9TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

9TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

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 our Savior. Amen.

In our Savior, dear Christian friends.

No other book contains so many stories of the abominable sins and misdeeds which men have committed as does the Bible. This Holy Book, especially the Old Testament, as far as it concerns the deeds of men, is almost nothing else but a great, frightful register of sins. The very first thing which the Bible reports of the doings of men is the fall into sin, that fall which has dragged sin and ruin in its train for the whole human race of all times. Then it tells us that the first son of the first parents became a fratricide; it shows that from generation to generation the wickedness of man became ever greater, yes, it became so corrupt that in the 17th century after the creation of the world God finally had to wipe out through a flood all but eight of the millions of people who lived on the world at that time.

Yet after relating this fearful divine judgment the Bible does not sketch a picture of an improved post-deluvian world. Not only does it picture

Sodom and Gomorrah as heathen cities whose sins and abominations cried so loudly to heaven for vengeance, that God had to overthrow and destroy these cities through a rain of fire and brimstone from heaven, but the Bible presents even the families of the patriarchs and the entire chosen nation of God as theaters of sin, idolatry, and all manner of vice. Yes, even of those whom the Holy Scriptures extol as saints, there is almost not a one of whom it does not also mention a fall into sin or some spot in their lives. And in so doing Holy Writ often describes the greatest sins in such detail and so plainly that one cannot read the description without shuddering.

Many have taken offense at that. They have supposed that a book which on almost all pages related almost nothing but the sins of men and describes them so freely and unveiled, such a book cannot possibly be a holy book. It cannot possibly be the Word or the revelation of God. One would really expect that a book which should be inspired by God himself for the betterment of man would describe only the lives of pious, virtuous, holy men who are worthy of imitation in all respects.

Even though wise people think that, such thoughts are completely wrong. If we ponder this matter just a bit, we will soon be convinced that God has wisely sketched such a dark horrible picture of mankind in his Word. Bear in mind: All Scripture has been written to bring man to faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. Christ is the heart and center of the Old and New Testament. He himself says of the Old Testament: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." Jn 5:39. Paul likewise writes to Timothy of the Old Testament: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim 3:15. Peter says: "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43. That the New Testament also serves this purpose needs absolutely no proof passage. To quote only one, we read at the close of John's Gospel: "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through hi s name." Jn 20:31.

If Holy Writ would preach how pious many men have been, would we be led to faith in Christ? Would we not get the idea that mankind is not so wicked, it has not fallen so deeply, mankind is not so wicked, but that by their own works they can save themselves, if they want to and don't need a Savior? Undoubtedly. Therefore, it simply is not true that we should dare to be offended that the Bible always pictures man, and even the most pious, as a sinner. We must rather recognize the great wisdom of God. By presenting sin which has been prevalent among men from the beginning of the world, God in this way wants to bring us to the knowledge, that man's righteousness and worthiness is nothing but an empty dream, that the human race is a fallen race, and that, therefore, every person is a sinner; that even the most pious cannot stand before God in his own righteousness; that grace, free grace, is man's only refuge, and that there is no salvation outside of Christ. The sins, occasionally the most frightful sins, related in the Bible should serve as a mirror in which we should see and learn to know our own life and heart, humble ourselves before God, and flee to the cross of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Blessed, therefore, is he who thus employs the sins presented in Holy Scripture; he will not be offended at them but will rather thank God for these bitter yet wholesome revelations. What I have now expressed in general the holy apostle shows especially in our today's Epistle in the example of the Israelites in the wilderness. Let us now direct our attention particularly to this event.

The text. 1 Corinthians 10:6-13.

My friends, in our Epistle the apostle speaks of the sins which the Israelites committed in the wilderness. He mentions the judgments of God, which fell upon them because of these sins, and says of those events: " Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." V. 11. Let us now therefore consider:

ISRAEL'S FALL INTO SIN AND GOD'S JUDGMENT UPON THEM, A WARNING EXAMPLE FOR CHRISTIANS OF THE LAST TIMES

They warn us of a threefold error:

1. That We Should Not Be Offended At The Sins Which Even Now Occur In The True Church;

2. That Amid The Full Enjoyment Of All The Means Of Grace We Should Not Consider Ourselves Safe From A Fall Into Sin;

3. That We Should Not Suppose We Can Escape The Judgments Of God If We Sin Wilfully.

Oh holy God, you know how necessary an earnest warning is in these times. Alas, in spite of all the grace, which you have at all times richly shown us until this hour, in spite of all the streams of the Holy Spirit which have flowed into our hearts through his sweet Gospel, the sins, vices, and lusts of the world lift their satanic head shamelessly and mightily among us. O Lord, if you do not help us we are lost. We, therefore, beseech, implore, and sigh to you: Help us, Lord, save us, we perish! not temporally but eternally, not in respect to our bodies but our souls. Oh, help us through your Word, frighten and crush us thereby; but also comfort and heal us and give us also power to be faithful to you. To this end bless also today's sermon for Jesus', yes, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

I.

We cannot doubt that the Israelites, who at God's command and under the leadership of Moses moved out of Egypt through the Arabian desert toward the promised land of Cannan, at that time were the congregation of the true children of God on earth. As you know, they were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God had made a covenant with these three patriarchs and given them the promise, that they and their descendants should be his chosen people. When at Abraham's time the whole world had fallen into idolatry, God called this man from Chaldea to Canaan, revealed himself to him, and said to him: "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen 12:3. "I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." Gen 17:7. And as a seal of this covenant God gave Abraham the sacrament of circumcision. This very same covenant God solemnly renewed with Abraham's son Isaac, and with his grandson Jacob, or Israel. When the descendants of Israel had fallen into slavery in Egypt and in their misery cried to God for help, God remembered his covenant, raised up his servant Moses, and with his powerful almighty arm led his covenant people out of Egypt from the house of bondage to the land promised to their fathers.

