without blushing say with Paul: "By the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain"? 1 Cor 15,10. My faith is truly the work of the Holy Spirit? God gives me the testimony that I am his child? my Christianity does not consist in words but in power? I know that even if I would die today I would die a blessed death? In short, if you are slandered and rejected by the world as a false Christian, a hypocrite, a godless person, can you appeal to your works, to your walk, to the testimony of your conscience, to the all-knowing Searcher of the heart, to the great witnesses in heaven?
Here my friends, you have the goal which has been fixed for you. Remember: Whoever either because of his secret or public sins and dishonesty dare not call himself a true Christian, or a pardoned, reborn child of God, a saint, or in false humility does not want to consider and declare himself that, and says: May God preserve me from such pride of wanting to praise myself that way! -- he also is not yet a Christian; nor is he a child of God; he still is a non-Christian, a child of sin and hell; he still is one of the godless and travels the broad way to eternal perdition, even if otherwise he walks ever so honorably.
So, come on! All of you who still have an evil, branded, spotted
conscience which condemns you; be converted; perceive your wretchedness, and cleanse your conscience from dead works by the blood of Christ.
And you who are in Christ and therefore laugh and mock at the slander of the world because your conscience tells you that God is your friend, and that you are God's friend, remain in Christ, that "when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." Amen. 1 Pet 4,13b.
QUINQUEGESIMA 1 Corinthians 13 ()
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
Without a doubt Holy Scripture presents faith as the one thing necessary for salvation; it teaches that good works make no one righteous or godly in God's eyes, that no one can be saved by them, yes, that man's works do not contribute the least in receiving salvation. Why, in the Old Testament we read: "Abram believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness Gen 15,6. Habakuk testifies: "The just shall live by his faith." Hab 2,4.
But in the New Testament this teaching is found in even greater clarity; it stands there as clearly as if written with the rays of the sun: Not works but faith is the way to salvation. Every time a person turned to Christ for help, we hear that he looked only at his faith. "If thou canst believe," he cried to that father who sought help for his son from him after he had sought it in vain from the disciples. "Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole," Lk 8,50 Christ cried to another father, when he had lost all hope for help, because of the report that his daughter was already dead. "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee," was the customary answer which the Lord gave in response to the prayers of the wretched directed to him.
In their epistles all the apostles speak exactly the same way: "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom 4,5. "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Rom 3,28. "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast," Eph 2,8.9. Yes, even more; in the 6th chapter of John's Gospel we are told that the Jews once put the question to Christ: "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God’" And how did Christ reply? Even to this question he pointed alone to faith and says: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Jn 6,28.29.
How important that is! If it were not so clearly revealed in Holy Scripture that not works but faith alone is the way ordained by God by which we can obtain salvation, who could ever be certain of salvation? Yes, who would dare even to hope that some day he could stand before God?
There are many indeed who are ashamed to seek salvation through faith in Christ, the Savior of sinners; they base their hope for eternity upon their upright life and yet are completely confident about eternity; but whence comes
this repose ? From this, that they thoughtlessly consider themselves good without having ever once made a strict accounting of their heart, their thoughts, their words, their works, and their entire life. If all men would do THAT, they would soon perceive, that no one could stand before God and be saved by his works but only by such a means as faith in Christ.
For no matter how uprightly a person lives, if he would only hear the voice of the judge of his thoughts, words, and deeds which lives within him, his conscience, he will always hear as it accuses him and daily pronounces the verdict of guilty upon him. If a man examines himself according to such commands as: "Ye shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," then if he does not catch sight of countless failing within him, a person must be completely blind and the eyes of his soul must be wilfully closed before the mirror held before us by God himself; for who can count how often he fails? Who can say: I am holy, I am as perfect as God? 1.
So how important it is for us to know that God has revealed to us, who had trifled away the right to a blessed eternity through sin, the possibility of being blessed again by the offer of faith! Had God not shown us sinners this new ladder to heaven, then all who would come to a living knowledge of their sinfulness would have to surrender to hopeless despair.