Though the people of Israel might at that time be the most despised of all nations and wander about in the wilderness without a temple and homeland, it was the most richly blessed of all nations on earth. In this nation alone could still be found the knowledge of the true God. This nation alone had God's prophets and his pure Word. In this nation alone the true way to salvation was

taught. It was this nation to which every one who wished to be saved had to turn. In a word, this nation alone was the true Church of God on earth. Wouldn't one also suppose that this nation would be an outstanding one before all the world, that sins would not prevail among it as among other nations, but that among its members even their virtues would shine as pious children of God" To be sure, one would suppose that. Actually, we find something entirely different. Sad to say in our today's Epistle Paul mentions five kinds of sins by which the members of the Israelitish Church completely denied and dishonored the true faith.

After the apostle had said in the previous verse: "With many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness," v.5, he begins our Epistle with the words: " Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." Thus Paul calls a certain incident of evil lasciviousness the first sin with which the Israelites besmirched themselves in the wilderness. After they were satisfied by manna, a bread which fell from heaven, most of them remembered the many other different kinds of food which they had enjoyed in Egypt. The distress from which God had delivered them was quickly forgotten and in lust they cried out: "Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." Num 11:4-6. They considered these miserable dishes more dear than all the thousands of experiences of God's grace, which they had till then enjoyed in the wilderness.

The apostle continues: " Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written. The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." V.7. Idolatry was the second sin which once ran riot in the Israelitish Church. This happened when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai in order to receive the Law and delayed there a longer time than expected. At the wish of the people Aaron let himself be used to make a golden calf, offer sacrifices to it with the people, and thereafter feasting, singing, and playing, pay it divine honors. Who would have thought, that there where alone the revelation of the true faith existed and where God had just visibly revealed himself in his glory, people could fall into gross idolatry !

The apostle continues: " Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in ONE day three and twenty thousand." V.8. Fornication was the third frightful sin with which the Israelitish Church defiled itself. When the Children of Israel came into the vicinity of Moab, the Moabites sought to conquer Israel by inviting them through their daughters to the feast of their idol Baal-peor. And what did Israel do? Forgetting that they should be a holy nation, they accepted this invitation. Since at this feast to the honor of the idol the most shameful unchastity was practised, many of the unfaithful in Israel fell into horrible sin and shame.

Again the apostle writes: " Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." V.9. Tempting Christ was the fourth sin of the Israelitish Church. After Israel had wandered about almost forty years and had been accompanied everywhere by the Son of God, the true spiritual rock; after they had experienced countless proofs of the power and assistance of God and were at the borders of the Promised Land, but the Edomites had refused them passage through their land, the people immediately murmured against God and Moses and said: "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is their any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." Num 25:5. What a frightful sin ! Tempting

God, they want to recognize God as their God only if he let things go according to the wishes of their flesh.

The apostle mentions one more sin as he continues: " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." V.10. Murmuring against God, the Almighty, wrangling with the Creator was the fifth sin into which many members of the Israelitish Church once fell. When the spies, who had been sent into the Promised Land to spy it out, brought the information that the country was possessed by a mighty nation and would be difficult to conquer, everyone, great and small, murmured and in unbelief, completely forgetting about God, they wept: "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" Num 14:2.3.

There you see, my friends, what gross, horrible, more than heathenish sins at one time occurred even in the midst of a Church in which not only one of the greatest of the prophets but God himself preached with his own mouth. Why did God let this be written down in his Word for all time to come? The apostle tells us in our text when he writes: " They were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." V.llb. This should be a warning example for us.

First of all, it should warn us against being offended at the many sins which even now arise in the Church, as though she were for that reason the false church. From of old there have been and even now there still are not a few who, when a gross sin is committed in a congregation or denomination, conclude that the true Church cannot be there. Right then and there they leave that church. Of course, it is true, that those who live in gross sins, yes, who allow a sin to rule them, do not belong to the true Church, even if outwardly they belong to it. However, it is false to consider the Church a false church because gross sins are revealed in her. Whoever would have separated from the Israelitish Church because of those transgressions would have himself fallen into the greatest sin. When the apostle says in our text: " Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples," we dare not expect that the Church of the New Testament, as a copy of the Church of the Old, will be any different. Even now we dare not be offended if gross sins are ever and again found in it. It is nevertheless the true Church, if God's pure Word is preached there and the Sacraments are administered according to his institution.

Oh that we would not need this warning! But sad to say, among us also more and more sins are revealed, so that certainly many have been offended and with doubts in their hearts asked: Does God actually have his Church here? Or perhaps has not God completely forsaken our congregation and now looks at it only in wrath since more and more slaves of sin are being revealed amongst us? If I should answer according to what is in my heart, I could give you no comforting reply. But since God himself, pointing to the sins of Israel, says: " Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples." I must say: Be warned, my dear

people. Sinners have always dishonored the Church, weeds were always found amongst the wheat, a person without a wedding garment among the wedding guests, a Judas, a traitor, among the apostles. Therefore, do not be so offended at the sins found in our congregation, that you consider it a false church. God has left us his Word and Sacraments; he has, therefore, not departed from us.

II.

There is another warning in the Israelites' fall into sin in the

wilderness; it warns us, t hat amid the full involvement of all the means of grace we should not consider ourselves safe from a fall: secondly, permit me to present this to you.

If ever there were people of whom one might think that they must be safe from the fall into sin and unbelief, they were the Israelites in the wilderness. For their sakes God already in Egypt had done the most astounding and terrible signs and wonders to move Pharaoh to let them go. Thereupon God had parted the Red Sea, so that they could cross it dry shod and escape their powerful foe, who was chasing them but would perish in the sea. As on angels' wings the Lord carried them to the wonderful land promised to their fathers. God accompanied them visibly by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. God caused manna and quail to rain down as food, and to quench their thirst he caused water to flow miraculously from dry rock, and the bitter waters of a lake were made sweet. God himself descended upon Sinai in fire and amid the trembling of the earth and the sound of trumpets proclaimed his holy Law to the people in his own voice; God caused the earth to open and let Korah's mob be swallowed alive by hell, when they rebelled against their prophet Moses; and he cause Aaron's dry staff to become green overnight, blossom, and bear almonds as proof that Aaron was the one who was made high priest by God himself.