Let no one think that this teaching is indeed salvation for those who, oppressed by the consciousness of their sins, yearn for freedom and salvation, but dangerous to those who are comfortable in the midst of their sin! That is not so; for although love with its good works saves no one, nevertheless both are necessary to prove whether a person actually has faith. Faith and love stand in the same relation to each other as do father and child, and are as inseparably united with each other as fire and light. He who says, that he is justified before God through faith, must at the same time vindicate himself before men by his love; otherwise he is a liar; for faith is active through love} yes, St. Paul shows in our today’s Epistle that love not only stands above all other gifts and works and virtues, but in many respects over faith itself. Therefore permit me to speak to you more on the excellencies of love.
Quote the text here: 1 Corinthians 13.
On the basis of this text I will speak to you on
THE INCOMPARABLE IMPORTANCE AND GLORY OF CHRISTIAN LOVE
1. The Most Glorious Talents and Deeds are Worthless if Love is Missing.
2. It Contains in Itself an Entire List of the Most Lovely Virtues of a True Christian, and fina lly.
3. Of All the Gifts and Characteristics of a Christian It Alone Lasts Forever.
Lord Jesus, you say: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Jn 13,35. Alas, Lord, if we think on these words, we must become frightened; for we must confess that little, alas! little brotherly love is to be noticed in us. We therefore ask you to bless your holy Word in this hour, so that the fire of your love may be enkindled within us; where it already burns, may it bum ever brighter, ever lovelier, ever stronger. Oh Eternal Fount of all love, pour yourself with your heavenly flames into out cold heart, that we may remain in love here on this world and some day be saved in love forever and ever. Amen.
I.
My friends, our today's Epistle is not so much a composed dissertation as a thrilling, eloquent eulogy on love; yes, it is a New Testament song of degrees, an ardent Psalm of praise in which the apostle, elevated on the wings of true Christian inspiration, sings in noblest expressions of love in its heavenly beauty and incomparable glory. A Christian preacher might well fear that he would by his exposition weaken the impression which the mere reading makes on every mind. God grant that my sermon will at least become a hint which will point you to the excellence of love, so that you can ponder upon his words with even greater attention,
In order to understand our text, we must picture to ourselves the situation in the Corinthian congregation. From the whole letter we see that the congregation had great gifts. No sooner was the Gospel accepted in this great, important, cultured city of Greece than God granted to many the gift of speaking in foreign languages, explaining Scripture, great knowledge, and performing miracles to confirm the Gospel publicly.
But what happened ? Some used those who had these gifts for their own honor, let themselves be reflected in these gifts, and bragged about them; others paid more attention to the gifts which they saw in their ministers than to the Gospel which they preached; the one therefore preferred Paul, another Apollos, a third Cephas, and in a sectarian manner said they belonged to Paul, to Apollos, or to Cephas.
The news of this situation in a congregation founded by him grieved Paul deeply. Referring to this, he shows in the words before our text that God has divided his gifts differently, but that they are all to be considered the same, for they were given by God for the common good; only if they are used in harmony with each other do they edify the whole church; then in our text Paul shows that without love even the most glorious gifts and deeds are worthless before God, because he looks at the heart.
He says: " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." V.l. If a person could not only speak all the languages of the world but even speak the truth of the Gospel in the languages of angels, so that the whole world would listen and be awakened, moved, and converted to Christ, but if his heart lacked love; if he spoke ever so gloriously of God's Word, not from love to sinners, nor out of longing for the salvation of souls but in self-love, conceit, and egotism with the intention of causing others to be astonished at him and praise him, he is like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; it delights others with its beautiful tones but himself does not understand or perceive it; he awakens others to life but he himself is dead; he brings others to God's grace, and himself remains under God's wrath; he guides others to heaven and himself goes the way to hell.
The apostle therefore continues: " And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." V. 2. The apostle means to say: If a person had the gift of prophecy, that is, explaining Scriptures and deciphering its hidden meaning; if he had such knowledge that he could judge everything which belongs to Christianity in doctrine and life in the best and truest possible way; if he had such a miraculous faith that he could not only do the,usual miracles but also remove mountains; but if, while he could do all these things, his heart was without love, if he did not view his gifts merely as a way of serving others, if he selfishly used
them, sought his own praise and honor with them, men would consider him great because of his gifts, but in God's eyes he is and amounts to nothing.