So does it not seem impossible that such highly favored people, surrounded by thousands of God's miracles, yes, walking in the fellowship of God himself visibly present, led by his hand as beloved children, could fall into unbelief and sin? Yes, it seems impossible. And yet the majority immediately fell into the most terrible sins, into homesickness for heathen Egypt, into idolatry, adultery, tempting God, and murmuring against his holy and gracious guidance. Even an Aaron to whom God had entrusted the highest spiritual office in his Church falls into the sin of the most abominable idol worship; even a Moses into doubt and unbelief.

What a warning example ! " Wherefore," the apostle cries to us in our text, " let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." V.12. If you have forsaken the Egypt of this world and now cling to the fellowship of true Christians, happy are you, but be not secure; let Israel serve as a warning; scarcely had they passed through the Red Sea and entered into the wilderness, then soon a small privation awakened the lascivious yearning for the fleshpots of Egypt; so also if you do not earnestly watch, pray, and struggle against your flesh and blood, you will soon lust again for the vain pleasures, ease, and the good things of the world which you have now forsaken, and, if not outwardly, at least inwardly, become a child of the world again.

If you have the true faith now and if you confess the pure doctrine because of a living conviction worked by the Holy Spirit, happy are you; but do not feel secure; let Israel serve as a warning; the moment Moses delayed but a little on Mt. Sinai, the people were offended and cried to Aaron: "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, we wot not what is become of him." Ex 32:1. If you who now stand firm in the faith do not watch and try to strengthen yourself daily in the faith, you also can very soon be offended and fall into the idolatry of false doctrine, enthusiasm, and unbelief. Think of Aaron; use him as an example; if even he could fall, then you are even less secure no matter how greatly enlightened you may be now.

Though you may hate sin and earnestly follow after sanctification, blessed are you; but do not become secure; let Israel serve as a warning; when they were tempted by prostitutes, they fell into adultery and fornication and all the abominations of unclean venereal disease; if you do not watch, pray, and wrestle and even earnestly avoid temptation, you can again soon lose your

present horror of sin and zeal in sanctification and quickly and suddenly, or slowly and unnoticeably fall into the sin of uncleanness, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, hot temper, lying disposition, deceitfulness, in short, into sins, shame, and vice.

If you are content with God's guidance, if you are now ready to suffer all things for Christ's sake, yes, rather die than deny God, happy are you; however, do not feel secure; let Israel serve as a warning. When the Lord let his people experience only a little difficulty, they immediately fell into the terrible sin of tempting and murmuring against God; if you do not diligently pray and watch over your heart and daily receive power from God's Word, you can easily despair of God, murmur against him, and finally renounce him.

Oh, how many thousands have made a good beginning but have walked only a short distance on the narrow way, like Lot's wife have soon looked back at the world with yearning, and become pillars of salt! How many have been pardoned like David, and considered themselves as strong in the faith as Peter, and indeed like David and Peter have fallen but never rose again. How many a one has served Christ for long years and conquered countless temptations, and behold! he became secure and thus let himself be caught in a snare of the flesh, the devil, and the world and become a slave of sin. How many a sad example of every kind God has placed also before us. Therefore, let all, all be warned and admonished, admonished for God's sake, for the sake of your salvation, and for the sake of Christ's blood which was shed also for you. " Wherefore let him " among you " that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." V.12.

III.

My friends, one more warning lies in the example of the fallen Israelites. In the third place this example warns that when we wilfully sin, we should not imagine that we are able to escape the righteous judgment of God.

The purer, the clearer, and the richer the Gospel of Christ and his grace is preached, the more secure, the more carefree, and the bolder many become in their sins, as we heard last Sunday. Either they think that in spite of their dominant sins they still are in the faith, because they believe in Christ, or, if death would knock they could quickly pray for grace and God would certainly accept them as the malefactor on the cross.

In the midst of their sins, the Israelites certainly also had similar thoughts; for the more God showed them his extraordinary grace, the more faithless they became. Yet was their sweet hope for grace fulfilled? No, three times in our Epistle Paul mentions God's judgment which fell upon Israel. He says: " Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in ONE day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Vv.8-10. And what does Paul add? He says: " Now all these things happened unto them FOR ENSAMPLES, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." V. 11. You see, that mirror of God's wrath which in the end always descends upon wilful sinners, is held up to us, to us Christians of these last, dangerous, temptation- laden times.

"Be not deceived," we read, "God is not mocked." Gal 6:7. If God did not spare the Israelites before whose eyes and for whose sake he had performed those countless miracles of grace, and whom he had chosen as his own people' in

preference to all the nations of the earth; if he let the most fearful judgments descend upon them, if because of God's judgment only two of the 600,000 men who left Egypt, entered Canaan, the promised land, whilst all the other perished miserably in the wilderness because of God's anger, I ask everyone of you who still sin wilfully: How dare you imagine that you will be able to escape God's judgment? God remains as he is. As terrible as his wrath once was toward Israel, who in spite of all grace sinned wilfully, so brightly does it still burn. Indeed, his patience permits a person to live a long time, despise God, and serve sin a long time, dishonor his Word and his congregation a long time, lets his foes blaspheme for a long time, lets them offend thousands and thousands of innocent people and grieve and insult God's children; but finally the measure, of every sinner's measure is full; finally, God becomes tired of showing mercy; finally, he tears the sinner out of his life of infamy, brings him to trial, and casts him into the lowest hell. And the greater the grace which the sinner enjoyed, the more terrible the wrath which overwhelms him. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!

On the other hand, he who clings to God, who " is faithful," as the apostle says at the close, " who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." v. 13b, he who clings to this faithful God, daily seeks his grace, and despairs' completely of himself, he is not lost. It is impossible for a person, who rejects his own righteousness completely and in faith takes comfort alone in Christ's righteousness, to be rejected by God; for God is faithful. However, it is also impossible for a person to be ruled and conquered by sin who struggles against it not in his own power but in Christ's grace; for God is faithful. May this same God have mercy upon us all, especially all those of us who still sin wilfully; may he grant us all repentance and finally lead us through the wilderness of this world with the few elect into the heavenly Canaan. May he do that through Jesus Christ, our heavenly Joshua, for the sake of his infinite mercy. Amen.

10TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 1 Cor. 12:1-11 ()

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

In our Savior, dear Christian friends.

The apostolic Church, that is, the Church in the time when the apostles still lived, enjoyed advantages such as she never had at any other time. Never again were Christians, not only the apostles, but even most of the laymen, so gloriously blessed with the unusual gifts of the Holy Spirit. His fire and amazing gifts with which the disciples were baptized on Pentecost Day quickly burst into bright flames in all congregations they founded.

Wherever the apostles preached the Gospel, baptized converts, or laid their hands on them, they usually imparted all the amazing gifts of the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost Day the Apostle Peter told his hearers: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Gospel, they sent Peter and John to them; they laid their hands on the converts and those already baptized, and behold', they also received the Holy Ghost, that is, the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. When Peter preached God's Word to the heathen Centurion Cornelius and his family and they received it in faith, we read that "while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." Acts 10:44. Suddenly they began to prophesy, speak in foreign tongues, and praise God.

In the days of the apostles almost every congregation had several members, who had received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. One member could speak in foreign languages which he had never learned; at the same time another received the gift of translating what was said and explaining it to the congregation; another was a prophet and had the gift of predicting things to come; a third had the ability of expounding difficult passages of Holy Writ even though he was no theologian; a fourth had the gift of doing miracles, healing the sick with one word, driving out devils, raising the dead, and the like.

When a congregation in those days assembled it was often like going to a remarkable drama. Here one arose and preached in a language which no one understood, and immediately another arose to translate the sermon. Here a member predicted what would take place; there another applied a difficult passage of Scripture to something which had already taken place. Here one suddenly causes a blind person to see, there another causes a dumb person to speak.

These miraculous gifts served to establish and confirm the new revelation which was given to the world with Christ's coming, and to spread the Christian faith quickly in all the countries of the world. They were to be a visible striking testimony from God himself that the Gospel of the Crucified preached by the apostles was really a message from God, a revelation from heaven, and that the Christian Church founded by the apostles was really God's Church, the Church of the elect and the saved.

Therefore, that the Church no longer has the gift of performing miracles dare not surprise us. The New Testament has already been sealed and the Christian religion has been brought into the world as a divinely proven revelation; today miracles are not needed. Yes, what do I say? That after 1800 years in spite of all assaults, which it has experienced, that the Christian Church still stands unshaken like a fortress of rock in the raging sea, that even though it is a tree more than a thousand years old, it still continues to become green like a young one, bear fruit, and spread, that is a greater miracle than all the miraculous events of apostolic times. He who does not believe the Gospel which has been sealed by the old miracles, will also not be convinced by constantly recurring new ones; yes, had God preserved the gift of working miracles in the Church, it would finally have been despised because of its daily occurrence and would have lost its powers of proof for most people.

My friends, even though Christians no longer have the power to perform miracles, they still have many other glorious, extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, which loudly testify for the divinity of the Gospel. At the invitation of our today's Epistle permit me to speak to you about these gifts.

The text. 1 Corinthians 12:1-12.

When I spoke to you the last time upon this text, I explained mostly the first part; therefore, permit me today to speak to you on the second portion in which the apostle speaks of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, with which the

Corinthian congregation once had been adorned. However, it is not my intention to speak to you so much of the gifts which these Christians once has as of those which are still granted to true believers; for to this very day Christians can not only sing of the Holy Spirit: "The Comforter of all the blind," but also,

"Grant us Thy wondrous gifts."

Therefore, let the subject of our meditation be:

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH WHICH CHRISTIANS ARE NOWADAYS ENDOWED

We ponder:

1. Which These Gifts Are, and

2. How To Use Them Properly.

Lord God, Holy Ghost, you are not only the One who constantly calls those who are redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ, gathers them into one church, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps them with him in the one true faith; to this very day you also endow those with your gifts whom you have called and sanctified. And--we must confess this--you have not let us depart empty-handed; also amongst us you have distributed so many beautiful gifts. Oh, therefore, grant that all of us may not only recognize the gifts given him with humble thanks but also faithfully and zealously use them for the purpose you have given them. Grant t hat all of us may not only earnestly seek to be saved, but by the use of the gifts which you have bestowed lead also others to salvation. Oh, Lord God, who alone can work all good, hear us for the sake of your faithfulness. Amen.

I.

" Now there are diversities of gifts;" these words with which the apostle begins the second portion of our text can even now be said of every congregation, in which the pure Word of God is in use. God's Word is still not only so powerful that through it people are brought to a living faith, truly converted to God, and become changed people in heart, spirit, mind, and all powers, but when the Holy Spirit works true faith in a person's heart, he to this very day also endows him with the most wonderful, the most extraordinary, supernatural gifts.

However, we must make a twofold distinction concerning the gifts of apostolic times which the apostle names in our text. He mentions nine gifts. Four of them have now disappeared completely from the Christian Church; the other five are still found among believers, though to a lesser degree. Completely gone are the gifts of healing without the use of medicine, the gift of performing miracles, the gift of speaking foreign languages without previous study and practise, and finally the gift of interpreting those languages which one never learned.

That is not the case with the other five gifts mentioned by the apostle, with the gift of speaking by the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, with the gift of prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, with the gift of a particularly great, strong, and heroic faith, and finally with the gift of discerning spirits. As we stated, these last gifts the Christians of apostolic times had in a greater degree than the Christians of today; however, these and similar gifts are found even now to a certain degree in the Church, and in such a degree that no person can deny that these gifts of present-day Christians are not natural gifts but the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

344 10th Sunday after Trinity

I remind you of the following. There are Christians who in their unconverted state could scarcely express themselves in a connected sentence; but the moment they were converted the received the gift of speaking of divine things which is extraordinary, which often works great things and always leaves a sting behind in their hearers. There are Christians, who as long as they were unconverted had to be silent in every argument because they were thrown into confusion by the weakest premises of their opponent, because they lacked presence of mind as well as keenness of judgment; however, after they came to a living faith, they were unafraid of any opponent, not even of the most learned and proud; even though they were simple and unlearned they knew how to defend their faith against anyone in the most glorious manner.