Finally, the apostle says: " And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." V.3. And if a person does even such great works which are called works of love; if a person gives everything he has to the poor and himself becomes poor; yes, if he lets himself be burned as a Christian by the enemies of the Gospel and becomes a martyr, but if he did all this without love in his heart; if he desires to build up his reputation by his alms, achieve the odor of sanctity by his voluntary poverty, and acquire a posthumous fame in the world by his martyr's death, he really does good to others with his works, but he himself has his reward in doing as he did.
Thus you see the incomparably importance of love. We have heard: though a person may speak as charmingly and powerfully as an angel; though his Christian words may be like apples of gold in pictures of silver; though he may know the entire Bible by heart, yes, set it off with apostolic knowledge and miracles; though he may be rich in the most highly extolled works and everyone praise him as a noble benefactor of mankind or a zealous promoter of Christ's kingdom; and though he may even die the martyr's death at the stake, if all this does not flow from love, it is all the filthy discharge of a filthy spring. If he does not have love, he is not a Christian in spite of his gifts and apparent works of love. Love, therefore, is the true crown of all gifts, love is the true weight in the scales of all deeds; if love is missing, all one's works and life is only sinful, lost, and rejected by God; someday God will say to all who lack love: "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Mt 7,23.
Oh, how necessary it therefore is for everyone to examine himself to see whether love is in his heart, and whether all his works, which seem to be Christian in nature, flow from this source.
II.
A glorious text of this we find in the next words of our text. St. Paul shows that love contains a great number of the most lovely virtues of a true Christian. Permit me in the second place to speak to you of this.
In our text Paul mentions fifteen virtues which attend true love. Love is completely different from any of the other Christian virtues; it does not,as others do,show itself only on this or that occasion. It permeates the Christian as the sap the tree; without being compelled to do so it produces in his life all kinds of sweet fruits of Christian virtues. Love is like a flower bed in which the fragrant flowers of beautiful Christian virtues grow up; as the rays of the sun go out in all directions, filling mountain and valley with its light, so virtues radiate from love, casting a heavenly sunshine on all the works of the Christian. If love dwells in one's heart, it is surrounded by a large family of virtues as a pious mother is by laughing infants.
Let us pause a moment at each virtue which Paul mentions.
He says: " Charity suffereth long." V.4. Whoever has love in his heart can calmly let another cause him all manner of evil for a long time without becoming angry, and wait a long time until he sees the wrong.
Paul says secondly: " Charity is kind." Whoever has love will not look
sullen and sour but even by his bearing will show that he is filled with goodwill to all and finds his joy in making others happy and serving them.
Paul says in the third place: " Charity envieth not." Whoever has love is not jealous of another's property; he does not become envious if he has more earthly wealth or more spiritual gifts, more blessing, more honor and respect; he is as happy over what his neighbor has as though it were his own.
We read in the fourth place: " Charity vaunteth not itself." One filled with true love does not make jokes at the expense of another and inconsiderately makes someone the butt of his ridicule.
Fifthly: " Charity is not puffed up." One ruled by love is not inflated, does not look down with contempt on someone, but considers the gifts of another greater than his and his of lesser importance.
Sixthly: " Charity does not behave itself unseemly," V.5. If one's heart is filled with love, he is not rude and uncivil in attitude and words; he is not impolite, but is polite and modest in his behavior as well.
Seventhly: " Charity seeketh not her own." If one has true love, he will not seek his own advantage at the expense of his neighbor; he will not selfishly carry on the most praiseworthy work with the hope of being thanked or rewarded but moved only by the hope of furthering God's honor or serving his neighbor. He is more happy when he can dry someone·else’s tears and heal their wounds rather than his own.
Eighthly: " Charity is not easily provoked." Even if the Christian who Is filled with love Is aroused, he does not become angry but guards his peace in God by calmness and patience.
Ninthly: " Charity thinketh no evil." If one has love, he does not lie in wait for an opportunity to take revenge on his enemies. Yes, he does not wish them any evil and does not cry to God against them but wishes that they would be converted and wishes them well now and in eternity.
Tenthly and eleventhly: " Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." V.6. Though he who has true love is gentle toward sinners and the erring, he is earnestly opposed to sin and error. True love is a holy love; anyone who is indifferent toward unrighteousness and truth claims falsely that this is done out of love; a love which does not hate Unrighteousness and does not rejoice in the truth is only an illusion of love.