There are Christians, who as long as they lacked faith were always fearful, irresolute, anxious, and full of apprehensions; however, from the time they confessed Jesus Christ, though still afraid and undecided in worldly things, they in matters of faith, in matters of God's kingdom show a fearlessness and courage, a certainty and heroic faith which amazes one. There are Christians, who as long as they were without Christian knowledge were always dependent on others and were easily persuaded by the opinions of others; however, since they were converted, they became so sure,so firm, so resolute, that not only can no one ensnare them, but they can also easily separate the false from the true teachers and expose them by themselves. There are Christians, who as long as they lacked a living faith could scarcely pray three words of their own; however, after they were converted they have the gift of praying so that one sees that they not only wrestle with God but also gain the victory over Him.

Still other Christians have the special gift of quickly comprehending the pure doctrine, still others that of explaining difficult passages of Holy Scripture, still others that of shaking and softening stiff-necked sinners, or comforting the tempted and depressed, or convincing and assuring the doubter, or reconciling warring parties, and the like. For who is able to mention all these wonderful and glorious gifts of Christians?

So it is true: Not everyone has all these gifts, but one has this gift, another that, and one has them in a lesser degree the other in a greater degree; however, though a Christian may often seem to be untalented, everyone has some beautiful gift as the apostle writes at the close of our text: " But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." V.ll. Our beloved congregation can, therefore, also sing with our highly gifted Luther:

He's by our side upon the plain With His good gifts and Spirit.

II.

Well, then, now that we have learned to know the gifts of the Holy Ghost, with which Christians are even now endowed, let us turn to the chief point, to that which is the most Important for us, and in the second place learn from God’s Word how to use these gifts properly.

The apostle indicates this in the few words of our text: " But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." V.7. The apostle does not mean to say, as it might appear, that all gifts actually always serve for the good of all, but that the gifts reveal themselves in every Christian, or the only reason God gives all Christians gifts is that everyone might use them for the good of all.

And so it is, my friends. That a Christian by faith receives God's grace, forgiveness of sins, righteousness before God, comfort, and the hope of eternal life is a fruit only for himself; but that a Christian by faith in Christ receives also all manner of gifts, these are given him not for his sake but for the good of all, for the sake of the Church and the world; the Christian should serve the world and the Church with them. As the eye is the gift to see not for itself but for the whole body, and as the ear is the gift of hearing, the foot the gift for walking, the hand the gift for working with the hand, in short, as all the members of the body have their various gifts not for themselves but for the entire body, so also a believer has his gifts, not for himself but for the Church and the world.

Therefore, all gifts which a Christian has are used correctly when he uses them for the good of all, when, namely, he assists in preserving, promoting, and cultivating congregations in the unity of faith and love, and in bringing more and more who are still outside the Church to the true faith.

The whole Christian Church should be a militant Church, should be a camp of the Lord of salvation, which is struggling to destroy more and more of Satan's kingdom and to spread and enlarge Christ's. In a manner of speaking every congregation should be a mission family and every member be a missionary in his circle of friends. A Christian should not stand as a lone wolf, separated from the rest, unconcerned about the other Christians; he should never forget that there is a fellowship of saints, that he is one of the members of the Church, one of the members of the body of Jesus Christ, of which everyone, and he as well, has a definite office and task for the whole body. A Christian should, therefore, not think, that he has done everything which he as a Christian is obligated to do when only he is on the way to salvation and silently serves his God, but he should also recognize it as his holy duty to bring others upon the true way. A Christian should not think that converting people and being concerned about them is the business only of the preacher and not the laity, but he should be a spiritual priest, who should show forth the praises of him who has called him out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Oh my friends, if we examine ourselves by this yardstick, must not all of us be heartily ashamed of ourselves? Many of us do not even provide for their own soul and salvation, live in constant uncertainty of whether they could be saved, and never take the kingdom of heaven by storm; we, therefore, need not be surprised that they are even less concerned about the salvation of others, about the entire Church and congregation.

But how do matters stand even with us who are concerned about our soul and salvation? Do all of us really use our gifts for the good of all? or do not many rather bury the pound of gifts entrusted to them for use in the Church and the world in the napkin of indolent rest and indifference? Is everyone a missionary in his circle of friends ? Is everyone a soldier who at the post at which God has placed him faithfully defends the fortress of the Church? Does everyone show that he is a spiritual priest who first of all shows forth to his own house, his wife, his children, his servants, his workers, and then also to his neighbors and to all whom God leads to him, the praises of God, that is, the Gospel of God's works of redemption? Can everyone point to a number of people who were pointed by him to the true way or kept on it, warned and preserved against error and sin, comforted in bodily and spiritual distress, or reprimanded to their eternal salvation?

We cannot deny it; in this point we are far surpassed by the members of the sects. They are plainly more zealous in winning people for their error and the sects than we in winning people for the truth and for our orthodox Church. And alas', how many of us are so indolent in being helpful to our

346 10th Sunday after Trinity

congregation ! How many almost never come to our congregational meeting, let others work, give counsel, and decide for them, while they themselves remain calmly, comfortably, and lazily at home and provide only for themselves! If it would have depended upon the zeal of many of us, our congregation would have been destroyed long ago or fallen into every error and confusion. How will we be able to answer God?!

Let no one say that he has no gifts with which he could serve the world and the Church in spiritual things. Let him who says that recall how thankless he is to God. If you are not a dead nominal but a true, living Christian, you most certainly have a gift of the Holy Spirit; if you lack the one with which you see your neighbor endowed, then you certainly have another which your neighbor lacks; and even if you seem to be greatly lacking in gifts, you certainly have the gift of confessing the true faith before the world, working along with the congregation, and confirming its good resolution by a yes full of conviction and faith.

In our old homeland in Germany a layman could have the most wonderful gifts for ruling the congregation; he dared not use them; he had to remain silent. Here God has granted us the blessing of religious and ecclesiastical freedom, so that everyone can use his gifts for the good of all; Oh, let us use them for this purpose! Let him counsel to whom God has given the gift of wisdom and good counsel; let him teach to whom God has given the gift of a good knowledge for instruction; to whom God has given the gift of a strong heroic faith, let him show it and also try to kindle it in others who lack strong faith; let him pray to whom God has given the gift of special, ardent, and powerful prayer; he who has the ability to give comfort, let him give it; he who can urgently admonish, let him admonish; he who can forcibly exhort quarreling parties, let him exhort; in short, let everyone try to know that gift which he has and others don't, not boast about them, not exalt himself because of them, nor let them lie dormant but use them for the benefit of all. Oh, if in the past everyone would have used his gift for the edification of the congregation and the conversion of the world, how completely different our congregation would be, and how many more people would have been won for God's kingdom!

Come, then, my friends, take my admonition to heart. You who still lack a life of faith and, therefore, still lack the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to whom the doctrine of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is something strange and ununderstandable, awaken from your sleep of death and believe the Gospel; you will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. You who already have such gifts but have used them only for yourselves, use them for others.

You who have always used them and therefore are the crown and blessing to our congregation, use your gifts from now on even more zealously. As the Savior offered himself completely for you, so also offer yourselves completely for your brethren. Oh, how you will some day rejoice when you see in eternity the fruits of your labor! How you will rejoice when in heaven you meet those whom you have rescued by your reprimand, by your comfort, by your faithful warning and admonition! Then, truly, your labors of love will not be unrewarded! You will hear the blessed word from the mouth of the Savior: "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Mt 25:23. May the Lord let all of us hear this voice. Amen.

11TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY-1 1 Cor i nth i ans 15:1-10 ()

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus.

Not to know whether one has the true faith and is under God's grace is a most tragic and wretched condition.

Indeed, there is an unnumbered host of people which does not know this, which does not even want to know this, which in uncertainty must merely hope or even accept the very opposite; but is it not terrible not to know whether he is gracious to us who has created us, who has redeemed us, (to whom we, therefore, belong in a twofold way), who must preserve us, who alone can provide for us, into whose hands we must certainly fall some day when our soul leaves the body and arrives in eternity, who can either help or ruin us for time and for eternity.

How can a person who is not certain of God's grace go to sleep so calmly! Must he not think: What will happen to me, if I die this night during my sleep? How can he awaken with joy in the morning? Must he not fear that he is rising to meet a miserable, unfortunate day? How can he go eagerly to his labors! Must he not be concerned that a curse will rest upon his labors? How can he rejoice when he prospers! Must he not fear that God is granting him worldly blessings in anger? How can he comfort and raise himself up when trouble strikes! Must he not look at everything as a punishment? How can he be without despair, if many enemies attack him! Must he not believe that God will decree that he is to fall into the hands of his enemies and be cast down? How can he bear the sicknesses which are sent him with resignation! Must he not think that God will forsake him completely and in him let the example of a person be seen, who must experience God's displeasure because he despises God's grace? How terrible must the forerunners of death be for him! Must he not expect that they are also the forerunners of being eternally rejected from God's presence?

Of a truth, we must be amazed that a person who does not know whether he is under God's grace, is not terrified when he hears the leaves rustle; we must be amazed when he can lift his face to heaven without becoming afraid, read or hear God's Word, enter God's house,use the Holy Sacraments, and open his mouth in prayer or song. Ah, my dear hearer, you who do not have a gracious God in heaven, perceive how boundless your misfortune still is and do not take another step until you have sought and found God's grace!

On the other hand, we can imagine a no more fortunate person than he who knows that he is under God's grace. He can lie down joyfully, for he knows that he places himself in the fatherly arms of his God, who has appointed His holy angels as watchmen; with joy he wakens, for he knows that God has preserved him in order to grant him a new day of grace; with joy he goes about his calling, for he knows that God is with him; with joy he sees that he is blessed with earthly things, for he knows that God wants to make him happy with these things; with confident courage he meets trouble, for he knows that God wants to lead him to heaven on this way; without horror he sees himself surrounded by secret and known enemies, for he knows that he has nothing to fear from them; without God's will they cannot harm one hair of his head, for God is in a covenant relationship with him; gladly he lies down upon the sickbed which God has prepared for him, because he hopes to be able to think, speak, and live even there to God's

348 11th Sunday after Trinity-1

honor; the report of the nearness of his death is joyous news. Joyfully he opens his Bible, for on its pages he finds light, power, comfort, and peace; joyfully he enters God's house, for his soul delights in the beautiful worship of the Lord; delightfully and joyously he joins the congregation in singing, and partaking of the Holy Supper prepares him for a solemn day.

Ah, how wonderful it would be if we all would know that we had true faith and were under God's grace! Would that not be a heaven on earth in spite of its thousandfold distresses? Certainly.

Since the opportunity is given us, my friends, in our today's Epistle to test our faith and state of grace, let us grasp it and with heartfelt desire study the marks which show whether we are in the true faith or not.

The text. 1 Corinthians 15:1-10.

As was already mentioned on another occasion, heretics had arisen in the congregation at Corinth; they attempted to disseminate the Sadducean principle that there was no resurrection of the dead; to his sorrow Paul must have seen that many Corinthian Christians had actually let themselves be seduced by this fundamental error, and others were at least moved to becomes uncertain of the true doctrine. To bring them back is the purpose of the Epistle just read; the apostle shows those misled that Christian doctrines hang together like a chain from which one cannot take even one link without tearing the entire chain; that either they must reject the fact which he had planted in them, or accept the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. The apostle now indicates three signs of the true and well-founded faith; I, therefore, take this occasion to present to you:

THREE IMPORTANT SIGNS AS TO WHETHER ONE HAS THE TRUE FAITH

They are the following:

1. If Our Faith Is Founded Alone Upon Go d’s Word;

2. If It Is United With A Living Knowledge Of The Heart, and

3. If It Is Revealed By A New Holy Mind And Walk.

Oh, eternal and living God who says to us in your Word: "Without faith it is impossible to please him," guard us against the darkness of unbelief; however, also preserve us so that we do not deceive ourselves with merely something which looks like faith; kindle this heavenly light in our souls, so that we may some day progress from faith to blessed, eternal vision for the sake of Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, our Lord. Amen.

I.

My friends, when in our text the apostle tries to convince the Corinthians that he planted the true faith in them, he says in our text: " For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." Vv.3.4. Two times he says that he laid the foundation in all " according to the Scriptures:" we see from this: The first sign that one has true faith is that our faith is founded alone upon God's Word.