Twelfthly to fifteenthly: " Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." V.7. If one's heart is kindled by love, he will " bear " the failings of his neighbor as though they were his own; he will cover them, excuse and put the best construction on everything; he " believes " that the good which he sees in others really is something good; he does not cherish jealousy, mistrust, and suspicion, but wherever possible puts the best construction on everything. And even if the sins and malice of his neighbor becomes evident he at least " hopes " that the sinner will be converted, despairs of no one, and loves the godless, thinking: He who is God's enemy today can be God's friend tomorrow. Finally, if it seems impossible to hope, he will not let himself be moved to hatred and vindictiveness but " endure " all things humbly, not take vengeance himself, but wait until the Lord comes and brings his innocence to light.
There, my friends, you see how glorious a thing love is; it is a heavenly diadem which the Christian wears in which a long row of virtues glitter as precious stones. If all who called themselves Christians were animated by true love, every church or congregation would be an annex to heaven and living in Christian communion a heaven on earth, a foretaste of eternal life.
III.
My friends, Paul mentions a third point which brings to light the incomparable glory of Christian love; it is: of all the gifts and characteristics of a Christian it alone lasts forever.
The apostle continues thus: " Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we p rophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
In these words the apostle not only places love above the gift of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge, but even over faith and hope; and this he does because all these, even faith and hope, cease but love remains. In eternity the angels and elect will speak only one language; therefore the gift of speaking various languages will not be needed but love will remain.
In eternity God's Word will be an unsealed book; therefore in heaven there will be no prophets; a perfect understanding of the Word which God will give all the saints will replace piecemeal prophecy or exposition of Scripture; therefore also prophecy will cease; nothing will replace love; it will remain unchanged.
In eternity the saints will see God face to face; therefore there will be no knowing in heaven as here upon earth; here even the greatest knowledge is only in part; through the Word that which should be known is presented to us like a picture reflected in a mirror; therefore even the greatest knowledge here on earth is like the knowledge of a child with its childish babbling; as childish babblings give way to the wisdom of the man and the picture gives way to reality, so in eternity knowledge will give way to seeing face to face; on the other hand, love will give way to no other characteristic. It will remain.
" Faith" and " hope ", as the apostle says, will also abide "now", that is, during this time; they can not, as the other gifts of prophecy, miracles, and knowledge, be extinguished here in time; no, as long as there are Christians here upon earth so long will faith and hope be found on earth. But in eternity they will cease and only love will remain. Therefore " the greatest of these is charity."
True " faith " is great because it makes the sinner righteous before God, rescues many from hell, and open heaven to him; but in eternity it will cease, for then all the promises upon which faith is based are fulfilled, and thus faith is turned into sight.
Christian " hope " is also something great; it fills the sufferer with heavenly comfort and permits him in time to look into eternity to see his crown from a distance, but in eternity hope will also cease; for in heaven there is no future but everything is in the here and now; there the saints live in an eternal blessed Today.
Whilst in eternity all this disappears, " love " on the other hand will remain; it lasts beyond the grave and accompanies the Christian into the world to come. Here it begins to glimmer in his heart like a hidden heavenly spark; it is not extinguished even in death, but then breaks forth mightily like a dampened flame and grows into an immense fire. Yes, as a spring discharges itself in a little brook, gradually becomes a river, and finally is lost in an ocean, so it is with the little brook of love; flowing forth from God, it constantly swells in the Christian life into a more powerful stream until it finally flows into the sea of eternity.
Oh, may no one deceive himself by the mere illusion of faith and Christianity, for without love faith is only a pretence, our Christianity only an illusion. If your heart still lacks the flame of love, oh, then repent, for then you still lack faith; but if there is no faith, there is no grace; if there is no grace, there is no salvation.
And you who can answer Christ's question: Do you love me and your brethren? with: Yes, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you and my brethren; oh, faithfully cherish this heavenly plant in your hearts through the use of the Word and the Sacraments and by daily, yes, ceaseless sighs for the Spirit of love. But above all, because your heart grows cold so easily, approach the eternal love of your God and Father in Christ every day and hour and there make it warm. Yes, if you remain in love you remain in God and God in you. For " now" during this time " abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity;" it remains forever Praised be God's love in his Son through the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.