To remind ourselves of this is particularly necessary in our day. About

seventy years ago such a great apostasy occurred in Christendom that for forty years one heard almost nothing preached of faith. Instead of the doctrine of faith, nothing but the comfortless, heathen doctrine of ethics was heard from most chancels especially in Germany. In the last decades the situation has changed somewhat. Especially from the year 1817 many again began to preach a little about faith. Yes, in our new homeland the great majority of teachers and hearers now confess that faith is necessary for salvation.

However, we must not let this deceive us. Not all which they often try to sell by this name is faith. It is not true that so many have returned to the faith of the Reformation. Even true believers can fall into error; but true faith is not present when one errs knowingly, or considers error insignificant and harmless, or knowingly swears to follow an error. True faith is not present when one is careless and indifferent, when doctrine is positive or negative, true or false. True faith is not present when one knowingly departs from a single Word of God.

God makes no deals; he is not satisfied as long as we accept some things from his Word, which are acceptable to our reason and seem correct to our feelings; he who still thinks he can reject at least a few things in Holy Writ rejects the entire Scripture; he who does not want to accept the Old Testament as God's Word also rejects the New, for the New Testament is based on the Old. He who denies the damnableness of original sin, the existence of a devil, the eternity of the torments of hell does not believe in Christ, for these are the things which Christ himself has clearly taught. He who often reads in the Scriptures and prizes it highly as a beautiful book of instruction and comfort, making a few exceptions and thinking that it contains many things which in their simplicity the apostles and prophets believed for which one must pardon them, but which can no longer be accepted today, let him not think that a spark of true faith lives in his heart; in spite of his imagined faith he is nothing but a proud unbelieving spirit who does not want to be a humble pupil but a teacher and judge of the Word of the living God. He thinks that he is wiser than Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, the eternal Truth and Wisdom. For Christ himself proved his entire doctrine with the Scriptures and always said, even in the conflict with the Seducer: "It is written, it is written." And so Isaiah says: "To the Law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light," that is, Christ, "in them." Is 8:20.

Only he can have the true saving faith who by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit actually perceives that the writings of the Old and New Testament are the revealed Word of the Most High God, according to which all will s ome day be judged, either absolved or condemned. If true faith is present, one is filled with the deepest respect of Holy Scripture; David says in Psalm 119: His flesh trembleth for fear of God; and Isaiah says: God looks at the poor and him of a contrite heart and who trembles at his Word.

If true faith is present, no one knowingly departs from a letter of Holy Writ; he would rather give up goods, honor, blood, and life; a single word of the Scriptures is worth more to a true believer than all the wisdom and utterances of all the wise of this world. A true believer never says: How is this possible? but for him the all-important question is: "What is written? How do you read?" If he has a clear Word of God for any teaching, he accepts it humbly, no matter how much his reason, his heart, his feelings contradict it; whatever is against the clear Word of God, he confidently rejects as delusions and lies no matter how plausible it sounds.

No true Christian is satisfied if something has only the appearance of God’s Word; in matters of faith he is cautious, filled with the earnest care and fear that he does not deceive himself. He bases everything upon God's Word. If one passage is against him, he cannot set his mind at rest even if the whole world calls him blessed; if he has God's Word on his side, nothing can disturb

him, even if the whole world, yes, his own heart condemns him; his motto, therefore, is: "If my heart simply says no, I will hold God's Word more certain."

By grace! May sin and Satan hearken!

I bear my flag of faith in hand

And pass--for doubts my joy can't darken--

The Red Sea to the Promised Land.

I cling to what my Savior taught

And trust it, whether felt or not.

My dear hearers, examine yourselves according to this. Do you also consider God's Word so precious, great and holy? Are you also prepared to give up your life rather than depart in one letter from the purity of God's Word? Are you also dissatisfied merely with the appearance of the truth? Is your faith so firmly grounded on God's Word that you feel confident of being saved, even if all men would reject and condemn you?

Sad to say, the rule among many is the fearful contagious disease of not wanting to be certain of their faith by themselves, but first looking at others to see whether they acknowledge it or not. If they see others happy, certain, and secure with another doctrine, they easily mistrust their own faith and join them. What is the cause of this? They are not certain of their own faith on the basis of God's Word. Oh, you who must constantly look to others, to your counselor and those whom you consider good Christians and then are satisfied if they console you: Bear in mind, some day you will have to plead for your own soul; your salvation is at stake; if you let yourselves be deceived by others, you do this at your own risk; you will not be able to say to Christ: I believed this, because this person and that person whom I considered Christians comforted me; Christ will then reply: Did I direct you to people? Have I not given you my Word and said to you: "Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me"? Why have you not grounded yourselves in them? Behold, you have rejected my Word, I must in turn reject you! Cursed is the man who trusts man! Depart from me, I never knew you, you evildoer!

II.

My friends, a second sign whether one has the true faith is if it is united with a living knowledge of the heart. St. Paul points to this when he says to the Corinthians in our text: " Moreover, brethren. I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you." Vv.1.2. This, my dearly beloved friends, is a glorious description of a true believer; the apostle says that they have accepted the Gospel and stand in it. This must prompt us to think that these are not the words of men but the words of the Holy Ghost, who spoke through the apostle. God's Words are deep, rich, and vast. Ah, my dear Christian, if you hear that the Corinthians had accepted the Gospel and stood in it, do not hurry so quickly over this expression, and do not immediately conclude that this could be said of you as well, but ponder what this means, actually to accept and stand in the Gospel.

Many think, that if they call that good which God's Word calls good, if they are pleased with the beautiful doctrine of the Gospel, if they gladly and diligently hear and read God's Word, then they have also accepted it. However, one can indeed find a certain pleasure in God's Word and yet be full of hostility toward the Word, when it strikes the most tender spot of our heart. Mark 6 sa y s of Herod: "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and observed him, and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly;" Mk 6:20; however, when John reprimanded him because of his pet sins, he finally

lost his head under the ax of the executioner of this apparent lover of God's Word. In the same way almost all Germany once extolled Luther's comforting teachings, and yet we hear this man complain in all his writings that his word is not accepted but rejected.

If you want to be certain of your faith, then listen to the following. By nature no person is capable of embracing the Gospel; that must happen through the Holy Spirit. Whenever an unconverted person hears, read, or studies God's Law, the Holy Ghost tries to convince him of being a great sinner, that he is not in God's grace but his wrath rests upon him. If by the working of God he does not resist the Holy Spirit, his heart will be filled with a deep sorrow, his awakened conscience will hurl him into anxiety and terror, and through the Gospel there arises in man a heartfelt longing for grace, help, and mercy. Oh, blessed is the one who experiences this, for this longing for grace is already the beginning of the true saving faith the moment the sinner with his longing reaches out for Christ, the Reconciler of sinners. If he remains under the discipline of the Holy Ghost, He finally leads him through the Word of the Gospel from the longing for Christ to embracing him in faith and trust, so that he can exclaim with divine certainty: "Praise the Lord, oh my soul," for I a sinner

have found grace, I a wretched person have found mercy.

Hence, all earthly treasure!

Jesus is my Pleasure,

Jesus is my Choice.

Hence, all empty glory!

Naught to me thy story

Told with tempting voice.

Pain or loss, Or shame or cross,

Shall not from my Savior move me

Since He deigns to love me. (347,4)

You see, my friends, one can merely say of him who has had such knowledge, that he has embraced the Gospel and come to true faith. He who knows absolutely nothing of the pains of true repentance; who still has not discovered the power of the Law and does not know how a sinner feels, when by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit he sees his state of wrath and perceives that he is a child of death; who in true distress of soul has never cried for Christ's grace from the depths of his heart, nor known that by one's own power one cannot believe in Christ, that God alone is able to give us this through his precious Spirit, he definitely is without grace. The birth of faith in the soul of the sinner does not take place without his noticing it. It is a work which changes the entire man, leads him from darkness to light, from spiritual death to spiritual life, from weakness to divine power.

In his preface to the Epistle to the Romans Luther phrases this most beautifully: "Many when they hear the Gospel, fall at this point and of their own powers create the thought in their heart which says: I believe. This they consider the correct faith. But since it is a human fable and thought which never comes to know the elements of the heart, it, therefore, does nothing and no improvement follows. Faith, however, is a divine work within us which changes us and is newly born from God and kills the Old Adam, makes us an entirely different person in heart, spirit, mind, and all powers, and brings the Holy Spirit along. -- Pray God that he works this faith in you; otherwise you remain forever without faith, do what you will."

Examine yourselves, my friends, on the basis of this; have you also come to your faith by way of such an experience? Can you relate what God has

done to your soul? Can you by experience say: If God had not granted me faith, I would never have been able to give myself to him? My faith is not the work of my nature, but a result of the Holy Spirit, who has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith?

I am convinced that if all true Christians among us would have to answer this they would be able to tell even more of the guidance of their God, and how much it cost them before they were certain than could be indicated here in this brief time. However, perhaps many of us can say nothing of this but he has, as Luther says, by his own power created a thought in his heart which says: I believe. And in the past he has looked on this as the true faith. Oh, let him first of all surrender to the discipline of the Holy Spirit, let go of his dead faith, and beseech God for the true faith, otherwise he will certainly remain without faith eternally.

III.

My friends, one could at one time have had that living experience, when hearing the Gospel for the first time, and perhaps now not have it any more and have lost the faith; therefore, when the apostle wants to extol the faith of the Corinthians, he not only says, that they have received the Gospel, but in the third place, they they still stand in this Gospel, " unless ye have believed in vain;" if we compare the testimony which St. Paul gives of himself at the close of our Epistle with this, we see that the third sign, whether one is still in the true faith is this, if it is revealed in us by a new holy mind and walk.

Without a doubt St. Paul had true faith in Jesus Christ, and how was it revealed in him? Before he was proud and self-righteous, and now he is humble, calls himself one born out of due time, the least of the apostles; yes, he speaks as though he were not worthy of being called an apostle, hence, he looks on all his previous righteousness according to the Law as dung and boasts alone of the grace of his Redeemer; previously he was a persecutor of the fellowship of God, but now by the untiring preaching of the Gospel he gathers holy congregations in all lands to the praise and honor of Christ, so that he could say that he labored more than they all; if before he had misled many, he now tries to rescue so many more and bring them to Christ; he proves that over against Christ's sheep he is a true father in Christ, a faithful shepherd of souls; if in the past he dishonored Christ, now he tries so much the more to promote Christ's honor; if as a religious fanatic he persecuted those of a different opinion, he now wishes to be cursed by Christ for his blinded brethren after the flesh, if with his soul he could rescue theirs.

This is the picture of a Christian, who has not only embraced the Gospel but also stands in it; honestly and earnestly examine yourselves according to it. If there is true faith, a new life will also give evidence of it. If in the past you were proud and haughty, now you will be humble before God and men; if you were greedy and loved money, now you will be generous and heavenly-minded; if you were vain and loved the world, you will now be self-denying and pious; if formerly you were unchaste and lustful, now you are chaste and temperate; if formerly you were angry and surly, now you are gentle and friendly; if you were faithless and dishonest, now you are honest and conscientious; if you were lazy and indolent, now you are zealous and eager; if you were frivolous and unfaithful in your earthly calling, now you are earnest and diligent; if you were full of jokes and tomfoolery, now your mouth is the more full of God's praise and edifying speech; if you were full of murmuring against God and full of earthly cares, now you will be submissive and full of confidence in your heavenly father. If in the past you served sin, the world, and Satan zealously, now you will so

much the more earnestly serve righteousness, God, and your Savior. For: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor 5:17. "In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." Gal 5:6.

He of us who can 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." V.10, I have a new heart and walk in a new life, let him not despair in the face of the great weakness of his flesh; if he must say with Paul: That what I want to do I do not, and what I do not want to do I do, let him carry on the conflict sincerely and not let sin have dominion over him; if in this conflict with sin God's grace in us is not in vain, this is a sign that it also will not be in vain when we must appear before God's throne, but it will absolve us from all guilt and open to us the gates of eternal life. Amen.